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The U.N. and Arab League point man on Syria praised the top U.S. and Russian diplomats Wednesday for their latest efforts to forge a solution to the Syrian war.

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Creating an international arts hub in the Middle East updated 7 hours 3 minutes ago

The arts are thriving around the Arabian peninsula. From Doha to the smallest state of the United Arab Emirates, museums and galleries are making an ambitious mark on the Middle East's cultural landscape.

Turkish PM calls Israel's Syria strikes 'unacceptable' updated 13 hours 26 minutes ago

Turkey's prime minister, a staunch critic of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime, on Tuesday called Israel's recent airstrikes in Syria "unacceptable."

Saudi prince: Blocking social media platforms is a 'losing war' updated 22 hours 53 minutes ago

Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal has called on the Saudi Telecommunication Authority to drop reported plans to block social media platforms.

Middle Eastern youth find comic relief through stand-up updated 1 days ago

It has been a rocky couple of years for the people of Egypt. Since the 2011 revolution, the economy has tanked, street protests are an almost daily occurrence and the political situation remains volatile.

42 Syrian soldiers dead in reported Israeli strike, opposition group says updated 1 days ago

Concern about the possibility of broader war in the Middle East grew Monday after reported airstrikes on Syrian military installations.

Q&A: Is Syrian war escalating to wider conflict? updated 1 days ago

Israel is taking steps to defend itself against threatened retaliation from Syria after claims it launched a night assault on a suburb of the capital Damascus on Sunday. This was believed to be the second Israeli attack in three days.

Blasts rip Baghdad, Mosul updated 2 days ago

(CNN) -- A flurry of explosions in the Iraqi cities of Baghdad and Mosul on Monday killed seven people and wounded 16, police said.

Syria: Attack on military facility was a 'declaration of war' by Israel updated 2 days ago

A series of massive explosions illuminated the dark sky over Damascus early Sunday, igniting renewed claims that Israel has launched attacks into the war-torn country.

Syrian TV: Israeli rockets target Damascus suburb updated 2 days ago

Syria accused Israel of firing rockets into the Damascus suburb of Jamraya on Sunday, striking a "scientific research center," Syrian state TV reported.

Saudi government sanctions sports in girls' private schools updated 2 days ago

Saudi Arabian girls will be allowed to practice sports in private schools for the first time, according to the nation's official press agency.

Missing journalist likely in Syrian custody, news outlet says updated 2 days ago

A U.S. journalist missing in Syria for nearly six months is likely in Syrian government custody, GlobalPost, an online news outlet, reported Friday.

Obama: 'Do not foresee scenario' of American boots on ground in Syria updated 2 days ago

President Obama said Friday that he did not foresee a scenario of "American boots on the ground in Syria" that would be good for that country or the region.

Sources: U.S. believes Israel has conducted an airstrike into Syria updated 3 days ago

U.S. officials believe Israel has conducted an airstrike into Syria, two U.S. officials told CNN.

Obama: 'Do not foresee scenario' of American boots on ground in Syria updated 4 days ago

President Obama said Friday that he did not foresee a scenario of "American boots on the ground in Syria" that would be good for that country or the region.

Sources: U.S. believes Israel has conducted an airstrike into Syria updated 4 days ago

The United States believes Israel has conducted an airstrike into Syria, two U.S. officials first told CNN.

Sunni mosque in Baghdad bombed; 5 dead updated 4 days ago

At least five people were killed and 30 others wounded Friday after a bombing outside a Sunni mosque in northeastern Baghdad, police said.

Shelling sparks fire at Damascus airport updated 5 days ago

A fire broke out at the Damascus airport when mortar shells hit a kerosene tank and a plane, state news said.

Syrian government reclaims parts of Homs; raid in other city updated 5 days ago

Syrian troops took control of large swaths of territory in the flashpoint city of Homs on Thursday, encircling an opposition suburb, an activist group said.

Meet the man who sculpted Saddam Hussein updated 5 days ago

For the generation of Iraqi artists who came of age under Saddam Hussein's regime in the 1980s, one common subject was the dictator himself, often depicted holding a sword or riding an Arabian horse.

As U.S. rethinks arming rebels, Syria says chemical weapons also a 'red line' updated 5 days ago

Has a "red line" been crossed in Syria? And if so, what happens next?

Syrian government reclaims parts of Homs updated 5 days ago

Syrian troops took control of large swaths of territory in the flashpoint city of Homs Thursday, encircling an opposition suburb, an activist group said.

April the deadliest month in Iraq in 5 years updated 5 days ago

More people died violently in Iraq in April than in any other month in nearly five years, the United Nations said Thursday.

Syrian leader makes rare public appearance updated 6 days ago

Syria's president made a rare public appearance Wednesday.

