All Middle East
In Aleppo, Syria cease-fire was short-livedSyrian rebels made advances in Aleppo last night. This morning, as the UN-brokered cease-fire went into effect, the Syrian Army retaliated.
In key Syrian city, snipers and bombing tear at fabric of daily life As rebels and the Syrian government battle for control of Aleppo, residents tap caution 鈥� and dark humor 鈥� to survive.
Netanyahu's Likud party links arms with hardline right ahead of national voteIt's unclear how many of Yisrael Beytenu's controversial policies Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud will adopt.
In Aleppo, Syrian rebels wage war 鈥� with an Internet connectionCombating the constant text messages from regime forces declaring them terrorists, rebels fight an information campaign, sending images of Aleppo's death and destruction worldwide.
Momentum builds for Gaza to secede, Israel and West Bank to become oneGaza and the West Bank have become two irreconcilable entities, many say. Meanwhile, Israelis increasingly support a state shared with West Bank Palestinians, albeit unequally.
Why Lebanon isn't headed for civil warThe death of Brigadier General Wissam al-Hassan in Lebanon has led to some overheated international speculation.- Spain loses title as Moroccans' land of opportunityMoroccans seeking economic opportunity used to flock to Spain, but with its economy tanking, Spain has less and less to offer them.聽
Palestinian elections: Despite Hamas boycott, Fatah fares poorlyThe results announced today add to mounting concerns that Fatah 鈥� and the broader Palestinian leadership 鈥� is losing its legitimacy.
Why Lebanon violence might not spiral, despite funeral protestsViolence broke out in Lebanon following the funeral of Gen. Wissam al-Hassan. Whether his assassination will directly spur prolonged and deepening unrest in Lebanon is doubtful, however.- In town seen as pro-Qaddafi, settling of scores shifts into standoff with governmentWhile Bani Walid is suspected of harboring Qaddafi loyalists, residents complain they are unfairly targeted. But Khamis Qaddafi, thought to have died last year, is now thought to have died in fighting there today.
- Anxious Turks suspect US plot is behind Syria's implosionLocals in eastern Turkey, bearing the brunt of the fallout from Turkey's involvement in Syria, believe Ankara is merely a pawn in US plans to foment conflict in the region.
Beirut bombing kills anti-Assad official, bringing Syrian war to LebanonGen. Wissam al-Hassan's assassination in today's bombing is the most significant political killing in Lebanon since that of the former prime minister in 2005.- Mystery deepens about US enemy No. 1 in LibyaPress reports said Libyan officials identified Ahmed Abu Khattalah as the leader of the assault on the US consulate in Benghazi.
In Syria's war, long-repressed minority finds new freedomKeen to secure loyalty, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has granted Syria's Kurds de facto control over predominantly Kurdish areas of the country. But with the freedom, divisions have emerged.
Israel's Netanyahu banks on tough guy image to win early electionsIsraeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is campaigning in early聽elections, announced today for January,聽as the candidate with a proven record of keeping Israelis safe in turbulent times.
FocusAs sanctions crush rial's value, Iranians point fingers at AhmadinejadWestern leaders may finally be seeing the result of stringent sanctions as Iranians blame their government, not the US and EU, for the precipitous economic decline of the oil-rich country.- FocusIran sanctions: playing the long gameIran has endured three decades of US sanctions. Have they worked? Yes and no.
In Gaza's smuggling tunnels, Egypt's interests trump Brotherhood tiesEgypt has closed some of Gaza's tunnels, causing economic pain and surprising some who expected more sympathetic policies because of ties between the two governments.
Salafis' rise in Gaza robs Hamas of resistance bannerSalafi militants have been firing rockets into Israel, prompting Israeli retaliation as Hamas seeks calm so that it can focus on the economy.
Accusations mount of Hezbollah fighting in SyriaIf hard evidence emerges of the Shiite militant group's involvement, it would increase tensions in Lebanon where armed partisans on opposite sides live in close proximity.
