Syria has begun implementing Annan peace plan, Russia says
Russia has a keen interest in seeing Kofi Annan's plan succeed, given Moscow's role as Bashar al-Assad's key ally
Worldview
Is Washington undermining Israel’s campaign against Iran?
Did the U.S. leak news of a secret Israeli-Azerbaijan pact to derail Israel’s plan?
Accused in Rwandan genocide demands trial in French
Léon Mugesera, deported to Rwanda from Canada in January, delivered incendiary speech against Tutsi 20 years ago
Egypt's Coptic Christians quit Islamist-dominated constitution drafting panel
The move fed growing fears that Islamists and the military will end up controlling the most important governmental bodies in post-revolutionary Egypt
Annan secures a Syrian 'ceasefire' – but will it be enough?
As peace envoy Kofi Annan secures a 'ceasefire' commitment, a separate decision to pay rebel fighters and provide communications assistance has many talking about a proxy war in Syria - in which outside countries help rebels against the al-Assad regime.
Palestinian family loses court fight for landmark site in East Jerusalem
The Husseini family said the Shepherd Hotel is a symbol of the Palestinian rights to their land and to East Jerusalem, and criticized the Supreme Court ruling
Russia urges al-Assad to begin withdrawing troops from Syria's cities
Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov said Monday on a visit to Armenia that Syria's opposition forces should quickly follow suit by withdrawing too
Kenya rangers kill nine suspected elephant poachers
Kenya Wildlife Service blames China’s growing footprint in Africa for a recent surge in elephant deaths
Israel’s Kadima party elects new leader as Shaul Mofaz triumphs over Tzippi Livni
More than 62 per cent of the party members who voted cast ballots for Mofaz, booting Livni from power just three years after she led the party to largest number of seats in parliament
Shaul Mofaz triumphant in race to lead Israel's Kadima party
Former defence chief who oversaw assassination of Palestinian leaders takes the lead in preliminary results
Fewer countries use capital punishment, but executions increased: Amnesty International
Amnesty International’s report on capital punishment in 2011 show a more polarized world where fewer countries are killing, but those who did carried out more executions
Egypt's Brotherhood considering presidential run
The Islamist group's political arm, the Freedom and Justice Party, said on its website that 110 members of the Brotherhood's senior legislative council were meeting Tuesday to decide on fielding a presidential candidate
Worldview
In Jordan, Syrian refugees find a home away from home
Jordanians are opening up their homes and authorities are secretly building a camp to house several thousand refugees
Israel to bar UN fact-finding team from entering country for settlements investigation
The United Nations Human Rights Council is accused of having a pronounced anti-Israel bias
DOUG SAUNDERS
France's Jews trapped between neighbours and politics
To history’s long gallery of horrific images, we can add that of a helmeted man chasing a terrified seven-year-old girl in Toulouse
New Jersey school bans hugging
Announcement comes after some ‘incidents of unsuitable, physical interactions’
MICHAEL BELL
An Iraq ruled by one – or none
What clearer indictment of the neo-cons than Nouri al-Maliki’s autocracy, where the only law is the law of unintended consequences
Lawyer describes ‘emotional’ chat with U.S. soldier accused in Afghan massacre
Lawyer John Henry Browne met with Staff Sgt. Robert Bales and spent three-and-a-half hours with him Monday at the military prison Fort Leavenworth
Twin explosions kill at least 27 in Syria’s capital
The bombings were the latest in a string of suicide attacks in Syria, which have killed dozens of people since late December
Now identified, Afghan massacre suspect arrives at Kansas base
Soldier expected to face charges under military rules; post-traumatic stress could feature in his defence.
Taliban call off talks; Karzai tells NATO pull out of rural areas
Double blow to Afghan mission comes as U.S. soldier accused of killing rampage hires Ted Bundy’s lawyer
Mideast
Gaza – where rockets rain down amid cheers
Missile launches elicit expressions of glee from both Palestinians and Israelis, despite an awareness they trigger inevitable retaliation
Targeting anti-Taliban politician, bomb kills 15 in northwest Pakistan
The politician, Khush Dil Khan, escaped unhurt in the blast on the outskirts of Peshawar, the main city in the northwest
U.S. soldier accused of shooting 16 Afghans likely acted alone: official
A U.S. service member accused of carrying out the shootings has been detained at a NATO base
Israeli airstrike kills militant commander in Gaza
Commander was part of militant group behind the abduction of Israeli soldier Gilad Schalit
crisis in syria
Video of deputy minister’s defection boosts cause of Syrian rebels
Little-known official’s announcement has a big impact as footage travels the world, calling Assad regime a ‘sinking ship’
CLIFFORD ORWIN
Is Obama trying to leave Israel no choice?
