All Middle East
Israeli first responder searches for the good among Sderot's rocket-pocked streetsOne would expect Israeli Judith Bar-Hay to be angry after working for years in Sderot, which has been hit with more than 7,000 Palestinian rockets. 聽She says that helping others keeps her sane.
Syrian regime's core supporters begin to drift awaySupport for Assad among the Alawites, a religious minority, is waning. But sectarian hostilities and increasing religiosity make Alawites hesitant to join the opposition.- What's in the Internet videos posted by Tamerlan Tsarnaev?The videos do not show ties to any specific group, but do hint at a deeper yearning in the alleged Boston Marathon bomber for a heroic jihadi persona.
Dancing around the conflict in RamallahShyrine Ziadeh dreamed of studying ballet abroad, but once she realized how much she could help talented girls in Ramallah, she put aside that dream and opened her own studio.
Israel shoots down drone, Hezbollah denies it's theirsThe Shiite militant group in Lebanon has sent drones over Israel in the past, linking their use to Israeli violations of Lebanon's airspace.
Chorus grows against Obama administration's sanctions-heavy Iran policyThe Obama administration's effort to end Iran's nuclear program has focused on punitive measures, with little diplomatic outreach. Critics say this jeopardizes negotiations.
Israel seeks another type of coexistence 鈥� between tourists and the earthAlthough an economic boon, tourism can be a destructive force for the environment. Israel, filled with religious tourism destinations, is exploring ways to make pilgrimages sustainable.聽
Outside the camps, Syrian refugees face further hardshipWith 74 percent of Syrian refugees living outside camps, life is a daily struggle to find affordable housing, jobs with living wages, and schooling for their children.
Tunisians yearn for the good old days of a strongmanTunisians still revile ousted leader President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, but admiration is rising for his predecessor, who had strongman tendencies of his own but also helped Tunisia flourish.
Hagel goes to Israel bearing gifts of radar and OspreysThe US will give Israel advanced radar systems, more powerful missiles, and aircraft never before sold outside the US. Together, they could聽diminish Israel's sense of threat from Iran.
Canada alleges Al Qaeda plot from Iran, but Tehran's involvement unlikelyShiite Iran and Sunni Al Qaeda have long had a hostile relationship. While state involvement appears unlikely, Tehran has less control over the country's far east.
The trials of an Israeli Arab prosecuting PalestiniansIsraeli Arab Arin Shaabi's job as a military prosecutor for the Israel Defense Forces puts her in the difficult position of handling the cases of fellow Arabs, earning her hatred from some.聽
Environmentalists tap Palestinian schoolchildren to clean Jerusalem's holy valleySix Olympic-size pools of trash and sewage are dumped in Kidron Valley, which abuts Jerusalem's holiest sites, every year.
First West Bank marathon highlights barriers to Palestinian movementMarathoners observed a moment of silence for the victims in the Boston attacks before running a landscape scarred by the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.聽
Syrian rebels intensify rocket attacks into LebanonRebels fighting the Syrian government are shelling villages on the Lebanese side of the border in order to curb a Lebanese group's efforts to help the Syrian regime.
How stable is Iraq? 13 candidates killed ahead of electionsIraq's provincial elections tomorrow, the first since the US withdrawal, are considered a strong indicator of the country's stability. Pre-election violence does not bode well.
Former Palestinian prisoners once jailed for murder, now dole out dessertThe two men behind one of Gaza's most famous kenafeh shops spent more than decade in Israeli prison for conspiracy to murder and planting bombs.
The ExplainerPalestinian Prisoners' Day: Breaking down the controversyThis year's commemoration is particularly noteworthy聽because of two recent high-profile deaths in prison that drew tremendous outcry from Palestinians. The Monitor explains.
Iran's Khamenei condemns Boston Marathon attacks, but takes jab at US policiesIran's supreme leader was emphatic in his condemnation of the Boston Marathon attacks, but criticized the US for decrying attacks on its own civilians while carrying out drone strikes elsewhere.
Israeli archaeologist finds common ground underneath Sinai's shifting sandsAvner Goren lived and worked among Bedouin in the shadow of Mt. Sinai for 15 years. Now he鈥檚 applying his knowledge of Arab culture to help bridge the Israeli-Arab divide.
