Human rights

Former senior commander of the Sudanese Janjaweed militia Ali Muhammad Ali Abd-Al-Rahman.

In a first, ICC convicts Sudanese militia leader of Darfur war crimes

Ali Muhammad Ali Abd-Al-Rahman was found guilty of 27 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Darfur between 2003 and 2004.

Iran's president, Masoud Pezeshkian, addresses members of parliament in Tehran on March 2, 2025.

Analysis

Reeling from Israel war, Iran expands espionage law, bans Starlink use

Iran has officially enacted a sweeping new espionage law imposing harsher measures — including the death penalty — for collaboration with Israel, as rights activists decry what they say is a new campaign of arbitrary arrests and deeper repression.

A correspondent in Tehran

By A correspondent in Tehran

In Tehran, reporting on politics

comedy fest

Culture

Saudi comedy festival draws A-list performers, backlash: What to know

The star-studded festival highlights Riyadh’s push to brand itself as a cultural hub even as critics accuse Saudi Arabia of whitewashing its repressive reputation.

Egyptian activist and blogger Alaa Abdel Fattah looks on from behind the defendant's cage during his trial for insulting the judiciary alongside 25 other defendants including ousted Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi, who was recently sentenced to death, in Cairo on May 23, 2015.

Who is Alaa Abd el-Fattah, iconic Arab Spring activist pardoned in Egypt?

Abd el-Fattah is one of numerous activists to be imprisoned in Egypt and his case has drawn condemnation from the UN and the British government.

Latest News

Turkey’s spy chief in Damascus as Israel, Syria weigh new security map

Turkish Presidential spokesperson Ibrahim Kalin gives a press conference following talks with Sweden and Finland over their bids to join NATO at the Presidential Complex in Ankara, on May 25, 2022.

Three years after Mahsa Amini's death, Iran faces movement it can't crush

Iranian women walk on the streets, disregarding compulsory hijab law, as Iranians prepare for the Persian New Year that starts with the moment of spring equinox, on March 19, 2025, in Tajrish Square, Iran.

Israel lays siege to West Bank's Tulkarm after military vehicle hit by explosive device

JAAFAR ASHTIYEH/AFP via Getty Images

Iran executions hit 913 this year as postwar crackdown deepens: What to know

Protesters hold placard against executions in Iran during a rally against the Iranian regime in Rome on July 30, 2025.

People watch as smoke billows following an Israeli strike in Jabalia, in the northern Gaza Strip on May 25, 2025.

Gaza ceasefire seen imminent as Witkoff finalizes Hamas-Israel deal

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told relatives of hostages held in Gaza that he accepts the recent proposal by American envoy Steve Witkoff, which is expected to secure the release of 10 abductees and establish a two-month ceasefire in Gaza.

A man walks by the synagogue of Rouen, in northwestern France, on Jan. 7, 2025, following the discovery of an antisemitic graffiti.

Rise in antisemitism in US, Europe preceded Washington shooting: What to know

In the United States, Europe, Canada and Australia, the number and severity of antisemitic incidents continue to rise.

A policeman guards the entrance of the Azerbaijan Embassy in Tehran on Jan. 27, 2023, following an attack.

Amid thaw with Baku, Iran executes citizen behind Azerbaijani Embassy attack

Iran has executed the gunman behind a 2023 shooting at Azerbaijan’s embassy in Tehran, bringing closure to a crisis that had severely strained bilateral ties.

A Palestinian girl sits amid a makeshift displacement camp set up amid building rubble in Gaza City on May 12, 2025. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on May 12 that the release of a US-Israeli hostage announced by Hamas would not lead to a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip or the release of Palestinian detainees. (Photo by Omar AL-QATTAA / AFP) (Photo by OMAR AL-QATTAA/AFP via Getty Images)

Netanyahu slams France, UK, Canada for asking Israel to 'stop' Gaza war

A sharp exchange between Israel and its Western partners over Gaza policy unfolded Monday, with Netanyahu slamming calls to halt military action just as a new Israeli offensive reportedly killed more than 100 Palestinians in less than two days.

OZAN KOSE/AFP via Getty Images

Over 400 detained in Istanbul’s May Day protest as Turkey restricts transit

The demonstrations, which marked the first major opposition rally since mass protests roiled the country last month over the Istanbul mayor’s arrest, were met with tight restrictions.

A worshiper waves the flag of Argentina as Pope Francis arrives for the weekly general audience on June 5, 2019 at St. Peter's square in the Vatican. (Photo by Vincenzo PINTO / AFP) (Photo credit should read VINCENZO PINTO/AFP via Getty Images)

Pope Francis, voice for Middle East peace and first to visit Gulf, dies at 88

Pope Francis died on Monday after serving as pontiff for 11 years, advocating for human rights and inclusion in the Middle East and beyond.

By Rosaleen Carroll

In Washington, DC, US, reporting on the Middle East

Monica Schipper/Getty Images

Oscar-winning Palestinian director freed from Israeli detention after night in custody

Hamdan Ballal, a co-director of the Oscar-winning documentary "No Other Land," was assaulted by Israeli settlers and later detained by Israeli forces in the West Bank as the Israeli army continues its raids in the Palestinian territory.

A Department of Homeland Security officer stands guard at 26 Federal Plaza as protestors gather to demand the release of Mahmoud Khalil on March 10, 2025, in New York City.

Hearing delayed after Lebanese doctor with US visa deported: What to know

A Lebanese citizen is the latest in a string of detentions, visa revocations and deportations conducted by the Trump administration.

A voter holds his proof of Kuwaiti citizenship upon arriving at a polling station during parliamentary elections in Kuwait City on June 6, 2023.

Kuwait revokes citizenship of 464 as restrictions tighten under new emir

Over 35,000 Kuwaitis have lost their citizenship since the government enforced amendments to its citizenship law in September of last year.

SHADI AL-DUBAISI/AFP via Getty Images

Canceled Syrian justice workshop sparks repression fears: What to know

Syrian civil society organizations condemned the sudden cancelation of a planned workshop on transitional justice in Damascus, calling it an act of oppression reminiscent of the Assad era.

TUSAID chair

Turkey slaps travel ban on 2 businessmen for criticizing dissident crackdown

Two business leaders from the country’s largest industrialist group were banned from traveling internationally after a speech by the Turkish president criticizing the organization.

Israeli hostages stand on stage flanked by Hamas militants during the official handover in Gaza, Gaza Strip, on February 8, 2025. Hamas hands over three Israeli hostages to the Red Cross as part of ongoing negotiations. (Photo by Youssef Alzanoun / Middle East Images / Middle East Images via AFP) (Photo by YOUSSEF ALZANOUN/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images)

Analysis

Can Hamas defy Trump's ultimatum as Gaza ceasefire teeters?

Israel is considering introducing a transitional phase to salvage the deal and ensure the continued release of hostages. However, for this to proceed, Hamas must adhere to the agreed-upon terms by Saturday.

In Tel Aviv, reporting on national security, Israeli politics, defense