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UNHCR urges support for Iraqi refugees in Syria, Jordan 
AFP via Yahoo! News - Feb 09 12:07 PM
The UN High Commissioner for Refugees urged global support for Syria and Jordan as they cope with hundreds of thousands of Iraqi refugees who have fled the violence at home.Syria welcomes Palestinian power deal, calls for implementation Khaleej Times - Feb 10 9:11 AM
DAMASCUS - Syria on Saturday welcomed the agreement by rival Palestinian factions Fatah and Hamas on forming a national unity government and stopping internal fighting, and said it hoped it would be implemented soon.AL chief arrives in Syria to tackle on Lebanese issue People's Daily - Feb 11 4:59 PM
Arab League (AL) Secretary General Amr Moussa arrived here Sunday night in efforts to solve the Lebanese political crisis.Syria offers new incentives for investors Mena Report - Feb 10 3:46 AM
Despite American attempts to isolate Syria, new incentives recently offered by Syrian President Bashar Al Assad are attracting investors, including those from the UAE such as the Qudra Holding Company.Iraqi Refugees In Syria Seek Refugee Status From UN Agency Nasdaq - Feb 11 5:21 AM
DAMASCUS (AP)--Thousands of Iraqi refugees lined up outside the offices of a U.N. refugee agency in this capital city Sunday to register for refugee status.Byron Williams: U.S. Handling of Arar Case Shows How far We've Fallen HuffingtonPost - Feb 11 5:41 PM
Late last month Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper issued a formal apology "on behalf of the government of Canada" to one of its citizens, Maher Arar, and his family. Moreover, the Canadian government agreed to pay Arar more than $10 million to settle his case. On September 26, 2002, U.S. authorities detained Arar, the Syria-born Canadian citizen, during a stopover in New York en route ...Rice authorizes talks with Syria on Iraqi refugee crisis AFP via Yahoo! News - Feb 08 1:53 PM
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice revealed that she had authorized diplomatic talks with Syria about the Iraqi refugee crisis, despite a continuing freeze on high-level contacts with Damascus.Syria blames US for 'humanitarian catastrophe' in Iraq AFP via Yahoo! News - Feb 08 1:43 PM
Syria's vice president blamed Washington for the "humanitarian catastrophe" caused by an outflow of refugees from war-torn Iraq, official media reported.Syria: Won't force Iraqis to return AP via Yahoo! News - Feb 08 1:10 PM
Syria will not force any Iraqi refugees to return to their homeland despite the exchange of harsh words between the two countries, the U.N. refugee chief said Thursday.Iraqi refugees safe in Syria despite new rules-UNHCR AlertNet - Feb 09 10:17 AM
Source: Reuters By Khaled Yacoub Oweis DAMASCUS, Feb 9 (Reuters) - Syria has assured the United Nations it would keep hosting one million Iraqi refugees despite new rules imposed on residency, the U.N. High ... Moussa warns Lebanese that power struggle 'needs time' to be resolved The Daily Star Lebannon - Feb 11 12:55 PM
Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa said Sunday that the outcome of his talks in Damascus "will determine his next steps" and the date for his return to Lebanon. According to a report in local daily An-Nahar, Moussa, who arrived in Syria Sunday for talks with top officials the following day, said.USA SYRIA IRAQ US only willing to discuss Iraqi refugees with Syria - Asia News AsiaNews.it - Feb 09 7:56 AM
Asia News USA SYRIA IRAQ US only willing to discuss Iraqi refugees with Syria united states syria iraq united nations refugees condoleezza rice antonio guterres Condoleezza Rice gives green light to US diplomats to talk with Damascus about the humanitarian emergency facing Iraqi refugees.Syria won t bar refugees Daily Herald - Feb 09 12:08 AM
DAMASCUS, Syria Syria will not force any Iraqi refugees to return to their homeland despite the exchange of harsh words between the two countries, the U.N. refugee chief said Thursday.Syrian gets 12 years at 9/11 trial AP via Yahoo! News - 1 hour, 36 minutes ago
A Syrian court on Sunday sentenced a man believed to have known the Sept. 11 hijackers to 12 years in prison for membership in the banned Muslim Brotherhood organization, a human rights group said.U.S., Syria to discuss Iraq refugees EARTHtimes.org - Feb 09 5:10 AM
