All Middle East
In Lebanon, a worrying sectarian spillover from SyriaTripoli, Lebanon witnessed some of the worst sectarian fighting in the country since its civil war ended two decades ago, with Alawite and Sunni communities inflamed by the deepening war across the border in Syria.
FocusEgypt presidential elections: Fruit of Tahrir Square tastes bitter to someMany Egyptians feel they can't vote for either candidate in the presidential election run-off.
Egypt presidential candidate: Ahmed Shafiq, former Mubarak manSupporters see in Ahmed Shafiq a former military man who can restore stability after a chaotic 18 months. But others charge their revolution could end with a Mubarak man becoming president.
Egyptian presidential candidate: Mohamed Morsi of the Muslim BrotherhoodMohamed Morsi is one of two candidates to make the runoff of Egypt's presidential election. He won the most votes in the first round 鈥� about 25 percent.
Satellite images suggest Iran cleaning up past nuclear weapons-related workA report by the Institute for Science and International Security says a new image of Iran's Parchin military complex 'raises concerns that Iran is attempting to raze the site prior to allowing an IAEA visit.'
Progress WatchIn Saudi Arabia, a quiet tide of reformDeclining the revolutionary model that Egypt established in overthrowing Mubarak, Saudi reformers are working for a shift in mind-sets as well as policies 鈥� and making headway.- Progress WatchSaudi girls find freedom in cleatsA high-energy evening soccer game between two girls' teams is part of a growing female sports movement in conservative Saudi Arabia.
FocusExclusive: Veteran Lebanese fighter trains new generation of jihadis 鈥� for SyriaLongtime fighter Mustapha explains to the first Western reporter to visit his Bekaa Valley orchard camp how he is preparing eager Lebanese to take up arms against the Assad regime.聽
10 voices for change in Saudi Arabia From a conservative sheikh to a pioneering female pediatrician, these are just a few of Saudis who are vocally advocating for change in their country.
US, 18 other nations, wrap up Eager Lion military exercise in JordanThe sprawling Eager Lion military exercise was tied by some news outlets to the war in Syria. Though that was incorrect, the US is looking to deepen its military engagement with the region.
Angry crowd targets HQ of Egypt's 'candidate for stability,' citing vote fraudAhmed Shafiq, Mubarak's last prime minister, has cast himself as the presidential candidate who can restore stability to Egypt. But last night's protests underscore how polarizing he is.
Egyptian voters will choose from polar opposites in presidential runoffEgyptian officials announced today that Mohamed Morsi, the Muslim Brotherhood candidate, and Ahmed Shafiq, Mubarak's last prime minister, will face each other in a June runoff.- Syria 'massacre' raises pressure for international responseSyrian artillery attack that apparently killed more than 90 people, including many children, brought French condemnation, while the UK said it would call for urgent UN Security Council meeting.
A race to shore up the ancient walls of BabylonAfter two failed bids, archaeologists seek to establish Babylon as a UNESCO World Heritage Site despite damage from Saddam Hussein and US troops. Those are just its latest encounters with conquerors, they argue.
Syrian doctors turn to smuggling supplies as war rages onDoctors, activists, and aid groups like Doctors Without Borders are teaming up with smugglers in Jordan to supply field hospitals for the injured in Syria's war.
Iran nuclear talks a 'complete failure,' says Iranian diplomatBoth sides spoke of 'some common ground' that will drive the next round of Iran nuclear talks set for mid-June in Moscow. Yet a chasm of mismatched expectations widened in Baghdad.
FocusAre terrorists beyond redemption?The record shows that some radicals can be persuaded to give up the gun when inducements and local conditions are right. The Pentagon recently spent $4.5 million to find out more.
Progress WatchFor Saudi ex-jihadis: a stipend, a wife, and a new lifeA Saudi 'rehabilitation' program originally established to help ex-Guant谩namo detainees is being expanded to include five centers around the country.
Likely Egypt election runoff: Muslim Brother vs. Mubarak manAccording to initial returns from Egypt's presidential election, Mohamed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood and Ahmed Shafiq, Mubarak's prime minister, are likely to face off in next month's runoff.
In Egypt's Islamist heartland, voters voice doubts about Muslim BrotherhoodVoters in the Imbaba neighborhood of Cairo are impatient with the Muslim Brotherhood's lack of accomplishments during their short tenure in parliament.
