LA Times News

LA Times News

Yasser Arafat's body to be exhumed as cause of death is sought

Posted: 24 Nov 2012 07:29 PM PST

Many Palestinians believe he was poisoned by Israel in 2004. Forensic experts will see whether tissue samples match July tests that found radioactive traces on his belongings.

RAMALLAH, West Bank — The Palestinian Authority announced Saturday that it would exhume the body of Yasser Arafat within days in a bid to determine the cause of his death eight years ago. Many Palestinians believe he was poisoned by Israel.

The quiet pain of insider shootings in Afghanistan

Posted: 24 Nov 2012 07:33 PM PST

Few family members have spoken out. But two widows and a retired Air Force legal officer are digging into a case in Kabul that left nine dead last year.

Los Angeles Times

Syria refugee influx a crisis for Lebanon's Shatila camp

Posted: 24 Nov 2012 04:53 PM PST

The population of the Shatila Palestinian camp on the outskirts of Beirut has nearly doubled to 25,000 since the start of the Syrian conflict, further straining the overtaxed enclave.

BEIRUT — When clashes between Syrian rebels and government forces spilled into his Palestinian neighborhood outside Damascus, Amir knew where to go: Shatila, a teeming Palestinian camp in Lebanon notorious as the site of a massacre during Lebanon's civil war.

Regional leaders urge Congo rebels to withdraw

Posted: 24 Nov 2012 05:36 PM PST

The presidents of Congo, Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania hold an emergency summit on the M23 conflict. The president of Rwanda, accused by the U.N. of arming the fighters, snubs the event.

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa — Regional leaders pressured a Congolese rebel group Saturday to give up its military gains and stop an offensive that could lead to a catastrophic war in eastern Congo.

Egypt judges denounce Morsi maneuver, threaten strike

Posted: 25 Nov 2012 12:00 AM PST

The Supreme Judicial Council urges President Mohamed Morsi to reverse his decree removing his office from judicial oversight. A broad strike by judges could cripple the court system.

CAIRO — Political tension sharpened Saturday when judges threatened a nationwide strike and condemned President Mohamed Morsi for his decision to expand his power amid growing mistrust in Egypt's transition to democracy.

China passports inspire territorial flap in Asia

Posted: 25 Nov 2012 12:00 AM PST

They feature an outline of the country that includes areas claimed by other nations, which will have to stamp the documents for Chinese visitors.

BEIJING — China is staking its claim on paper to what neighbors say is rightfully theirs.

Brazil police's takeover of slums from gangs is a mixed blessing

Posted: 25 Nov 2012 12:00 AM PST

A so-called pacification initiative drives out drug gangs and helps bring in development, but other types of crime have risen.

RIO DE JANEIRO — At a massive party put on by the Amigos dos Amigos gang a while back, dozens of teenagers wearing nothing but sandals, swim trunks and comically oversized assault rifles provided security.