Meast

Your move, Mr. Assad. Israeli prime minister Ehud Barak threw down the gauntlet to his Syrian counterpart Sunday, in the form of a cabinet decision to withdraw from south Lebanon by July irrespective of the state of peace negotiations with Syria. And that leaves the Syrian president no easy response on the strategic chessboard of the Mideast's most troubled relationship.

Ehud Barak's parliamentary setback can be easily repaired; it's the erosion of trust in his peacemaking ability that may cost him dearly. The Israeli leader suffered a dramatic 60-53 defeat in the Knesset Wednesday, after three of his coalition partners backed an opposition bill that would jeopardize chances of peace with Syria -- the legislation requires that Israeli withdrawal from the Golan Hei...

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak and Palestinian President Yasser Arafat met on Thursday at the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheik, Egypt, to polish plans for relaunching fitful peace talks.

Don't expect relief from higher gas prices any time soon, even once OPEC agrees to raise output. The oil-producing cartel and its non-member allies continued to haggle Tuesday over just how much more crude they should be pumping in response to pressure from the United States for a 2.5 million-barrel-a-day increase.

Pope Pius XII sat through the Holocaust in the Vatican, either turning a blind eye or quietly resisting -- depending on whom you believe. But for Pope John Paul II, then Karol Wojtyla of Wadowice, Poland, the Holocaust was a lived experience, as he made clear during an emotional address at Israe...

Pope John Paul II journeyed to Jesus' boyhood town of Nazareth on Saturday and visited the spot where the Bible says Mary learned she would give birth to the Christ child.

Pope John Paul II journeyed to Jesus' boyhood town of Nazareth on Saturday and visited the spot where the Bible says Mary learned she would give birth to the Christ child.

An Israel-Syria peace deal is now unlikely to come on Bill Clinton's watch, perhaps not even on President Hafez Assad's. President Clinton left empty-handed from a Geneva encounter with the Syrian leader Sunday, in which he'd hoped he could jump-start a new round of Israel-Syria talks. The President, like many who've tried before, found that the disagreement over the extent of Israeli withdrawal ...

It's no longer considered controversial (except, perhaps, in New York election campaigns) to call for a Palestinian state, as Pope John Paul II did on Wednesday to the delight of Yasser Arafat. The pontiff's call left Israeli leaders unfazed -- after all, they're currently negotiating the outlines of a Palestinian

You never say

It may be no coincidence that Yasser Arafat and Ehud Barak picked Super Tuesday as the date to patch up their differences: The imminent changing of the presidential guard in Washington creates a compelling incentive for Israelis and Palestinians to do their utmost to conclude a final peace deal before the year is out. Arafat and Barak met Tuesday night near Tel Aviv, and broke a monthlong deadlock...

At least two Palestinians killed

An Iranian newspaper broke a taboo by printing a color picture of the U.S. flag on its front page today, underscoring growing calls within the country to end more than 20 years of estrangement between the former allies.

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak said Tuesday he remains hopeful about Mideast peacemaking, even though President Bill Clinton could not nudge Israel and Syria closer to agreement.

The departing United Nations humanitarian coordinator in Iraq, who has said the U.N.'s program there has not alleviated widespread suffering, expressed doubts that

John Paul II's fourth day in Middle East prompts deep emotions from all sides

The Israeli Cabinet met Sunday for a marathon debate on when and how to withdraw the Israeli army from Lebanon to end what Prime Minister Ehud Barak has called the tragedy of Israeli involvement there.

Today's vote in Iraq was as much about registering solidarity with President Saddam Hussein in his confrontation with the West as it was about electing a new parliament.

Pilgrimage brings John Paul II to birthplace of Jesus Christ

In this story High-profile candidates contest Tehran seats Hard-liners still dominate government bodies

A Turkish court sentenced former Prime Minister Necmettin Erbakan to a year in prison for

Israel's security Cabinet narrowly approved a long overdue 6.1 percent land transfer to West Bank Palestinians on Wednesday, a day after Prime Minister Ehud Barak backed down on a pledge to hand the Palestinians three villages near Jerusalem.

Lebanon reports more raids by Israeli warplanes

JERUSALEM (CNN) - Israeli television reported Friday that an Israeli-Syria peace deal could be four to five weeks away.

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak said Monday that to secure a peace with Syria, Israel has to give back the Golan Heights as assassinated prime minister Yitzhak Rabin proposed.

Hopes for a breakthrough in the stalled Middle East peace talks were pinned firmly on U.S. envoy Dennis Ross, who arrived in Jerusalem Monday to do what he could to bring the Mideast adversaries back to the negotiating table.

In this story: Pope to meet with Israelis, Arabs Call for peace RELATED STORIES, SITES

In this story: First visit to Egypt by a Roman Catholic Pope Pope to pray at Mount Sinai RELATED STORIES, SITES

Pope John Paul hammered home an appeal for Christian-Muslim harmony on Friday, telling worshippers that both religions had to work together to build a peaceful society in Egypt and beyond.

Police surrounded an apartment building Thursday in this Israeli Arab city, and two Palestinians guerrillas were killed, police said.

Pope John Paul II may not intend his visit to the Holy Land to be political in nature, but his message of reconciliation is political as well as spiritual, Soha Arafat, wife of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, said on Wednesday.

Syrian Prime Minister Mahmoud el-Zouebi submitted the resignation of his government to President Hafez Assad on Tuesday, and the president accepted.

Prime Minister Ehud Barak defended his foreign minister Thursday for pledging to exact retributions for anti-Israel attacks launched from Lebanon,

Pope John Paul II looked out over an ocean of faces on a hillside next to the Sea of Galilee on Friday and saw the hope of the future in a land fraught with conflict and violence.

Overture to Tehran's reformers a bid for better relations

U.S. special envoy to Sudan Harry Johnston said on Monday his brief trip to Khartoum had achieved a breakthrough in Sudanese-U.S. relations.

Violence broke out in a Palestinian refugee camp on Wednesday shortly after Pope John Paul II had toured the camp and spoken to residents there.

At least five light mortars hit a residential building in northern Tehran on Monday, injuring four people, including a teen-aged girl, according to witnesses.

Israel's attorney general on Thursday ordered a criminal investigation of President Ezer Weizman over alleged financial improprieties.

Stalemate in last stretch of peace talks