Netanyahu's government faces an agonizing dilemma: Strike now, or rely on Washington later
World powers agree Iran nuclear talks can go on
Iran also gave permission for inspectors to visit a site suspected of secret atomic work
At White House summit, Iran clouds peacemaking with Palestinians
As Benjamin Netanyahu and Barack Obama meet, there is a disconnect between what one sees as an existential threat and the other regards as a serious but manageable foreign-policy problem
Yemen suffers heavy losses in al-Qaeda sneak attack
Militants’ strike on military base leaves more than 100 soldiers dead as political unrest in the Arab country emboldens radical Islam
China calls for ceasefire to end Syria crisis
Beijing rejects intervention by outside forces, but puts forward compromise that would mean UN-mediated negotiations and humanitarian aid
Harper, Netanyahu stand side-by-side, but apart
PM careful to cool his own past heated rhetoric on Iran despite Israeli leader’s loud sabre rattling in lead-up to his Washington stop next week
TIMOTHY GARTON ASH
Far from the Tahrir dream
A year later, the military-dominated security state is trying to roll back Egypt’s revolution, and the West can only hope for a pragmatic Islamist government
Israeli PM
In Ottawa visit, Netanyahu will seek backing for strike on Iran
Request for support will force Prime Minister Stephen Harper to navigate a path between his allies in Israel and Washington
UN’s new Syria envoy says Assad must stop killing
Former UN chief Kofi Annan to visit Mideast very soon to seek peaceful end to 11-month conflict
Egypt lifts travel ban against Americans facing charges
Americans charged with inciting protests against military leaders must post bail before leaving country
Man arrested in Cairo says he was misidentified as al-Qaeda leader
Mohammed Ibrahim Makkawi tells reporters he is not the senior al-Qaeda leader known as Saif al-Adel, says he’s had nothing to do with the terror group since 1989
Afghan president renews appeal for calm after deadly riots
It is still unclear who shot two U.S. military advisersinside a heavily secured wing of the Interior Ministry, or if the attacker had been apprehended
Demolition begins at Pakistan compound where Osama bin Laden spent his final days
Under powerful floodlights and surrounded by rings of soldiers and police, heavy machines have begun to demolish the three-story compound in northwestern Pakistan
Death of U.S. military advisers in Kabul sows doubt over Afghan allies
Obama praises Karzai for seeking to restore calm as Pentagon urges decisive action to curb extremism in Afghanistan
Syria
Diplomats torn over support for fractured Syrian opposition
Syrian regime overwhelms rebel positions, leaving international community stalled on best move forward
U.S. PRESSURE
Mubarak’s old guard hopes fallout from NGOs’ trial will destabilize Egypt
Investment and tourism dollars at stake if democracy activists are convicted
Iran rapidly expanding nuclear work, UN agency says
The confidential IAEA report outlines concerns about how quickly the Islamic republic could produce an atomic bomb
JOHN MUNDY
Tone down the rhetoric on Iran
Tehran’s leaders are neither irrational nor suicidal – Canada’s role is diplomatic, not confrontational
In a challenge to Israel, Hamas endorses Palestinian unity government
Reconciliation with Fatah follows the adoption of a more moderate stance and raises the stakes in any future peace process
LEWIS MacKENZIE
The road to Damascus goes through Moscow
The Western proclivity for anointing good and bad sides has been hasty as usual – instead of rattling sabres and sending toothless observer missions, we should be enlisting the Kremlin
Iran says it will pre-emptively strike anyone who threatens it
Statement by general continues defiant tone Tehran has taken in its confrontation with West over its nuclear program
Palestinian held by Israel ends 66-day hunger strike
Palestinians claim symbolic victory over detention
Sixteen killed in Iraqi police academy blast, say officials
Twenty-six people wounded in mid-day explosion
Egypt permits Iranian ships to sail through Suez
Move likely to be keenly watched by Israel
Worldview
Q&A: What happens next for the Saudi blogger awaiting trial over Prophet Mohammed tweets?
