<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>

<rdf:RDF
 xmlns:rdf="http://www.w3.org/1999/02/22-rdf-syntax-ns#"
 xmlns="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/"
 xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"
 xmlns:taxo="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/taxonomy/"
 xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"
 xmlns:syn="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/syndication/"
 xmlns:admin="http://webns.net/mvcb/"
>

<channel rdf:about="http://regional.gourt.com/Middle-East/Turkey/Provinces/Antalya/Districts/Kalkan.html">
<title>Kalkan RSS : Gourt</title>
<link>http://regional.gourt.com/Middle-East/Turkey/Provinces/Antalya/Districts/Kalkan.html</link>
<description></description>
<dc:language>en-us</dc:language>
<dc:rights>Copyright 2007, Gourt.com</dc:rights>
<dc:date>2008-08-29T21:02+52:00
</dc:date>
<dc:publisher>rtruog@gourt.com</dc:publisher>
<dc:creator>rtruog@gourt.com</dc:creator>
<dc:subject>Kalkan RSS : Gourt</dc:subject>
<syn:updatePeriod>hourly</syn:updatePeriod>
<syn:updateFrequency>1</syn:updateFrequency>
<syn:updateBase>1901-01-01T00:00+00:00</syn:updateBase>
<items>
 <rdf:Seq>
  <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://www.economist.com/world/africa/displaystory.cfm?story_id=12010155&#x26;fsrc=rss" />
  <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://www.economist.com/world/africa/displaystory.cfm?story_id=12010145&#x26;fsrc=rss" />
  <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://www.economist.com/world/africa/displaystory.cfm?story_id=12010111&#x26;fsrc=rss" />
  <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://www.economist.com/world/africa/displaystory.cfm?story_id=12009946&#x26;fsrc=rss" />
  <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://www.economist.com/world/africa/displaystory.cfm?story_id=12010165&#x26;fsrc=rss" />
  <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://www.economist.com/world/africa/displaystory.cfm?story_id=11975480&#x26;fsrc=rss" />
  <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://www.economist.com/world/africa/displaystory.cfm?story_id=11975470&#x26;fsrc=rss" />
  <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://www.economist.com/world/africa/displaystory.cfm?story_id=11975460&#x26;fsrc=rss" />
  <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://www.economist.com/world/africa/displaystory.cfm?story_id=11975452&#x26;fsrc=rss" />
  <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://www.economist.com/world/africa/displaystory.cfm?story_id=11968403&#x26;fsrc=rss" />
  <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://www.economist.com/world/africa/displaystory.cfm?story_id=11975488&#x26;fsrc=rss" />
  <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://www.economist.com/world/africa/displaystory.cfm?story_id=11921647&#x26;fsrc=rss" />
  <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://www.economist.com/world/africa/displaystory.cfm?story_id=11921728&#x26;fsrc=rss" />
  <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://www.economist.com/world/africa/displaystory.cfm?story_id=11921925&#x26;fsrc=rss" />
  <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://www.economist.com/world/africa/displaystory.cfm?story_id=11921935&#x26;fsrc=rss" />
  <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://www.economist.com/world/africa/displaystory.cfm?story_id=11921613&#x26;fsrc=rss" />
  <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://www.economist.com/world/africa/displaystory.cfm?story_id=11921621&#x26;fsrc=rss" />
  <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://www.economist.com/world/africa/displaystory.cfm?story_id=11893595&#x26;fsrc=rss" />
  <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://www.economist.com/world/africa/displaystory.cfm?story_id=11893587&#x26;fsrc=rss" />
  <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://feeds.latimes.com/~r/latimes/middleeast/~3/378430286/la-fg-iran30-2008aug30,0,7964409.story" />
  <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://feeds.latimes.com/~r/latimes/middleeast/~3/377845226/la-fg-iraq29-2008aug29,0,680730.story" />
  <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://feeds.latimes.com/~r/latimes/middleeast/~3/377845227/la-me-marine29-2008aug29,0,6419156.story" />
  <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://feeds.latimes.com/~r/latimes/middleeast/~3/377845228/la-me-nathan29-2008aug29,0,4453074.story" />
  <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://feeds.latimes.com/~r/latimes/middleeast/~3/377845231/la-fiw-chinairaq29-2008aug29,0,4733596.story" />
  <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://feeds.latimes.com/~r/latimes/middleeast/~3/377845232/la-fg-afghan29-2008aug29,0,6044316.story" />
  <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://feeds.latimes.com/~r/latimes/middleeast/~3/377845230/la-fg-briefs29-2008aug29,0,4588743.story" />
  <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://feeds.latimes.com/~r/latimes/middleeast/~3/376884627/la-fg-displaced28-2008aug28,0,7701103.story" />
  <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://feeds.latimes.com/~r/latimes/middleeast/~3/376884628/la-fg-fighters28-2008aug28,0,5323439.story" />
  <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://feeds.latimes.com/~r/latimes/middleeast/~3/376884629/la-fg-iraq28-2008aug28,0,7894289.story" />
  <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=93974973&#x26;ft=1&#x26;f=1009" />
  <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=93937972&#x26;ft=1&#x26;f=1009" />
  <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=93902559&#x26;ft=1&#x26;f=1009" />
  <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=93794540&#x26;ft=1&#x26;f=1009" />
  <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=93690025&#x26;ft=1&#x26;f=1009" />
  <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=93167232&#x26;ft=1&#x26;f=1009" />
  <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=93305836&#x26;ft=1&#x26;f=1009" />
  <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=93235315&#x26;ft=1&#x26;f=1009" />
  <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=93143826&#x26;ft=1&#x26;f=1009" />
  <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=92752144&#x26;ft=1&#x26;f=1009" />
  <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=93088388&#x26;ft=1&#x26;f=1009" />
  <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=93096258&#x26;ft=1&#x26;f=1009" />
  <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=93094280&#x26;ft=1&#x26;f=1009" />
  <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=93083539&#x26;ft=1&#x26;f=1009" />
  <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=93073943&#x26;ft=1&#x26;f=1009" />
  <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=27869&#x26;Cr=Iraq&#x26;Cr1=" />
  <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=27844&#x26;Cr=unifil&#x26;Cr1=" />
  <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=27831&#x26;Cr=iraq&#x26;Cr1=kirkuk" />
  <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=27820&#x26;Cr=iraq&#x26;Cr1=" />
  <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=27814&#x26;Cr=palestin&#x26;Cr1=" />
  <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=27789&#x26;Cr=unifil&#x26;Cr1=" />
  <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=27762&#x26;Cr=UNODC&#x26;Cr1=" />
  <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=27770&#x26;Cr=palestin&#x26;Cr1=" />
  <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=27747&#x26;Cr=baghdad&#x26;Cr1=august" />
  <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=27738&#x26;Cr=baghdad&#x26;Cr1=august" />
  <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/29/world/middleeast/29iraq.html?partner=rssnyt&#x26;emc=rss" />
  <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/28/world/middleeast/28rose.html?partner=rssnyt&#x26;emc=rss" />
  <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/29/world/middleeast/29marine.html?partner=rssnyt&#x26;emc=rss" />
  <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/29/world/middleeast/29contractor.html?partner=rssnyt&#x26;emc=rss" />
  <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/29/world/middleeast/29nathan.html?partner=rssnyt&#x26;emc=rss" />
  <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/29/world/middleeast/29briefs-ARMYHELICOPT_BRF.html?partner=rssnyt&#x26;emc=rss" />
  <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/28/washington/28detain.html?partner=rssnyt&#x26;emc=rss" />
  <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/28/world/middleeast/28iraq.html?partner=rssnyt&#x26;emc=rss" />
  <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/28/world/europe/28briefs-SARKOZYREACH_BRF.html?partner=rssnyt&#x26;emc=rss" />
  <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/27/world/middleeast/27abuse.html?partner=rssnyt&#x26;emc=rss" />
  <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/27/world/middleeast/27iraq.html?partner=rssnyt&#x26;emc=rss" />
  <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/27/world/middleeast/27mideast.html?partner=rssnyt&#x26;emc=rss" />
  <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/27/world/middleeast/27briefs-REPORTSAYSAB_BRF.html?partner=rssnyt&#x26;emc=rss" />
  <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/26/world/middleeast/26iraq.html?partner=rssnyt&#x26;emc=rss" />
  <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/26/world/middleeast/26mideast.html?partner=rssnyt&#x26;emc=rss" />
  <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/26/business/worldbusiness/26gulfecon.html?partner=rssnyt&#x26;emc=rss" />
  <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/26/world/middleeast/26briefs-SUBMARINEFAC_BRF.html?partner=rssnyt&#x26;emc=rss" />
  <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/25/world/middleeast/25iran.html?partner=rssnyt&#x26;emc=rss" />
  <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/24/world/middleeast/24mideast.html?partner=rssnyt&#x26;emc=rss" />
  <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/22/world/middleeast/22sunni.html?partner=rssnyt&#x26;emc=rss" />
  <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/22/world/middleeast/22baghdad.html?partner=rssnyt&#x26;emc=rss" />
  <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/21/world/middleeast/21general.html?partner=rssnyt&#x26;emc=rss" />
  <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/23/world/middleeast/23briefs-LOWFUNDSIMPE_BRF.html?partner=rssnyt&#x26;emc=rss" />
  <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/22/world/middleeast/22mideast.html?partner=rssnyt&#x26;emc=rss" />
  <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/28/world/middleeast/28beatles.html?partner=rssnyt&#x26;emc=rss" />
  <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/24/magazine/24filkins-t.html?partner=rssnyt&#x26;emc=rss" />
  <rdf:li rdf:resource="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/27/world/middleeast/27scrolls.html?partner=rssnyt&#x26;emc=rss" />
 </rdf:Seq>
</items>
</channel>

