Spotlight
- Middle East Syrians protest after video showing attack on Alawite shrine Angry protests broke out Wednesday in several areas of Syria after a video circulated showing an attack on an Alawite shrine in the country's north...
- Middle East Yemen rebels claim ballistic missile attack on Israel Yemen's Houthi rebels said Wednesday that they had fired a ballistic missile at central Israel, with Israeli forces saying they intercepted...
A commission probing Bahrain's crackdown on Shiite-led protests said Tuesday it has closed its office after being stormed by people angered by media claims it has cleared authorities of crimes against humanity.
The Bahrain Commission of Inquiry said in an emailed statement that it will continue its investigation from outside the office, insisting that claims in the media were unfounded.
Full StoryMorocco said Tuesday it will hold early parliamentary elections on November 25, as the Arab world's longest-serving monarchy pursues reforms in response to protests inspired by the Arab Spring.
The elections "will take place on Friday, November 25 following an agreement with the political parties," Interior Minister Taieb Cherkaoui was quoted as saying by Moroccan news agency MAP.
Full StoryOne Palestinian was killed and seven wounded in at least four overnight Israeli air strikes across the Gaza Strip, Palestinian medics said on Tuesday.
The Israeli military said its aircraft had targeted four areas in the Gaza Strip in response to the firing of a Grad rocket from the Palestinian territory into southern Israel.
Full StoryLibya's rebels on Monday denied reports they were talking with the tottering regime of Moammar Gadhafi, as fighting raged in both east and west and Washington said the strongman's "days are numbered."
The United Nations also denied that its special envoy on Libya Abdul Ilah al-Khatib was involved with talks in Tunisia between representatives of Gadhafi and the rebels after Khatib had indicated he would be joining such talks.
Full StoryThe United States said Monday it was working with "a broad array" of other countries to pressure Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to end the "outright murder of his own people."
Assad "has to cease the systematic violence, mass arrests, and the outright murder of his own people," White House spokesman Jay Carney told reporters.
Full StoryAttacks in more than a dozen cities across Iraq killed 67 people on Monday, including 40 in twin blasts blamed on al-Qaida in the southern city of Kut, in the country's bloodiest day in more than a year.
The surge of violence raises questions over the capabilities of Iraq's forces after its leaders agreed to open talks with the United States over a military training mission to last beyond a projected year-end American withdrawal.
Full StoryTurkey did not give the Syrian regime a grace period to carry on with its military operations, which must be stopped “immediately,” Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu stressed Monday.
“Military operations in Syria have not stopped since Thursday evening,” Davutoglu said, describing the military assaults as “a blatant violation of human rights.”
Full StoryA senior Palestinian official on Monday strongly condemned Syria over violence that forced thousands of Palestinian refugees to flee a camp in the port city of Latakia.
"We strongly condemn the operations of the Syrian forces in raiding and shelling the Palestinian Ramel Camp in Latakia and the displacement of the population," said Yasser Abed Rabbo, secretary general of the Palestine Liberation Organization.
Full StoryJordan urged Syria on Monday to "immediately" stop violence and start implementing reforms, as more than 2,000 people have been reported killed in a government crackdown on the pro-democracy revolt.
"Prime Minister Maarouf Bakhit today telephoned his Syrian counterpart Adel Safar and told him that violence must stop immediately," the state-run Petra news agency reported.
Full StoryIsraeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused Iran in talks with top Republican U.S. lawmakers on Monday of seeking to torpedo efforts to bring about democracy in the Middle East, his office said.
"Iran is the greatest danger that we face today," a statement quoted him as telling a 27-member delegation, headed by Representative Kevin McCarthy, the number-three Republican in the U.S. House of Representatives.
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