Middle East
Latest stories
Ban Says Assad Must Face 'Justice' if Chemical Arms Used

U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon said on Thursday that Syrian President Bashar Assad should be "brought to justice" if his regime uses chemical weapons to combat the armed revolt in his country.

"I have expressed my concerns to the Syrian government and I have sent a letter to President Assad two days ago," Ban told a joint news conference with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki in Baghdad.

W140 Full Story
New Syria Envoy Takes Up Iraq Post after Defection

Syria's new ambassador to Iraq has taken up his post in Baghdad, five months after his predecessor defected and joined the country's anti-regime revolt, the president's office said on Thursday.

Sattam al-Jadaan, named on October 9 to replace Nawaf Fares who defected in July, submitted his credentials to Iraqi President Jalal Talabani at a ceremony on Wednesday, it said.

W140 Full Story
Jordan King Visits West Bank after U.N. Vote

Jordan's King Abdullah II flew in to the West Bank city of Ramallah on Thursday for the first visit by a top foreign leader since the Palestinians gained upgraded United Nations status.

The monarch arrived by military helicopter from Jordan, landing at the presidential headquarters known as the Muqataa, where he was greeted by Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas and other senior officials.

W140 Full Story
Hamas Chief Meshaal due in Gaza on Friday

The Hamas government in Gaza confirmed on Thursday that the movement's politburo chief Khaled Meshaal was due in the coastal territory on Friday to celebrate Hamas's 25th anniversary.

The trip is set to be a historic one for Meshaal, who was born in the West Bank but has not visited the Palestinian territories since he went into exile after the 1967 Six-Day War.

W140 Full Story
Fighting Rages around Damascus

Regime forces waged fierce assaults on rebel positions around Syria on Thursday, including on the outskirts of Damascus where the government is determined to regain control, a monitoring group said.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said fighting on Wednesday had claimed 104 lives across the country, according to its toll compiled from a network of activists, lawyers and doctors.

W140 Full Story
Germany Ready to Send 400 Troops to Turkey-Syria Border

The German government said Wednesday it had approved participation in a NATO mission to deploy Patriot missiles to help member state Turkey defend its border against Syria and will send up to 400 troops.

The foreign and defense ministries said in a joint statement that the mandate, which is expected to be presented to parliament early next week, would run to January 31, 2014.

W140 Full Story
U.N. Chief Arrives in Baghdad for Talks with Senior Officials

U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon arrived in Baghdad on Thursday for talks with Iraqi leaders, state television said, after a visit to Kuwait in which he called for a new era in relations between the two countries.

After his arrival, the U.N. secretary general went into a meeting with Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari, said Iraqiya TV, without providing further details.

W140 Full Story
Egypt Army Deploys Tanks outside Presidential Palace

Egyptian troops deployed tanks outside the presidential palace on Thursday as the nation awaited President Mohamed Morsi's first address since streets clashes between his supporters and opponents rocked the capital.

The military set up a barbed wire barrier 150 meters (yards) from the palace, after ordering Morsi allies and foes alike to pull back, an AFP correspondent reporter.

W140 Full Story
Reports: Thieves Steal Israeli F-16 Warplane Engines

Thieves have made off with several US-made engines for F-16 warplanes worth millions of dollars from an airbase in central Israel, army radio reported on Thursday.

Israel's Walla Internet site said preliminary findings after an investigation by military police indicated there may have been collusion between the thieves and personnel, either military or civilian, at the base.

W140 Full Story
U.S. Says Aware of Assad Asylum Offers

The United States said Wednesday it was aware of informal offers of asylum to Syrian President Bashar Assad by countries in the Middle East and elsewhere.

State Department spokesman Mark Toner gave no details, referring reporters to others governments after being asked about speculation that the Syrian president was weighing asylum offers from Latin America.

W140 Full Story