<item rdf:about="http://www.economist.com/world/africa/displaystory.cfm?story_id=12010155&#x26;fsrc=rss">
<title>Zimbabwe: </title>
<link>http://www.economist.com/world/africa/displaystory.cfm?story_id=12010155&#x26;fsrc=rss</link>
<description><![CDATA[The opposition scores a telling point IT WAS a humiliating week for Robert Mugabe. As the new parliament elected in March was convened for the first time, the chairman of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), Lovemore Moyo, won the vote to become speaker, beating Mr Mugabe&#8217;s candidate. Then the veteran leader was booed and heckled during his speech, for the first time in his 28 years in power. Negotiations between the ruling ZANU-PF and the MDC are still suspended, after the two sides failed to agree on who should hold executive power. Mr Mugabe, not one to take humiliation well, looks set to harden his stance: prospects for an early deal look slim. But it was a rare and telling victory for the opposition.The Zimbabwean leader had violated ground rules, agreed on before the negotiations began, stipulating that the new parliament should not be convened, nor a new cabinet appointed, while negotiations were under way. Several MDC MPs have already been arrested, some as they were entering Parliament to be sworn in. Ahead of a regional meeting earlier this month, Morgan Tsvangirai, the MDC leader, and his party&#8217;s secretary-general and chief negotiator were both detained at the airport and their passports confiscated en route to the meeting; they were allowed to continue on their way after South Africa&#8217;s President Thabo Mbeki, mandated by the region&#8217;s leaders to mediate in the talks, apparently intervened. ...]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://www.economist.com/world/africa/displaystory.cfm?story_id=12010145&#x26;fsrc=rss">
<title>Libya: </title>
<link>http://www.economist.com/world/africa/displaystory.cfm?story_id=12010145&#x26;fsrc=rss</link>
<description><![CDATA[Change, if it is on the way, comes in most mysterious waysHOWEVER much of a mess it has made of Libya, the Qaddafi family certainly puts on a diverting show. Like a television serial with several sub-plots, the drama involving Muammar Qaddafi, who has run his oil-rich state since seizing power 39 years ago, and his eight children, manages to sustain suspense even as the story twists in different directions at once. For the past few years, a striking sub-plot has been Libya&#8217;s emergence from the international isolation brought by its involvement in terrorism in the 1980s. This story has now taken a final happy turn with the inking of an agreement with America to settle all outstanding legal claims between the two countries. A compensation fund, likely to be filled by a mix of Libyan oil money and &#8220;donations&#8221; from big American firms keen to do business with Libya, will now pay the remaining compensation to American victims of the PanAm aircraft blown up over the Scottish town of Lockerbie in 1988 and for other Libyan-sponsored attacks, as well as for 40-plus Libyans killed by an American bombing raid in 1986 in retaliation for an earlier terrorist incident.  ...]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://www.economist.com/world/africa/displaystory.cfm?story_id=12010111&#x26;fsrc=rss">
<title>Nigeria: </title>
<link>http://www.economist.com/world/africa/displaystory.cfm?story_id=12010111&#x26;fsrc=rss</link>
<description><![CDATA[The president shows who&#8217;s bossGIVEN Nigeria&#8217;s long record of military coups, President Umaru Yar&#8217;Adua&#8217;s dismissal of his top military commanders last week might have looked a bit risky&#8212;suicidal, even. And, indeed, there were rumours of rebellion in the air. But the fact that Mr Yar&#8217;Adua not only removed the officers but calmly left the country immediately afterwards for a pilgrimage to Mecca speaks of a growing confidence among Nigerians that the bad old days of military intervention have finally been laid to rest. Until recently Africa had a deserved reputation for violent military takeovers, and Nigeria was no exception. Half a dozen coups took place in the three decades or so from 1966 until elections restored civilian rule in 1999. Even then the new president, Olusegun Obasanjo, Mr Yar&#8217;Adua&#8217;s predecessor, was a former general who had previously run the country as head of a military junta. With their aviator shades and shiny epaulettes, the generals plundered Nigeria&#8217;s vast oil wealth, none more aggressively or brutally than Sani Abacha in the 1990s.  ...]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://www.economist.com/world/africa/displaystory.cfm?story_id=12009946&#x26;fsrc=rss">
<title>Angola: </title>
<link>http://www.economist.com/world/africa/displaystory.cfm?story_id=12009946&#x26;fsrc=rss</link>
<description><![CDATA[An oil-rich country prepares to vote for the first time in 16 yearsAFTER recent election fiascos in Kenya and Zimbabwe, all eyes are on Angola. On September 5th, 8m-plus registered voters (in a population of some 17m) should cast their ballot to choose a new parliament. They have certainly had to wait for the privilege. Since independence from Portugal in 1975, Angola has had only one multi-party election, in 1992, and it led to a resumption of the horrific civil war that had ravaged the place since independence. The government has repeatedly promised and postponed fresh elections since the end of the conflict in 2002. Only now, it judges, is Angola finally ready.  Decades of war, first pitting Angolans against their Portuguese colonial masters and then against each other, destroyed and traumatised a country that is rich in oil, diamonds and fertile soil. The two sides in the civil war are still the main political parties that will contest these elections: the ruling Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) and the opposition National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA). The latter, for many years a rebel movement, gave up arms after the death of its leader, Jonas Savimbi, in 2002. Now led by the articulate and urbane Isaias Samavuka, it has turned into a proper party. Though 14 groups are registered to contest the election, UNITA is still by far the largest opposition one. Incidents still occur in the oil-rich province of Cabinda, but a peace deal signed in 2006 has eased separatist tensions there.  ...]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://www.economist.com/world/africa/displaystory.cfm?story_id=12010165&#x26;fsrc=rss">
<title>The Gaza Strip: </title>
<link>http://www.economist.com/world/africa/displaystory.cfm?story_id=12010165&#x26;fsrc=rss</link>
<description><![CDATA[Though a ceasefire is more or less holding, Gaza is still under siegeDESPITE warnings by Israel&#8217;s government that it would stop two boatloads of pro-Palestinian campaigners from &#8220;breaking the siege of Gaza&#8221;, the ships, carrying some 40-plus enthusiasts, were eventually allowed to dock safely in Gaza&#8217;s main port on August 23rd and to disgorge a cargo of medicine, hearing-aids and other items that the local Palestinians have sorely lacked. But, though a ceasefire signed in June is more or less holding and there has been a slight increase in an inflow of humanitarian supplies, Gazans still feel they are virtually under siege. Since a year ago, when the Islamists of Hamas clobbered their secular rivals, Fatah, in the Strip, the Israelis have restricted the supply of necessities in a bid to make Hamas stop firing rockets at Israel and encourage Gaza&#8217;s Palestinians to turn against their new rulers. In June, Israel and Hamas agreed to a ceasefire. Since then, the flow of goods has increased, but not enough. The boat campaigners intended to publicise the Gazans&#8217; continuing plight.  ...]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://www.economist.com/world/africa/displaystory.cfm?story_id=11975480&#x26;fsrc=rss">
<title>Liberia: </title>
<link>http://www.economist.com/world/africa/displaystory.cfm?story_id=11975480&#x26;fsrc=rss</link>
<description><![CDATA[Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, halfway through her first term as president, is doing well IN HER inaugural speech in January 2006, Africa&#8217;s first female head of state set out the daunting tasks facing Liberia, citing her determination to heal the awful wounds inflicted during the civil wars of 1989 to 2003 by her various appalling predecessors, including Charles Taylor, now on trial for war crimes at The Hague. Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, a former World Banker, also promised to reduce Liberia&#8217;s dire poverty and to consolidate democracy. On the whole, she has made progress&#8212;albeit with a lot of help from friends abroad. Liberia is more stable these days, thanks in part to a large force of UN peacekeepers, whose numbers are due to fall from 13,000 to just under 10,000 by the end of 2010. Security is gradually to be taken over by a revamped national police force and a new army, both being recruited and trained by an American firm, DynCorp, which is being paid by the United States. ...]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://www.economist.com/world/africa/displaystory.cfm?story_id=11975470&#x26;fsrc=rss">
<title>Algeria: </title>
<link>http://www.economist.com/world/africa/displaystory.cfm?story_id=11975470&#x26;fsrc=rss</link>