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said in Washington she has given the U.S. embassy in Syria authorization to discuss Iraqi refugees with Damascus.Arabs try outreach to Israel, U.S. Jews USA Today - 2 hours, 7 minutes ago
Arab states, led by Saudi Arabia, are making some of their most public overtures ever to Israel and American Jews in an effort to undercut Iran's growing influence, contain violence in Iraq and Lebanon and push for a Palestinian solution.Syria: Return of Golan Heights Central to Middle East Peace Voice of America - Feb 08 3:03 PM
Syria's president has repeatedly called for a renewal of peace talks between his country and neighboring Israel, and some in Israel say now might be a good time to deal.More support sought for Iraq refugee hosts Jordan, Syria New Kerala - Feb 09 12:11 AM
Dharam Shourie, United Nations, Feb 9: The United Nations refugee agency has sought increased international support for States such as Jordan and Syria which have made a "huge sacrifice" by hosting hundreds of thousands of refugees fleeing war-torn Iraq.French Socialist aims to overcome drop AP via Yahoo! News - Feb 11 6:21 PM
Attempting to overcome a recent drop in the polls, Socialist presidential candidate Segolene Royal unveiled a long-awaited platform Sunday that promises to boost the minimum wage and pension payments.Syria Tells UN Refugee Chief It Won't Force Iraqis To Leave Nasdaq - Feb 08 12:36 PM
DAMASCUS (AP)--Syria won't force any Iraqi staying here to go back to Iraq despite the exchange of harsh words between the two countries, the U.N. refugee chief said on Thursday.Rice authorises talks with Syria on Iraqi refugee crisis Channel NewsAsia - Feb 08 2:22 PM
WASHINGTON - US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice revealed Thursday that she had authorised diplomatic talks with Syria about the Iraqi refugee crisis, despite a continuing freeze on high-level contacts with Damascus.Rice authorizes talks with Syria on Iraqi refugees AlertNet - Feb 08 2:17 PM
Source: Reuters By Arshad Mohammed WASHINGTON, Feb 8 (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said on Thursday she had authorized the U.S. embassy in Damascus to talk to Syria about Iraqi refugees but ... Assad says Syria wants good relations with Iraq AFP via Yahoo! News - Feb 07 1:58 PM
President Bashar al-Assad told a meeting of his ruling Baath party that Syria wants good relations with Iraq and is committed to its neighbour's security, the official SANA news agency said.Syria blames Washington for deepening refugee crisis The Daily Star Lebannon - Feb 08 2:26 PM
Syria's vice president on Thursday blamed Washington for the "humanitarian catastrophe" caused by an outflow of refugees from war-torn Iraq, official media reported. "The invasion of Iraq has led to an outpouring of hundreds of thousands of Iraqi refugees to Syria and neighboring countries.Runciman Lecture on Hellenism in Syria, Jordan, Palestine Kathimerini - Feb 10 5:00 AM
Photo: Greek Ambassador Vassilis Pispinis (left), Nicholas and Matti Egon (center), and Glen Bowersock (right). (Photo: Martha Chrysomalli) The first Thursday of every February, the Runciman Lecture is held at King s College, founded and established by the artist Nicholas Egon, who was a close friend of the late Byzantinist Steven Runciman, who lived to see the first lectures take place very ...UNHCR chief Guterres praises Syria for generosity to Iraqi refugees AlertNet - Feb 08 10:17 AM
Source: UN High Commissioner for Refugees United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees António Guterres acknowledges Syria's extraordinary generosity towards a million Iraqis who have fled violence in their homeland. Friends, Arabs, countrymen: Mideast 'Richard III' opens in England AFP via Yahoo! News - Feb 11 10:24 AM
The Royal Shakespeare Company has brought Middle East politics to Stratford-upon-Avon with a production of "Richard III" set in an oil-rich Gulf state and performed largely in Arabic.Arab League Concerned with Lebanon-Hizbullah Conflict Israel National News - Feb 10 11:19 PM
