Middle East

Religious Jews still try to segregate Israel buses

Mon, 19 Dec 2011 15:08:00 -0500

Israel's political leaders and chief rabbis on Sunday condemned persistent efforts by ultra-Orthodox Jewish men to shunt Israeli women to the back of public buses, a year after the country's Supreme Court outlawed the practice.

Blast hits Egypt's gas pipeline to Jordan, Israel

Mon, 19 Dec 2011 15:08:00 -0500

An Egyptian pipeline carrying gas to Israel and Jordan was bombed Sunday, the 10th such attack this year, but no fire erupted because the line that runs through North Sinai was already disabled, a security source said.

Israeli officials say Syria’s Bashar al-Assad is doomed

Thu, 15 Dec 2011 14:48:00 -0500

In a shift, Israeli officials are welcoming the prospect that Syria’s embattled president, Bashar al-Assad, will be overthrown, an event Defense Minister Ehud Barak says could be weeks away.

Iran to exploit power vacuum as US quits Iraq: analysts

Thu, 15 Dec 2011 14:48:00 -0500

The US withdrawal from Iraq will leave a power vacuum in the Gulf, analysts say, paving the way for Iran to increase its influence in this economic and politically strategic region, a concern echoed by America's Gulf allies.

Iranian protesters storm British diplomatic compounds

Wed, 30 Nov 2011 06:42:00 -0500

Iranian protesters stormed two British diplomatic compounds in Tehran on Tuesday, smashing windows, torching a car and burning the British flag in protest against new sanctions imposed by London.

Syria troops have killed more than 250 children, UN report finds

Tue, 29 Nov 2011 13:33:00 -0500

Syrian security forces have committed "crimes against humanity" since widespread anti-government protests began in March, according to a damning UN report (pdf) that will add to the mounting pressure on the president, Bashar al-Assad.

Image shows Iranian missile site was destroyed

Tue, 29 Nov 2011 13:33:00 -0500

Two weeks after a mysterious explosion at an Iranian missile base, a Washington-based research group has released a satellite image showing extensive damage to the site.

Kuwait cabinet resigns amid political crisis

Tue, 29 Nov 2011 13:33:00 -0500

Kuwait's cabinet has resigned after protesters and opposition deputies demanded that the prime minister step down over allegations of corruption, state-run television has reported.

Iran: We'll fire 150,000 missiles at Israel if attacked

Mon, 28 Nov 2011 13:02:00 -0500

Iranian Defense Minister General Ahmad Vahidi said Israel would be attacked with 150,000 missiles if it launches any military action against the Islamic Republic, the Iran Independent News Service reported Sunday.

Iran 'arrests 12 CIA spies' accused of targeting nuclear programme

Fri, 25 Nov 2011 09:56:00 -0500

An influential Iran parliamentarian has said that the country has arrested 12 agents of the American Central Intelligence Agency, the country’s official IRNA news agency reported.

Triple Bombings in South Iraq Kill 19, Injure 64

Fri, 25 Nov 2011 09:56:00 -0500

A string of bombings in a southern oil city killed 19 people Thursday evening and injured dozens more, a grim sign of the security challenges Iraq will face after American troops go home.

Israel Considers Pre-Emptive Attack On Iran

Thu, 03 Nov 2011 11:23:00 -0400

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is trying to rally support in his cabinet for an attack on Iran, according to government sources.

Israeli Drone Strike Kills Militants in Southern Gaza

Sun, 30 Oct 2011 11:34:00 -0400

Israeli airstrikes killed seven Palestinian members of Islamic Jihad’s armed wing in southern Gaza on Saturday, according to the militant group, and Gaza militants fired salvos of rockets at cities in southern Israel, killing one Israeli man and wounding at least two others in a sudden escalation of cross-border violence.

Syria's Assad warns of "earthquake" if West intervenes

Sun, 30 Oct 2011 11:23:00 -0400

Syria's president, Bashar al-Assad, has warned that Western action against his country would cause an "earthquake" that would "burn the whole region".

Iran scoffs at US 'contradictions' in dialogue offer

Sun, 30 Oct 2011 11:23:00 -0400

Iran on Saturday dismissed a renewed US offer of dialogue by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, saying the "contradictions" of pursuing talks at the same time as threats undermined the proposal.

Yemeni women burn their veils to protest crackdown

Thu, 27 Oct 2011 15:33:00 -0400

Hundreds of Yemeni women on Wednesday set fire to traditional female veils to protest the government's brutal crackdown against the country's popular uprising, as overnight clashes in the capital and another city killed 25 people, officials said.

Syria warns against recognition of opposition council

Mon, 10 Oct 2011 13:39:00 -0400

Syria threatened Sunday to retaliate against any country that formally recognizes a recently established opposition National Council which is seeking international support for the six-month-old uprising against President Bashar al-Assad.

Syrian Activist Warns of Civil War

Mon, 03 Oct 2011 13:47:00 -0400

Syrian activists formed a council to coordinate efforts to end President Bashar al-Assad’s violent rule and stop a crackdown that has claimed more than 3,600 lives this year.