<description><![CDATA[Islamists linked to al-Qaeda may be reviving their campaign in the Maghreb&#8220;THIS looks like Iraq, not Algeria,&#8221; declared a distraught witness to the carnage of a bombing that killed 43 police recruits in a town to the east of Algeria&#8217;s capital, Algiers, on August 19th. His words were apt. There has been a dramatic rise in attacks by Islamist extremists in the country during the past fortnight, with at least 79 people killed in various incidents across eastern Algeria, most of them in a spate of suicide bombings similar to those that have ravaged Iraq. The targets have been similar too, including police stations, a coast-guard outpost, and a bus transporting Algerian workers for a big Canadian company. The attacks appear to be the work of Algeria&#8217;s main remaining Islamist guerrilla group, which in 2006, after contacts with al-Qaeda&#8217;s mother organisation, renamed itself al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM). Earlier this month it issued a chilling warning to Algeria&#8217;s pro-Western rulers: &#8220;We tell the sons of France, the slaves of America and their masters, too, that our finger is on the trigger, and the convoys of martyrs are longing to rampage your bastions in defence of our Islamic nation.&#8221; ...]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://www.economist.com/world/africa/displaystory.cfm?story_id=11975460&#x26;fsrc=rss">
<title>Iraq: </title>
<link>http://www.economist.com/world/africa/displaystory.cfm?story_id=11975460&#x26;fsrc=rss</link>
<description><![CDATA[Private contractors in Iraq operate in a legal limbo. That may changeTHE American federal agency that monitors progress in rebuilding Iraq recently gave warning to Congress that proposed changes in Iraqi law could provoke an exodus of private contractors, who remain a crucial part of the American presence in the country. In particular, proposals by Iraq&#8217;s government to end the contractors&#8217; immunity from prosecution in Iraqi courts is a contentious aspect of the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) that will, among other things, define the Americans&#8217; legal status in Iraq after the UN mandate ceases, at the Iraqis&#8217; request, at the end of this year. This week American and Iraqi negotiators sounded close to an agreement. But it was still unclear whether contractors&#8217; immunity, let alone a date for America&#8217;s troop withdrawal, has been nailed down.If all the privateers in Iraq ran scared of the new law, the American coalition&#8217;s manpower would be drastically squeezed. The Congressional Budget Office says that 190,000 people work for contractors in Iraq. Some 38,000 are American, 82,000 hail from elsewhere and 70,000-plus are Iraqi. But the law under which the foreigners operate has been murky. &#8220;We should have figured out the laws first and then hired the guys,&#8221; says Peter Singer of the Brookings Institution, a Washington think-tank. &#8220;We did the opposite.&#8221; ...]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://www.economist.com/world/africa/displaystory.cfm?story_id=11975452&#x26;fsrc=rss">
<title>Saudi Arabia: </title>
<link>http://www.economist.com/world/africa/displaystory.cfm?story_id=11975452&#x26;fsrc=rss</link>
<description><![CDATA[Feeding its own people more cheaplyWHILE Saudi Arabia sets up its first sovereign wealth fund, ordinary Saudis are more preoccupied with the rising price of food. This is prompting the Saudi government to consider a new direction for foreign investment: buying farms in the poorer parts of the world. Inflation in Saudi Arabia is running in double digits, its highest rate for three decades. Last December, 19 prominent Saudi clerics gave warning that inflation constituted a crisis that would lead to social unrest and crime. Since then, the poorest Saudis have got poorer, with prices going up across the board because of rapid monetary growth. Food and housing costs are rising fastest.  ...]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://www.economist.com/world/africa/displaystory.cfm?story_id=11968403&#x26;fsrc=rss">
<title>Zambia: </title>
<link>http://www.economist.com/world/africa/displaystory.cfm?story_id=11968403&#x26;fsrc=rss</link>
<description><![CDATA[The death of a decent president, Zambia&#8217;s Levy Mwanawasa, raises questions about the state of leadership elsewhere in the continentON PAPER, Levy Mwanawasa should never have been president. He lacked charisma, wit or style&#8212;the sort of qualities that propel populists to high office in much of Africa. At rallies even his own supporters were fast bored by the former lawyer&#8217;s monotone drawl. His ill-health and slurred speech, the results of a car crash, led to nasty jibes about his mental capacity. When he narrowly won his first, disputed, presidential election in 2001, opponents dubbed him &#8220;the cabbage&#8221;, deriding him as a stooge for others more powerful.But Mr Mwanawasa, who died this week in France after suffering in June the latest of several strokes, deserves to be remembered more fondly than the showmen who have beggared much of the continent. In the past seven years he made a serious effort to clean up Zambia&#8217;s pervasive corruption. At some political risk, he turned against his predecessor and one-time patron, the diminutive Frederick Chiluba, who was charged with 168 counts of theft. Mr Chiluba was convicted of graft in a civil court in London last year. It was a rare success: few African leaders have been held to such account. ...]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://www.economist.com/world/africa/displaystory.cfm?story_id=11975488&#x26;fsrc=rss">
<title>Nigeria: </title>
<link>http://www.economist.com/world/africa/displaystory.cfm?story_id=11975488&#x26;fsrc=rss</link>
<description><![CDATA[Doubts persist about Nigeria&#8217;s banksTHE bright logos of Nigeria&#8217;s financial institutions adorn the tallest and poshest office blocks in central Lagos, the country&#8217;s commercial capital, testimony to years of impressive growth in banking. But now, after a rocky year, there are worries that some of the optimism may have been overblown. The reform of Nigeria&#8217;s creaking, corrupt banking system was one of the big achievements of President Olusegun Obasanjo in his second term in office (2003-07). As part of a policy to squeeze weak or failing banks out of business, in 2005 the Central Bank of Nigeria raised banks&#8217; capital requirements. In a hectic round of consolidation, the number of banks dropped from 89 to 24. Those that remained have had a very good few years, with massive local expansion and sometimes triple-digit growth in their share prices. And with less than a fifth of Nigerians keeping their money in banks and with fast growth led by private companies, there still seems to be plenty of potential for more business. Banks surveyed by a Lagos-based stockbroker, Afrinvest, showed that median before-tax earnings had risen by 141% year-on-year by June.  ...]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://www.economist.com/world/africa/displaystory.cfm?story_id=11921647&#x26;fsrc=rss">
<title>Iraq: </title>
<link>http://www.economist.com/world/africa/displaystory.cfm?story_id=11921647&#x26;fsrc=rss</link>
<description><![CDATA[The country is awash with oil money but still lacks a proper planIN THE second quarter of the year, an American military auditor recently reported, Iraq&#8217;s oil production averaged over 2.4m barrels a day, the highest level since America invaded Iraq in 2003, and a marked improvement on last year&#8217;s average of around 2m b/d (see chart). Rising output, along with the high (if now falling) price of oil, should pump up Iraq&#8217;s oil revenues to almost $80 billion this year. That, in turn, has allowed the country&#8217;s parliament to boost this year&#8217;s budget from $48 billion to $70 billion in a supplementary spending bill approved earlier this month. As security improves, the government has a lot more cash to spend than it did a year ago. Will it make the best of it?For one thing, revenue from oil should go up more sharply still. Iraq produced 3m b/d as recently as October 2001, despite the crippling UN-enforced sanctions at the time. Iraq&#8217;s oil minister, Hussein al-Shahristani, has spoken of raising output to 6m b/d. In theory, that is possible. Iraq&#8217;s proven reserves, of 115 billion barrels, are the world&#8217;s third-largest after Saudi Arabia and Iran. Yet Iraq ranks just 13th in terms of production, suggesting there is plenty of scope to pump more. Russia, for example, produced almost 10m b/d last year from reserves of 80 billion barrels. Only 27 of the 80 or so fields that have been discovered in Iraq have ever been tapped. ...]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://www.economist.com/world/africa/displaystory.cfm?story_id=11921728&#x26;fsrc=rss">
<title>Syria: </title>
<link>http://www.economist.com/world/africa/displaystory.cfm?story_id=11921728&#x26;fsrc=rss</link>