(IsraelNN.com) The secretary general of the Arab League is expected in Syria on Sunday in a regional tour to effort to end the crisis between the current Lebanese government and the Hizbullah terrorist organization.C.B. native gets Bronze Star with Valor Council Bluffs Daily Nonpareil - Feb 10 10:17 PM
U.S. Marine First Sgt. Don Brazeal's men were under heavy enemy fire when he climbed an 11-foot wall with a rocket launcher during a battle along the Iraq-Syria border, in April 2005.Suicide bomber kills 30 near Tikrit AP via Yahoo! News - Feb 11 7:38 AM
A suicide truck bomber slammed into a crowd of police lining up for duty Sunday near Tikrit, collapsing the station and killing at least 30 people and wounding 50, police said.Iraqis on the run: what the world can do The Christian Science Monitor - Feb 11 2:48 PM
With 50,000 Iraqis a month fleeing the war, the US and Britain must help the region absorb the flow. World must help Jordan, Syria assist Iraqi refugees: UN AFP via Yahoo! News - Feb 07 6:20 AM
UN High Commissioner for Refugees chief Antonio Guterres has urged the international community to help Jordan and Syria assist hundreds of thousands of refugees from neighbouring Iraq.Syria: Continued Support For Hezbollah, Hamas India Daily - Feb 08 8:40 AM
Syrian President Bashar al Assad said during a Baath Party Central Command conference Feb. 7 Syria will continue to support Hezbollah and Hamas despite U.S. pressure on Syria to abandon support for the groups, Reuters reported Feb. 8, citing Baath Party members.Iranian foreign policy: not so revolutionary anymore The Christian Science Monitor - Feb 11 2:48 PM
Iran today is more concerned with ensuring regional stability than exporting revolution. Blogs Transform Mideast Social Dialogue AP via Yahoo! Finance - Feb 11 2:50 PM
Wael Abbas hasn't been arrested by Egyptian police, but the blogger fears it could happen any day. A democracy activist who never leaves home without a camera, he has drawn the attention of state security by posting videos that show what many Egyptians only talk about behind closed doors -- police brutality and male harassment of women on the street, such as fondling.(AFX UK Focus) 2007-02-08 15:31 GMT: Syria blames US for 'humanitarian catastrophe' in Iraq Interactive Investor - Feb 08 7:55 AM
DAMASCUS (AFX) - Syria's vice president today blamed Washington for the "humanitarian catastrophe" caused by an outflow of refugees from war-torn Iraq, official media reported.Dodd, Lott Discuss The War CBS News - Feb 11 1:00 PM
Appearing on Face the Nation presidential candidate Sen. Chris Dodd, D-Conn., and minority whip Sen. Trent Lott, R-Miss., discuss the ongoing debate over the war in Iraq ? something no one in Congress seems to be able to figure out.Putin begins Mideast tour after anti-US outburst AFP via Yahoo! News - Feb 11 1:21 AM
Russian President Vladimir Putin kicks off a Middle East tour, seeking to enhance ties with traditional US allies in the region after launching a scathing attack on Washington's foreign policy.Putin to make 1st visit to Saudi Arabia AP via Yahoo! News - Feb 11 1:18 AM
In the first trip to Saudi Arabia by a Russian leader, President Vladimir Putin and his Saudi counterparts are expected to discuss economic and military cooperation and the conflicts that continue to trouble region.Work on disputed holy site resumes USA Today - Feb 11 12:58 AM
Construction work resumed Sunday on a ramp leading to a disputed holy site in Jerusalem, despite objections from the Muslim world and two days of violent Palestinian protest.Blogs Transform Mideast Social Dialogue KiplingerForecasts.com - Feb 11 3:11 PM
Wael Abbas hasn't been arrested by Egyptian police, but the blogger fears it could happen any day.Know our enemy The Patriot-News - 35 minutes ago
Liberals everywhere are waging war on phantom threats like atmospheric CO2cc11; and insensitivity and capitalism, while ignoring the real battle to the death that has already begun.10:15AM The New Zealand Herald - Feb 11 2:05 PM
DAMASCUS - A Syrian security court today sentenced to 12 years in jail a man linked to the Hamburg al Qaeda cell that led the Sept. 11 attacks on the United States, human rights advocates said.U.S. lawyers argue O'Connor report 'irrelevant' to Arar's U.S. lawsuit Hill Times - 42 minutes ago
