Middle East

Biden in a crowd

President Biden’s visit to Israel focuses on regional security 

​​​​​​​The top agenda item for Biden is regional security. Scheduled meetings with Israeli officials focus on strengthening the regional relationships that Israel has forged with some of its Muslim neighbors. 

President Biden’s visit to Israel focuses on regional security 
An aerial view of Doha's diplomatic area March 21, 2013.

Middle Eastern rift with Qatar looks set to continue indefinitely

Middle Eastern rift with Qatar looks set to continue indefinitely
Dr. Mohammed al-Khatib, founder of the Museum of Memories in Beirut. He started the museum with a question for one of his patients: Do you have something from Palestine?

Objects from Palestine are now enshrined at a makeshift museum in this Beirut refugee camp

Objects from Palestine are now enshrined at a makeshift museum in this Beirut refugee camp
sesame

How Jordan's particle accelerator is bringing together Middle East enemies

How Jordan's particle accelerator is bringing together Middle East enemies
A general view shows part of Jerusalem's Old City and the Dome of the Rock.

Why moving the US embassy to Jerusalem is so controversial

Why moving the US embassy to Jerusalem is so controversial
An Iraqi man holds a picture of victims of the Karrada suicide bomb attack in Baghdad, Iraq on July 10, 2016, one week after the attack.

More than 75 percent of terrorist attacks in 2016 took place in just 10 countries

Three of every four terror attacks last year took place in Iraq, Afghanistan, India, Pakistan, the Philippines, Somalia, Turkey, Nigeria, Yemen or Syria, according to the latest data from the Global Terrorism Database.

More than 75 percent of terrorist attacks in 2016 took place in just 10 countries
Oud master Rahim AlHaj spoke to The World about his new album, "Letters from Iraq."

'Letters from Iraq' told through music

Iraqi musician Rahim AlHaj tells us a powerful story about his song "Running Boy." It's part of The World's new partnership with Smithsonian Folklife Festival.

'Letters from Iraq' told through music
A man cycles past signs bearing the name of U.S. President-elect Republican Donald Trump in Tel Aviv, Israel.

Trump will be in Israel today. Can you find the country on a map?

The president starts a two-day visit to the Jewish state and the occupied Palestinian territories on Monday.

Trump will be in Israel today. Can you find the country on a map?
Lula  the bear

Lula, a bear, and Simba, a lion, have been rescued from the Mosul zoo

“I think if we waited some days more,” says the veterinarian who led the mission, “they would not be existing, they would be history.”

Lula, a bear, and Simba, a lion, have been rescued from the Mosul zoo
Bassel Almadani on stage with the Supernaturals

A Syrian-American soul singer takes his music to Trump country

Bassel Almadani is a Syrian-American neo-soul/funk singer based in Chicago. When he and his band are on tour, they often take questions from the audience about Syria.

A Syrian-American soul singer takes his music to Trump country
Electronic musician Ash Koosha

The World's music feature this week: Contrabanned at SXSW

The World is part of a very cool project at the upcoming South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas. We've collaborated on a showcase called Contrabanned: #MusicUnites.

The World's music feature this week: Contrabanned at SXSW
Syrian refugees fleeing Syria

A children's book introduces German kids to the true story of Syrian refugees

Germany has received more than 1 million refugees, many of them children from Syria. In “Everything Will Be Alright,” Kirsten Boie writes the story of one Syrian family that fled bombings in Homs for safety near Hamburg, Germany.

A children's book introduces German kids to the true story of Syrian refugees
Maryam Al-Khawaja

Activists from around the world describe waging non-violent campaigns

In Bahrain, New Zealand and South Africa, these three activists used non-violent resistance and protests to fight for human rights, environmental causes and equality.

Activists from around the world describe waging non-violent campaigns
An Iranian Air Force F-5F fighter plane takes off during manoeuvres in southern Iran.

Where did Iran get its military arms over the last 70 years?

Did the international sanctions affect Chinese and Russian arms supplies to Iran?

Where did Iran get its military arms over the last 70 years?
Saudi singer Rotana Tarabzouni at home in Los Angeles.

Saudi singer: People say, 'I hope you die, I hope you burn in hell, you're a slut.'

If you think it's hard to make it as a musician in the US, try Saudi Arabia. Music isn't officially illegal, but many Muslims there believe that music is forbidden — so not only are there no karaoke bars, but shredding that guitar solo might actually get you in trouble with religious police. But that doesn't mean that there are no aspiring Saudi Idols.

Saudi singer: People say, 'I hope you die, I hope you burn in hell, you're a slut.'