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Violent reaction: The execution of the prominent Shia cleric and activist Nimr al-Nimr in Saudi Arabia has been overshadowed by the burning of the Saudi Arabian embassy in Tehran.

Saudi executions go global

Awkward alliances in the fight against terror have complicated a proper response.

In tatters: Iran has provided financial and military support to Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad since the uprising began in 2011.

Iran quietly extends its strategic influence in Syria

Tehran plays a critical role that unnerves its allies in the regime as much as its enemies.

Getting to grips: Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Muallem has support from his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov at the talks.

Blunders and stubborness hobble Syria talks

Syria: The long road to finding peace after years of war.

The UN estimates that half a million children are at risk. (AP)

Vaccination ceasefire urged in Syria

A polio outbreak to the east of the country has reinforced the call for relief workers’ safety.

Scenes such as this make it no surprise that the Syrian currency has suffered in the last year

Assad’s end could be nigh

As the power shifts on the ground, the CIA is predicting it could be in eight to 10 weeks.

A file photo taken on December 13 2010 of Tunisia’s ousted president Zine el Abidine Ben Ali.

One step forward, two steps back for Tunisia

The government is reversing progress on human rights in Tunisia following last year’s Arab Spring revolution, Amnesty International has warned.

Egypt’s President Mohammed Morsi.

Mohamed Morsi: A spectacular balancing act

Egypt’s president has the ability to dominate domestic politics. Now he has to find a way to appease the US after the embassy attack.

A man waves his rifle as cars and buildings burn in the US consulate compound in Benghazi.

Hunt on for Libya bombers

The United States has vowed to avenge the consulate attack that killed its ambassador and would work alongside the Libyan government.

US President Barack Obama has vowed to hunt down those responsible for the death of US ambassador to Libya
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Ambassador’s death: Justice will be done, vows Obama

Barack Obama has underscored the bond between the US and Libya, but vowed to hunt down those behind the possibly premeditated killing of the US envoy.

Smoke fills the air at the scene of two huge bomb explosions outside the Palace of Justice in central Damascus this momth.

Syria: Evidence of torture and abuse ready for future use

Most of the torture victims interviewed were young men between 18 and 35, but they also included children, women and the elderly.

For the man representing the Muslim Brotherhood

Brotherhood win is the better outcome of two extremes

Victory for Mohamed Morsi in Egypt’s presidential race is a landmark in a dramatic post-revolutionary transition, writes Ian Black.

Egypt’s president moves cautiously

Mohamed Morsi won’t make drastic foreign policy changes – his biggest challenge lies at home, writes Ian Black.

Protesters attend an anti-Bashar al-Assad rally in Syria.

Russia accused of supplying Syria with attack helicopters

The crisis in Syria has deepened after the US publicly accused Russia of giving attack helicopters to President Bashar Al-Assad’s regime.

An Egyptian woman shows off her finger stained with ink after voting.

Egypt ushers in ‘second republic’

Voters have gone to the polls to elect a president after the uprising that ended Hosni Mubarak’s rule. But doubts remain about Egypt’s future.

Small-town force vs Syrian army

Small-town force vs Syrian army

Just 30 kilometres from Damascus a village holds onto a fragile liberty, writes <b>Ian Black</b>.

Dozens killed in Syria as Assad set to rule until 2028

‘Hundreds of children’ slain by Syrian forces, says UN

Forces loyal to Syria’s President al-Assad have committed crimes against humanity during the revolt, including killing over 256 children, the UN says.

What next for Libya and the West?

With calls for his transfer to the International Criminal Court, Saif’s treatment will be an important test for Libya’s changing profile.

Desert claims ‘king of kings’

Desert claims ‘king of kings’

The belated finale for Muammar Gaddafi began on a marble slab in a car park and ended with a lonely burial in the desert.

Tunisia embraces pragmatic Islam

Tunisia embraces pragmatic Islam

Flanked by the flags of Tunisia and his Islamist party, Rachid Ghannouchi, known by followers as "the Sheikh", is ­avuncular and professorial.

EU mulls sanctions against Syria

EU mulls sanctions against Syria

European Union states are discussing imposing sanctions on Syria if the regime continues its violent suppression of pro-democracy protests.