Lawyers for the U.S. government are arguing before the U.S. Court of Appeals that Justice Dennis O'Connor's $16-million, two-year, commission report into the Maher Arar affair is "irrelevant" to Mr. Arar's lawsuit against the U.S. government and should not be considered by the court as evidence.Iran, Syria share common interests: EC chairman Islamic Republic News Agency - Feb 07 11:36 PM
Iran - Syria - EC Expediency Council Chairman Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani here Wednesday called on Iran and Syria to actively take up issues of the world of Islam.These moderates are in fact fanatics, torturers and killers Guardian Unlimited - 2 hours, 23 minutes ago
Politicians, especially in times of geopolitical deadlock, adopt a word or a concept to sell to the public. In 1973, at the peak of cold-war tensions, the US secretary of state, Henry Kissinger, coined the term "detente".MEXIDATA . INFO MEXIDATA . INFO - 13 minutes ago
As the winds of war continue to sweep through the streets of Baghdad and Iraq, an unabated eye and focus must be turned to the storm brewing to our nation s south.Rice Authorizes Talks With Syria on Iraq Refugees Payvand Iran News - Feb 09 8:16 AM
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice told Senators Thursday she has instructed the chief of the U.S. diplomatic mission in Damascus to engage the Syrian government on the issue of Iraqi refugees. Officials here dismiss suggestions that the decision by Rice signals a thaw in the frosty U.S.-Syrian relationship. -VOASyrian President: Syria firm in its support for Hezbollah, Hamas Haaretz Daily - Feb 08 12:26 AM
DAMASCUS - Syrian President Bashar Assad vowed to keep supporting Hezbollah and Hamas on Wednesday, despite United States pressure on Syria to stop backing the groups, Baath Party members said.Putin begins tour of traditional US terrain in Middle East AFP via Yahoo! News - Feb 10 7:58 PM
Russian President Vladimir Putin begins on Sunday a three-day tour through Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Qatar, seeking to build on growing energy and military ties with traditional US allies in the Middle East after sharply slamming Washington's policy as source of instability in Middle East.Rice OKs talks on Iraqi refugees CNN.com - Feb 09 12:50 AM
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Thursday she authorized the U.S. embassy in Syria to talk to Damascus about Iraqi refugees but downplayed expectations about a wider dialogue.Muslims continue protests over work at holy site CNN.com - Feb 10 7:05 PM
JERUSALEM (AP) -- Sporadic Palestinian protests, including a rock-throwing attack on a busload of Canadian tourists, broke out in Jerusalem and the West Bank Saturday over Israel's construction of a ramp leading to a disputed holy site.Syria beat Qatar in a thriller Gulf Times - Feb 08 1:54 AM
Singapore, Iran `B , Syria and Jordan all won their respective matches in the opening round in the Boys Team event at the Qatar Junior Open on Tuesday. Romania and Russia reigned supreme in the girls category.Expenditures on advertising on the rise in Arab markets Mena Report - Feb 10 3:47 AM
A recent financial study by the Pan Arab Research Center (PARC) revealed that expenditures on advertising in Gulf countries as well as those of the Arab Mashreq (Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and Oman) rose by a staggering 21 percent in 2006.Target Tehran: Washington sets stage for a new confrontation Independent - Feb 11 4:25 PM
The United States is moving closer to war with Iran by accusing the "highest levels" of the Iranian government of supplying sophisticated roadside bombs that have killed 170 US troops and wounded 620.A Greater Israel consortiumnews.com - Feb 11 4:59 PM
A big part of the crisis confronting the United States in the Middle East can be traced back to what is now more than a quarter-century-old competition among American politicians over who can best pander to Israeli hardliners.High Commissioner winds up visit to Middle East region, new arrivals of Palestinians at Iraq-Syria border AlertNet - Feb 09 4:02 AM
Source: UN High Commissioner for Refugees - Philippines wants to hold peace talks with former rebels People's Daily - Feb 11 3:59 PM
