<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?><rss version="2.0"><channel><title>The Daily Star &gt;&gt; News &gt;&gt; Middle East</title><link>/News/Middle-East.ashx</link><description /><ttl>1</ttl><item><title>Iraq violence kills 42 people, leaves another 245 wounded</title><link>http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2013/Jan-17/202570-iraq-violence-kills-42-people-leaves-another-245-wounded.ashx</link><description>Attacks in Baghdad and north Iraq killed 42 people Wednesday while hundreds attended the funeral of a Sunni MP who died in a suicide attack a day earlier, as a political crisis grips the country</description><category>Middle East</category><author /><pubDate>2013-01-17T02:00:00.0000000</pubDate></item><item><title>Blasts compound Syria misery</title><link>http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2013/Jan-17/202568-blasts-compound-syria-misery.ashx</link><description>Twin car bombs killed at least 22 people in the Syrian city of Idlib Wednesday, as universities nationwide held a day of mourning for 87 people who died in explosions at the University of Aleppo the day before.</description><category>Middle East</category><author /><pubDate>2013-01-17T01:53:00.0000000</pubDate></item><item><title>The steady drumbeat of civilian activism</title><link>http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2013/Jan-17/202548-the-steady-drumbeat-of-civilian-activism.ashx</link><description>For many civilian activists and supporters of Syria鈥檚 uprising, the daily dose of media coverage of the 22-month-old conflict has become more of a curse than a blessing.</description><category>Middle East</category><author>Marlin Dick</author><pubDate>2013-01-17T00:54:00.0000000</pubDate></item><item><title>Damascus, Tehran ink deal on $1 bln credit facility, electricity projects</title><link>http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2013/Jan-17/202549-damascus-tehran-ink-deal-on-$1-bln-credit-facility-electricity-projects.ashx</link><description>Syria signed a $1 billion credit facility agreement with Iran Wednesday, during Prime Minister Wael Halqi鈥檚 visit to Tehran.</description><category>Middle East</category><author /><pubDate>2013-01-17T00:46:00.0000000</pubDate></item><item><title>U.N. investigators, Iran launch fresh talks over nuclear probe</title><link>http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2013/Jan-17/202525-un-investigators-iran-launch-fresh-talks-over-nuclear-probe.ashx</link><description>Senior U.N. investigators opened a new round of talks Wednesday with Iranian officials in Tehran in the hopes of restarting a probe into allegations that the Islamic Republic carried out atomic bomb trigger tests and other suspected weapons-related studies.</description><category>Middle East</category><author /><pubDate>2013-01-17T00:38:00.0000000</pubDate></item><item><title>Obama鈥檚 remarks enliven Israeli election</title><link>http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2013/Jan-17/202524-obamas-remarks-enliven-israeli-election.ashx</link><description>Long-strained ties between Barack Obama and Benjamin Netanyahu sprang to the fore of Israel鈥檚 election campaign Wednesday after the U.S. president was quoted as criticizing the prime minister鈥檚 character.</description><category>Middle East</category><author /><pubDate>2013-01-17T00:35:00.0000000</pubDate></item><item><title>Police in Tunisia disperse protesters with tear gas</title><link>http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2013/Jan-17/202526-police-in-tunisia-disperse-protesters-with-tear-gas.ashx</link><description>Protesters threw stones at polices officers who repelled them with tear gas in northern Tunisia Wednesday after a peaceful rally to demand more jobs turned violent.</description><category>Middle East</category><author /><pubDate>2013-01-17T00:35:00.0000000</pubDate></item><item><title>Turkey hits PKK in Iraq as bodies of slain Kurds arrive</title><link>http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2013/Jan-17/202523-turkey-hits-pkk-in-iraq-as-bodies-of-slain-kurds-arrive.ashx</link><description>Turkish jets have pounded Kurdish rebel hideouts in northern Iraq in the fiercest aerial campaign in years, military sources said Wednesday, the same day the bodies of three female Kurdish activists who were killed in Paris were due home.</description><category>Middle East</category><author /><pubDate>2013-01-17T00:30:00.0000000</pubDate></item><item><title>UN: Syria allows agency to feed 1 mln more</title><link>http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2013/Jan-16/202509-un-syria-allows-agency-to-feed-1-mln-more.ashx</link><description>The Syrian government will give the World Food Program greater access to the 2.5 million Syrians suffering from hunger, the head of the U.N. agency said Wednesday.