Not all countries in the Middle East aspire to a western-style democratic model and it is this misunderstanding of people’s needs that has led to the inexorable rise of IS, writes JP O’Malley.

Syrian troops ousted rebels from the strategic town of Qusair near the Lebanese border yesterday, after a devastating 17-day assault led by Hezbollah fighters from across the frontier.

A blunder by the Egyptian army that left 16 border guards dead at the hands of Islamist militants gave president Mohamed Morsi an early chance to claw back powers from a military whose political influence he had always wanted to curb.

An ‘invisible’ police force and doubts about the military rulers’ plans has led to fears of violent elections next week, writes Mike Giglio

IRAQ’S parliament approved Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki and his new government yesterday, nine months after an inconclusive election left politics in limbo and delayed investments to rebuild the country after years of war.