The Philippine government has asked the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) and the former rebel group of Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) to hold a tripartite peace talks in Manila instead of Saudi Arabia, because it would not allow a former MNLF leader to attend the meeting abroad, said a Syrian diplomat on Sunday.Netanyahu accuses Syria of 'indirect' war EARTHtimes.org - Feb 07 10:19 PM
Former Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu accuses Syria of waging an indirect war against Israel.Bush has no intention of negotiating with Iran: Powell Deccan Herald - 1 hour, 5 minutes ago
While the Bush administration has insisted it has no intention of starting a war with Iran, a former US Secretary of State claims President George W Bush never had any interest in negotiating with the Persian Gulf country.Guess Who's Coming to Dinner Time Magazine - Feb 09 3:21 PM
The Iranian embassy in Damascus, Syria. Permission to attend a dinner at the Iranian embassy is not exactly commonplace for American journalists in Damascus.Bush/Cheney Risk Israel's Survival consortiumnews.com - Feb 11 4:59 PM
President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney are unwittingly playing Dr. Jack Kevorkian in helping the state of Israel commit suicide.United Press International ® News. Analysis. Insight. UPI - Feb 11 4:39 PM
WASHINGTON, Feb. 11 (UPI) -- Majority Leader Steny Hoyer of Maryland says the House will vote on a resolution against the U.S. troop surge in Iraq, but not to cut off funds.United Press International ® News. Analysis. Insight. UPI - Feb 11 1:24 PM
WASHINGTON, Feb. 11 (UPI) -- U.S. Sen. John Kerry, the 2004 Democratic presidential nominee, says Iran must be "engaged" in any plan to bring stability to Iraq.UN Urges Other Nations to Assist Jordan, Syria With Iraqi Refugees Voice of America - Feb 07 1:33 PM
The head of the United Nations refugee agency has urged other nations to help Jordan and Syria with the four million Iraqis who have fled their homes.U.S. to talk to Syria about Iraqi refugees Calcutta News - Feb 09 4:07 AM
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice told Senators Thursday she has instructed the chief of the U.S. diplomatic mission in Damascus to engage the Syrian government on the issue of Iraqi refugees.Lebanon hit by black market weapons boom AFP via Yahoo! News - Feb 10 1:39 PM
The price of a Kalashnikov assault rifle has soared in Lebanon, riding the wave of political crisis, community tension and fears of a new civil war.Suicide Bomber Kills 30 Near Tikrit San Francisco Chronicle - Feb 11 5:51 AM
A suicide truck bomber slammed into a crowd of police lining up for duty Sunday near Tikrit, collapsing the station and killing at least 30 people and wounding 50, police said. Minutes later, a roadside bomb struck a car on a highway on the western... Nelson: Senate will speak on Iraq Lincoln Journal Star - 2 hours, 50 minutes ago
Despite the current impasse, Sen. Ben Nelson said Saturday he believes the Senate will approve a resolution disagreeing with President Bush s decision to send more troops to Iraq.Iran further isolated over nuclear program: US AFP via Yahoo! News - Feb 10 10:01 AM
Iran is finding itself further isolated as international supporters for its nuclear program are reduced to "a gang of four," the number-three US diplomat said.Putin makes first visit by Russian leader to Saudi Arabia CNews - Feb 11 3:00 PM
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) - President Vladimir Putin, making the first visit by a Russian leader to Saudi Arabia, met King Abdullah and other senior officials Sunday for talks on the situations in Iraq and the Palestinian territories.Iraq calls on US, UK to lead refugee relief The Daily Star Lebannon - Feb 11 12:40 PM
The international community must urgently assist millions of Iraqis displaced inside the country or forced abroad during four years of war and now worsening sectarian violence, Iraqi parliamentarians said on Sunday. Abdel-Khaliq Zengena, a lawmaker from the Kurdish bloc who heads a parliamentary committee on the issue, said the United States and Britain should do more.Putin talks with king on landmark Saudi visit AlertNet - Feb 11 11:32 AM
