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Middle East

Hajj pilgrims offer prayers for Muslim unity
Millions of Muslim pilgrims converged Wednesday on the holy city of Mecca in preparation for the hajj pilgrimage, many of them praying for unity in ...
Clinton: 'cherry picked' Libya emails prove little
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton says that State Department emails that a group with al-Qaida links claimed responsibility for the deadly ...
US backs idea of temporary cease-fire in Syria
The Obama administration is cautiously welcoming the possibility of a temporary cease-fire in Syria, saying it hopes calm might lead to political ...
Iran arrests 50 over currency decline
Iran's intelligence chief says up to 50 people have been arrested in connection with the decline in the value of the national currency and the chaos ...
Egypt catches arms smugglers near Libyan border
Egypt's Interior Minister says security forces have intercepted a group of smugglers bringing in weapons from Libya. Gen. Ahmed Gamal Eddin told ...
Activists: Syrian warplanes strike village, kill 5
Activists say Syrian warplanes have struck a village near a strategic rebel-held town in the country's north, killing five members of an extended ...
Iran looks to Silk Road ties in time of sanctions
In back-to-back Asian summits this month, Iran's president made sure to carve out special time to look east. At one gathering in Azerbaijan, Mahmoud ...
Jordan's king steers nation through turbulence
The foiling of a planned al-Qaida terror plot in Jordan underscores a new subplot in the story of the Arab Spring: Things are heating up for King ...
WHY IT MATTERS: Issues at stake in election
A selection of issues at stake in the presidential election and their impact on Americans, in brief: ___ Abortion: Abortion and birth control are ...
In Gaza visit, Qatari emir forges leading role
The emir of Qatar on Tuesday became the first head of state to visit the Gaza Strip since Hamas militants seized the territory five years ago, ...
With election near, sober Romney on foreign policy
Mitt Romney abruptly moderated his foreign policy positions in this week's debate on issues like ending the war in Afghanistan and averting another ...
Egypt's top court to rule on constitutional panel
An Egyptian court on Tuesday asked the country's highest tribunal to rule on whether to disband the body tasked with writing a new constitution.
Serena Williams opens WTA Championships with win
With the year-end top ranking out of reach, Serena Williams will settle for the title at the WTA Championships. In her first match since winning the U
German lawmakers hope to push Iran on human rights
Three German lawmakers are planning to travel to Iran later this week to discuss with officials the "striking human rights abuses" in the country, one ...
Hezbollah rejects international probe in killing
Syria's powerful ally Hezbollah was accused Tuesday by Lebanese political opponents of playing a role in the assassination of a top intelligence ...
US wants new Lebanon gov't free of Syria influence
The Obama administration on Tuesday threw its support behind efforts by Lebanon's president to form a new government in the aftermath of last week's ...
Fighting flares anew in pro-Gadhafi Libyan town
New fighting flared in a hilltop town in Libya on Tuesday between fighters defending Bani Walid, a stronghold of slain dictator Moammar Gadhafi's ...
Aleppans stretched to limit in war for Syrian city
The rumble of engines in the sky immediately set the Aleppo neighborhood below on edge. Men peeked from shops anxiously at the Syrian warplane ...
Economic woes cast shadow over Eid in Egypt
Tamer Shamy's butcher shop is all set for one of Islam's most important holidays — colorful blinking lights have been festooned around hanging slabs ...
Syrian warplanes strike rebel-held town in north
Syrian warplanes on Tuesday struck a strategic rebel-held town in the country's north in an attempt to reopen a key supply route, activists said, as ...
Palestinians give cool reception to US debate
Palestinians complained Tuesday that the Mideast peace process barely got a mention in the final U.S. presidential campaign debate, saying American ...
Israel's premier vows to build in Jerusalem
Israel's prime minister vowed Tuesday to continue building in a contested Jerusalem district, just days after European Union criticism of Jewish ...
Iraq: 9 killed in separate attacks in Baghdad
A series of attacks struck Shiite neighborhoods in Baghdad early on Tuesday, killing nine people and wounding 26, according to Iraqi officials.
Dubai's Emaar profits dip in summer slowdown
The Dubai-based developer of the world's tallest building reported a nearly 5 percent drop in net profit Tuesday, citing a seasonal slowdown, but said ...
Iraq, South Korea's KOGAS ink deal on pipelines
Iraq on Tuesday inked a multi-million dollar deal with South Korea's KOGAS that will set in motion the building of two key gas pipelines in the ...