Ramallah, West Bank –
.
But as his convoy snaked its way through the seat of Palestinian government, signs emerged that the bruised effort at new peace talks – the first in more than a year – would survive the uproar.
, they expressed frustration with Israel and warned that settlement activity will doom negotiations. [...]

Istanbul, Turkey –
on Wednesday, as
arrived in Kabul and charged the US with playing a “double game” in the country.
, who from the same podium at the presidential palace two days earlier accused Iran of “playing a double game” in Afghanistan by declaring support for the government while secretly assisting its
enemies.
Mr. [...]

Jakarta –
Indonesian police said Wednesday that they had killed Dulmatin, one of
most-wanted militants, during a raid outside
. Mr. Dulmatin's recent activities sheds light on how
's militant Islamists are splintering and adapting, experts say.
Dulmatin and two other men were killed during a raid that has been linked to a group of alleged [...]

and the peace process, there was already a sign of uncertainty on the newly renewed Israeli-Palestinian talks.
Two days after the US brokered an agreement on the first negotiations between the sides in nearly a year,
's Interior Ministry today published plans to build a new neighborhood of 1,600 homes in
– following a separate [...]

Istanbul, Turkey –
Tehran stepped up its diplomatic push to avoid a new set of
on Tuesday, calling on China not to buckle under pressure from a US-led effort to slap a fourth round of
on Tehran over its nuclear program.
“China is a great country which enjoys enough power to pursue its own decisions independently [...]

Baghdad –
The Iraq election has shored up the country’s fragile democracy, but the months ahead are fraught with potential dangers far more worrying than the bombs that echoed through Baghdad as voters went to the polls over the weekend.
was toppled behind them, Iraqi politicians' attention has turned to what sort of alliances are likely [...]

Tokyo –
For decades,
's weekly political calendar was fixed. Before the cabinet met on Tuesdays, the top
from each ministry would meet on Mondays. If the bureaucrats had not already set government policy, the wags said, the ministers would have nothing to rubber stamp.
, Japan’s
, to have abolished the bureaucrats’ Monday meeting since [...]

Baghdad –
Expectations of good news have rarely been higher in the poor Iraqi household of Karima Selman Methboub, whose son Ali is due in coming weeks to be released from prison after more than 1-1/2 years.
The widowed mother of eight children – whose Baghdad family dramas the Monitor has followed since 2002, when
was [...]

Johnannesburg, South Africa –
After running wild through the world's
, the financial crisis now stalks the South African savanna and one of the world's most beloved predators (
) could become its prey.
to euthanize 16 lions as their funds for lion food run out.
and Sanctuary, in the rural northern state of
, has [...]

Baghdad, Iraq –
Throughout
, fear gave way to defiance Sunday as voters, even in the most volatile areas, cast ballots in landmark parliamentary elections that militants tried their best to disrupt with dozens of explosions that shook Baghdad even before the polls opened.
By the end of the day, at least 38 people were dead [...]