Source: Reuters (Adds talks between Putin and King Abdullah) By Andrew Hammond RIYADH, Feb 11 (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin held talks with Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah on Iraq and the Palestinian- ... Suicide car bomber strikes police in town near Tikrit Baltimore Sun - Feb 11 8:38 AM
30 killed, 50 wounded in blast A suicide truck bomber slammed into a crowd of police lining up for duty Sunday near Tikrit, collapsing the station and killing at least 30 people and wounding 50, police said. Putin joins new actors on the Middle East stage Gulf News - Feb 11 1:10 PM
President Vladimir Putin yesterday embarked on a Middle East tour which is clearly intended to signal the intention of a more confident Russia to provide a regional counter-weight to the United States.Robert Fisk: Conspiracy of silence in the Arab world Independent - Feb 09 4:34 PM
Could Rifaat al-Assad's day in court be growing closer? Yes, Rifaat - or Uncle Rifaat to President Bashar al-Assad of Syria - the man whose brother Hafez hurled him from Damascus after he tried to use his special forces troops to stage a coup. They were the same special forces who crushed the Islamist rebellion in Hama in February 1982, slaughtering up to - well, a few thousand, according to the ...Al-Sadr looks to lie low, outlast U.S. AP via Yahoo! News - Feb 10 11:44 AM
Their rhetoric is still stridently anti-American, but Mahdi Army militiamen are tucking away their weapons and blending into civilian life. Their leaders are keeping out of sight.Gates warns NATO allies not to let America fail in Iraq The Daily Star Lebannon - Feb 11 12:42 PM
Insurgents launched deadly assaults on Iraqi and US forces in northern Iraq on Sunday, killing at least 34 people, while the US defense secretary warned NATO that failure in the war-torn country would hurt all of the alliance's members. Amid the incessant violence, Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki said Iraqi security forces will step up their deployment on the streets.Pervez named 15th worst dictator IBN live - Feb 11 11:40 AM
An American publication has listed Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf as one of world's worst dictators.30 Killed In Suicide Attack On Iraqi Police Station Nasdaq - Feb 11 7:21 AM
(RTTNews) - The death toll in the Sunday's suicide bombing at the Adwar police station near Tikrit has risen to 30, said Iraqi officials. 50 people were also wounded in the blast, reported AP.Is Iran s Oil Weapon A Doubled-Edged Sword? Scoop.co.nz - Feb 11 12:36 PM
Is Iran s Oil Weapon A Doubled-Edged Sword?Blogs transform Mideast social dialogue Sharewatch - Feb 11 2:59 PM
A democracy activist who never leaves home without a camera, he has drawn the attention of state security by posting videos that show what many Egyptians only talk about behind closed doors -- police brutality and male harassment of women on the street, such as fondling.U.S.: Syria a negative force in Mideast AP via Yahoo! News - Feb 06 10:49 AM
The United States on Tuesday criticized Syria as a negative force in the Middle East and urged the country to do more to help stabilize Iraq.Munish Nagar Interviews Ramzy Baroud Scoop.co.nz - Feb 11 11:20 AM
Ramzy Baroud is a veteran Palestinian-American Journalist and is Editor-in-Chief of the Palestine Chrinicle. He worked in Al-Jazeera as a producer, and an author of The Second Palestinian Intifada: A chronicle of people s struggle.SFRC Testimony by Zbigniew Brzezinski on Iraq war Payvand Iran News - Feb 11 9:46 AM
Mr. Chairman: Your hearings come at a critical juncture in the U.S. war of choice in Iraq, and I commend you and Senator Lugar for scheduling them. It is time for the White House to come to terms with two central realities: 1. The war in Iraq is a historic, strategic, and moral calamity. Undertaken under false assumptions, it is undermining America's global legitimacy.Musharraf in 15th place in list of 'worst dictators' ANI via Yahoo! India News - Feb 11 4:26 AM
Washington, Feb 11 (ANI): Pakistan President General Pervez Musharraf has for the third consecutive year been featured in the Parade magazine's list of world's worst dictators. He has been placed at the 15th place this year. Last year he was at no 17. At number one place is Omar al-Bashir of Sudan followed by Kim Jong-Il of North Korea, Sayyid Ali Khamenei of Iran. The others on the list are Hu ...Iraqi politicians urge world to help its refugees Reuters via Yahoo! India News - Feb 11 5:30 AM