<description><![CDATA[A recent assassination makes Syrian politics look as mysterious as everTHOSE who speak do not know and those who know do not speak. That classic adage of how information flows in a dictatorship has always fitted Syria rather well. But the fog in the Syrian capital, Damascus, has rarely been thicker than now. Take the mysterious death of a top general, Muhammad Suleiman, at a seaside resort earlier this month. Was he shot by a lone sniper from a passing yacht, as first alleged, or killed at closer range, perhaps even by a masked hit squad? Was he targeted because he had fallen out with Syria&#8217;s president, Bashar Assad, or because he had angered Israel by funnelling Iranian and Syrian arms to Hizbullah, the Lebanese Shia guerrilla group with which the Israelis fought a messy war in 2006? Or was he killed in revenge for his role in other assassinations, such as the lorry-bomb killing of the Lebanese leader, Rafik Hariri, in 2005, or, contrarily, in the death of Hizbullah&#8217;s elusive tactical mastermind, Imad Mughniyeh, whose car blew up last February inside a compound housing Syrian intelligence operatives? ...]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://www.economist.com/world/africa/displaystory.cfm?story_id=11921925&#x26;fsrc=rss">
<title>Mauritania: </title>
<link>http://www.economist.com/world/africa/displaystory.cfm?story_id=11921925&#x26;fsrc=rss</link>
<description><![CDATA[Africa&#8217;s reaction to the continent&#8217;s latest coup is being carefully watchedAFTER a decent election last year, Mauritania was held up as a fine new democracy for Africa. Alas, no more. The latest military putsch, on August 6th, put failed and successful coups in the last three decades into double figures and prompted a flood of international criticism, including suspension of aid and of membership of the African Union (AU). But will such remonstrations make a jot of difference?The hopeful part of the story goes back to 2005, when soldiers including Colonel Muhammad Ould Abdelaziz overthrew Maaouya Ould Taya, a nasty dictator who had been in power for two decades. For once, the soldiers kept their promise to organise fair elections. But Colonel Abdelaziz stayed close to the centre of power, first by persuading Sidi Muhammad Ould Cheikh Abdallahi to compete in the presidential election of 2007, which he won, and then by serving as the head of his presidential guard.  ...]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://www.economist.com/world/africa/displaystory.cfm?story_id=11921935&#x26;fsrc=rss">
<title>Zimbabwe: </title>
<link>http://www.economist.com/world/africa/displaystory.cfm?story_id=11921935&#x26;fsrc=rss</link>
<description><![CDATA[Negotiations to resolve the country&#8217;s crisis are proving as sticky as expectedAFTER shaking hands in front of the cameras on July 21st, President Robert Mugabe and Zimbabwe&#8217;s main opposition leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, seem barely closer to resolving their differences than they were three weeks ago, when discussions over power-sharing began. Together with Arthur Mutambara, who leads a small opposition group that split off from Mr Tsvangirai&#8217;s Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), they have been locked in secretive negotiations under the eye of South Africa&#8217;s president, Thabo Mbeki, mandated by the region&#8217;s leaders to mediate such talks. But so far Mr Tsvangirai has refused to accept a deal that could leave Mr Mugabe still wielding most of the power. Mr Mbeki, often accused of being too soft on Mr Mugabe, is particularly keen to clinch a deal before the 14-country Southern African Development Community (SADC), the region&#8217;s main club, meets in Johannesburg on August 16th. But as The Economist went to press, Mr Mbeki looked unlikely to succeed in time.  ...]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://www.economist.com/world/africa/displaystory.cfm?story_id=11921613&#x26;fsrc=rss">
<title>Israel: </title>
<link>http://www.economist.com/world/africa/displaystory.cfm?story_id=11921613&#x26;fsrc=rss</link>
<description><![CDATA[The issue of Jerusalem&#8217;s holiest site may again be dividing JewsTHE lead singer, with yarmulke, beard and guitar, appears with a sheep on the cover of the latest record by Lechatchila, a religious-rock group popular among Orthodox young Israelis. &#8220;Don&#8217;t stare at me,&#8221; the lyrics go. &#8220;The Temple is sure to be rebuilt right now. We&#8217;ve got to prepare, to believe, to make the redemption happen.&#8221;For two millennia, ever since the Temple in Jerusalem was destroyed by the Romans, Jews have continued to study, write and indeed sing about the intricate rituals of service and sacrifice, in the belief that one day the Messiah would come and the Temple would be rebuilt. Meanwhile, the faithful were forbidden even to walk on the Holy Mount, let alone worship there.  ...]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://www.economist.com/world/africa/displaystory.cfm?story_id=11921621&#x26;fsrc=rss">
<title>Uganda: </title>
<link>http://www.economist.com/world/africa/displaystory.cfm?story_id=11921621&#x26;fsrc=rss</link>
<description><![CDATA[Since peace talks with Uganda&#8217;s rebels collapsed, some say war must resume IN MARCH, after nearly two years of on-and-off peace talks, negotiators for Uganda&#8217;s Lord&#8217;s Resistance Army (LRA) announced that their leader, Joseph Kony, an elusive self-styled mystic, was at last ready to emerge from the bush and sign a deal to end one of Africa&#8217;s longest wars. For two decades, the conflict had brought misery to a region bordering several countries (see map), left tens of thousands of people in northern Uganda dead, and displaced nearly 2m others. Earlier this year, the date for signing a peace deal approached. But at the last minute Mr Kony called off the event and sacked his negotiators. Now there is a danger the war may resume.It is yet another humiliating setback for those who have advocated talking to a man wanted for war crimes by the International Criminal Court at The Hague. So those who have always argued for taking a tougher stand against the LRA, such as Uganda&#8217;s senior soldiers, have the upper hand again. At the end of June, citing the lack of progress towards a peace deal, the leaders of Uganda, Congo and the autonomous region of south Sudan agreed for the first time to co-ordinate military efforts to stamp out the rebellion once and for all.  ...]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://www.economist.com/world/africa/displaystory.cfm?story_id=11893595&#x26;fsrc=rss">
<title>Mauritania: </title>
<link>http://www.economist.com/world/africa/displaystory.cfm?story_id=11893595&#x26;fsrc=rss</link>
<description><![CDATA[Why the world likes this coup less than the last one WHILE the rest of Africa seems to be slowly ridding itself of its penchant for coups, Mauritania seems to be perfecting its ability to stage them. Such is the country&#8217;s current strike rate that the last two successful coups on the continent have both taken place in this Islamic republic, a vast, sandy country that sees itself as part of both the black and Arab parts of Africa. The latest victim is President Sidi Mohamed Ould Cheikh Abdallahi, who was arrested by his presidential guard and relieved of his duties on August 6th. Not a shot was fired and the news was spread mostly by the president&#8217;s distraught daughter, who telephoned journalists as dissidents occupied their house and whisked her father away.  According to script, state television and radio went off air, except to declare Mr Abdallahi a &#8220;former&#8221; president and to reinstate the senior army officers whose sacking had been announced earlier that morning. The coup was led by Mohamed Ould Abdelaziz, the head of the presidential guard and one of the officers Mr Abdallahi had tried to fire. Even before the military dismissals, politics in Mauritania had been in a rotten state. In the space of three months one government had been sacked and another forced to resign. Complaints have ranged from poor management of rising food prices to the lack of transparency over the first lady&#8217;s finances. The army was believed to have instigated a mass resignation of the president&#8217;s supporters in parliament earlier this week. ...]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://www.economist.com/world/africa/displaystory.cfm?story_id=11893587&#x26;fsrc=rss">
<title>Rwanda: </title>
<link>http://www.economist.com/world/africa/displaystory.cfm?story_id=11893587&#x26;fsrc=rss</link>
<description><![CDATA[Exchanging unpleasantries about the genocideDID France expect&#8212;and indeed help&#8212;the genocide that killed almost a million people in Rwanda 14 years ago? That is the claim made in a 500-page report published in Rwanda this week, accusing 33 French politicians and army officers, including France&#8217;s then-president, Francois Mitterrand, of complicity. But the report must be read with a pinch of salt. It is in part the product of a feud between the two countries.The report was commissioned by Paul Kagame, Rwanda&#8217;s president. Some will say it is a response to a French judge&#8217;s indictment of nine of Mr Kagame&#8217;s allies over the plane crash that killed his predecessor, Juvenal Habyarimana, whose death triggered the start of the massacres. But it is also part of a broader effort by Mr Kagame&#8217;s government to entrench its own narrative of the 100-day killing spree and refute revisionist histories that minimise the killings or, in some cases, deny that any genocide took place. ...]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://feeds.latimes.com/~r/latimes/middleeast/~3/378430286/la-fg-iran30-2008aug30,0,7964409.story">
<title>