A young Saudi blogger awaits trial and possible execution for his tweets about Prophet Mohammed. A human rights monitor tells us about the looming ‘witch hunt’ against the blogger’s friends, the lawyer who will defend the blogger, and the precedent that could give Hamza Kashgari hope.
Religious conflict
Assad’s fellow Alawites in Turkey pose threat of counter-uprising
Islamic sect fears persecution from Muslim Brotherhood if Sunni-led rebellion assumes control of Syria
International relations
China shifts from spectator to player in Mideast
Beijing signals desire to wield greater influence in global issues by engaging Western pariahs Iran, Syria
RAMI KHOURI
Is Bashar al-Assad listening?
A diplomatic offensive indicates that politics, rather than fighting on the ground, will determine the outcome of what’s a low-intensity civil war
Israel and Iran: At war in the shadows
A series of what appear to be tit-for-tat attacks suggests that Middle East antagonists Iran and Israel are targeting each other’s scientists and diplomats for assassination
Then and now
Syria today and Russia in 1917: two teetering dictatorships
Not long ago, London-born Asma al-Assad was gushingly profiled in Vogue. Today, she's the female face of one of the world's most reviled regimes.Elizabeth Renzetti looks at the Syrian first lady and her husband and recalls another ill-starred couple – the last rulers of the Russian Empire
Worldview
Saudi blogger flees after death threats over Prophet Mohammed tweets: ‘I’m afraid’
A little-known Saudi blogger who caused a social media storm over his three Tweets about the Prophet Mohammed has been detained in Malaysia after death threats forced him to flee the Saudi kingdom.
As atrocities mount in Syria, international community struggles to choose course of action
Now that Russia and China have vetoed the UN Security Council resolution on Syria, Western nations have limited number of options – and all of them carry great risks
Qatar orchestrates creation of unity government in Palestine
An agreement between Fatah and Hamas that unites Palestinian factions that have fought each other for years has turned the Arab-Israeli peace process on its ear
MICHAEL BELL
After Assad's fall, a sectarian struggle
Tehran, reliant on a sympathetic Damascus in its pursuit of a Shia-dominated crescent, would be a major loser. And that's just the start of the chaos
Worldview
Was Egypt’s soccer tragedy political ‘payback’ for a group that crossed the military?
Egyptian soccer fanatics turned political actors. Who exactly are the ‘Ultras’ and why do they blame the military for the this week’s soccer tragedy?
On the Middle East, Canadians give Baird room to play his hand
Forty-eight per cent of the population supports the Harper government’s pro-Israel policy, a poll finds, countering the notion that neutrality is what Canadians want
If Israel is an ally, press them for peace, Abbas urges Canada
Put close ties to Israel to good use, Palestinian president tells John Baird and Jim Flaherty as ministers meet for talks in Ramallah
Canadian ministers take firm line with Palestinians
Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird and Finance Minister Jim Flaherty urge resumption of peace talks ‘without preconditions’ and insist on the acceptance of Israel as the homeland of the Jewish people
Lawrence Martin
Eisenhower, the great forgotten Republican
Everybody liked Ike, but his legacy dimmed as his ‘middle way’ faded from fashion
MIDEAST
Arab League’s new plan for Syria rejected
Both Assad regime and opposition balk at proposal to end conflict
LYSIANE GAGNON
Christian canaries in an Arab coal mine
We’ll have a clearer view of what’s in store for Egypt when the elections are finished. But what’s certain is that the horizon is darker than ever for the Coptic minority
Arab League ponders what will replace Syrian President’s crumbling regime
Bashar al-Assad’s leadership is finished, but Syrians and political observers not sure what will come next
Sports another loss for Iran women’s rights
Iranian filmmaker looks at women’s rugby team during President Mahmoud Amadinejad’s regime
BURNEY and HAMPSON
The last thing we need is another foreign policy review
Stop the navel-gazing. Ultimately, the effect of our role in the world will be determined more by what we do than what we say we should do
Hamas leader to step down just as his relative moderation most needed
Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal is stepping down just as his relative moderation is most needed
SNC-Lavalin developed close relationship with Gadhafi son: documents
Montreal engineering giant offered advice from top Canadian military brass and planned joint civil and military projects late into the regime’s final years
POWERFUL ALLY
Russia stands shoulder-to-shoulder with besieged Syrian leader
