Middle East

Stories 261 - 280 | << Prev   Next >>

US Closer to Establishing Diplomatic Outpost in Iran

Interest section, to be announced next month, first presence since 1979

(Newser) - The Bush administration is moving forward with plans to establish a US interest section—precursor to a formal embassy—in Iran, the Guardian reports. An announcement will come in the next month about the office, which will put US diplomats in Iran for the first time since the hostage crisis...

Egypt's Spymaster the Next President?

Omar Suileman's many strengths boost potential to move into top spot

(Newser) - As the 26-year reign of Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak comes to a close, his likely successor is looking less like son Gamal, head of the benighted National Democratic Party, reports the Los Angeles Times. Instead, the man at the head of the country's foreign intelligence service, Omar Suleiman—"a...

Dubai Cracks Down on Nude Tourists

79 people detained by 'decency police'

(Newser) - It hasn't been all fun and games for Western vacationers on Dubai beaches, thanks to  decency police who have detained 79 people in recent days for topless sunbathing and nudity, AP reports. The Muslim city-state is attracting hordes of foreign sun seekers, who are being scrutinized by cops on the...

Turkey Indicts 86 for Coup Plot
 Turkey Indicts 86 for Coup Plot 
Jul 14, 2008 8:22 AM CDT

Turkey Indicts 86 for Coup Plot

Secularists allegedly tried to overthrow Islamic government

(Newser) - Prosecutors today indicted 86 secular Turks—including high-ranking ex-military officials—on terrorism charges for their alleged involvement in plots to topple the Islamic-rooted government. The suspects, believed to include at least one former general and an opposition politician, are accused of having plotted to provoke a military coup to topple...

Study Yields More Clues About Autism

Scientists find genes needed for learning stuck in the off position

(Newser) - Scientists have found six new genes linked to autism, inching closer to a fuller understanding of the disorder and how to treat it, the AP reports. The genes in question are necessary for learning but are essentially stuck in the "off" position. The finding lends credence to the philosophy...

Turkey Suspects al-Qaeda in US Consulate Attack

Shootout leaves three policemen, three assailants dead

(Newser) - Turkish police say they suspect al-Qaeda is behind today's attack on the US consulate in Istanbul. So far, no one has claimed responsibility, but a police official confirmed the suspicion to the AP on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to brief journalists on the investigation.

Quiet Qatar Plays Key Mideast Peacemaker Role

Iconoclastic emirate works to calm conflicts

(Newser) - Qatar has managed the amazing diplomatic feat of staying friendly with just about everybody in the Middle East, the New York Times writes. The tiny, oil-rich emirate, which somehow maintains close ties with Iran while also hosting an American airbase, is rapidly becoming the region's mediator. Its diplomats recently pulled...

Obama Show Coming to Europe, Mideast

Hopeful seeks to bolster image by traveling this summer

(Newser) - Barack Obama will travel to Europe and the Middle East this summer in his first international tour as a presidential candidate, he announced today. Designed to offset criticism that he lacks foreign policy experience, the trip will include stops in Jordan, Israel, Germany, France and Britain, the New York Times...

Al-Qaeda Stuck in Web 1.0
Al-Qaeda Stuck in Web 1.0
OPINION
Jun 26, 2008 9:07 AM CDT

Al-Qaeda Stuck in Web 1.0

Osama not up on his Facebook, YouTube; US should exploit populist backlash

(Newser) - At its height, al-Qaeda had mastered how to amplify the effect of real-world attacks with virtual representations—videos, audio recordings, and articles reproducing its mayhem online. But as the Web has transformed into a more social entity, the terrorist organization is " stuck in 1.0," writes analyst Daniel...

Refugees: Iraq's Unspoken Crisis
Refugees: Iraq's Unspoken Crisis
OPINION
Jun 26, 2008 6:56 AM CDT

Refugees: Iraq's Unspoken Crisis

US must rebuild shattered lives now or face decades of disorder: Kristof

(Newser) - New York Times columnist Nicholas D. Kristof travels to Jordan to report on one of the unintended consequences of the Iraq war: a regional refugee crisis. About 2 million Iraqis, mostly Sunnis, have fled since the war, living mostly in Jordan and Syria in deplorable conditions. "They are the...

Rockets Hit Israel, Olmert Ends Ceasefire

Islamic Jihad militants call Gaza Strip attack revenge for raid

(Newser) - Police say three Palestinian rockets have hit southern Israel and Ehud Olmert's office says the ceasefire that took effect last week has been broken. Islamic Jihad militants in the Gaza Strip say they carried out the attack to avenge an Israeli military raid that killed one of their fighters in...

