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Middle East

Iran ex-president's family sues radical critic
Four children of an influential ex-Iranian president are suing a radical lawmaker for describing his family as a corrupt "octopus," heating up a ...
AP Photos: Falconers hunting on outskirts of Dubai
Like his ancestors, Iraqi-born falcon trainer Abu Badr al-Anazi swings the carcass of a pigeon to attract a falcon released a few hundred meters ...
Pope's Christmas message focuses on Mideast, China
In his Christmas message to the world Tuesday, Pope Benedict XVI called for an end to the slaughter in Syria and for more meaningful negotiations ...
Egypt constitution passes, economic crunch looms
The official approval of Egypt's disputed, Islamist-backed constitution Tuesday held out little hope of stabilizing the country after two years of ...
Syrian rebels make more gains in north
Syrian rebels fully captured a northern town near the Turkish border on Tuesday after weeks of heavy fighting and attacked a regime air base in a ...
Israel revisits ban on female prayer at holy site
Israel's prime minister has instructed a quasi-governmental Jewish organization to find a solution for non-Orthodox Jewish female groups wishing to ...
Israel to build 942 more homes in east Jerusalem
Israel has advanced the process of building 942 more settler homes in east Jerusalem under a new fast-track plan to tighten its grip on the territory, ...
In Egypt Islamists' bastion, discontent creeps up
When election-time rolls around, this impoverished province of farmlands south of Cairo has proven one of the most die-hard bastions of support for ...
Report: Iran plans Hormuz Strait naval maneuvers
Iran is planning naval maneuvers in international waters near strategic Strait of Hormuz, where one-fifth of world oil supply passes, the official ...
Report: Women at Iran nuclear plant violate code
An Iranian lawmaker is saying Russian women working in the country's sole nuclear power plant do not observe the strict Islamic dress code, though ...
Yemen violence kills 5 soldiers, 11 tribesmen
Gunmen on motorbikes shot dead two Yemeni army officers in the country's capital Tuesday, and clashes between the military and tribal fighters loyal ...
Iran media report new cyberattack by Stuxnet worm
An Iranian semi-official news agency says there has been another cyberattack by the sophisticated computer worm Stuxnet, this time on the industries ...
Iraqi telecom Asiacell hopes to raise $1.3 billion
Asiacell, one of Iraq's three mobile service providers, said Tuesday it is looking to raise $1.3 billion through what would be the country's biggest ...
Iraq's northern Kurdish region stops oil exports
An Iraqi Kurdish official said on Tuesday that the country's self-ruled northern Kurdish region has suspended oil exports over a payment row with ...
New poll shows Israel's leader losing altitude
A new poll shows Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu poised for an election victory but losing support to a rival who opposes Palestinian statehood.
UN envoy worried after talks with Syria's Assad
The international envoy to Syria said after talks with the country's leader Monday that the situation was "worrying" and gave no indication of ...
Thousands enjoy merry Christmas in Bethlehem
Thousands of Christians from the world over packed Manger Square in Bethlehem Monday to celebrate the birth of Jesus in the ancient West Bank town ...
At Christmas Eve Mass, pope urges space for God
Pope Benedict XVI marked Christmas Eve with Mass in St. Peter's Basilica and a pressing question: Will people find room in their hectic, ...
AP Interview: Egypt liberal objects to charter
One of Egypt's leading opposition figures on Monday pledged continued resistance to his country's Islamist-oriented constitution even if it is ...
A look at tough issues awaiting Obama's final term
As President Barack Obama approaches his second and final term, he will have to decide where to be ambitious, where to be cautious and where to buy ...
Former Israeli chief rabbi indicted for fraud
Israeli authorities have indicted a former chief rabbi of the country on charges of fraud and breach of trust. Eliahu Bakshi-Doron was charged Monday ...
Egypt ex-jihadi group: opposition used violence
The leader of a former jihadist group who is now a member of Egyptian parliament accused the largely secular opposition on Monday of using violence ...
Israel rejects US gun lobby claims on its security
Israel's policy on issuing guns is restrictive, and armed guards at its schools are meant to stop terrorists, not crazed or disgruntled gunmen, ...
Indian Jews from 'lost tribe' move to Israel
Dozens of Jews who claim to be the descendants of a lost biblical Jewish tribe emigrated to Israel on Monday from their village in northeastern India, ...
Yemen: 2 militants killed in US airstrike
A U.S. drone airstrike killed two al-Qaida militants Monday in a southern town, Yemeni security officials said, the latest in a years long U.S.