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Middle East

UN nuke inspectors renew efforts to engage Iran
A U.N. inspectors' team is in Tehran in a renewed effort to engage Iran and secure access to a site linked to suspected nuclear activity.
UN group gives nod for greater Internet oversight
The chairman of a U.N. telecommunications conference says it has adopted a resolution endorsing greater government roles in Internet affairs. The move ...
Official: Syria fires Scud missiles at rebels
Syrian government forces have fired Scud missiles at insurgents in recent days, escalating the 2-year-old conflict against rebels seeking to overthrow ...
US hesitant in condemning North Korean launch
The Obama administration is drawing no "red line" for North Korea after a successful long-range rocket test, tempering the public condemnation to ...
Egypt's opposition urges "no" vote in referendum
Egypt's opposition called on its followers Wednesday to vote "no" in a crucial referendum on a disputed constitution drafted by Islamist supporters ...
US, Syria opposition disagree over terrorist label
The U.S. and the head of the new Syrian opposition coalition being feted at a conference in Morocco Wednesday publicly disagreed over designating a ...
New UN, international efforts to engage Iran
International officials pursued a two-pronged effort Wednesday to engage Iran over concerns the country may have worked on nuclear weapons, with a U.N
Iraq stays execution of man allegedly held at 16
Iraq has suspended the execution of a Yemeni prisoner whose family claims was 16 years old when he was taken into custody, an Iraqi official and human ...
Virgin Galactic future at Spaceport uncertain
The deal was sold to New Mexicans in classic Richard Branson fashion. If taxpayers would build the colorful British businessman a $209 million ...
Egypt political crisis threatens to worsen economy
Egypt's political crisis is threatening to plunge its ailing economy even deeper into distress after the government delayed a request for a $4.
Blast at Syrian regime building in capital kills 5
Three bombs collapsed walls in the Syrian Interior Ministry building Wednesday in Damascus, killing at least five people, as rebels fighting to ...
Autopsy on former Turkish leader inconclusive
Authorities investigating former President Turgut Ozal's death in office in April 1993 found traces of toxic material in samples from his exhumed body ...
Civil war splits Syria's artists
Syrian filmmaker Joud Said was planning to attend the world premiere of his latest work at the Dubai International Film Festival when the bad news ...
Highlights from Egypt's draft constitution
Egypt's draft constitution, set for a referendum on Dec. 15 and 22, is made up of an introduction, an 11-part preamble and 236 articles. Critics have ...
Israeli police: Palestinian shot dead after attack
An Israeli police spokesman says a Palestinian was killed after he threatened officers near a holy site in the West Bank. Spokesman Micky Rosenfeld ...
Bomb blast in eastern Libyan city wounds 4
Libyan police officials say a bomb blast outside a police station in the eastern city of Benghazi has wounded four people, two of them seriously.
Egypt court gives Christian 3 years for blasphemy
A Cairo court on Wednesday convicted a Coptic Christian blogger who shared an anti-Islam film on social networking sites and sentenced him to three ...
Egypt opposition urges 'No' vote on constitution
Egypt's main opposition alliance called for a "No" vote in the referendum on a disputed constitution rather than a boycott, hours after Islamist ...
OPEC keeps output target on hold amid weak economy
OPEC ministers agreed to keep their daily crude production target unchanged at a meeting Wednesday. But in a sign of internal rivalries, they failed ...
Kuwait names new government with no major changes
Kuwait's ruler has named a new Cabinet that makes no major changes in membership and reinstates the finance minister who resigned earlier this year ...
UN group to pick global emergency number
Negotiators at a conference on U.N. telecommunications regulations say they've found one bit of common ground — how to call for help. Envoys from 193 ...
Iran says it can make copy of captured CIA drone
Iran is now capable of manufacturing its own copies of an advanced CIA spy drone captured last year, a senior Iranian lawmaker said Wednesday.
Israeli minister: World would sacrifice Israel
Israel's hawkish foreign minister lashed out at the international community on Wednesday, criticizing its policies toward the Palestinians and ...
A look at North Korea's missile arsenal
North Korea's missile program is a point of national pride, with state TV regularly broadcasting past liftoffs set to rousing military anthems.