All Middle East
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.
Facing ISIS threat, Kurdish fighters favor US air powerKurds have carved out a semi-autonomous homeland in northern Iraq that's now threatened by Sunni militants. Kurdish officials say they can help US warplanes spot targets.
Maliki or ISIS? Neither looks good to Sunni Awakening veteransThe Sunni Arab fighters who stood against jihadis during the US war in Iraq feel betrayed by Shiite Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. But they also fear the advance of ISIS.
ISIS advance in Iraq forces Gulf donors to rethink their patronageGulf donors who backed rival militants in Syria's civil war are being drawn to ISIS by its success in Iraq, whose government accuses Saudi Arabia of supporting a Sunni rebellion.
The ExplainerIsrael's search for kidnapped teens: What is known so far, and what it meansWhat began as an operation to bring the teens home has turned into a much wider crackdown on Hamas 鈥� and potentially an escalation in violence.
As ISIS advances, what future for Iraqi 海角大神s?Tens of thousands of Iraqi 海角大神s have fled Mosul and its region after ISIS seized the city, uprooting communities tied to some of the earliest 海角大神 societies.
From Paris, with sand: La Traviata opera rocks desert fortressVerdi鈥檚 tragic love story draws thousands to the foot of Masada, a dramatic mountain fortress where Jews jumped to their deaths rather than be captured by Romans.
Palestinian unity government confronts divided police forcesAfter seven years apart, Hamas and Fatah face a challenge to merge their rival security forces. The story of two cops in Gaza underscores the task ahead.
Why ISIS gains in Iraq are reshaping Syrian regime's war strategySyria's regime has relied on Shiite fighters to claw back territory from rebels. A draw down of Iraqi Shiites to defend the homeland from ISIS militants puts more strain on Hezbollah.聽