BAGHDAD (Reuters) - The international community must urgently assist millions of Iraqis displaced inside the country or forced abroad during four years of war and now worsening sectarian violence, Iraqi parliamentarians said on Sunday.More by Gwynne Dyer The New Zealand Herald - Feb 11 8:05 AM
If good fences make good neighbours, then the world is experiencing an unprecedented outbreak of neighbourliness. They used to wall cities. Now they wall whole countries.Posted: 11-02-2007 , 14:56 GMT Mena Report - Feb 11 7:08 AM
Syrian Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Sofian Alao has stressed the country's bid to raise oil refining capacity through establishing new and develop oil refineries to meet the local market needs.A surge of stubbornness Gulf News - Feb 11 1:10 PM
One of the hallmarks of the Bush administration has been its uncanny ability to confuse stubbornness with leadership. Bush's response to his repeated failures in Iraq has been to stubbornly refuse to admit the obvious reality.Putin in first Saudi state visit BBC News - Feb 10 5:59 PM
President Vladimir Putin begins a Middle East tour which includes the first visit of a Russian leader to Saudi Arabia.Turkey says U.S. Armenian bill would hurt ties Reuters via Yahoo! News - Feb 10 8:35 AM
Turkey's Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said on Saturday a planned U.S. bill branding the mass killings of Armenians during World War One as genocide would set back Turkish-American ties and hurt U.S. interests.Portuguese cement firm buys control of Sibline The Daily Star Lebannon - Feb 11 12:51 PM
Secil Cement, Portugal's second-largest cement producer, has gained majority control of third-ranked Lebanese cement-maker Sibline. Secil raised its ownership stake in Sibline to 50.5 percent with a $37.3 million deal last week to acquire 21.9 percent of the Lebanese company's shares.Syria pip Bahrain 'A' in semis Gulf Daily News - Feb 07 3:09 PM
BAHRAIN 'A' bowed out in the semi-finals of the Cadet Boys (under-15) team event losing 3-1 to Syria on the second day of the World Junior Circuit Third Doha Tournament organised by the International Table Federation (ITTF) in Doha yesterday.Rice Authorizes Talks With Syria on Iraq Refugees Voice of America - Feb 08 3:03 PM
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice told Senators Thursday she has instructed the chief of the U.S. diplomatic mission in Damascus to engage the Syrian government on the issue of Iraqi refugees. The move is part of a broader effort by the Bush administration to help deal with the refugee problem.Putin's visit to the Middle East may have a negative effect on relations with its traditional ally Iran [EPA] Aljazeera - Feb 11 5:44 AM
Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, has begun a three-day tour of Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Qatar to build energy and military ties with traditional US allies in the Middle East.Obama says name recognition is his biggest challenge Houston Chronicle - Feb 10 10:54 PM
Barack Obama said today that name recognition would be his toughest challenge in his 2008 presidential campaign. Musharraf moves up the list of world's 'worst dictators' IANS via Yahoo! India News - Feb 11 3:11 AM
Washington/Lahore, Feb 11 (IANS) Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf has moved up the list of the world's 'worst dictators', from the 17th position to the 15th, as assessed by Parade magazine, which is distributed with every daily newspaper in America on Saturdays.Clashes continue over construction at holy site in Jerusalem USA Today - Feb 10 7:09 AM
Palestinian teenagers threw rocks at Israeli police and attacked a Canadian tourist bus Saturday in a new wave of protests against ongoing Israeli construction near a flashpoint Jerusalem holy site.Ravenous Radical in Sheep s Clothing Dartmouth Review - Feb 11 10:37 AM
Edwards brand of populism is the scum of American politics. Unable to capture either of the classical political constituencies, he panders to the worst combination of the American voting bloc: the poor and the stupid.