16 are killed in Iraq violence updated 6 days ago

Attackers killed at least 16 people and wounded 31 more in Iraq on Wednesday, police and health officials said.

Settler killed, Palestinians fear reprisals updated 7 days ago

An Palestinian and an Israeli are killed in the latest rash of violence in the Middle East. Another Palestinian is stabbed and wounded, police said.

Officials: Wave of violence hits Iraq, leaves 6 dead, more than 20 wounded updated 7 days ago

A wave of violence struck Iraq on Tuesday, with bomb blasts and gun battles killing at least six people and wounding more than 20, police officials told CNN.

World seeks answers as Syria civil war evolves updated 7 days ago

The U.S. is waiting for details on the evidence of chemical weapons use in Syria, President Barack Obama said Tuesday.

Iraq at crossroads as bombs explode updated 8 days ago

CNN's Arwa Damon explains what's simmering behind the latest surge in violence in Iraq - attacks that some now fear could lead to full sectarian war.

Syrian prime minister uninjured after bomb targets motorcade in Damascus updated 8 days ago

Syrian Prime Minister Wael al-Halqi survived a bombing targeting his motorcade Monday in a Damascus neighborhood; government and opposition report casualties.

25 dead, dozens wounded in Iraq car bombings updated 8 days ago

At least 25 people were killed and 69 others were wounded in five car bombings in Iraq on Monday, police said,

3 Britons sentenced to 4 years on drug charges in UAE; claims of torture linger updated 8 days ago

Britain says it will continue to press for an independent probe into the case of three British citizens who were sentenced Monday to four years on drug charges

Iraq pulls plug on 'misleading' TV networks updated 9 days ago

Iraq's government ordered 10 television networks shut down Sunday, accusing them of stoking sectarian violence.

Verdict near for imprisoned Britons allegedly tortured in UAE updated 9 days ago

Three British citizens held on drug charges in the United Arab Emirates since July could face a verdict as early as Monday.

Syrian rebels attack military airports across country, opposition says updated 9 days ago

Syrian rebels attacked several military airports across the country Sunday, including a sprawling base in the province of Idlib, opposition activists said.

Syria: U.S. manipulating chemical weapons evidence, like it did with Iraq updated 11 days ago

Syria on Friday denied that it has used, or even possesses, chemical weapons and accused the United States and Britain of lying.

Israel: Mistakes made in war, but no criminal charges in deadly Gaza strike updated 11 days ago

Israel won't open a criminal probe into the airstrike that killed 10 members of a Palestinian family and two neighbors during the November 2012 war with Gaza.

At least 14 killed in bombings, shootings in and near Baghdad updated 11 days ago

Attacks in and around Baghdad kill at least 14 people and injure more than 80, police and health officials said Friday.

Israel forces shoot down a drone updated 12 days ago

The Israeli air force shot down a drone approaching the nation's coast Thursday, the Israel Defense Forces said.

U.S.: Intelligence points to small-scale use of sarin in Syria updated 12 days ago

The United States has evidence that the chemical weapon sarin has been used in Syria on a small scale, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said Thursday.

Kurdish rebels to start withdrawing from Turkey in May updated 12 days ago

The Kurdish rebel group that has fought a guerrilla war against the Turkish state for the past 30 years announced it would begin withdrawing its fighters from Turkey to neighboring countries.

Iraqi leader sounds warning about sectarian strife updated 12 days ago

Iraqi President Nuri al-Maliki called for dialogue and resolve to halt the recent rise of violence in Iraq.

Iraq, on edge over violence, endures more bloodshed updated 13 days ago

More violence engulfed Iraq on Wednesday as tensions rose between Sunnis and Shiites, with the latest bloodshed spurred by deadly clashes the day before in the town of Hawija.

2 kidnapped Syrian bishops remain missing updated 13 days ago

Two Syrian Orthodox bishops remain missing two days after being kidnapped, with each side in the civil war blaming others for the snatching.

Israel says Syria used chemical weapons; Russia warns of 'Iraqi scenario' updated 14 days ago

Are Syrian forces using chemical weapons in their years-long fight to hold on to power?

Clash at Sunni protest in Iraq leaves dead and wounded updated 14 days ago

Violence in Iraq Tuesday left more than 30 people dead and dozens wounded, police and government officials said.

Mysterious structure found at bottom of ancient lake updated 15 days ago

A mysterious, circular structure, with a diameter greater than the length of a Boeing 747 jet, has been discovered submerged about 30 feet (9 meters) underneath the Sea of Galilee in Israel.

Syrian activist group: Record number of dead bodies found updated 15 days ago

The bodies of at least 566 people who were killed over a six-day period across Syria were found Sunday, an opposition group said.