</description><category>Middle East</category><author /><pubDate>2013-01-16T23:23:00.0000000</pubDate></item><item><title>Turkey to pursue Kurd rebels till they lay down arms</title><link>http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2013/Jan-16/202518-turkey-to-pursue-kurd-rebels-till-they-lay-down-arms.ashx</link><description>Erdogan said on Wednesday military operations against Kurdish rebels would continue until they laid down their arms, as Turkish media reported warplanes had bombed militants in northern Iraq for a third day.</description><category>Middle East</category><author>Jonathon Burch and Daren Butler</author><pubDate>2013-01-16T22:33:00.0000000</pubDate></item><item><title>Coordinated car bombs kill 24 in northwest Syria</title><link>http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2013/Jan-16/202487-car-bombs-kill-at-least-22-in-northern-syria.ashx</link><description>Three car bombs exploded within minutes of each other in northwest Syria on Wednesday, killing at least two dozen people in a coordinated assault on government positions, a monitoring group said.</description><category>Middle East</category><author>Oliver Holmes</author><pubDate>2013-01-16T21:00:00.0000000</pubDate></item><item><title>Syrian opposition bemoans 'loose' pledges of world support</title><link>http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2013/Jan-16/202493-syrian-opposition-bemoans-loose-pledges-of-world-support.ashx</link><description>The deputy head of Syria's main opposition coalition criticises major Western and Arab states for not making good on promises to help it isolate President Bashar Assad after granting the bloc formal recognition.</description><category>Middle East</category><author>Mahmoud Habboush</author><pubDate>2013-01-16T15:57:00.0000000</pubDate></item><item><title>Iran hands suspended jail term to opposition figure's son</title><link>http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2013/Jan-16/202488-iran-hands-suspended-jail-term-to-opposition-figures-son.ashx</link><description>Opposition figure Mehdi Karroubi's son has been handed a suspended six-month prison sentence for anti-regime conduct, Iran's Fars news agency reports.</description><category>Middle East</category><author /><pubDate>2013-01-16T14:44:00.0000000</pubDate></item><item><title>WFP says has green light to boost food delivery in Syria</title><link>http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2013/Jan-16/202485-wfp-says-has-green-light-to-boost-food-delivery-in-syria.ashx</link><description>The World Food Program has received permission from the Syrian government to use dozens of additional local aid agencies to try to reach the 2.5 million people deemed hungry in the war-torn country.</description><category>Middle East</category><author /><pubDate>2013-01-16T14:00:00.0000000</pubDate></item><item><title>Russia blames 'terrorist' foes of Assad for Aleppo blasts</title><link>http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2013/Jan-16/202482-russia-condemns-blasts-in-aleppo-blames-terrorists-ministry.ashx</link><description>Russia condemns blasts that killed 87 people in the Syrian city of Aleppo and blames the explosions on "terrorist" it said are seeking revenge for losses in the conflict with government forces.</description><category>Middle East</category><author /><pubDate>2013-01-16T13:36:00.0000000</pubDate></item><item><title>Germany offers transport planes to fly W. African troops to Mali</title><link>http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2013/Jan-16/202481-germany-offers-transport-planes-to-fly-w-african-troops-to-mali.ashx</link><description>Germany will make two Transall transport planes available to fly troops from the West African bloc ECOWAS to Mali's capital Bamako to help in the fight against Islamist rebels, the German government says.</description><category>Middle East</category><author /><pubDate>2013-01-16T13:32:00.0000000</pubDate></item><item><title>Netanyahu drives record settlement expansion: NGO</title><link>http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2013/Jan-16/202475-netanyahu-govt-in-record-settlement-expansion-ngo.ashx</link><description>Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has allowed a record level of settlement expansion since his 10-month construction moratorium expired two years ago, an anti-settlement watchdog says.</description><category>Middle East</category><author /><pubDate>2013-01-16T12:53:00.0000000</pubDate></item><item><title>Syrian army on offensive in Aleppo after university blast</title><link>http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2013/Jan-16/202472-syrian-army-on-offensive-in-aleppo-after-university-blast.ashx</link><description>Syrian armed forces launch a renewed offensive in the northern city of Aleppo, state media say, a day after 87 people were killed in explosions at the city's university.</description><category>Middle East</category><author /><pubDate>2013-01-16T12:29:00.0000000</pubDate></item></channel></rss>