Middle East News

Israeli planes strike targets in Gaza - medics

GAZA STRIP (Reuters) - Israeli planes carried out air strikes against targets in the Gaza Strip on Sunday, injuring five Palestinians, Palestinian medical workers said.

Iran to hold war games to protect nuclear facilities

By Fredrik Dahl and Hashem Kalantari

Iraq parliament struggles over elusive vote deal

By Waleed Ibrahim

Iraqi parliament seeks to end election crisis

Separate clashes kill 23 Taliban in Afghanistan

KABUL (AFP) - - Afghan and foreign troops killed 23 Taliban militants in separate operations a day after the president pledged to take responsibility for security in his new five-year term, police said Saturday.

U.S. to drop charges against one Blackwater guard

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Justice Department prosecutors asked a federal judge on Friday to dismiss the charges against one of five Blackwater security guards accused of killing 14 unarmed Iraqi civilians in a 2007 shooting in Baghdad.

McCain urges Obama to speed up Afghan decision

HALIFAX, Nova Scotia - U.S. Sen.

6 world powers press Iran on nuclear issue

BRUSSELS - Representatives of six world powers urged Iran on Friday to accept a U.N. plan aimed at delaying its ability to build a nuclear weapon, as the head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency warned Tehran not to miss the opportunity to resolve the dispute.

U.N. panel condemns Iran for post-election crackdown

By Louis Charbonneau

Powers urge Iran to reconsider nuclear offer

By David Brunnstrom and Dave Graham

35 Egyptian police hurt as football violence simmers

CAIRO (AFP) - - Violent protestors injured dozens of police near the Algerian embassy in Cairo on Friday, fanning the flames of a diplomatic row that erupted over a football World Cup qualifier won by bitter rivals Algeria.

Iran has 'not responded positively' to nuclear offer

BRUSSELS (AFP) - - Major world powers expressed disappointment Friday that Iran has "not responded positively" to a plan for resolving the standoff over its nuclear programme or agreed to new talks.

Iran to launch satellite on its own by late 2011

TEHRAN, Iran - Iran plans to launch a communications satellite by late 2011 with no outside help, a top Iranian official said Friday, after Italy and Russia declined to put it into orbit.

World powers weigh new sanctions for Iran

SEOUL, South Korea - President Barack Obama said Thursday that the six nations dealing with Iran's nuclear program will develop a package of serious new punitive measures in coming weeks.

U.S. warns Iran of consequences over standoff

By Patricia Zengerle and Manny Mogato

Major powers to hold Iran nuclear talks on Nov 20

BRUSSELS (AFP) - - Representatives from major world powers will meet in Brussels Friday to discuss developments with Iran's nuclear programme, EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana's office said Thursday.

Iran rejects talk of sanctions over nuclear fuel deal

MANILA (Reuters) - Iran's foreign minister on Thursday dismissed the possibility of sanctions over Tehran's rejection of a deal to send enriched uranium abroad for further processing.

Israeli air strikes wound three in Gaza - Hamas

GAZA (Reuters) - Israeli warplanes bombed two smuggling tunnels and a military training compound in the Gaza Strip Thursday, wounding three people, said officials in the Palestinian territory ruled by the Islamist Hamas movement.

Karzai to be sworn in as US presses for reform

KABUL (AFP) - - Hamid Karzai will be in sworn in as Afghan president for a second term on Thursday, after the United States ramped up pressure on him to rid the war-torn country of its endemic corruption.