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Middle East

Iran says it successfully sent a monkey into space
A gray-tufted monkey strapped in a pod resembling an infant's car seat rode an Iranian rocket into space and returned safely, officials said Monday ...
Bomb explodes south of Beirut
A Lebanese security official says a small bomb has exploded near a car in a Hezbollah stronghold south of the Lebanese capital, Beirut. It was not ...
France warns extremists could prevail in Syria
Syrian opposition leaders pleaded Monday for funds and political backing from the international community as France warned that extremists could ...
Murdoch apologizes for Sunday Times cartoon
Media baron Rupert Murdoch has apologized for a Sunday Times cartoon depicting Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu building a wall using blood-red ...
UK: Reports of threat against Tripoli embassy
Britain's Foreign Office says reports have emerged about a potential threat against the U.K. embassy in Tripoli, the capital of Libya. The agency said ...
11 Yemen soldiers killed in car bombing
A car bomb exploded Monday next to a military checkpoint in a central town where Yemeni government forces waged their first offensive targeting ...
Iran arrests 14 reporters over 'foreign contacts'
Iran has arrested 14 journalists for alleged cooperation with foreign-based Persian-language media organizations, several chief editors of Iranian ...
Obama congratulates Israel's Netanyahu on election
President Barack Obama is congratulating Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on his success in last week's election. The White House says Obama ...
US official: Mali intervention 'could take years'
The French-led military intervention in Mali could take years, a U.S. official warned on Monday. A State Department official for Africa said the U.S.
Hamas says next inter-Palestinian talks in Egypt
Reconciliation talks between Palestinian militant group Hamas and its rival Fatah are on track and will resume in Egypt on Feb. 9, Hamas' political ...
Bahrain opposition gives cautious nod for talks
Bahrain's main opposition groups say they are willing to open dialogue aimed at easing the Gulf nation's two-year political crisis, but they seek more ...
Berlin film fest mixes US stars, global contenders
New movies from directors Steven Soderbergh and Gus Van Sant and a trio of films starring French divas will be competing this year at the Berlin ...
Refugees again, Palestinians flee Syria's war
When Syrian warplanes bombed a Palestinian refugee camp in Damascus last December, Umm Sami rounded up her three sons, shut the windows and locked the ...
Lavrov: Iran and West need to set venue for talks
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Monday that Iran and the West should stop behaving "like little children" and agree on where to hold talks ...
Group says Israel abused crowd-control methods
An Israeli human rights group on Monday accused the military of "extensively and systematically" violating its own rules of engagement in suppressing ...
Fragile economy, other global woes dominated Davos
The fragile state of the world economy, along with the relentless turmoil in Syria and the rocky fallout from the Arab Spring, dominated discussions ...
American pastor sentenced to 8 years in Iran
An American pastor who has been jailed in Iran since September has been sentenced to eight years in prison, the U.S. State Department said Sunday.
Egypt declares state of emergency in 3 provinces
Egypt's president declared a state of emergency and curfew in three Suez Canal provinces hit hardest by a weekend wave of unrest that left more than ...
Holocaust items put on display for remembrance day
When Stella Knobel's family fled World War II Poland in 1939, the only thing the 7-year-old girl could take with her was her teddy bear. For the next ...
Israel's comatose Sharon showing brain activity
A team of Israeli and U.S. scientists say new tests on comatose former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon show significant brain activity.
UN humanitarian chief in Syria for talks
The United Nations humanitarian chief was in Damascus on Sunday for talks with Syrian officials about the nation's conflict, which has forced millions ...
African leaders meet in Ethiopia amid Mali crisis
African leaders met in the Ethiopian capital Sunday for talks dominated by the conflict in Mali as well as lingering territorial issues between the ...
Bahrain police, mourners clash after boy's funeral
Riot police and mourners have clashed in Bahrain following the funeral of an 8-year-old boy whom opposition groups claim died from respiratory ...
UAE charges 94 in alleged Islamist coup plot
The United Arab Emirates says 94 people face charges for allegedly trying to overthrow the state as part of widening crackdowns on Islamist groups ...