Researchers are using data from Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and other social media sites. There are, however, questions about the accuracy of the reports coming from Syria.
The hostility between Iran and Egypt dates to the 1970s, and the Muslim nations remain wary of one another. However, tensions have thawed in recent months.
There are growing calls for Syria's leaders to face war crimes charges for the assaults against rebel targets and civilian areas. If that happens, veterans of past war crimes prosecutions say, Syrians will have one big advantage: the widespread gathering of evidence across the country.
From Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's visit to Cairo, to the ongoing violence in Syria, Rami Khouri, columnist for Beirut's Daily Star recaps developments in the Middle East and reflects on lessons learned two years after the Arab Spring.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei turned to social media recently. Meanwhile, Iran's government has stepped up efforts to identify and target online pro-democracy activists. Analysts say the government is using increasingly sophisticated methods to shrink the online space for free expression.
When protests broke out across North Africa and the Middle East, NPR senior strategist Andy Carvin followed the events in real time online. In his book Distant Witness, Carvin explains how he cultivated social media sources into a new form of journalism where people on the ground controlled the news.
Military service is compulsory for most Israelis, but the exemption for ultra-Orthodox Jews is a highly charged issue. The national debate may soon come to a head as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attempts to form a government with parties on both sides of the issue.
In Cairo you can get just about anything delivered at almost any hour of the night. Have the flu? You can order vitamin C and meds from the pharmacy at 2 a.m. One deliveryman has been dodging tear gas and clashes to get Lebanese takeout to people's doors.
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) told Fox News that Secretary of State Hilary Clinton "got away with murder" for her handling of the attacks on the U.S. consulate in Libya. Ambassador Thomas Pickering, who led the independent investigation into the attacks, talks about the future of diplomatic security.
Egypt's defense minister warned that the rising conflicts and chaos in the country could result in "the collapse of the state." Ongoing violence highlights the continued tensions between the government and the opposition, and raises questions about the prospects of Egypt's transition into a democracy.