Israel,Turkey discuss compensation for flotilla raid victims updated 15 days ago

Turkey and Israel met Monday to discuss how to compensate the families of victims of Israel's deadly raid on a Gaza-bound aid ship that killed nine.

Gazan runners barred from Bethlehem marathon updated 15 days ago

Israel has denied the request of 26 Palestinians from Gaza to participate in a long-distance race in the West Bank on Sunday.

Iraq blast kills 2, wounds 22 updated 16 days ago

An explosion at a busy restaurant in the Iraqi city of Falluja killed at least two people Sunday and wounded at least 22 more, police said.

Protesters, police in Bahrain clash ahead of Vettel's F1 victory updated 16 days ago

A heavy police presence in Bahrain on Sunday limited marches by protesters organized to coincide with the controversial Formula One race in the kingdom, won by world champion Sebastian Vettel.

Iraqis vote in local elections despite violence updated 17 days ago

Iraqis on Saturday were heading to the polls to vote in provincial elections across the country.

Blast in popular Baghdad coffee shop kills at least 27 updated 19 days ago

A bomb exploded on Thursday night in a popular coffee shop in western Baghdad, killing at least 27 people and wounding 51 others, city police officials said.

Al-Assad to Western nations: Syrian rebels will turn on you updated 19 days ago

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad warned Western nations against supporting rebel groups battling his armed forces, predicting the militants will one day strike against the United States and others.

7 terror cell suspects arrested in UAE updated 20 days ago

Authorities in the United Arab Emirates have arrested seven people suspected of belonging to a terror cell, the UAE's official news agency WAM reported Thursday.

Deadly blasts, assassination strike Iraq before election updated 20 days ago

Four blasts in and around Baghdad killed at least three people and wounded 16 on Wednesday, police said.

Mubarak retrial scheduled for May 11 updated 20 days ago

The retrial of former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, his sons, his interior minister and six of his security aides will start on May 11, a Cairo appeals court decided Wednesday, according to a state-run news agency.

Police: Rockets land in southern Israel, no injuries updated 21 days ago

Two rockets landed in the southern Israeli city of Eilat on Wednesday, police said.

21 executed in Iraq updated 21 days ago

Iraqi authorities hanged 21 men after they were convicted of terrorism, the nation's Ministry of Justice reported Tuesday.

Quake kills 34, injures 80 in Pakistan, sources say updated 21 days ago

An earthquake in Iran Tuesday killed six people across the border in Pakistan, officials there said, but conflicting reports on casualties emerged from Iran.

Deadly wave of bombings across Iraq ahead of elections updated 22 days ago

A series of bomb blasts across Iraq on Monday killed at least 42 people and wounded more than 257 others, police said.

Iran's cartoonists find new lines of expression updated 22 days ago

In 2003, former newspaper editor Ali Reza Eshraghi made a mistake that cost him his freedom: he published a cartoon.

Billionaire Saudi prince tweets support for women driving updated 22 days ago

Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal backs giving women the right to drive in Saudi Arabia, saying it would help the economy and cut the number of foreign workers.

Egypt's Mubarak wins petition but will stay detained updated 22 days ago

Former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak will remain behind bars even though he won an appeal asking to be released while awaiting trial, Egyptian state TV says.

Artillery shells from Syria hit Lebanese border town updated 23 days ago

Lebanon says it deployed troops near its border with Syria Sunday after artillery shells hit a Lebanese border village.

Symbolic Syrian mosque destroyed; activists warn of phosphorus bombs updated 24 days ago

The place where the Syrian uprising began two years ago, the Omari mosque in Daraa, crumbled Saturday amid fighting between rebels and government forces.

Abbas accepts prime minister's resignation updated 24 days ago

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Saturday accepted the resignation of Prime Minister Salam Fayyad, a Palestinian Authority spokeswoman told CNN.

Judge walks out on retrial of deposed Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak updated 25 days ago

The judge in the retrial of deposed Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak recused himself Saturday, referred the trial to a lower court and walked out of the room

Bombs explode outside eastern Iraqi mosque, killing 7 updated 26 days ago

Seven people were killed and 25 others were wounded when two roadside bombs exploded outside a Sunni mosque in Kanaan, Iraq, about 60 kilometers north of Baghdad on Friday afternoon, police in nearby Baquba said.

Watch out street racers, Dubai cops have Lamborghini updated 26 days ago

Dubai Police have revealed the latest addition to their patrol fleet -- a Lamborghini Aventador.

Rights group accuses Syrian military of targeting civilians updated 26 days ago

Syria's air force has repeatedly carried out "indiscriminate, and in some cases deliberate" airstrikes on civilians, Human Rights Watch said in a new report.

Man faces 10 months jail for tweets about trial in UAE updated 27 days ago

Comments posted to his Twitter account about an ongoing trial have put a man in Abu Dhabi in jail for 10 months.

