All Middle East
Amid Olympics glee, Israeli 'Munich Massacre' families request moment for griefFamilies of the 11 Israelis killed at the 1972 Munich Olympics are campaigning for a moment of silence at the opening ceremony, but Olympics organizers have so far refused.
Under Israeli blockade of Gaza, books are a rare, cherished commodityIsrael does not explicitly ban importing books to Gaza, but the blockade makes it extraordinarily difficult to do so. The shortage amounts to a kind of censorship, Gazans say.
Egyptian president names unknown as next prime ministerThat Egyptian President Morsi chose an obscure former government minister for the post, which he promised to fill with an independent, likely indicates he had a hard time finding a willing taker.
Turks turn to Twitter as Erdogan muzzles traditional mediaWith journalistic freedom diminishing in Turkey, Twitter has emerged as a powerful work-around for independent reporters.
Five reasons why Syria may be at a tipping point Since the start of the conflict in Syria, international observers have been watching the government of President Bashar al-Assad for signs that the once-feared regime might be vulnerable to overthrow. Despite Syrian efforts to crush the rebels and to stifle news out of the country, this past week has shown the strongest evidence yet that the end of the Assad regime may be near. Here are five signs that the Syrian conflict may finally be tipping in favor of the rebels.
Where's Assad? As grip on Syria weakens, his whereabouts come into questionIn the days since key military advisers of Syria's President Assad were assassinated in Damascus, reports have him in the Alawite-dominated coastal region, where he is more secure.
Israel softens response to bus bombing, with eye to Iran talksWith negotiations between Iran and the West over its nuclear program fragile, Prime Minister Netanyahu is treading carefully to avoid knocking them off track.- Iran vs. Israel: 8 recent attacks Israel blames on Iran Yesterday's attack on Israeli tourists in the Bulgarian town of Burgas is the eighth major incident in which Israel has accused the Iranian government and its allies of planning to attack, or of attacking, Israeli citizens. Iran denies involvement in any of the incidents, but it accuses Israel of a string of deadly attacks on Iranian nuclear scientists over the past year.
Hezbollah on bus bombing: We wouldn't target tourists for revengeSome speculate that the Bulgaria bus bombing that killed five Israelis was revenge for the death of a Hezbollah commander, but Hezbollah said it does not consider tourists an equivalent target.
Hezbollah 101: Who is the militant group, and what does it want? The Shiite militant group and political party is a player not just in Lebanon, where it is based, but across the broader Middle East. It remains a staunch opponent of Israel, which it fought to a standstill in 2006, and a close ally of Iran and Syria 鈥� despite both regimes' crackdowns on citizens Hezbollah purports to champion.
Omar Suleiman, Mubarak intel chief, dies as quietly as he workedLongtime intelligence chief Omar Suleiman, also former leader Hosni Mubarak's right-hand man and a key US partner in the War on Terror, died in a US hospital today.
On Syrian border, artillery thumps in shadows of medieval castleSyrian rebel fighters have taken refuge in an old crusader castle and villages on the Lebanese side of the border, drawing Syrian Army fire.
Libya's Goldilocks election: 'Neither Islamist, nor liberal'A coalition of parties that has eschewed labels and instead called for pragmatism won nearly half the party seats in Libya's new congress, according to results from the July 7 election.
Syrian rebels' confidence grows after bombing hits Assad's inner circleSyrian rebels were able to reach top officials of the Assad regime in today's deadly bomb attack. One was a relative of the president.
With military draft reform, Netanyahu learns he can't please everyonePrime Minister Netanyahu is accused of catering to ultra-Orthodox with his stance on聽draft exemptions, but the religious group聽isn't happy with him, either.
Yemen's power vacuum could provide window for secessionistsMany southerners never fully bought in to the unification of Yemen, made official in 1990, and they see the current political uncertainty as an opening to push for independence.- In Libya's first post-Qaddafi elections, pragmatism trumps ideologyA diverse coalition of parties claiming to eschew a particular ideology and trumpeting its problem-solving skills won with almost half the votes, well ahead of the second-place Islamist party.
FocusEx-Israeli diplomat: Boycott my countryFormer Israeli ambassador to South Africa Alon Liel argues that a boycott would put pressure on people and businesses, possibly persuading some to relocate inside Israel proper.
FocusFearing boycott, Israeli academics warn against accrediting West Bank schoolThe Israeli higher education committee for the West Bank approved accreditation of Ariel University Center today. One university president warns the move endangers Israel's 'next Nobel prize.'
Kidnapper: Why I nabbed two Americans in Egypt's SinaiThe recent kidnappings in Egypt's Sinai are not motivated by religious extremism or a desire for money, but a desperate desire to make the government listen to a marginalized group.
