All Middle East
First LookEfforts to protect Afghan women are failing, UN reportsMore than 17 years after the Taliban was defeated, a process to protect women from violence still struggles to take hold, according to a new report from the United Nations. Afghanistan authorities largely rely on traditional mediation councils to resolve criminal cases against women.
First LookGaza escalates attacks, Israel responds with airstrikesThe rising military tensions between Israel and Gaza reached yet another peak Tuesday. Israeli Intelligence Minister Israel Katz says the country is "at the closest point to the threshold of war" since the seven-week conflict with Palestinian militants four years ago.
How new US stance on Iran is resonating in TehranIt's hardly surprising that US ultimatums directed at Iran have been answered in kind, with Iranians saying they will not be intimidated into constraining their regional ambitions. But listen closely, and you'll also hear more pragmatic voices.
Ramadan: a time for fasting, prayer, reflection 鈥� and laughs?It's a well-known device. Sometimes the best way to grapple with difficult personal, social, and political issues is through humor. In Jordan, entertainers are delivering just that to theater and TV audiences during the holy month of Ramadan.
First LookFor Gazans, an open border crossing still presents barriersEgypt has opened the Rafah border crossing to Gaza during the month of Ramadan. But as thousands seek to leave the tiny Hamas-controlled territory, bureaucracy at the border has made passage slow and costly.聽
Amid Israel-Gaza violence, a personal drive to preserve humanity and hopeIt's a challenge to prevent fear from overwhelming compassion. Even before the latest violence, animosity and distrust have run deep on both sides of the Israeli-Gazan border. For some Israeli residents of the region, there's no alternative but to reach out to preserve hope.
First LookHow a soccer star gave hope to his Egyptian hometownAn entire village will tune in to watch Mohamed Salah, a forward for the English club Liverpool, who in turn has invested in his Nile Delta village with an improved mosque, hospital, and school as Egypt struggles through聽economic hardships.聽
First LookTurkey's halal-friendly tourism draws crowdsDozens of hotels and resorts in Turkey are聽accommodating religious strictures on modesty to boost聽tourism.聽Many foreign guests are Muslims from European countries seeking a respite from right-wing and anti-immigrant sentiments.
First LookIn humanitarian gesture, Egypt keeps Rafah crossing open through RamadanThe Rafah Border crossing, which connects Egypt to the Gaza Strip, will remain open through the Muslim holy month, allowing the Red Crescent to bring much-needed aid shipments into Gaza.聽聽
First LookGulf Arab states support Palestinians, but also form subtle ties to IsraelCountries including Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Qatar remain publicly aligned with Palestinian interests but have begun to engage with Israel on key diplomatic, cultural, or economic levels. The shift may be inspired, in part, by concerns of Iranian influence in Palestine.聽
Debate in Iran: Is nuclear deal worth keeping without US?The nuclear deal was sold to Iranians as offering a peace dividend and paving the way for greater openness. But the returns have been minimal, and how hard Tehran will work to keep the deal alive with Europeans and without the United States remains to be seen.
First LookArmenian prime minister's hometown sees hope in political turnoverFor the town of Idjevan, Armenia 鈥� the home of the country's resistance leader, Nikol Pashinian 鈥� the rise of a new prime minister has kickstarted a sense of optimism here that persistent poverty and unemployment may finally find a solution.聽聽
First LookUS embassy opens in Jerusalem as dozens killed in GazaPalestinians, angered by the move of the US embassy to contested Jerusalem,聽protested along the Gaza border. At least 41 Palestinians were killed in the deadliest day in Gaza since a 2014 cross-border war.聽
First LookTunisia's Jews and Muslims join to celebrate religious toleranceTunisia is home to one of North Africa's largest Jewish communities, and Jews have lived in Tunisia since Roman times. Each year, dozens of Muslims participate in聽Jewish religious ceremonies in the oldest synagogue in Africa to promote聽interreligious tolerance.聽
First Look'Most serious' military conflict between Iran, Israel breaks out in SyriaAfter Iranian rockets hit Israeli positions in the occupied Golan Heights, Israel unleashed a heavy bombardment on Iranian forces in Syria. While the conflict is unlikely to escalate further, experts say, it may lead to a redrawing of "red lines" between the two countries.聽
In Iraq, a 鈥榩ost-sectarian鈥� election, yet challenges to democracy lingerCandidates in Iraq's elections Saturday, aware of the perils of sectarianism, are focusing on bread-and-butter issues. But that doesn't mean they've earned voters' trust. There are still lessons to be learned about democracy: Voting drives legitimacy, and corruption undermines trust.
FocusIn Baghdad, Iraqis embrace return to normalcy, with eye on its fragilityThe differences are striking: Blast walls are coming down and streets are reopening as Baghdad sheds the visual reminders of war's long grip. But is it enough to just wish peace into existence? Iraqis are keeping an eye on ISIS, but the fatigue with fighting and yearning for normalcy are changing the face of the city.
In rural Jordan, pulling power from the wind to make change on the groundIn southern Jordan, our correspondent found a rural area that felt neglected by the government and had been the site of sustained protests not many years ago. Today it is the site of a commercial wind farm, an innovative marriage of emerging green power technology with a hopeful start to curing social inequities. Still, it wasn't the easiest sell.
First LookDespite challenges, Iraq's female candidates run for parliamentNearly 2,600 female聽candidates are vying for a seat in parliament ahead of the May 12 election. Many see the vote as an opportunity to counter the erosion of women's rights and push their issues to the fore in the traditionally male dominated society.
In Baghdad, a sense of home resurfaces a decade after ethnic cleansingThe Baghdad neighborhood of Al-Adel was the site of a campaign of ethnic cleansing against Shiites at the height of Iraq's sectarian strife. But in a testament to the universal pull of "home," Shiite former residents have been trickling back, surfacing fond memories of the old days and recalling how some Sunnis helped them. First in an occasional series on Finding 'Home.'