Bashar al-Assad’s regime receives munitions and verbal support in stand off with the West
Tensions between U.S., Iran rise with killing of another Iranian nuclear scientist
U.S. denies involvement in action seen as effort to thwart country’s nuclear aspirations
SYRIA
Split anti-Assad forces struggle to form co-ordinated opposition
Rebels driven into hiding on suspicion rogue elements are behind increased violence in Damascus
Gerald Caplan
It’s already a happy new year for religious extremists
The Harper government’s marquee Office of Religious Freedoms will have to hit the ground running
Accused Rwandan war criminal set for deportation
Two rulings by international tribunals have paved the way for Rwandan to be sent home to face charges
Social media
Twitter and the #Taliban
In the long term, openness, not censorship, in social media may be the greater weapon against terrorism
PETER JONES
Middle East, 2012: You read it here first
Pin these on your wall and watch to see how events compare
Africa
In Swaziland, a King tries the patience of his people
Accustomed to unquestioning obedience, Mswati III faces unprecedented protests as his subjects reject the excesses of his autocratic rule
With Taliban ‘embassy,’ Qatar again punches above its weight
Known for wielding influence beyond its size, the Gulf state pulls off another diplomatic coup with a liaison office that could help end the decade-long war in Afghanistan
Egyptian court rules ‘virginity tests’ on protesters are illegal
Activists said the verdict was a victory for civilian courts over generals who took charge when Hosni Mubarak was ousted from power by a popular revolt in February.
Arab Spring
Yemen leader calls for truce after troops kill anti-Saleh protesters
Many upset that opposition parties have agreed to a deal that gives President Ali Abdullah Saleh immunity for stepping down
Harassment of young girl deepens Israel’s debate on ultra-Orthodox Jews
Intra-Jewish friction in Beit Shemesh causes Netanyahu to denounce zealotry
Gerald Caplan
A book that should change Harper’s foreign policy
The moving tale of a Palestinian doctor whose daughters were killed by an Israeli rocket strike ought to be required reading
Mideast Conflict
Violence is no longer ‘primary option’ for Hamas
Declaration met with skepticism in Israel, seen as move toward reconciliation by Fatah
Hitchens cleared space for real debate
Discovering the master essayist carried the sort of thrill early explorers must have felt when they found uncharted continents
Israeli Prime Minister vows to stop settler assaults on army
Extremist leader calls on soldiers to sabotage equipment and prevent evacuations of settlements
SHIRA HERZOG
Stomping on Israel's liberal values
Benjamin Netanyahu seems prepared to pay a heavy price to safeguard his leadership of the right-wing bloc
For Canadian oil firm Suncor in Syria, pressure to go – and to stay
While the company contributes revenue to the Assad regime, it also helps generate electricity for the homes of Syria’s people
ARAB SPRING
Their way cleared by a popular revolt, Islamists take power in the Arab world
The liberal democracies that were expected to take root in the wake of the Arab Spring have been stillborn, their place taken by religious hardliners who pose a threat to the region, moderate Muslims and the West
Upstart Egypt fundamentalist party surprises itself with strong turnout
Salafists’ simple message of ‘food, shelter and clothing’ has strong appeal among less-affluent Muslims
Canadian Abousfian Abdelrazik taken off United Nations terror list
Canadian exiled in Sudan for years now free to travel, work – and sue Ottawa for his ordeal
Britain pulls embassy staff out of Iran
Britain says the storming of the British diplomatic mission in Tehran could not have taken place without some degree of consent from Iranian authorities
Worldview
Deadly air strikes another setback for U.S., Pakistan relations
Killing of 24 Pakistani soldiers latest in a series of blows to a relationship once regarded as vital to victory in the ‘war on terror’
CAMPBELL CLARK
The West must exhaust diplomatic options against Iran
Iran’s ‘steady crawl’ toward nuclear capabilities offers window for West to end threat without going to war
Egypt's transition
Egypt’s protests threaten Muslim Brotherhood’s ride to power
Islamist group bleeds youth support over organization’s refusal to join demonstrations against prolonged military rule
Paul Heinbecker
Think twice, Canada, before attacking Tehran
We need fewer exclamation points and more question marks while discussing Iran’s nuclear program and Syria’s crackdown
Sanctions
Canada bars financial transactions with Iran
Restrictions, except for existing contracts, or remittances of less than $40,000 to relatives, will make it nearly impossible to do new business with Iranian firms