All Middle East
In northeast Iraq, flashes of resistance against Islamic State militantsA combination of Iraqi Army units and Kurdish and Shiite paramilitaries has flushed Sunni militants from much of Diyala Province. But tribal leaders run a lethal risk for defying militants and joining the resistance. 聽
On Turkish-Syrian border, a baby Obama is born'Only Obama helped us in our time of need, so I named my son after him,' says a Syrian refugee who goes by the name of Abu Obama. US-led airstrikes on his hometown of Kobane have helped its defenders to resist an Islamic State offensive.聽
In Iraq, Sunni tribes pay heavy toll for joining fight against Islamic StateLeaders of Sunni tribes in Iraq who have joined the battle against the Islamic State say jihadist sleeper cells in their tribes are undermining their ability to fight back.
FocusIs it time for Israel to talk peace within the region?With the shared regional threat of the Islamic State and a nuclear Iran, some top Israeli security officials say now's the time for peace talks with Israel's moderate neighbors.
FocusBuilding a shared Jerusalem: One design firm takes up the taskStudio Aya has produced detailed renderings of nearly every key challenge involved in dividing Jerusalem between Israel and the future Palestine.
FocusJerusalem crisis: Amid violence, seeking paths to peaceThe question of how to govern a shared Jerusalem, sacred to both Jews and Muslims, often seems intractable. But many potential solutions are already under consideration.
Israel elections 101: Was early vote gambit riskier than Netanyahu wanted?Israeli public opinion polls show Benjamin Netanyahu, who precipitated early elections, is favored to win a fourth term as prime minister. But support for him is falling, and he is vulnerable.
In tense West Bank city, she secretly meets Israelis to talk peaceHaya, a Hebron college student, has stopped telling friends about peace and started boycotting Israeli products. But she meets twice a month with Israelis and says one day she might be Palestinian president.
Could official's death mean the end of Palestinian security ties with Israel?Ziad Abu Ein died after clashing with Israeli forces at a West Bank protest. Amid popular calls to cut off key security cooperation and to retaliate, some leaders are calling for calm.
CIA torture report: In Iraq, US abuses, and their consequences, are old newsFor many Iraqis, the US occupation was defined by episodes of abuse of detainees, including high-profile incidents at Abu Ghraib prison that became a powerful recruiting tool for militants.- Can UN envoy sell cease-fire to Syria rebels? Not so fast.Staffan de Mistura met divided and distrustful Syrian rebel leaders in Turkey to push for a conflict 'freeze zone' in Aleppo. Many worry that would be little more than a surrender.
Cairo bath house raid: How Egypt exploits anti-gay sentimentRights advocates say the raid on a Cairo bath house is part of the military-backed regime鈥檚 attempt to portray itself as a guardian of morality after the ouster of a Muslim Brotherhood-led government.
In Syrian conflict, women rescuers are saving lives and changing mindsMore Syrian women are working as first-responders in rebel-held areas. Trained in emergency medical care and search and rescue operations, they are winning over conservative Syrians by playing a nontraditional role in the conflict.聽
UN reports Israeli support for Syria rebelsThe United Nations Disengagement Observer Force, which patrols the Israel-occupied Golan Heights, has reported Israeli contact with Syrian rebels over 18 months. Syria accused Israel in attacks near Damascus today.
Four years after Egypt's uprising, prison ranks swell: A writer's storyNovelist and poet Omar Hazek is just one of 41,000 people arrested since a July 2013 coup in Egypt.
Jihadi hostage-taking: Could it get out of control in Lebanon?Al Qaeda's threat to kill an American in Yemen is in the headlines, but a long-running hostage drama in Lebanon has deteriorated to where women and children are now mentioned as targets.
Sidelined in Jordan, Syrians watch their revolution, dismayed but unbowedArrested, injured, impoverished, or exiled, many Syrians are still cheering from the sidelines 鈥撀燼nd hope the West will change its policies to help the uprising against the Assad regime.
Did Egypt鈥檚 Sinai militants err in joining Islamic State?Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis鈥檚 claim that it killed an American serves Islamic State goals. But it may undermine the Sinai militants at home in Egypt.
British watchtowers dot a Mideast border again 鈥� this time with Islamic StateIn a line of fortified watchtowers recently built by former Middle East colonial power Britain, Lebanese soldiers seek to thwart advances by Islamic State militants holed up along mountainous border.
Israel's 'Nationality Law': What's at stake for Jews and ArabsThe proposed law, which emphasizes Israel as a Jewish state, is tarnishing the country鈥檚 reputation as a democracy and is on the verge of bringing down Netanyahu鈥檚 government.
