All Middle East
In a first for Middle East politics, 海角大神s and Islamists stump togetherA major Islamist party in Jordan is fielding four 海角大神s among its list of candidates for Tuesday's parliamentary election. Muslim candidates 鈥� and voters 鈥� are coming out to support them.
Persian Gulf incidents spike, sending message from Iran hardlinersThreatening encounters between the US and Iran have risen recently in the Persian Gulf, with at least 32 reported so far this year, compared with 23 in all of 2015.聽
Moscow says strikes on Syria army threaten U.S.-Russia ceasefire planThe U.S.-led coalition air strikes, killing more than 60 Syrian soldiers on Saturday, borders on "connivance with Islamic State terrorists," the Russian Foreign Ministry said. Violence has restricted the delivery of humanitarian aid throughout the ceasefire.
Would decentralizing Syria offer a path to peace?Handing off more power to localities is popular with many Syrians. But they also want a single, unified country, and they suspect that decentralization would end up splitting the country entirely.聽
First LookSyria ceasefire: Will humanitarian aid reach people?A number of physical, political, and bureaucratic roadblocks have prevented food, medical items, and other necessities from reaching civilians in besieged zones during the seven-day truce.聽
Syrian cease-fire: US, Russian leverage with warring sides faces severe testThe US-Russian cease-fire deal is threatened by deep hostility and mistrust between Syrian rebels and the regime, as well as a perception that the deal is weighted in favor of Assad.
Iranians mark Feast of Sacrifice as day of charity rooted in historyAt a charity foundation south of Tehran, hundreds of donated sheep are slaughtered for Eid al-Adha, a feast that recalls God's test of Abraham's faith.- Turkish air strikes kill three suspected PKK militants in southeastThe air strikes came a day after suspected聽PKK聽militants detonated a car bomb near local government offices.
Syria ceasefire takes effect with Assad emboldened, opposition waryRebel groups fighting to topple President Bashar al-Assad issued a joint statement listing deep reservations with the agreement they described as unjust.
First LookCeasefire in Syria? Rebels agree but not without reservations.Free Syrian Army rebel groups have agreed to a ceasefire set to begin on Monday, but voiced concerns about details of the deal.聽
Is Saudi Arabia doing enough to keep pilgrims safe? Iran says no.Following last year鈥檚 deadly stampede, Iran banned pilgrimage to Mecca region, endorsing an alternate pilgrimage site in Iraq instead.
US-Russia truce in Syria: What they agreed to doRussia and the US agreed to work together to fight ISIS, Al Qaeda, and limit the expansion of President Assad's forces in Syria.
First LookMecca takes on massive construction to accommodate pilgrimsThe Muslim holy city's need for additional space became tragically clear to the world after hundreds of pilgrims were killed in a stampede last year.
Bridge, mosque, airport 鈥� can Turkey afford Erdo臒an's mega-monuments?With Turkey beset by a host of crises, President Erdo臒an is pushing ahead with a grand list of mega-projects that project an image of success. The financing may be an issue.
In Aleppo, a potential turning point for SyriaThe fight over the city of Aleppo is so important that it could recast the six-year Syrian civil war.聽
Syrian opposition to world powers: Assad must go immediatelySpeaking in London, an opposition leader said Wednesday that the demand for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's immediate ouster is non-negotiable.
Netanyahu 'always ready' for peace talks with Palestinian leadersThe peace talks, proposed by Russian President Vladimir Putin, could become the first between Israel and the Palestinian Authority since 2014.
Report details how Emirates jet skidded to fiery stop on Dubai runwayAuthorities released a 28-page report outlining the moments before the airplane carrying 300 passengers hit the runway at 144 mph. The document stops short of blaming anyone for the fiery crash that resulted in one death.
ISIS puts a new twist on terror recruiting: big moneyISIS isn't just recruiting radicals. It's using its huge tax and oil revenues to target the Middle East's unemployed with promises of cash and benefits.
Taliban claims responsibility for twin bombings in AfghanistanArmy and police personnel as well as civilians rushing to help victims of the first blast were caught in the second explosion, triggered when a suicide bomber blew himself up.
