Ethnic/Religious Minorities

Pope Leo XIV waves to a crowd of youths upon his arrival at the Maronite Patriarchate in Bkerke, north of the capital Beirut, on December 1, 2025. Leo prayed for peace in Lebanon and the region on December 1 on day two of his trip to the multi-confessional country, with joyful Lebanese welcoming the pontiff at two famous pilgrimage sites. (Photo by Giuseppe CACACE / AFP via Getty Images)

Pope Leo gets rock star's reception in Lebanon, drawing cheers, celebrations

Pope Leo began his second day in crisis-hit Lebanon with visits to notable Christian shrines in the country and an interfaith meeting in the capital, Beirut.

A giant billboard of Pope Leo XIV along the highway leading to Beirut's international airport, Nov. 20, 2025.

Lebanon celebrates Pope Leo’s visit as Israel escalates attacks

The pontiff's visit to Lebanon comes as many in the country fear a potential restart of the war between Israel and Hezbollah.

President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan greets Pope Leo XIV during a welcome ceremony at the Presidential Palace, Ankara, Nov. 27, 2025.

In first foreign visit, Pope Leo meets Erdogan, urges Turkey to uphold pluralism

On his inaugural foreign visit to Turkey, Pope Leo called for respect for pluralism after meeting with the Turkish president.

Andreas SOLARO / AFP via Getty Images

Analysis

Pope Leo in Turkey, navigating faith, politics and Orthodox tensions

The visit will bolster Turkey’s image on religious tolerance and shared positions with the Vatican while Ankara navigates sensitive issues surrounding the Halki Seminary and the Greek Patriarchate’s ecumenical status.

Barin Kayaoglu

By Barin Kayaoglu

In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security

Latest News

Culture

Can AI save Turkey’s endangered Laz language?

A villager stands at a high point to survey the damage to the hill sides by quarrying in Ikizdere in the Rize Province in the Black Sea region of Turkey on June 7, 2021. A government-friendly company plans to extract 20 million tons of stone from a quarry in the northeastern town of Ikizdere for one of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's latest development projects. The locals are rising up in protest, challenging the government and its priorities in a region dear to the domineering Turkish leader's heart. (Ph

Analysis

Israel scrambles for strategy as Mamdani’s NYC victory sparks alarm

New York City's mayor-elect, Zohran Mamdani, attends a press conference at the Unisphere, in Queens, Nov. 5, 2025.

Mazal Mualem

By Mazal Mualem

In Tel Aviv, reporting on politics

Analysis

As Trump hosts Sharaa, Israel cautiously seeks Syria security deal

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 23: President of Syria Ahmed al-Shara arrives for the 80th session of the UN’s General Assembly (UNGA) at UN Headquarters on September 23, 2025 in New York City. This year’s theme for the annual global meeting is:“Better together: 80 years and more for peace, development and human rights.” Gaza and Ukraine are just two of the global emergencies that world leaders will look to address. (Photo by Alexi J. Rosenfeld/Getty Images)

Rina Bassist

By Rina Bassist

In Paris, reporting on Israeli politics and European affairs

For Arab and Muslim Americans, Mamdani's victory grants seat at table

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - NOVEMBER 1: Democratic New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani (C) raises his hands during a campaign event with New York City elected officials on November 1, 2025 in the Queens borough of New York City. With only days left in the race for New York City's next mayor, Mamdani remains the front runner against Independent candidate, former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa. (Photo by Stephanie Keith/Getty Images)

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan gave a speech at the groundbreaking ceremony of the Cemevleri

Erdogan’s pre-election gesture to Alevis met with suspicion

Many leaders of Turkey’s Alevi community question the motives behind Erdogan’s plan to create a public authority in charge of Alevi houses of worship.

An Aeroflot-Russian Airlines Boeing 777-3M0 lands at Ben Gurion International Airport in Lod, east of Tel Aviv, Israel, Aug. 3, 2020.

Israel warns dual citizens about travel to Russia

Jerusalem tells Israeli-Russian citizens they could be drafted into Russian army.

Thousands of ultra-Orthodox Jews attend the funeral of Rabbi Shalom Cohen, influential spiritual leader of Israel's largest ultra-Orthodox Shas party, Jerusalem, Aug. 22, 2022.

Culture

Ultra-Orthodox address mental illness in Israel

Bayit Cham battles against the attitude still prevalent among many ultra-Orthodox families that mental illness is something that needs hiding.

Jewish pilgrims are stuck between Belarusian and Ukrainian border crossings after Kyiv refused their entry citing coronavirus concerns, Sept. 16, 2020.

Russia, Ukraine exchange barbs over Israeli pilgrimage to Uman

Moscow and Kyiv are exchanging accusations of endangering Israeli Jews wishing traveling to the Ukrainian town of Uman for the annual Jewish New Year pilgrimage.

Shiite Muslim pilgrims march toward Iraq's holy city of Karbala to attend the Arbaeen religious commemoration.

Iran-linked militias claim arrest linked to threats to disrupt religious holiday

Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Units have conducted numerous arrests of alleged 'Bathists' in recent days that raise questions about the legitimacy of the arrests and the political reasons behind them.

Orthodox wedding

Culture

Rabbinical ruling helps Jewish Israeli women get divorced

Attempting to pressure a husband who refuses to grant a divorce writ to his wife, the Israel Chief rabbinate ruled that his father would be prevented from being buried in Israel when the time comes.

Souvenir stand in Petra, Jordan.

Gendarmerie operation sparks controversy in Petra, Jordan

Petra’s tribal entrepreneurs react to a security operation carried out inside Jordan’s most-visited UNESCO World Heritage Site with criticism and concern for their livelihoods.

Western Sahara's Polisario Front independence movement leader Brahim Ghali (C).

Western Sahara dispute spills into Tunisia

A diplomatic crisis is brewing in the Maghreb region amid tension between Morocco and Tunisia after President Kais Saied received the leader of the Polisario Front.

A partial view of the Israeli settlement of Ariel, near the West Bank city of Nablus, Jan. 25, 2017.

Israeli settlement intended for ultra-Orthodox draws new residents

After years of failure to attract ultra-Orthodox residents, the West Bank settlement of Emmanuel is starting to interest middle-class families.

French President Emmanuel Macron (L) and Algeria's President Abdelmadjid Tebboune attend a signing ceremony in the pavilion of honor at Algiers airport, Algiers, Algeria, Aug. 27, 2022.

On visit to Algeria, France’s Macron advances post-colonial reconciliation

The presidents of France and Algeria signed Aug. 27 a pact for a new partnership between the two countries, announcing the setting up of a joint historian commission to explore the colonial period, alleged French crimes and the bloody eight-year independence war.

This picture shows a general view of the Israeli Knesset during a meeting, in Jerusalem on June 30, 2022.

Israeli Arabs make it into the top 10 Meretz Party Knesset list

Regional Cooperation Minister Essawi Frej is not running in the upcoming November elections, but Israeli Arab Ali Salalha managed to secure a realistic spot at the Meretz Party primary.

EMMANUEL DUNAND/AFP via Getty Images

Far-right platforms take shape in Israeli primaries

The Religious Zionism primaries show how far the national-religious stream has veered to the right.