All Middle East
Free Syrian Army battles surplus of fighters and shortage of gunsThe outgunned Free Syrian Army is scrounging for weapons to arm the large number of volunteers coming forward to fight for the opposition.
Bahrain activist verdicts send tough message on protestAn appeals court in Bahrain upheld life sentences for eight of 20 activists who helped drive last year's reform protests. Talks have started with some opposition groups, but expectations are low.
Bomb Iran? Why 5 top Israeli figures don't want to do it. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu鈥檚 threat of a unilateral strike on Iran鈥檚 nuclear facilities, supported by Defense Minister Ehud Barak, has sparked an unusually public debate in Israel about the wisdom of the move. While nearly all of those involved seem to agree that Iran poses a serious nuclear threat, they disagree about the timing and method of best countering that threat.
Islam, politics, and women's rights: the view from the post-revolution Muslim world The Pew Research Center's Global Attitudes Project polled citizens of select, predominantly Muslim countries this spring about how best to blend Islam, politics, and respect for women's rights. This summer, Gallup did a separate survey on similar issues. Here are highlights from the results.
With Migron outpost evacuation, Israeli settlers lose the battle 鈥� but not the warIsraeli peace activists are celebrating this week's Supreme Court order to evacuate the Migron outpost, but the settler population continues to expand in the background of such standoffs.
In rebel-held 'Free Syria,' regime planes still terrorizePresident Assad's ground troops are nowhere to be seen in the rebel-held territory they call "Free Syria." But without a no-fly zone, civilians, like those today in Al-Bab, find themselves constantly vulnerable to aerial assaults.聽
With latest IAEA report in hand, UN chief slams Iran for lack of cooperationSpeaking in Tehran today, UN chief Ban Ki-moon criticized Iran for failing to reassure the world it is not pursuing nuclear weapons as the IAEA reported its nonmilitary nuclear work continues apace.聽
NAM summit: Iran attempts to prove Western efforts to isolate it have failedThough Iran pulled out all the stops this week as host of the Non-Aligned Movement summit, it was met with some heavy international criticism.
Amid squalor and fear on Turkish border, Syrians make plea for safe zoneSo many Syrians have shown up along the Turkish border,聽hoping to cross and enter a refugee camp, that Turkey is calling on the international community to create a safe zone for them inside Syria.
Iran's charm offensive at NAM summit thwarted by Syria, nuclear workIran's effort to prove that international isolation efforts have failed was undermined by discord with the UN and Egypt over its nuclear work and continued support for Syria's President Assad.
In battle-scarred Aleppo, even bread lines aren't a safe place for SyriansSyrian civilians who have remained in Aleppo through weeks of fierce fighting face food and fuel shortages and live in fear of being killed while going about their daily tasks.聽
Why no safe zone in Syria, yet? 5 complications The flood of Syrian refugees entering Turkey 鈥� as many as 5,000 a day for the last 10 days 鈥� has ratcheted up the pressure for a safe zone鈥檚 creation. But a safe zone is complicated and carries many risks.
Paralympic Games: For Gaza's athletes, just getting to the practice track is a challengeParalympic Games competitors from Gaza have to clear hurdles just to train 鈥� like getting to their non-wheelchair-accessible gym.聽
Israeli court dismisses Corrie family's lawsuit, ending effort to put army on trialRachel Corrie, a young American activist, was crushed by an Israeli army bulldozer in the Gaza Strip in 2003. The Corrie family's lawsuit was aimed at putting the opaque Israeli military investigation system 'in the dock.'
In Turkish border city, Erdogan's backing of Syrian rebels draws ireIn the city of Antakya on the Turkish-Syrian border, Turkish government support for the Syrian opposition has unnerved locals belonging to the same Shiite sect as President Assad.- Severe attack on Palestinian teen spotlights conflict's impact on Israeli youthsIsraelis wonder what it says about society that their youths attacked Palestinian teens in Jerusalem last week. In the past, they've often blamed such attacks on extremists and the mentally ill.
Yemeni militants hit back, leaving more than 20 deadTwo deadly attacks this weekend signal the ongoing ability of Al Qaeda-linked militants to hit the government even after being dislodged from their strongholds earlier this year.- Books and art pit freedom of religion against free speech in TunisiaThe riots by ultra-conservative Muslims in Tunisia over issues of blasphemy聽threaten to destabilize the fledgling democracy, leading legislators to consider some limits to free speech.
One kidnapping in Syria prompts kidnapping of 20-plus in LebanonTit-for-tat kidnappings have ratcheted up tensions between Lebanon's Shiites, who largely back the Assad regime, and pro-opposition Sunnis.
FocusWhat's it mean that an Islamist rules Egypt?Egypt's President Morsi moved to consolidate his power this weekend. Here's what Morsi and the new Islamist politicians in Tunisia and Libya want to do.