        Iran: new strides in uranium enrichment</title>
<link>http://feeds.latimes.com/~r/latimes/middleeast/~3/378430286/la-fg-iran30-2008aug30,0,7964409.story</link>
<description><![CDATA[Iran has increased the number of operating centrifuges at its uranium enrichment plant to 4,000, a top official said Friday, pushing ahead with the nuclear program despite threats of new U.N. sanctions.]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://feeds.latimes.com/~r/latimes/middleeast/~3/377845226/la-fg-iraq29-2008aug29,0,680730.story">
<title>

        U.S. arrests key Iraq official for suspected ties to militia</title>
<link>http://feeds.latimes.com/~r/latimes/middleeast/~3/377845226/la-fg-iraq29-2008aug29,0,680730.story</link>
<description><![CDATA[Ali Lami, who oversaw the controversial purging of Baath Party members is alleged to have helped militias said to get training and funding from within Iran.
                        
                    
                    
                        A senior Iraqi official, who oversaw the purging of Saddam Hussein loyalists from government jobs, has been arrested for his activities in connection with a violent Shiite Muslim militia, his political backers and supporters said.]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://feeds.latimes.com/~r/latimes/middleeast/~3/377845227/la-me-marine29-2008aug29,0,6419156.story">
<title>

        Ex-Marine acquitted in Iraqi prisoner deaths</title>
<link>http://feeds.latimes.com/~r/latimes/middleeast/~3/377845227/la-me-marine29-2008aug29,0,6419156.story</link>
<description><![CDATA[Jose Nazario, charged with killing four detainees, is found not guilty by a Riverside jury. His case marks the first time civilians decided whether an ex-serviceman committed a combat crime.
                        
                    
                    
                        In the first civilian trial in modern times of a former member of the U.S. military for alleged combat crimes, a Riverside jury  Thursday acquitted a one-time Marine sergeant in the killings of four unarmed Iraqi prisoners in Fallouja.]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://feeds.latimes.com/~r/latimes/middleeast/~3/377845228/la-me-nathan29-2008aug29,0,4453074.story">
<title>

        Abie Nathan, 81; Israeli peace activist, founder of &#x27;Voice of Peace&#x27; radio station</title>
<link>http://feeds.latimes.com/~r/latimes/middleeast/~3/377845228/la-me-nathan29-2008aug29,0,4453074.story</link>
<description><![CDATA[Abie Nathan, the Israeli peace activist who made a dramatic solo flight to Egypt and later founded the groundbreaking "Voice of Peace" radio station, died Wednesday. He was 81.]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://feeds.latimes.com/~r/latimes/middleeast/~3/377845231/la-fiw-chinairaq29-2008aug29,0,4733596.story">
<title>

        China, Iraq to revive oil field development deal</title>
<link>http://feeds.latimes.com/~r/latimes/middleeast/~3/377845231/la-fiw-chinairaq29-2008aug29,0,4733596.story</link>
<description><![CDATA[The project was canceled after the 2003 U.S.-led invasion
                        
                    
                    
                        China and Iraq have signed a $3-billion deal revising an earlier agreement for China's biggest oil company to help develop the Ahdab oil field, an official at Iraq's Oil Ministry said Thursday.]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://feeds.latimes.com/~r/latimes/middleeast/~3/377845232/la-fg-afghan29-2008aug29,0,6044316.story">
<title>

        U.S. says review backs its reported toll in Afghanistan airstrike</title>
<link>http://feeds.latimes.com/~r/latimes/middleeast/~3/377845232/la-fg-afghan29-2008aug29,0,6044316.story</link>
<description><![CDATA[The U.S. military finding contradicts reports by the U.N. and Afghan officials, who say 90 civilians were killed.
                        
                    
                    
                        A review by the U.S. military of an airstrike last week in western Afghanistan corroborates its earlier report that 25 militants and five civilians were killed, Pentagon officials said Thursday, a finding that starkly contradicts reports by the United Nations and Afghan officials.]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://feeds.latimes.com/~r/latimes/middleeast/~3/377845230/la-fg-briefs29-2008aug29,0,4588743.story">
<title>

        World Briefing</title>
<link>http://feeds.latimes.com/~r/latimes/middleeast/~3/377845230/la-fg-briefs29-2008aug29,0,4588743.story</link>
<description><![CDATA[Guatemala: Abducted child freed / Brazil: Oil-tainted penguins found dead / Britain: Hacking suspect to be extradited /Australia: Burst tank caused jet blast / Indian Ocean: U.S., Pakistan meet
                        
                    
                    GUATEMALA   Abducted American girl, 3, freed]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://feeds.latimes.com/~r/latimes/middleeast/~3/376884627/la-fg-displaced28-2008aug28,0,7701103.story">
<title>

        In Iraq, displaced families return to ruins</title>
<link>http://feeds.latimes.com/~r/latimes/middleeast/~3/376884627/la-fg-displaced28-2008aug28,0,7701103.story</link>
<description><![CDATA[Villagers' homecoming to a war-ravaged community is a sign of an uncertain calm. But lasting peace hinges on whether traumatized Iraqis can set aside their hurt and losses and start over.
                        
