All Middle East
Diplomacy vs. violence: Israeli-Palestinian talks face immediate testJordan hosted the highest-level Israeli-Palestinian talks in years, but violence, hate speech, and leadership woes are exposing the limits of traditional diplomacy in polarized times.
First LookIraq builds hope and peace, 20 years after ousting Saddam HusseinIraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid says he wants the world to know that his country now is at peace, nearly 20 years after the overthrow of Saddam Hussein. While rebuilding its economy and agriculture, Iraq still faces weak infrastructure and corruption.
First LookTensions spike with deadly Israeli raid in the West BankIn a rare daytime raid in the occupied West Bank,聽Israeli troops on Wednesday targeted聽the city of Nablus, a scene of frequent military activity. More than 50 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank and east Jerusalem since the start of 2023.
Green spring in Saudi Arabia? It鈥檚 the season of the grass-hoppers.How far would you go for a picnic? In Saudi Arabia, for travelers from near and far, rare desert blooms after perfectly timed winter rains offer much-needed greenery, tranquility, and joy.
First LookProtests in Iran: A call for change from the holiest Shiite capitalIranian clerics are calling for a lighter touch from authorities when dealing with protestors. About 19,600 protestors have been detained and 528 killed in Iran since the death of Mahsa Amin. 鈥淭hey should have been enlightened and guided,鈥� says one cleric.聽
In Israel, streets swell with an urgent battle cry: 鈥楧emocracy!鈥�The Israeli battle over proposed laws to weaken the judiciary is spurring warnings of a national emergency and a sense of disbelief among protesters that democracy is being threatened.
First LookIs the Taliban fracturing? High-level leader criticizes regime.A recent speech from a high-level Taliban official could hint at an eroding monolith of the autocratic rule in Afghanistan. 鈥淢onopolizing power and hurting the reputation of the entire system are not to our benefit,鈥� said Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani.
After quake, Syrians lost outside aid. They鈥檙e working to help themselves.The Feb. 6 earthquake in Turkey rocked rebel-held northwest Syria as well. Locals are doing the best they can to deal with the disaster, but aid is in short supply due to the region's isolation.
As Turks look at collapsed buildings, anger at government growsPresident Erdo臒an won broad support in Turkey for his building and modernization projects. But critics of the government say sensible precautions were ignored in a rush to build in a quake-prone zone.
First Look鈥楴o to dictatorship鈥�: Israelis oppose judicial, legislative changesIsraelis are protesting a bill from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that would alter the structure of the country鈥檚 legal system. Mr. Netanyahu, who faces corruption charges, is weakening judicial authority to his benefit, critics say.
First LookSurvivors still being found five days after Turkey quakeThe death toll has now topped 25,000, but rescuers saved at least nine people, including a family of five, from the rubble on Saturday.
Iran has largely crushed protests, but a spirit of defiance still burnsAnti-regime protests in Iran have ebbed and flowed. For now, fierce public expressions that harnessed women鈥檚 outrage have been brutally suppressed, but the resolve to find a path to change hasn鈥檛.
On security, Israeli leaders鈥� words speak louder than their actionsIsrael鈥檚 leaders promised to improve citizens鈥� safety. Yet amid recent deadly violence, rhetoric threatening even harsher security measures keeps the peril of an even worse explosion in plain sight.
鈥業s it a sin to learn?鈥� Afghan women grapple with Taliban edicts.Many young women had expected to contribute to Afghan society as trained professionals, so the Taliban鈥檚 clampdown on girls鈥� and women鈥檚 education comes as both a shock and a challenge.
First LookGlobal unity: Nearly 30 countries send aid to Turkey and SyriaRescue workers are rushing to Turkey and Syria following the series of earthquakes that have claimed more than 5,000 lives.聽鈥淭his is a crisis on top of multiple crises in the affected region,鈥� said an officer with the World Health Organization.
First LookRescue workers act after massive earthquakes shake Turkey, SyriaA 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit Turkey and Syria early Monday morning, killing at least 2,300 and leaving hundreds trapped.聽Rescue workers have searched building remains for survivors, while residents work together to evacuate and bring people to safety.
First Look'We鈥檙e here to stay': Israeli settler population surpasses 500KThere are now currently more than 500,000 Israeli settlers living in the West Bank, a recent report says. That number is expected to rise even higher under Israel鈥檚 incoming ultranationalist administration.
Palestinians see fewer paths to safety amid violence with IsraelFeeling abandoned amid the West Bank鈥檚 latest explosive cycle, how do Palestinian civilians protect themselves? Even as some embrace mutual aid, others resort to violence.
First LookBlinken, in Israel, urges restraint as he condemns recent violenceU.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken flew to Israel to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The visit comes amid escalating turmoil in East Jerusalem and the West Bank.
First LookBurst of Israeli-Palestinian violence casts shadow ahead of Blinken visitMr. Blinken, who is arriving Sunday, is expected now to focus on lowering tensions after an Israel raid in the West Bank Thursday killed nine, and a Palestinian attack outside an East Jerusalem synagogue Friday night killed seven.
