All Middle East
In wake of teen deaths, Israel vows to crush HamasThe bodies of the three yeshiva students were recovered near Hebron. Israel's deputy defense minister called for the destruction of Hamas, which threatened retaliation in turn.
Citing terrorism, Egypt to step up surveillance of social mediaEgyptian authorities have invited foreign software companies to help the government track online speech amid a sweeping crackdown on dissent. A twin bombing Monday killed two police officers.聽
Israeli police forcibly end African migrant protestHuman rights groups focused on the plight of African asylum seekers in Israel say the country's Holot detention camp is designed to force them to return home.
In one Iraqi soldier's death, a portrait of an army in disarrayThe last moments of an Iraqi soldier fighting jihadis near Samarra show a military that drives straight into ambushes with insufficient ammunition and little backup.
Drab West Bank home could be first to fall as Israel revives demolition policyThe Israeli army gave notice it plans to destroy a building that houses an extended family in which one brother is accused of murder. The policy had fallen into disuse because it was not seen as an effective deterrent.
Suicide bombers bring Iraq conflict ever closer to LebanonThe Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS) may be activating sleeper cells in Lebanon, which fears further spillover from wars in Iraq and Syria. Three bombers have struck over the last week.聽
As Iraq burns, tolerance and tensions in Kurdish KirkukOil-rich Kirkuk is under Kurdish control after Iraq's army abandoned their posts two weeks ago. The city's mixed ethnicity and geography may offer clues to Iraq's future reordering.
Israel reins in West Bank military offensive amid fears it could backfireSince the abduction of three Israeli teens, Israel has arrested about 350 Palestinians, conducted sweeps of 1,800 locales, and raided 64 Islamic charities with suspected links to Hamas. Concerns are growing about resulting Palestinian unrest.
FocusKerry urges Iraqi unity, but Kurds and ISIS are creating facts on groundIraq's Kurdish minority have expanded their territorial control this month thanks to the collapse of the Iraqi army in the country's north. Kurdish leaders are unlikely to give it back.
As Iraqi conflict flares, Syrian rebels regroup in LebanonSyrian regime gains in the strategic Qalamoun area face a counterattack by rebels holed up across the border in Lebanon. Post-Ottoman boundaries are dissolving in Syria, Lebanon, and Iraq.聽
FocusKerry has advice for Maliki, but the US has few good options in IraqJohn Kerry said the Sunni Arab uprising in Iraq posed an 'existential' threat to the country today. But what the US can or should do about it is something else again.
FocusBriefing: What is the Islamic State In Iraq and the Levant (ISIS)?A backgrounder on an extremist organization that is one of the Sunni Arab factions fighting and winning ground against the central government in Iraq.
In looted Kirkuk armory, hints of the Iraqi crisis endgameThe Iraqi military fled from the oil city, leaving behind their weapons for rebels and smugglers. As Secretary of State John Kerry seeks unity in Baghdad, Kurds are expanding their territory.
Egypt tightens muzzle on media, sentences Al Jazeera reporters to prisonThe verdict is part of a crackdown against those who disagree with Egypt's army-backed government. Observers say the journalists are being punished for doing their job.
In northeast Lebanon, a growing Syrian rebel threatA car bomb in the town of Arsal on Friday revived fears of Syria's conflict spreading. In Lebanon's east, Syrian rebel fighters are targeting locals for extortion and assassination.
Kerry talks democracy in Egypt 鈥� and promises delivery of weaponsEgyptian President Sisi received Secretary of State John Kerry in Cairo today. Sisi is gathering international support for his presidency, and the US is promising to resume delivery of Apache attack helicopters.
Among Istanbul's birdsong lovers, an echo of Greek pastThe sport of finch-keeping for cafe contests, where birds are ranked on the quality and quantity of their melodies, has its roots in Istanbul's multi-ethnic past.
In Iraqi shrine city, call to arms reverberates loudlySunni militants have said they want to 'cleanse' the city of Karbala, where the revered Imam Hussein died on the battlefield 1,300 years ago. Shiites say his example could not be more relevant today.
In Gaza, women see a future in high-tech startupsGaza Sky Geeks鈥� fourth annual Start-Up Weekend drew record numbers, and women accounted for half of those making one-minute pitches.
With gritty determination, Iraqi Shiites rush to fight ISIS militantsRecruitment centers say they have been overwhelmed since Grand Ayatollah Sistani called on Shiites to defend Iraq and its holy shrines.