                    
                    
                        After the gunfire and explosions, after the panicked flight to an unfamiliar town, the Kadims had one more shock in store: the homecoming.]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://feeds.latimes.com/~r/latimes/middleeast/~3/376884628/la-fg-fighters28-2008aug28,0,5323439.story">
<title>

        Two Iraqis&#x27; different paths lead to American cooperation</title>
<link>http://feeds.latimes.com/~r/latimes/middleeast/~3/376884628/la-fg-fighters28-2008aug28,0,5323439.story</link>
<description><![CDATA[In Ramadi, a businessman and a sheik each play a role in helping bring peace, and the U.S. hopes, long-term stability to the once-violent city.
                        
                    
                    
                        One is from the city, a businessman with the hint of smuggling to his name.]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://feeds.latimes.com/~r/latimes/middleeast/~3/376884629/la-fg-iraq28-2008aug28,0,7894289.story">
<title>

        Top Marine wants to shift troops from Iraq to Afghanistan</title>
<link>http://feeds.latimes.com/~r/latimes/middleeast/~3/376884629/la-fg-iraq28-2008aug28,0,7894289.story</link>
<description><![CDATA[Gen. James Conway says the insurgent threat in Iraq's Anbar province has decreased and the forces could better serve in violent regions of Afghanistan.
                        
                    
                    
                        Marines in western Iraq's Anbar province no longer face a serious threat from insurgents and would be better used in increasingly violent regions of southern Afghanistan, the top Marine Corps officer said Wednesday.]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=93974973&#x26;ft=1&#x26;f=1009">
<title>New Chief Aims To Restore Air Force&#x27;s Reputation</title>
<link>http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=93974973&#x26;ft=1&#x26;f=1009</link>
<description><![CDATA[Gen. Norton Schwartz is a man in line with Defense Secretary Robert Gates' vision of the Air Force.  Unlike his fired predecessor, Schwartz isn't reluctant to send Air Force officers and more intelligence and surveillance to Iraq.]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=93937972&#x26;ft=1&#x26;f=1009">
<title>Treating Iraqi Children For PTSD</title>
<link>http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=93937972&#x26;ft=1&#x26;f=1009</link>
<description><![CDATA[The war in Iraq has had a severe impact on the country's children. More than 650 children were reported killed there last year. Iraq's children also have been the victims of kidnapping, torture and rape. A clinic for children suffering post-traumatic stress disorder is opening this month in Baghdad.]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=93902559&#x26;ft=1&#x26;f=1009">
<title>&#x27;Three Cups of Tea&#x27; With Pakistan&#x27;s Musharraf</title>
<link>http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=93902559&#x26;ft=1&#x26;f=1009</link>
<description><![CDATA[Greg Mortenson, executive director of the Central Asia Institute, met with Pakistani leader Pervez Musharraf during a recent trip to the region. Musharraf had read a book Mortenson co-wrote titled Three Cups of Tea, about his experiences building more than 60 schools in remote parts of Afghanistan and Pakistan.]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=93794540&#x26;ft=1&#x26;f=1009">
<title>Lebanon Prime Minister Heads To Iraq</title>
<link>http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=93794540&#x26;ft=1&#x26;f=1009</link>
<description><![CDATA[Fuad Siniora is expected to arrive in Baghdad Wednesday. Relations are improving between Iraq's Shiite-dominated government and the Arab world's Sunni leaders.]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=93690025&#x26;ft=1&#x26;f=1009">
<title>Musharraf Resigns Amidst Growing Outcry</title>
<link>http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=93690025&#x26;ft=1&#x26;f=1009</link>
<description><![CDATA[Pervez Musharraf has resigned as Pakistan's president under threat of impeachment. It may be the final act in a long confrontation between Musharraf and the political opposition that has accused him of illegally seizing power and mishandling the country's economy. Shuja Nawaz, a Pakistani journalist and author, explains issues facing that nation's government.]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=93167232&#x26;ft=1&#x26;f=1009">
<title>Middle East Diplomacy, Shrinking U.S. Involvement</title>
<link>http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=93167232&#x26;ft=1&#x26;f=1009</link>
<description><![CDATA[Complex diplomatic negotiations are taking place in the volatile region. With the U.S. taking a back seat in the talks, smaller countries such as Egypt and Syria are stepping up and taking leading roles.]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=93305836&#x26;ft=1&#x26;f=1009">
<title>Middle-Eastern Perspectives On The U.S. Election</title>
<link>http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=93305836&#x26;ft=1&#x26;f=1009</link>
<description><![CDATA[Rami Khouri, editor for the Daily Star, discusses the political challenges in Lebanon and describes the different ways people in the Middle East view the U.S. presidential election. Khouri directs the Fares Institute of Public Policy and International Affairs at the American University of Beirut.]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=93235315&#x26;ft=1&#x26;f=1009">
<title>Training Afghan Forces Is Mission Critical For U.S.</title>
<link>http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=93235315&#x26;ft=1&#x26;f=1009</link>
<description><![CDATA[Training Afghan security forces is seen as a critical component of stabilizing the country. NPR's Jackie Northam is embedded with U.S. Special Forces in Afghanistan, and she talks with host Liane Hansen about efforts to get the new Afghan army battle-ready.]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=93143826&#x26;ft=1&#x26;f=1009">
<title>Palestinian Rivals Accused Of Human Rights Abuses</title>
<link>http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=93143826&#x26;ft=1&#x26;f=1009</link>
<description><![CDATA[Human Rights groups say the two main Palestinian factions, Hamas and Fatah, have been illegally arresting, torturing and even killing each other's members.]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=92752144&#x26;ft=1&#x26;f=1009">
<title>U.S. Civilians Recruited To Help Troubled Nations</title>
<link>http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=92752144&#x26;ft=1&#x26;f=1009</link>
<description><![CDATA[The State Department hopes patriotism will compel American civilians to leave their comfortable lives in the U.S. for far-flung locales and potentially dangerous work: saving states the U.S. classifies as "failing." Critics say the program will be seen as nation building.]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=93088388&#x26;ft=1&#x26;f=1009">
<title>Officer Suggests Ways To Support The Troops</title>
<link>http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=93088388&#x26;ft=1&#x26;f=1009</link>
<description><![CDATA[Capt. Nate Rawlings urges people who want to help U.S. troops to send a letter or visit a veterans hospital. The Army officer also explains how he and his soldiers approach political debates.]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=93096258&#x26;ft=1&#x26;f=1009">
<title>Dispute Over East Jerusalem Imperils Peace Talks</title>
<link>http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=93096258&#x26;ft=1&#x26;f=1009</link>
<description><![CDATA[As Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert announces he will step down after fall elections, tensions are rising between Israelis and Palestinians over the possession of East Jerusalem.]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=93094280&#x26;ft=1&#x26;f=1009">
<title>Q&#x26;A: Olmert&#x27;s Resignation And The Peace Process</title>
<link>http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=93094280&#x26;ft=1&#x26;f=1009</link>
<description><![CDATA[The Israeli prime minister's plan to leave office in September stalls the Middle East peace process in the final months of the Bush adminstration. Meanwhile, two members of his cabinet are campaigning to replace him as the Kadima party leader and prime minister.]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=93083539&#x26;ft=1&#x26;f=1009">
<title>Rice Meets With Israeli, Palestinian Officials</title>
<link>http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=93083539&#x26;ft=1&#x26;f=1009</link>
<description><![CDATA[U.S. Secretary of State Rice meets with visiting Israeli and Palestinian officials in a bid to revive flagging hopes of a peace settlement. With Israel's Prime Minister Ehud Olmert saying he will resign in September, a deal this year looks unlikely.]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=93073943&#x26;ft=1&#x26;f=1009">
<title>Israel&#x27;s Olmert Announces Plan To Step Down</title>
<link>http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=93073943&#x26;ft=1&#x26;f=1009</link>
<description><![CDATA[Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Wednesday he will not run for his party's leadership in September, effectively ending his political career and paving the way for new leadership in Israel. Olmert says ongoing investigations of corruption allegations against him have impeded his ability to fulfill his duties.]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=27869&#x26;Cr=Iraq&#x26;Cr1=">
<title>UN to undertake science and technology  strategy review for Iraq</title>
<link>http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=27869&#x26;Cr=Iraq&#x26;Cr1=</link>
<description><![CDATA[The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) announced today that it will work with the Iraqi Government to map out a strategy for using science, technology and innovation to reconstruct its economy and accelerate its development.]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=27844&#x26;Cr=unifil&#x26;Cr1=">
<title>Security Council extends UN force in southern Lebanon for another year</title>
<link>http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=27844&#x26;Cr=unifil&#x26;Cr1=</link>
<description><![CDATA[The Security Council today extended until the end of August 2009 the mandate of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), stating that the deployment of the mission together with the country's armed forces has helped to establish "a new strategic environment in southern Lebanon."]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=27831&#x26;Cr=iraq&#x26;Cr1=kirkuk">
<title>Iraq: UN envoy persists with efforts to promote dialogue over disputed city</title>
<link>http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=27831&#x26;Cr=iraq&#x26;Cr1=kirkuk</link>
<description><![CDATA[The top United Nations official in Iraq continues to work to promote political dialogue and national reconciliation across the country, including over the disputed status of the northern city of Kirkuk, a UN spokesperson said today.]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=27820&#x26;Cr=iraq&#x26;Cr1=">
<title>UNESCO chief deplores murder of senior Iraqi cultural official</title>
<link>http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=27820&#x26;Cr=iraq&#x26;Cr1=</link>
<description><![CDATA[The head of the United Nations culture agency today condemned the murder of a senior Iraqi Government official who had long worked to protect and preserve his country's cultural heritage.]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=27814&#x26;Cr=palestin&#x26;Cr1=">
<title>Gaza: UN expert welcomes landing of ships carrying human rights activists</title>
<link>http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=27814&#x26;Cr=palestin&#x26;Cr1=</link>
<description><![CDATA[An independent United Nations human rights expert today hailed the landing of two wooden boats in Gaza carrying 46 human rights activists as a key symbolic victory.]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=27789&#x26;Cr=unifil&#x26;Cr1=">
<title>Ban requests 12-month extension to UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon</title>
<link>http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=27789&#x26;Cr=unifil&#x26;Cr1=</link>
<description><![CDATA[Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has asked the Security Council to extend the mandate of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) by another 12 months until the end of August next year.]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=27762&#x26;Cr=UNODC&#x26;Cr1=">
<title>UN anti-drugs agency lauds record heroin seizure in the Gulf</title>
<link>http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=27762&#x26;Cr=UNODC&#x26;Cr1=</link>
<description><![CDATA[The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has hailed the efforts of the authorities in the United Arab Emirates in seizing 202 kilograms of heroin, worth some $11 million, in what is being called the largest-ever heroin bust in the Arab world.]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=27770&#x26;Cr=palestin&#x26;Cr1=">
<title>Mixed picture in Middle East, UN official tells Security Council</title>
<link>http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=27770&#x26;Cr=palestin&#x26;Cr1=</link>
<description><![CDATA[Israel and the Palestinians are continuing their negotiations aimed at devising a durable settlement to their long-running conflict, but intra-Palestinian violence has spiked over the past month, the top United Nations political official told the Security Council today.]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=27747&#x26;Cr=baghdad&#x26;Cr1=august">
<title>UN&#x27;s work in Iraq best tribute to colleagues killed five years ago, says top official</title>
<link>http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=27747&#x26;Cr=baghdad&#x26;Cr1=august</link>
<description><![CDATA[As the United Nations today remembers the colleagues killed and injured in the attack on its headquarters in Baghdad in 2003, the world body's top political official said there is no better tribute to the fallen than continuing the vital work they began in Iraq.]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=27738&#x26;Cr=baghdad&#x26;Cr1=august">
<title>Composer honours victims of bombing at UN headquarters in Baghdad</title>
<link>http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=27738&#x26;Cr=baghdad&#x26;Cr1=august</link>
<description><![CDATA[The writer of a classical work composed in honour of the United Nations staff members killed in the 2003 Baghdad bombing said the music is a gift to the UN family as officials, including Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, prepare to commemorate the fifth anniversary of the attack.]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/29/world/middleeast/29iraq.html?partner=rssnyt&#x26;emc=rss">
<title>Iraq Signs Oil Deal With China Worth Up to $3 Billion</title>
<link>http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/29/world/middleeast/29iraq.html?partner=rssnyt&#x26;emc=rss</link>
<description><![CDATA[The contract was the first major oil deal the Iraq government has made with a foreign country since 2003.    

