All Middle East
Unemployed Tunisians gave strongman a chance. Where are the jobs?Multiparty politics wasn鈥檛 creating solutions in democratic Tunisia. Now unemployed youths are impatient with the populist strongman they embraced.
Long neglected, Afghan villagers look to outside world for aidVillagers in Afghanistan鈥檚 remote rural areas have always suffered government neglect, and the Taliban are not expected to act any differently.
鈥楴o one has food鈥�: In bleak Afghan winter, a fight for survivalWith Afghanistan facing the confluence of Taliban rule, a collapsed economy, and a winter of growing hunger, a search for the human face of the crisis.
End the draft? In Israel, some mourn what would be lost.Advocates of national service say it creates social cohesion. As support rises in Israel for a volunteer army, some worry about losing the draft鈥檚 unifying role.
Can Arab Gulf states entice Iran to cut a new nuclear deal?After a dramatic shift in Arab Gulf states鈥� thinking, they suddenly may have the most to offer Iran to bring about compromise on a nuclear deal.
First LookIn Egypt, businesswomen use an ancient system to stay afloatThe pandemic has hit small businesses around the world hard. But in Egypt, a traditional lending system has been turned into an app. 鈥淕ameyas,鈥� community-based lending programs, are helping female entrepreneurs聽pay off loans and get a fresh start.
鈥楳ental chaos鈥� in Iran: Is government helping people, or harming?Mental disorders, on the rise worldwide since the pandemic erupted, are especially acute in Iran, fueled by economic crisis and political repression.
Parliamentary brawl in Jordan: Can voters鈥� faith be restored?Jordan鈥檚 Parliament is a once-revered institution. To restore its stature, is it enough to improve representation without giving it a stronger voice?
Free speech in Afghanistan? Who is silenced by Taliban, and why.Despite professing a belief in free speech, the Taliban are silencing critics in keeping with their approach to imposing control over Afghanistan.
Settler attacks on Palestinians soar, challenging Israeli coalitionIn the complex Israeli-Palestinian conflict, extremism can outpace policy. Settlers with less reverence for Israel increasingly are attacking Palestinians.
Did deal ending Sudan coup leave Sudanese out of the picture?Viewed from outside Sudan, the deal ending a coup was a diplomatic triumph. But on Sudan鈥檚 streets, protesters say their voices are being ignored.
First LookBusiness over tradition: UAE adopts Western work weekMost Middle Eastern countries work Sundays through Thursdays in order to observe Friday as the Muslim holy day. The UAE has announced it will shift to a Monday through Friday schedule, a move welcomed by foreign investors.聽
For Palestinians, terror label takes a toll on humanitarian workSix Palestinian organizations are struggling with the human costs of a controversial new Israeli terror allegation, which they emphatically deny.
The Taliban won. So why, and who, are they still fighting?Behind the attacks on former Afghan officials is a story of Taliban success and failure: well-indoctrinated fighters who are ill-prepared to move on.
First LookHow one Afghan province persisted in opening high school for girlsUnder the Taliban, most high school girls in Afghanistan have not yet been allowed back to classrooms following pandemic closures. But in the western province of Herat, parents, students, and teachers have pushed forward and are holding classes anyway.
First Look'Nuclear blackmail'? Restrictions in Iran deal remain unclear.After a five-month hiatus, talks in Vienna have resumed to determine what parts of the 2015 Iran deal can be salvaged.聽In 2018, former President Donald Trump withdrew from the deal in which Iran agreed to limit its nuclear activities in exchange for lifted sanctions.聽
Libya elections: Can internal conflict move from bullets to ballots?Should accountability for misdeeds be sacrificed on behalf of national unity? That鈥檚 a question Libya is grappling with in an election with few rules.
First LookAfghan Shiites turn to Taliban for protection as ISIS threat loomsMany minority Shiites in Afghanistan aren鈥檛 convinced by the Taliban鈥檚 promises to聽protect them. But given the threat posed by the Islamic State, Taliban protection may be the closest thing to security.聽
First LookRevival of a dynasty? Another Qaddafi seeks to lead Libya.Seif al-Islam, a son of聽late Libyan dictator聽Muammar Qaddafi, announced his candidacy for聽the country's presidential election next month.
Climate crisis as change agent? For Israel and Jordan, a warmer peace.Israel-Jordan ties are thawing, and the climate crisis 鈥� and its focus on water and renewable energy 鈥� is giving the countries something to talk about.