Alison Meuse
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ISIS claimed responsibility for attacks in Tehran, one on Iran's parliament, the other on a shrine to Ayatollah Khomeni. Attacks are very unusual in Iran, which is a relatively peaceful place.
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The U.S. considers deploying hundreds more American troops to Syria in the final phase of the war against ISIS — one that could reshape borders and relationships in the Middle East.
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After a week of heavy fighting and shelling, evacuations have begun in the besieged city of Aleppo. A few thousand people have been able to leave, but still many are trapped in the eastern part of the Syrian city.
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Civilians in the rebel-held side of the city are fleeing for their lives, dodging crossfire along the front line to reach the regime-held part of the city. "It was all so sudden," one woman tells NPR.
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Beirut's lone communist inspired bar toasts the life of Fidel Castro.
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The Syrian regime and Russian forces have been bombarding the city of Aleppo, often hitting civilian targets in the process. An attack on a bread line is among the latest.
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Despite calls by the U.N. for a cease-fire, the Syrian government and rebel forces are escalating their battle for control of Aleppo, a city they see as critical in the five-year civil war.
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A strategic town in the south of Syria long-controlled by opposition fighters has reportedly fallen to regime troops with the assistance of Russian air power.
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In a country with a stunning coastline, a lack of governance has allowed private developers to gobble up prime seaside real estate and shunt aside ordinary Lebanese who depend on public beaches.
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Members of a Syrian indie rock band escaped their country's bloodshed and have become a mainstay of Beirut's music scene. "In spite of all the deaths," the band sings, "you are still alive."