Middle East | GlobalPost

Kerry pushes dual peace bids on Middle East return

Agence France-PresseMay 20, 2013 17:00

Secretary of State John Kerry was returning to the Middle East Monday, aiming to shore up peace efforts as he seeks to help end the Syria war and coax Israel and the Palestinians back to talks. The new top US diplomat -- making his fourth visit to Israel in a little over three months -- left Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland, first headed for key Gulf ally Oman, which also maintains close ties to Iran.

Palestinian film of love and betrayal breaks new ground at Cannes

Thomson ReutersMay 20, 2013 15:31

By Belinda Goldsmith CANNES (Reuters) - A tragic love story between two Palestinians living under Israeli occupation received a standing ovation at the Cannes film festival on Monday and broke new ground as the first film fully funded by the Palestinian cinema industry. "Omar" by director Hany Abu-Assad, known for the 2005 award-winning film "Paradise Now", is a political thriller interwoven with a story of trust and betrayal as two lovers are torn apart by Israel's secret police and Palestinian freedom fighters.

Hezbollah suffers big losses in Syria battle: activists

Thomson ReutersMay 20, 2013 13:16

By Khaled Yacoub Oweis and Dominic Evans AMMAN/BEIRUT (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama voiced concern at Hezbollah's growing role in the Syrian civil war on Monday after men from the Lebanese militia fought their biggest battle yet alongside President Bashar al-Assad's army. About 30 Hezbollah fighters were killed on Sunday, Syrian activists said, along with 20 Syrian soldiers and militiamen loyal to Assad during the fiercest fighting this year in the rebel stronghold of Qusair, close to the Lebanese border.

Qatar emir slams 'international inaction' over Syria

Agence France-PresseMay 20, 2013 12:45

The emir of Qatar, a strong supporter of the Syrian rebels, on Monday slammed what he called inaction by the international community over the conflict there, lamenting the failure to reach a political solution. "It is no longer acceptable that influential states in the international community do not act to end the horrific tragedy and escalating humanitarian catastrophe" in Syria, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani told the Doha Forum.

'No options off table' over Syria: Britain's Hague

Thomson ReutersMay 20, 2013 11:16

LONDON (Reuters) - Syrian President Bashar al-Assad must realize that "no option is off table" if his government fails to negotiate seriously at peace talks in Geneva, Britain's Foreign Secretary William Hague said on Monday. "We must make clear that if the regime does not negotiate seriously at the Geneva conference, no option is off the table. There remains a serious risk that the Assad regime will not negotiate seriously," Hague told parliament. (Reporting by Peter Griffiths; Editing by Andrew Osborn)

Israel calls off UNESCO mission to Jerusalem

Agence France-PresseMay 20, 2013 08:31

Israel announced on Monday it was calling off a United Nations investigative mission to the Old City in annexed east Jerusalem because of Palestinian efforts to politicise the visit. "Israel has cancelled the delegation," which was due to have arrived the same day, a foreign ministry official told AFP "The Palestinians were not respecting the understandings. The visit was supposed to be professional, (but) they were taking measures that showed they were politicising the event and not letting the delegation focus on professional sides of it," the official said.

Saudi beheads Syrian for drug trafficking

Agence France-PresseMay 20, 2013 08:30

Saudi authorities beheaded on Monday a Syrian man after convicting him of drug trafficking, the interior ministry said. Mohammed Yousuf Ezzeddine was executed in the northern city of Qurayat, near the borders with Jordan, the ministry said in a statement carried by SPA state news agency. His beheading brings to 41 the number of people executed in Saudi Arabia since the start of 2013, according to an AFP tally. In 2012, the kingdom executed 76 people, according to a count based on official figures.

AFP 0500 GMT News Advisory

Agence France-PresseMay 20, 2013 02:00

Duty Editor: Jitendra Joshi Tel: +852 2829 6210 -- TOP STORIES -- + Chinese premier makes fence-mending visit to India + Yahoo! set to buy blogging site Tumblr for $1.1 bn + Syrian forces launch offensive on rebel stronghold + Record $590 million lotto ticket traced to Florida India-China-diplomacy,WRAP NEW DELHI Chinese Premier Li Keqiang pledges to build up trust with India and declares that ties between the Asian giants are key to world peace as he visits New Delhi only weeks after a border spat.

Four Hezbollah fighters killed in Syria's Qusayr

Agence France-PresseMay 19, 2013 17:45

At least four members of Lebanese militant group Hezbollah have been killed in the Syrian town of Qusayr, where the regime launched an assault Sunday, a source close to the group told AFP. Speaking on condition of anonymity, the source said four fighters from Lebanon's Bekaa region were killed in the town in Syria's central province of Homs. The men were reportedly killed overnight, shortly before Syrian forces began a long-expected assault on the town of Qusayr, a key stronghold of the rebels battling President Bashar al-Assad's regime.

Saudi vies to avoid Afghan-style blowback from Syria

Agence France-PresseMay 18, 2013 22:30

Chastened by the experience of Afghanistan, where hundreds of Saudis fought before returning to sow terror at home, the kingdom is battling to avoid similar blowback from the conflict in Syria, analysts say. In recent months, Saudi officials have issued increasingly stern warnings against volunteers from the conservative Sunni Muslim kingdom heading off to fight alongside the mainly Sunni rebels trying to oust the Damascus regime.