Middle East News
Lebanese Shia pilgrims kidnapped in Syria released in swap deal
Nine Lebanese Shia pilgrims kidnapped by Syrian rebels in May 2012 have been released and arrived back in Beirut. There were jubilant scenes as they...
Syrian soldiers killed in Damascus blast
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said at least 16 Syrian soldiers have been killed in a suicide bombing and fighting that followed in...
Saudi Arabia rejects UN Security Council seat
Saudi Arabia has rejected a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council, accusing the world body of "double standards". The Saudi foreign ministry said the...
Alireza M case: Amnesty International calls for Iran to halt second execution after he survives first
Amnesty International has urged Iran not to go ahead with a repeat execution for drug smuggler Alireza M who survived a botched hanging. Alireza M...
Syria: Red Cross workers abducted by gunmen in Idlib province
Gunmen have abducted six of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) workers and one Red Crescent volunteer in north-west Syria. The aid agency...
Rabbi Ovadia Yosef funeral: 800,000 mourners take streets of Jerusalem for largest funeral in Israel’s history
At least 800,000 people from across Israel took to the streets of Jerusalem to mourn Rabbi Ovadia Yosef , the spiritual leader of Sephardic...
Syria’s chemical weapons destruction begins
The OPWC monitors have announced that the destruction of Syria's chemical weapons has begun. The operation is being overseen by a team from the Organization...
Bashar al-Assad indicates Germany as possible mediator
Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad has raised the possibility of Germany acting as a mediator to try to end his country's 30-month-long civil war. Speaking to...
Egypt: Clashes at pro-Morsi demonstrations in Cairo and other cities
Clashes between former President Mohamed Morsi’s supporters and Egyptian troops have erupted in Cairo and other cities on Friday. Heavy gunfire and explosions were heard...
Barack Obama and Hassan Rouhani in historic phone call
President Barack Obama has spoken by phone to Iran's President Hassan Rouhani - the first such top-level conversation in more than 30 years. Barack Obama...
UN adopts Syria chemical weapons resolution
The UN has unanimously voted to adopt a binding resolution on ridding Syria of chemical weapons. At a session in New York, the 15-member Security...
Syria: UN to investigate chemical weapons attacks after Damascus incident
UN inspectors are investigating at least three alleged chemical weapons attacks in Syria that happened after August 21. Little is known about the latest three...
Iran urged to accept international offer over its nuclear programme
Iran has been urged by China and the US to respond "positively" to an international offer over its nuclear programme, US officials say. The call...
UN General Assembly 2013: Barack Obama urges diplomatic push on Iran
President Barack Obama has said recent moves by Iran should offer the basis for a "meaningful agreement" on its nuclear programme. Speaking at the UN...
UN inspectors to return to Syria for other possible chemical weapons attacks
UN chemical weapons inspectors are expected to return to Syria on Wednesday, according to Russian government. Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said they would investigate...
Syria sends chemical weapons data to OPCW
Syria has submitted details of its chemical weapons as part of a US-Russia brokered deal to make them safe, the chemical arms watchdog has...
Syria: Rival rebel groups agree Azaz ceasefire
Two rival Syrian rebel groups in the northern town of Azaz have agreed a ceasefire. The Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS), linked to...
Egypt: Security forces clash with militants in Kerdasa
Egyptian soldiers have clashed with militants after entering Kerdasa, a town near Cairo. Security forces went into Kerdasaa at about 05:30 local time to target...
Bashar al-Assad: One year to destroy chemical weapons
Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad has said he is committed to a plan to destroy his country's chemical weapons but warned it could take about...
Syria gives Russia new material evidence that rebels used chemical weapons
Syria has given Russia new "material evidence" that rebels have used chemical weapons, a Russian minister has said. Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov also said...
Costa Concordia cruise ship set upright
Engineers have succeeded in setting the cruise ship Costa Concordia upright, 20 months after it ran aground off the island of Giglio in Italy. They...
Syria hails chemical weapons deal as a victory
A Syrian minister hails the US-Russia agreement on destroying the country's chemical weapons as a "victory" that averts war. The framework document says Syria must...
Hosni Mubarak retrial: Judge Mahmoud el-Rachidi orders trial media blackout
Judge Mahmoud el-Rachidi has ordered a media blackout during the next phase of the retrial of Egypt’s former leader Hosni Mubarak. Judge Mahmoud el-Rachidi said...
Russia and US agree Syria chemical weapons deal in Geneva
Russia and the US have agreed in Geneva that Syria's chemical weapons must be destroyed or removed by mid-2014. US Secretary of State John Kerry...
Ayman al-Zawahiri: Al-Qaeda seeks US economic damage
Al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri has issued a message marking the 12th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks. In the audio message, Ayman al-Zawahiri talks...
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