Gaza Truce Takes Hold
 Gaza Truce Takes Hold 
Jun 19, 2008 8:00 AM CDT

Gaza Truce Takes Hold

Skeptics wary of future of the ceasefire

(Newser) - Guns went quiet as a six-month truce between Israel and Gaza Strip militants took effect early today, despite widespread skepticism about its longevity. If the quiet holds, Israel will ease its blockade on Sunday to allow larger shipments of some supplies. A week later Israel is to further ease restrictions...

Taliban Said Routed Near Kandahar

NATO forces help kill 56 insurgents in 'successful airstrikes'

(Newser) - Yesterday's swift offensive by Afghan and NATO forces drove Taliban militants from a strategic group of villages outside southern Afghanistan's largest city and killed 56 insurgents, Afghan officials said today. The Afghan National Army has taken control of the villages, a defense ministry spokesman said, but militants had planted hundreds...

Israel Invites Lebanon to Talks
 Israel Invites Lebanon to Talks 
Jun 18, 2008 2:06 PM CDT

Israel Invites Lebanon to Talks

Disputed sliver along border on table; offer follows Rice visit to region

(Newser) - Israel today invited the Lebanese government to direct negotiations, adding that it would be willing to discuss all issues, including a long-disputed area along their border, the New York Times reports. US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who visited both nations earlier this week, is attempting to use negotiation over...

Obama: The Muslim World's Candidate
Obama: The Muslim World's Candidate
OPINION
Jun 11, 2008 10:13 AM CDT

Obama: The Muslim World's Candidate

Win or not, clinching nomination gives US huge boost abroad

(Newser) - Egypt is the latest foreign spot where US journalists are finding support for the candidacy of Barack Obama, with Thomas Friedman, in the New York Times, finding "Egyptians are amazed, excited, and agog that America might elect a black man whose father’s family was of Muslim heritage."...

'Sisters' Colleges Recruit in Middle East

Single-sex education remains strong in region

(Newser) - Facing fewer applicants than comparable co-ed institutions around the US, representatives of top women’s colleges toured the Middle East this spring on a recruiting mission, the New York Times reports. While women’s colleges have become a niche market for US applicants, single-sex education remains widespread in the Middle...

Distracted US Finds Mideast Clout Waning
Distracted US Finds Mideast Clout Waning
Analysis
May 26, 2008 3:45 PM CDT

Distracted US Finds Mideast Clout Waning

With clock ticking on Bush administration, hard-line tactics fail

(Newser) - The Bush Administration's problems are hardly confined to abysmal domestic approval ratings, writes veteran Reuters journalist Jonathan Wright. Middle Eastern leaders are paying less and less attention to the lame-duck president, who spoke of the need to isolate Hamas during a visit to Egypt last week—even as his host...

Lebanon Pays High Price to Avert Civil War
Lebanon Pays High Price to Avert Civil War
ANALYSIS
May 22, 2008 9:15 AM CDT

Lebanon Pays High Price to Avert Civil War

Deal achieves short-term peace, but strengthens Hezbollah

(Newser) - The agreement that ended Lebanon's 18-month political crisis is nothing less than a sea change for the country, writes the Washington Post, strengthening Hezbollah and dealing a blow to America and its Middle East allies. The US-backed government in Beirut said that the last-minute deal averted a civil war, but...

Bush Issues Arab To-Do List
 Bush Issues Arab
 To-Do List 
May 18, 2008 1:06 PM CDT

Bush Issues Arab To-Do List

Improve economies, women's rights, democracy to make peace possible

(Newser) - President Bush addressed Arab leaders at the World Economic Forum today, urging them to make the changes necessary to achieve peace in the region. Citing improving women's rights, strengthening their economies, and bolstering democracy as the major goals, Bush reprised some of the same language from his speech last week...

Iran Outsmarting US in New Cold War in Mideast
Iran Outsmarting US in New Cold War in Mideast
OPINION
May 14, 2008 12:02 PM CDT

Iran Outsmarting US in New Cold War in Mideast

America is too dumb, weak right now to counter, Friedman says

(Newser) - The new cold war is being waged between America and Iran, and Iran is winning hands down, Thomas L Friedman writes in the New York Times. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's nation has built up influence from Iraq to Lebanon, with power over Iraq's prime minister, Hezbollah, Hamas, and other militias—and a...

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