]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/28/world/middleeast/28rose.html?partner=rssnyt&#x26;emc=rss">
<title>Israelis in Anguish Over the Abuse and Murder of a 4-Year-Old</title>
<link>http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/28/world/middleeast/28rose.html?partner=rssnyt&#x26;emc=rss</link>
<description><![CDATA[Israel is in the grip of a nightmarish tale of a French girl named Rose, who police say was killed by her grandfather.    

]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/29/world/middleeast/29marine.html?partner=rssnyt&#x26;emc=rss">
<title>Ex-Marine Is Cleared in Killing of Unarmed Iraqi Detainees</title>
<link>http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/29/world/middleeast/29marine.html?partner=rssnyt&#x26;emc=rss</link>
<description><![CDATA[The trial was the first in which a civilian jury had determined whether a former military service member had violated the law of war in combat.    

]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/29/world/middleeast/29contractor.html?partner=rssnyt&#x26;emc=rss">
<title>Families of 12 Slain in Iraq File Lawsuit</title>
<link>http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/29/world/middleeast/29contractor.html?partner=rssnyt&#x26;emc=rss</link>
<description><![CDATA[The lawsuit, filed in United States District Court, accused the defense contractor KBR and a Jordanian subcontractor of human trafficking.    

]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/29/world/middleeast/29nathan.html?partner=rssnyt&#x26;emc=rss">
<title>Abie Nathan, Israeli Peace Champion, Dies at 81</title>
<link>http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/29/world/middleeast/29nathan.html?partner=rssnyt&#x26;emc=rss</link>
<description><![CDATA[Mr. Nathan is best remembered for his quirky quest for peace in a 30-year campaign waged through a series of audacious escapades by land, air and sea.    

]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/29/world/middleeast/29briefs-ARMYHELICOPT_BRF.html?partner=rssnyt&#x26;emc=rss">
<title>World Briefing | Middle East: Lebanon: Army Helicopter Is Fired On</title>
<link>http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/29/world/middleeast/29briefs-ARMYHELICOPT_BRF.html?partner=rssnyt&#x26;emc=rss</link>
<description><![CDATA[Gunmen fired on a Lebanese Army helicopter on Thursday as it flew over southern Lebanon on a training mission, killing an officer and forcing an emergency landing, military officials said.    

]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/28/washington/28detain.html?partner=rssnyt&#x26;emc=rss">
<title>Military Sending Foreign Fighters to Home Nations</title>
<link>http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/28/washington/28detain.html?partner=rssnyt&#x26;emc=rss</link>
<description><![CDATA[More than 200 militants captured in Iraq and Afghanistan over two years have been passed to their countries’ intelligence services.    

]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/28/world/middleeast/28iraq.html?partner=rssnyt&#x26;emc=rss">
<title>U.S. to Hand Over Security in Anbar to the Iraqis</title>
<link>http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/28/world/middleeast/28iraq.html?partner=rssnyt&#x26;emc=rss</link>
<description><![CDATA[The U.S. military will hand over responsibility for the security of Anbar Province, one of the most violent regions in Iraq, as early as next Monday, officials said.    

]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/28/world/europe/28briefs-SARKOZYREACH_BRF.html?partner=rssnyt&#x26;emc=rss">
<title>World Briefing | Middle East: Sarkozy Reaches Out to Syria</title>
<link>http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/28/world/europe/28briefs-SARKOZYREACH_BRF.html?partner=rssnyt&#x26;emc=rss</link>
<description><![CDATA[President Nicolas Sarkozy of France has announced plans to go to Syria next Wednesday to pursue restoring diplomatic ties.    