'A minority within a minority': Artist tells the story of the Palestinian Christians updated 27 days ago

After generations of conflict, the clamor of the Israeli-Palestinian dispute has the tendency to drown out other voices and stories from the region.

Syrian jihad group pledges allegiance to al Qaeda, denies merger updated 27 days ago

A Syrian group appears to align with al Qaeda but says it can achieve a Syrian Islamic state only with the help of other rebels, including secularists.

Saudi government denies reports of paralysis punishment sentence updated 27 days ago

Saudi Arabia is denying reports that a Saudi court sentenced a man to be surgically paralyzed as punishment for having paralyzed another man.

Iran quake kills 37, injures more than 850 updated 28 days ago

A powerful earthquake struck Iran on Tuesday, killing at least 37 people but apparently sparing a nearby nuclear plant from any damage, Iranian state media said

Countries pledge $3.7 billion for 'recovery, reconstruction' in Darfur updated 28 days ago

An international donors conference on reconstruction and development in Darfur ended Monday with donors pledging nearly $3.7 billion.

Report: 600,000 forced labor victims in Middle East updated 28 days ago

Many migrant workers in the Mideast become victims of human trafficking, forced labor and sexual exploitation.

Iran marks 'National Nuclear Day' with a new uranium-processing site updated 29 days ago

Two days after nuclear negotiations yielded little progress, Iran said it has opened two new uranium-processing sites to mark "National Nuclear Day."

Auschwitz survivor's social media search for long-lost twin updated 29 days ago

Menachem Bodner is a soft-spoken 73-year-old, who thinks carefully before he describes his first memory as a three-year old child.

Blast near Damascus square kills 15, state TV reports updated 30 days ago

A car bomb reportedly killed at least 15 people and injured dozens of others at a large Damascus square Monday.

Syrian airstrike kills 15, including children, opposition says updated 30 days ago

A Syrian airstrike in Aleppo has killed at least 15 people, including nine children, the opposition Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Saturday.

Darfur supporters seek $7.25 billion to rebuild ravaged region updated 30 days ago

An international donors' conference on Darfur kicked off Sunday in Doha with the hope of raising $7.25 billion to bring aid and sustainable development to the troubled region in Sudan.

Iraq's TV comedy show courts controversy updated 30 days ago

Beset by war and sectarian violence, Iraq has not had a lot to laugh about in recent years.

'Anonymous Arab' cyberattacks hit Israel updated 30 days ago

Several Israeli government websites appeared to crash anti-Israeli hackers launched cyber attacks Sunday, but Israeli hackers also claimed their own victory.

18 killed at Iraqi political site updated 32 days ago

A suicide bomber detonated his vest inside an election campaign tent in central Baquba, Iraq, killing 18.

Al-Assad warns of domino effect updated 32 days ago

If the Syrian government falls, other countries in the region could suffer, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad told a Turkish news outlet Friday.

Family pleads for jailed Saudi blogger updated 32 days ago

Rights groups say Saudi authorities are targeting activists through the courts and travel bans.

Bringing Babylon back from the dead updated 33 days ago

Babylon was one of the glories of the ancient world, its walls and mythic hanging gardens listed among the Seven Wonders.

Report: 2nd Palestinian teen dies after clashes with Israeli forces updated 34 days ago

A second Palestinian teen died Thursday from injuries he suffered during clashes with Israeli forces a day earlier, the official Palestinian news agency said.

Reported Saudi paralysis sentence 'outrageous,' rights group says updated 34 days ago

Amnesty International has condemned a reported Saudi court ruling sentencing a man to be paralyzed as retribution for having paralyzed another man.

More rockets from Gaza irk Israel updated 35 days ago

The patter of rockets from Gaza into Israel continued Wednesday, according to Israeli authorities.

Mobs storm newspapers in Baghdad updated 35 days ago

The angry mobs barged into the newspaper buildings, in the heart of bustling Baghdad. They smashed equipment, stole files, beat up guards and workers, and tossed one person from a roof.

Palestinian prisoner's death sparks protests in Israel, West Bank updated 35 days ago

A well-known Palestinian prisoner died of cancer in Israeli custody on Tuesday, sparking outrage among Palestinian groups who accuse Israel of denying him treatment.

Israel conducts first airstrikes in Gaza since November, sources say updated 35 days ago

Israel conducted two airstrikes inside Gaza on Tuesday night, security sources in Gaza told CNN.

Hamas again picks Meshaal as leader updated 35 days ago

Hamas, the Palestinian movement running Gaza, has elected Khaled Meshaal as its political leader, sources said.

Opposition: March deadliest month in Syrian civil war updated 36 days ago

The brutal civil war in Syria claimed more than 6,000 lives in March alone, an opposition group reported.

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