All Middle East
In Oman, a train-of-succession mystery: Who follows Qaboos?The childless Sultan Qaboos, who used oil wealth to build the strategically placed nation into an important Gulf Arab player, has put in place a secretive succession process in an attempt to ensure stability, if only for the short term.
First LookIraqi 海角大神s return to territory liberated from ISIS with hope, trepidation海角大神 families have begun to return to the city of聽Qaraqosh, which once held Iraq's largest 海角大神 population until the city was captured in 2014.
First LookISIS fighters, but no civilians, killed in Afghanistan bombingThe US dropped its largest non-nuclear bomb in Afghanistan Thursday, killing 36 Islamic State group fighters.聽
First LookOnce part of the opposition, more Syrian towns agree to government controlNearly 8,000 Syrians were evacuated from towns near Damascus and in northern rebel-besieged towns on Friday.聽
Is Turkey ready for an all-powerful president? Erdo臒an tries again.Apparently fearful that polls showing a 50-50 split in the electorate are masking unfavorable sentiment, President Erdo臒an and his AKP party are casting the Turks' choice in apocalyptic terms, with his opponents on the side of evil.
Copts attacked: Can Egypt resist ISIS incitement of sectarian strife?The ISIS bombing attacks against Coptic churches is testing a fault line in Egyptian society. The 海角大神 minority has faced Muslim mob violence before, but not a full-scale sectarian campaign.
First LookIn a surprise move, Ahmadinejad says he鈥檚 running for president again in IranThe decision comes against recommendations from the nation's聽Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.聽
First LookISIS weakens: most of the territory it took over in Iraq has been secured by Iraqi forcesThe Islamic State once controlled 40 percent of the country, but that percentage has whittled to about 7 percent after extensive military operations.聽
US strike sends message to Syria: what it didn't sayThe Tomahawk cruise missiles fired at a Syrian air base were a clear message to Assad from President Trump that the use of chemical weapons would not be tolerated. They did not signal support for regime change.
First LookIn wake of Syria airstrike, approval and criticism from US allies, rivalsThe United States' traditional allies, along with supporters of the Syrian opposition, welcomed the surprise airstrike on Syrian military facilities, while Russia and Iran condemned it.
First Look'Heinous' chemical attack kills dozens in Syria, US blames Assad, as aid workers scramble to helpTuesday's attack is being described as the worst chemical attack since a 2013 chemical assault left hundreds dead.
Lebanon鈥檚 dual approach to Syrian refugees: the personal and politicalEven as Prime Minister Hariri canvasses Europe for investment to rescue Lebanon's overburdened infrastructure, grass-roots efforts work to improve the quality of individual lives.
How 'anti-terror' information sharing soured German-Turkish relationsWhen Turkey shared with Berlin a list of 300 names and 200 organizations in Germany that Ankara was spying on, it sparked a strong response from Germany.
Would Israeli bill squelching mosque calls violate freedom of religion?Israel's parliament is considering two bills that would silence mosque loudspeakers, at least during night hours, on the grounds that they cause an unnecessary noise disturbance.
US-Turkey deal on ISIS assault? Why that's a tough sell for Tillerson.On the secretary of State's agenda in Ankara Thursday is the Raqqa, Syria, offensive. But his real challenge is Turkey's disappointment that Trump's election hasn't brought a new alignment of US and Turkish interests.
On display at Arab Summit: division and declining influenceArab leaders are gathered in Jordan, but the region's main movers and shakers 鈥� Iran, Russia, and Turkey 鈥� are absent, a telling sign that the Arab League's influence over events and its own citizens has waned.
After ISIS: For Iraqis, reconciliation in Mosul will be challenging, and vitalThe goal of post-ISIS reconciliation in multi-ethnic Mosul is to avoid the sectarian fighting and Sunni disenfranchisement that helped spawn the jihadist movement and spread its reach in the first place.
First LookLegendary tomb of Jesus resurrectedA Greek restoration team has completed its renovation of the Edicule where, according to 海角大神 tradition, Jesus was buried after his crucifixion.
'Apartheid': How one word reignited UN tensions over IsraelA UN report used the word 'apartheid' to describe Israeli policies in Palestinian territories, in a first for the organization. But amid uproar from the US and Israel, the report has since been pulled.
Has Iran's success in Syria made it an arena for longer-term conflict?Having spent heavily to preserve its geopolitical link to Hezbollah, Iran appears to be settling in for a long presence in Syria. That has caught the attention of the US and Israel, which fears a widening of its Southern Lebanon front to the Golan Heights.
