LA Times News

LA Times News

Egypt's President Mohamed Morsi walks tightrope in Gaza conflict

Posted: 20 Nov 2012 06:40 PM PST

Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi has stood firm on defending Palestinian interests in the Gaza Strip while not jeopardizing a peace treaty with Israel.

CAIRO — The Gaza conflict has pressured Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi on many fronts: Each rocket Hamas fired into Israel has been a test of Morsi's loyalty. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has also been gauging how much damage he can inflict on Hamas before Morsi responds with more than public statements and diplomacy.

Kurdish militiamen, rebels maintain truce in northern Syria

Posted: 21 Nov 2012 12:00 AM PST

Fighting between the two groups left 18 dead the day before. In Turkey, it's confirmed that NATO will provide a missile defense system to guard against Syrian fire.

GAZIANTEP, Turkey — An uneasy truce held in the Syrian town of Ras Ayn on Tuesday, one day after at least 18 combatants were reportedly killed in clashes between Kurdish militiamen and Syrian rebels.

Bonds of tradition are a financial bind for Oaxacan migrants

Posted: 20 Nov 2012 04:15 PM PST

Some Zapotec Indians in the U.S. fight the costly, centuries-old requirement of returning to their village to perform duties without pay or hiring someone to serve for them.

SANTA ANA DEL VALLE, Mexico — Isaias Garcia had labored for decades to raise a family in Torrance when in 2009, the Zapotec Indian faced a life-changing decision.

Obama sends Clinton to Mideast amid Gaza crisis

Posted: 20 Nov 2012 12:23 AM PST

President Barack Obama is sending Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton to the Middle East in hopes that she can help mediate an end to bloody conflict in the region.

President Barack Obama is sending Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton to the Middle East in hopes that she can help mediate an end to bloody conflict in the region.

Israel's Iron Dome missile defense drawing praise

Posted: 20 Nov 2012 12:39 AM PST

Many Israelis credit the Iron Dome antimissile system with having minimized casualties in Israel during the latest Gaza violence.

ASHDOD, Israel — School is out in this coastal city, Israel's fifth-most populous, but the playgrounds are empty. Most shops in the Sea Mall shopping center are closed.