Middle East

Israeli settlers are pressing ahead with a new outpost on occupied West Bank land — closing it off to Palestinians and posing a test for Israeli leaders who will have to rule on it.

NPR's Michel Martin speaks with Rami Rajeh, a Lebanese father of two, about how Beirut feels days after deadly clashes erupted in the city, and how residents are coping with an economy in shambles.

Tensions that had been building for months in Lebanon erupted in violence Thursday in Beirut. Several people were killed at a protest being held by Hezbollah supporters.

Fighting broke out in Beirut during a rally by Hezbollah supporters who say they were attacked by Christian militias, as Lebanon struggles with massive electricity outages and government paralysis.

Some projects had been on hold for years because of objections from the U.S. and European countries, which believe construction could complicate the possibility of an independent Palestinian state.

With the Israeli foreign minister in Washington to meet Secretary of State Antony Blinken, the focus is on how to approach talks with Iran over reviving the 2015 nuclear deal.

As the results of the Iraq election are compiled, its clear that turnout was much lower than expected, with many Iraqis disillusioned about the prospects for political reform.

Winepresses, warehouses and kilns were uncovered by archaeologists who believe the winery once produced a fine white wine.

Most Iraqis don't expect Sunday's parliamentary elections will bring much change to a leaderships blamed for corruption and mismanagement, but some voters still thought it was important to be counted.

It's expected to be a big week for COVID-19 vaccines and boosters. Ballots are being counted in Iraq's parliamentary elections. China and Taiwan used a weekend occasion to heat up their rhetoric.

The stoppage of two major power plants leaves generators as the country's only power source, endangering hospital patients and the water supply. Officials expect the outages to last for several days.

Two activist friends talk about their efforts to protest for reform in Iraq — despite intimidation and attacks from powerful parties that will likely come out on top in Sunday's elections.