Leila Fadel

Turkey has detained or dismissed thousands of people from the government and the military in what many see as the president's attempt to seize even greater powers.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan could use the coup attempt against him to purge government institutions, including the military and the judiciary. Critics say he has already accumulated too much power.

A wide crackdown is underway in Turkey following a failed coup against elected President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. NPR's Leila Fadel gives the latest.

The Turkish prime minister said at least 265 people died in an attempted military coup on Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who appears back in control and has promised to punish coup plotters.

The economy is not growing fast enough to keep up. A mother of nine children talks about her failed efforts to control her family's growth or provide for her kids.

A new report from Amnesty International documents forced disappearances in Egypt — a long-running phenomenon that seems aimed at both Islamists and secular activists. The group called for international pressure on the Egyptian government to stop this trend.

Monday's suicide attack near the Prophet's Mosque in Medina, Saudi Arabia, has shocked Muslims and is expected to intensify anger against ISIS.

The targets ranged from a U.S. consulate in Jeddah to the holy city of Medina and a mosque in Qatif. The violence came as many Saudis prepare to celebrate the end of the holy month of Ramadan.

Turks on the Istanbul street where the three suspected Ataturk Airport attackers lived wonder what threats surround them. The government faces pressure to fight ISIS; people fear the end of tourism.

As Turkey claims the three bombers who killed at least 44 people Tuesday were from other countries, the country buries the dead, including several members of the same family from Saudi Arabia.

The probe continues into what officials say was a triple suicide bombing at Istanbul's Ataturk Airport Tuesday. Families are holding funerals for their loved ones — mostly Turks are among the dead.

Istanbul tries to recover from the attack that killed at least 42 people and wounded more than 200 at Ataturk Airport as survivors get treatment.

The death toll from Tuesday night's attack rose to more than 40 people. Authorities say the violence was carried out by three suicide bombers armed with guns and explosives.

Drummers travel Cairo's streets every morning during the Ramadan holiday month and wake people for their pre-dawn meal. NPR's Leila Fadel went along with one of them.

The journalists union has battled the government for decades. But journalists say the current period is the worst they can recall, with three top members of the union facing trial on Saturday.

After a four-year restoration, Morocco is poised to reopen the Qarawiyyin Library, founded more than a millennium ago by a pioneering woman and home to some of the earliest works of Islam.

President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi has maintained his popularity through two years of controversy and brutal crackdowns. But on Tuesday there were signs of people getting impatient with his rule.

Desperate African migrants often camp out in the forest for months or years waiting for a chance to jump fences and walls toward two nearby Spanish enclaves — their opportunity to reach Europe.

Egypt is investigating several prominent human rights groups. Similar moves are taking place in neighboring countries, dashing hopes of greater freedoms generated by the Arab uprisings.

Morocco has fared better than most Arab countries in recent years. But opponents say free expression and other rights have been curtailed as the monarchy guards against any hint of unrest.