Middle East

The U.N. Security Council resolution targets funding streams for the so-called Islamic State. The militant group has been raking in millions of dollars through oil smuggling, antiquities and ransoms.

The off-Broadway production is the work of a Syrian playwright trying to sort out the fear and distrust that have torn his country apart. It's written for audiences who only know Syria from the news.

The remote town of Snuny was recently liberated from ISIS. But aside from Kurdish and Yazidi militia men, very few people have ventured back. There are no services, and the ISIS threat is still real.

Mohamed Fahmy, one of the Al-Jazeera journalists just freed from Egyptian custody, recounts what he calls the nightmare of the last 14 months and talks about what comes next.

Led by a celebrated Yazidi fighter, a small band of Kurdish peshmerga survived a months-long ISIS onslaught. Unlike others in Syria and Iraq, this sacred place still stands, nearly unscathed.

Since the attack on a French satirical magazine, dozens have been arrested for condoning terrorism and inciting hatred. Many are wondering if the crackdown on hate speech is compromising free speech.

An Egyptian court released Al-Jazeera journalists Baher Mohamed and Mohamed Fahmy on bail, but their case hasn't been dismissed. For more details, David Greene speaks with NPR's Leila Fadel in Cairo.

Arab political parties in the Jewish state are trying to win more seats in the country's parliament. For the first time, the 4 main Arab-Israeli parties have joined under one banner on the ballot.

The biggest barrier appears to be whether parties in these talks have what experts say is the "political will" to write a final agreement.