The new emir of the State of Qatar has made his first public address since taking over from his father, who he praised as the architect of the Gulf State. Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani on Wednesday addressed his nation and international audiences in a speech that promised to continue with...

KHAN YOUNIS REFUGEE CAMP, Gaza Strip — Palestinians have a new voice: a 23-year-old wedding singer from a Gaza refugee camp touted as a rare symbol of national unity after he won the Arab world's top TV contest. But Mohammed Assaf's homecoming Tuesday highlighted the harsh reality of...

Once adored by women for his warm voice and good looks, Lebanese crooner Fadl Shaker followed an unlikely path to become an Islamist militant now on the run with fellow fugitive Sheikh Ahmad al-Assir. The pair are now being sought in a nationwide manhunt after clashes between Assir and his...

 Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani says he is handing over power to son and calls on countrymen to lend their support .   In an unprecedented step in the Arab modern history, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani , the ruler of Qatar for 18 years, has...

Four Egyptian Shia Muslims have been killed in a mob attack in a village near the capital Cairo, officials say. The attack on Sunday targeted a house where a group of Shia worshippers had gathered for a religious ceremony. The attackers accused those gathered of trying to spread Shia...

The Qatari emir has confirmed to members of the ruling family  that he will step down and transfer power to his heir apparent. Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani met with royals, along with other prominent members of Qatari society, on Monday, and announced plans for a transition to...

 Qatar appeared on Monday to be readying its population of nearly 2 million for new leadership that could see the emir and prime minister step down, a move analysts say would not herald big changes in energy, investment or foreign policies. The tiny country, the world's largest...

Six Lebanese soldiers were killed on Sunday in clashes with supporters of a radical Sunni Muslim sheikh opposed to the powerful Shiite movement Hezbollah, an army statement said. "An armed group loyal to Sheikh Ahmad al-Assir attacked, for no reason, a Lebanese army checkpoint in the village...

  At least 3 people were killed and 27 others were wounded in two separate attacks on Sunday in Iraq's Kirkuk and Saladin provinces. A small lorry in parking lot went off at 5.50 a.m. in Saladin, leaving one dead, and 25 wounded, as the blast created a big crater and caused...

Some 900 U.S. military personnel, including dozens staying on from joint military drills, are in Jordan to bolster its defense and prevent the Syrian civil war from spreading across its border, Jordan's prime minister said Saturday. It was the first time a Jordanian official disclosed...

  Lebanon's world famous Baalbek International Festival is looking to move away from the ancient city with its Roman ruins because of spillover violence from Syria's civil war, an official said Friday. The change of venue from Baalbek, where the annual music festival is usually...

Neighbouring Iraq warned that Syria's civil war is tearing the Middle East apart and Lebanon's president urged his country's Hezbollah movement on Thursday to pull its fighters out of the conflict. After two years of fighting that has killed more than 93,000 people, Syria's turmoil...

  Saudi Arabia plans to deport Lebanese citizens who support Hezbollah because of the militant group's role in the Syrian civil war, the kingdom's envoy to Lebanon said. The warning comes amid Hezbollah's increasingly prominent participation in the Syrian conflict, with members of the...

This is turning into a dark and nervous summer in Lebanon. Peace depends on maintaining a delicate balance of power between different religious groups. This summer, the formula isn't working. The reason is the war in Syria. From the beginning, the Lebanese have been deeply divided...

US and Jordanian F-16 fighter jets hit dummy targets in the kingdom's southern desert on Wednesday, while Navy SEALs and other special forces rescued "hostages" and nabbed "terrorists" in mock exercises under major multinational manoeuvrers. Using live ammunition, six F-16s, two AV-8B...

A controversial Salafist sheikh threatened on Wednesday to find a “military” solution to alleged Hezbollah safe houses in a southern Lebanese town, a day after clashes involving his supporters left one person dead. Sheikh Ahmed al-Assir is known for his vocal opposition to the powerful Shiite...

Twin suicide bombs on a Shiite Muslim religious hall in north Baghdad on Tuesday killed 31 people and wounded 57 others, officials said, updating an earlier toll. The two attackers struck after midday prayers at the Habib ibn al-Mudhaher hussainiyah in the capital's Qahira...

Millions hope so, it seems; they have signed a national petition demanding the president resign and plan to take to the streets on June 30, when Mohamed Mursi marks a year in office. Their slogan is a call for revolt: "Tamarud - Rebel!" But for all the simmering discontent with...

 Saudi Arabia plans to supply the Syrian opposition with anti-aircraft missiles to counter President Bashar al-Assad's air force, German news weekly Der Spiegel reported Sunday according to AFP. The article, citing a classified report received by the German foreign intelligence service...

The spiritual heart of Shiite Islam and a hub for religious tourism in Iraq is being badly hit as sanctions against neighbouring Iran have resulted in fewer pilgrims with less money to spend. Business leaders, shopkeepers and hotel owners in Najaf, site of a shrine to a revered figure in...