]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/27/world/middleeast/27abuse.html?partner=rssnyt&#x26;emc=rss">
<title>U.S. Soldiers Executed Iraqis, Statements Say</title>
<link>http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/27/world/middleeast/27abuse.html?partner=rssnyt&#x26;emc=rss</link>
<description><![CDATA[Three U.S. soldiers are expected to be charged for murder in connection with the killing of four Iraqi prisoners.    

]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/27/world/middleeast/27iraq.html?partner=rssnyt&#x26;emc=rss">
<title>Bomber Kills 25 Recruits at an Iraqi Police Station</title>
<link>http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/27/world/middleeast/27iraq.html?partner=rssnyt&#x26;emc=rss</link>
<description><![CDATA[It was unclear how the suicide attack against a line of Iraqi police recruits outside a police station in Diyala Province was carried out.    

]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/27/world/middleeast/27mideast.html?partner=rssnyt&#x26;emc=rss">
<title>Rice, in Israel, Criticizes Surge in Settlement Construction</title>
<link>http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/27/world/middleeast/27mideast.html?partner=rssnyt&#x26;emc=rss</link>
<description><![CDATA[A report said that Israel had nearly doubled its settlement construction in the occupied West Bank in violation of its obligations under an American-backed peace plan.    

]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/27/world/middleeast/27briefs-REPORTSAYSAB_BRF.html?partner=rssnyt&#x26;emc=rss">
<title>World Briefing | Middle East: Lebanon: Report Says Abuse Is Factor in Maids&#x2019; Deaths</title>
<link>http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/27/world/middleeast/27briefs-REPORTSAYSAB_BRF.html?partner=rssnyt&#x26;emc=rss</link>
<description><![CDATA[Foreign maids in Lebanon have been dying at a rate of more than one a week, often through suicide or failed attempts to escape from abusive employers, a report said.    

]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/26/world/middleeast/26iraq.html?partner=rssnyt&#x26;emc=rss">
<title>Maliki Pushes for Troop Withdrawal Date</title>
<link>http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/26/world/middleeast/26iraq.html?partner=rssnyt&#x26;emc=rss</link>
<description><![CDATA[A departure date is only one of the issues in the security pact. Immunity for U.S. soldiers and continued detention of Iraqis by Americans remain obstacles to a final deal.    

]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/26/world/middleeast/26mideast.html?partner=rssnyt&#x26;emc=rss">
<title>Israel Frees 198 Palestinians Before Rice Arrives for Talks</title>
<link>http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/26/world/middleeast/26mideast.html?partner=rssnyt&#x26;emc=rss</link>
<description><![CDATA[The release of 198 prisoners was aimed at bolstering the Palestinian president, hours before Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice arrived to nudge peace efforts forward.    

]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/26/business/worldbusiness/26gulfecon.html?partner=rssnyt&#x26;emc=rss">
<title>Gulf Countries Remain Tied to the Dollar</title>
<link>http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/26/business/worldbusiness/26gulfecon.html?partner=rssnyt&#x26;emc=rss</link>
<description><![CDATA[With the dollar’s modest comeback and oil’s retreat, policy makers in the region have been bolstered in their resolve to keep currency pegs in place.    

]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/26/world/middleeast/26briefs-SUBMARINEFAC_BRF.html?partner=rssnyt&#x26;emc=rss">
<title>World Briefing | Middle East: Iran: Submarine Factory Reported</title>
<link>http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/26/world/middleeast/26briefs-SUBMARINEFAC_BRF.html?partner=rssnyt&#x26;emc=rss</link>
<description><![CDATA[Defense Minister Mostafa Mohammad Najar said that Iran had begun a submarine production line to equip its army for protecting an important oil shipping route.    

]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/25/world/middleeast/25iran.html?partner=rssnyt&#x26;emc=rss">
<title>Chief Cleric of Iran Defends President</title>
<link>http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/25/world/middleeast/25iran.html?partner=rssnyt&#x26;emc=rss</link>
<description><![CDATA[Ayatollah Ali Khamenei issued a statement of support for President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s internal policies and his dogged defense of the country’s nuclear program.    

]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/24/world/middleeast/24mideast.html?partner=rssnyt&#x26;emc=rss">
<title>Rights Advocates Defy Israeli Blockade of Gaza</title>
<link>http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/24/world/middleeast/24mideast.html?partner=rssnyt&#x26;emc=rss</link>
<description><![CDATA[Israel had told more than 40 international human rights activists to keep their boats away, but ultimately decided to allow them to land in Gaza.    

]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/22/world/middleeast/22sunni.html?partner=rssnyt&#x26;emc=rss">
<title>Iraq Takes Aim at U.S.-Tied Sunni Groups&#x2019; Leaders</title>
<link>http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/22/world/middleeast/22sunni.html?partner=rssnyt&#x26;emc=rss</link>
<description><![CDATA[Iraq’s Shiite-dominated government is driving out many leaders of Sunni citizen patrols, which have been a major pillar in the decline in violence.    

]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/22/world/middleeast/22baghdad.html?partner=rssnyt&#x26;emc=rss">
<title>Draft Accord With Iraq Sets Goal of 2011 Pullout</title>
<link>http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/22/world/middleeast/22baghdad.html?partner=rssnyt&#x26;emc=rss</link>
<description><![CDATA[U.S. combat troops will leave Iraqi cities by next June and the rest of the country by the end of 2011 if conditions stay relatively stable, officials said.    

]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/21/world/middleeast/21general.html?partner=rssnyt&#x26;emc=rss">
<title>Exiting Iraq, Petraeus Says Gains Are Fragile</title>
<link>http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/21/world/middleeast/21general.html?partner=rssnyt&#x26;emc=rss</link>
<description><![CDATA[Gen. David H. Petraeus is preparing to leave Iraq a much safer place than it was when he arrived.    

]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/23/world/middleeast/23briefs-LOWFUNDSIMPE_BRF.html?partner=rssnyt&#x26;emc=rss">
<title>World Briefing | Middle East: Lebanon: Low Funds Imperil Bomb Removal</title>
<link>http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/23/world/middleeast/23briefs-LOWFUNDSIMPE_BRF.html?partner=rssnyt&#x26;emc=rss</link>
<description><![CDATA[A lack of money is jeopardizing the effort to clear cluster bombs dropped by Israel in south Lebanon during its 2006 war with Hezbollah, according to the United Nations.    

]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/22/world/middleeast/22mideast.html?partner=rssnyt&#x26;emc=rss">
<title>Israeli Minister Warns Against Early Peace</title>
<link>http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/22/world/middleeast/22mideast.html?partner=rssnyt&#x26;emc=rss</link>
<description><![CDATA[Tzipi Livni, Israel’s foreign minister and its chief negotiator with the Palestinians, warned that too much international pressure for a peace deal could prove harmful.    

]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/28/world/middleeast/28beatles.html?partner=rssnyt&#x26;emc=rss">
<title>Jerusalem Journal: Israel, After 43 Years, Is Ready for Beatlemania</title>
<link>http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/28/world/middleeast/28beatles.html?partner=rssnyt&#x26;emc=rss</link>
<description><![CDATA[Excitement is building for the first concert by Paul McCartney in Israel, an epilogue to a tale that began in 1965 when authorities canceled a Beatles concert on “spiritual and cultural” grounds.    

]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/24/magazine/24filkins-t.html?partner=rssnyt&#x26;emc=rss">
<title>My Long War</title>
<link>http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/24/magazine/24filkins-t.html?partner=rssnyt&#x26;emc=rss</link>
<description><![CDATA[What it’s been like reporting a conflict that never seems to end.    

]]></description>
</item>

<item rdf:about="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/27/world/middleeast/27scrolls.html?partner=rssnyt&#x26;emc=rss">
<title>Israel to Display the Dead Sea Scrolls on the Internet</title>
<link>http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/27/world/middleeast/27scrolls.html?partner=rssnyt&#x26;emc=rss</link>
<description><![CDATA[Each piece of the Dead Sea Scrolls is being digitally photographed with the aim of putting the entire file online.    

]]></description>
</item>

</rdf:RDF>