site.news_by_theme Middle East & Africa
After a year, no news of US reporter missing in Syria
The family of US journalist James Foley, who on Friday will mark the first anniversary of his disappearance in war-torn Syria, say they have not given up hope of welcoming him home.
22 November 2013
Kerry warns of 'increasingly sectarian' Central Africa
US Secretary of State John Kerry expressed a lack of confidence Wednesday in the Central African government to contain an "increasingly sectarian" crisis, and pledged aid to a peacekeeping force.
21 November 2013
Syria refugees in Lebanon drowning in poverty, says Oxfam
Desperate Syrian refugee families in Lebanon are slipping further into debt and poverty, affecting their children's education and their dignity, an international aid agency said Thursday.
21 November 2013
US, Afghanistan agree post-2014 troop deal
Secretary of State John Kerry said Wednesday he had nailed down terms governing the presence of US troops in Afghanistan beyond 2014, just hours before Afghan leaders debate the deal.
21 November 2013
US rules out Afghanistan 'apology' in security talks
The United States has ruled out apologizing to Afghanistan for "mistakes" made during the 12-year war and denied claims in Kabul that such a mea culpa was being drafted.
21 November 2013
Spate of Baghdad blasts kill 24
A wave of attacks, most of them car bombs targeting Shiite neighbourhoods, rocked Baghdad early on Wednesday, killing at least 24 people in the latest bout of bloodshed to rock Iraq.
20 November 2013
One dead, 50 feared trapped in S.Africa mall collapse
Hundreds of rescuers worked into the night searching for survivors in the rubble of a half-built mall that collapsed near the South African city of Durban Tuesday, killing one person and injuring dozens.
20 November 2013
Kazakhstan Ambassador to Saudi Arabia appointed
The Kazakhstan Ambassador to Saudi Arabia has been appointed.
20 November 2013
High-stakes Iran nuclear talks to resume
Iran and world powers resume talks on Wednesday seeking a landmark breakthrough over Tehran's nuclear programme that also satisfies sceptical hardliners in Washington, Israel and the Islamic republic.
20 November 2013
Gunmen kill Shiite director of Pakistan university
Unidentified gunmen riding a motorcycle on Tuesday killed a senior Shiite director of a university along with his driver in Pakistan's central Punjab province.
19 November 2013
Arab, Africa leaders to review economic ties at summit
Arab and African leaders are to start a two-day summit in Kuwait on Tuesday to review steps to promote economic ties between wealthy Gulf states and investment-thirsty Africa.
19 November 2013
New York designer vows to kickstart Mideast fashion
Three decades after escaping Lebanon's civil war to fulfil her dream of making it in New York fashion, Reem Acra's client list reads like a who's who of Hollywood's A-list.
19 November 2013
Top Assad officials in Moscow to discuss Syria talks
A senior Syrian regime delegation was Monday in Moscow to hold talks with top Russian diplomats on plans to hold a peace conference in Geneva to end the Syria conflict, the foreign ministry said.
19 November 2013
France firm on Iran nuclear issue, Hollande tells Israel
France will never tolerate nuclear proliferation, President Francois Hollande vowed on Sunday as Israel expressed "grave concern" about a looming deal between world powers and Iran.
18 November 2013
Karzai calls on Taliban to participate elders assembly on US deal
Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Saturday called on the Taliban and their allies to join an assembly on a security pact that could allow some US troops to stay in the country after 2014.
17 November 2013
Opponents demand end to US drone strikes, secrecy
Activists opposed to US drone strikes against Al-Qaeda suspects demanded Friday an end to the secrecy surrounding the attacks, saying the bombings have claimed numerous civilian lives.
16 November 2013
Chemical watchdog seals Syria arsenal destruction plan
The world's chemical watchdog on Friday adopted a final roadmap for ridding Syria of its arsenal by mid-2014, reaching agreement hours before a deadline expired.
16 November 2013
Afghanistan's modern artists puzzle and provoke
Shocking, intimate and often bemusing to outsiders, the modern art produced by a small group of young Afghans would come as a surprise to connoisseurs who stalk the galleries of New York, London and Tokyo.
16 November 2013
Kerry, Clinton urge support for Afghan women
US Secretary of State John Kerry Friday joined forces with his predecessor Hillary Clinton to urge that hard-won gains for Afghan women since the fall of the Taliban be protected.
16 November 2013
Turkish parliament lifts ban on women lawmakers wearing trousers
Turkish parliament has lifted a ban on women lawmakers wearing trousers in the assembly, shortly after a major government reform allowed them to don Islamic headscarves.
15 November 2013