Middle-East
Iraq Shiite figure says US troops should leave
Baghdad, Jan 28 (AP/UNB) — The leader of one of Iraq's most powerful Iranian-backed Shiite militias which also fought pitched battles in neighboring Syria said Monday that he expects a vote by Iraq's parliament calling for withdrawal of U.S. troops from the country within the next few months.
Bahrain court upholds life sentences for opposition figures
Dubai, Jan 28 (AP/UNB) — Bahrain's highest court has upheld life sentences for a prominent Shiite cleric who led a now-shuttered opposition party and two of his colleagues.
Experts, images suggest a Saudi ballistic missile program
Dubai, Jan 26 (AP/UNB) — A military base deep inside Saudi Arabia appears to be testing and possibly manufacturing ballistic missiles, experts and satellite images suggest, evidence of the type of weapons program it has long criticized its archrival Iran for possessing.
Sudan gripped again by a day of anti-al-Bashir protests
Cairo, Jan 25 (AP/UNB) — Thousands of people were out on the streets Thursday at several locations in Sudan's capital, Khartoum, calling on the country's longtime ruler to step down, according to videos circulating online. Activists said at least two protesters were killed and seven injured.
Natural gas fields give Israel a regional political boost
Jerusalem, Jan 23 (AP/UNB) — A decade after discovering natural gas fields off its Mediterranean coast, Israel is starting to feel the geopolitical boost.
Iraq says goodbye to its beloved archaeologist al-Gailani
Baghdad, Jan 21(AP/UNB) — Iraq on Monday mourned the loss of Lamia al-Gailani, a beloved archaeologist who helped rebuild the Baghdad museum after it was looted following the 2003 U.S.-led invasion to oust Saddam Hussein.
Israel says it hit Iranian military sites in Syria; 11 dead
Jerusalem, Jan 21(AP/UNB) — Israeli jets struck a series of Iranian military targets in Syria early on Monday, the military said in a rare departure from its years-long policy of ambiguity regarding activities in neighboring war-torn Syria.
Qatar to invest $500 million in Lebanese government bonds
Beirut, Jan 21(AP/UNB) — Qatar has announced that it will invest $500 million in Lebanese government bonds to support the Mediterranean country's struggling economy.
Sudan protesters show resilience, employ Arab Spring tactics
Cairo, Jan 21 (AP/UNB) — The anti-government protests rocking Sudan for the past month are reminiscent of the Arab Spring uprisings of nearly a decade ago. Demonstrators, many in their 20s and 30s, are trying to remove an authoritarian leader and win freedoms and human rights.
American anchor for Iranian TV is arrested on visit to US
New Orleans, Jan 17 (AP/UNB) — A prominent American anchorwoman on Iranian state television has been arrested by the FBI during a visit to the U.S., the broadcaster reported Wednesday, and her son said she was being held in a prison, apparently as a material witness.