UN nuclear officials have inspected the site in the Syrian desert which the US alleges was a covert nuclear plant, a diplomat told AFP on Tuesday. But experts were doubtful that Syria would be able to claim its innocence even

Kuwait's supreme court upheld a death sentence Tuesday against a member of the emirate's ruling Al-Sabah family for drug trafficking. The sentence against Sheikh Talal bin Nasser al-Salah had already been upheld by an appeals court in December. The final

Iran on Tuesday condemned the European Union's adoption of new sanctions over its nuclear work, warning the measures could damage diplomatic efforts to solve the crisis. The Foreign Ministry accused the bloc of "double standards" in imposing the sanctions just

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Tuesday that indirect negotiations with Hizbullah for the release of two captured soldiers were still under way and would take time. "The negotiations will take more time ," Olmert said before flying to Egypt

Even though the Vienna donor conference to raise funds for the reconstruction of the war-ravaged Nahr al-Bared Palestinian refugee camp was completed in a few hours on Monday morning, now the crucial phase is beginning to extract pledges from the

Major General Claudio Graziano, commander of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), said on Tuesday the continued commitment of all parties to the cessation of hostilities "is one of the most important preconditions for the implementation of Security

President Michel Sleiman and Lebanese spiritual leaders sent a message of peace on Tuesday after several days of violence in the country. Leaders of Lebanon's religious groups met at the Presidential Palace to try to boost national reconciliation after dozens

Prime Minister-designate Fouad Siniora said on Tuesday that preserving national interest requires giving both the interior and defense portfolios in the new cabinet to President Michel Sleiman."There are four sovereign portfolios and everybody knows that ... national interest requires that

The truce between Hamas and Israel faced its most severe test yet on Tuesday after the Jewish state assassinated two members of Islamic Jihad in the Occupied West Bank and the group retaliated by launching a pair of rockets from

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has said that indirect, Turkish-sponsored peace talks with Syria are "more important" than meeting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on the sidelines of a summit in Paris next month.

Egypt told Israel on Tuesday it would keep its Rafah crossing with Gaza closed until the fate of captured soldier Gilad Shalit is resolved, an Israeli official said. "We received clear assurances that Rafah will not be opened as long

Beirut - The focus today will be the spiritual summit , scheduled to be held at the presidential palace starting at 11 a.m. today. 14 religious leaders from all sects in Lebanon confirmed that they would attend. A meeting on

Baabda- Lebanon's spiritual leaders met at the Baabda Republican palace today and issued a statement which was in line with the presidential inaugural address in which they called for the unity of all the Lebanese

Baabda - At the end of the spiritual summit that was held today in which 14 spiritual leaders from all the Lebanese sects participated, Lebanon's president Michel Suleiman delivered a speech calling for unity amongst the Lebanese.

Beirut/ Jerusalem - Israel may declare dead the two Israeli soldiers who were captured by Lebanon's Hezbollah in a cross-border raid two years ago, an indication that a long-awaited prisoners swap could be in trouble.

Beirut/ Jerusalem - President Nicolas Sarkozy of France told Israel on Monday that there could be no Middle East peace unless it dropped its refusal to cede sovereignty over parts of Jerusalem claimed by the Palestinians, challenging one of Israel's

Beirut- Lebanon's Prime Minister-designate Fouad Siniora said he responds to the verbal attacks by Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun with a push button "delete" approach.

The rockets being fired into Israel from Gaza have stopped for now. So have the Israeli raids into the coastal strip. But the majority of Israelis are deeply skeptical that the truce with Hamas, which went into effect last Thursday,