Search results for

Sen. Hillary Clinton is scheduled to testify Tuesday before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, which will decide whether to recommend to the full Senate that she be the next secretary of state. She is expected to face tough questions from the committee's right flank, but no major hurdles to confirmation.

The guns fell silent for three hours Wednesday in the Gaza Strip as both Israel and Hamas observed what's being called a humanitarian truce, aimed at bringing food and medical supplies into Gaza. Both Israel's operations and Hamas rocket attacks resumed after the lull.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has held off calling for an immediate cease-fire between Israel and Hamas, preferring what she calls a more durable solution to make sure Hamas can't continue to fire rockets into Israel. But others say waiting too long to get a truce won't help.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy is on a cease-fire mission to the Middle East. While his country no longer holds the European Union presidency, Sarkozy says it is France's duty to look for all paths to peace. Critics say Sarkozy is on a power trip after his six-month stint as diplomatic head of Europe. They accuse him of muddying EU efforts to broker a cease-fire.

Huge explosions shook Gaza City as Israeli planes bombed three government buildings and the parliament on the sixth day of the Israeli offensive. On the diplomatic side, both Israel and Hamas are resisting international pressure to agree to a ceasefire. NPR's Mike Shuster talks with Steve Inskeep about the situation in Gaza.

As the Bush administration winds down, Morning Edition talks with foreign analysts this week about how the U.S. looks from abroad as the Obama administration prepares to take over. Today: the view from Iran with author Hooman Majd. He tells Steve Inskeep that the Obama White House will need to understand the Iranian culture if it plans to hold diplomatic talks with Iran — or officials won't get very far.

Arab foreign ministers met in Cairo to discuss the crisis in Gaza as the Israeli military operation there, as well as Palestinian rocket fire into Israel, continued for a fifth day. But as often happens at Arab League meetings, while the rhetoric was strong, the unity of purpose was scarce.

Arab foreign ministers are gathering Wednesday in Cairo, Egypt, to discuss the Israeli bombing campaign in the Gaza Strip after Israel rejected a French proposal for a cease-fire. A number of wounded Palestinians have made it to hospitals in neighboring Egypt for treatment, bringing grim tales of the conditions inside Gaza.

Airstrikes against Gaza have continued, as has rocket fire into southern Israel. Most Israelis solidly back their government's campaign, but some ask whether the Jewish state can bomb its way to a new security situation with Gaza's Islamist rulers.

The African Union has suspended Guinea from the organization after a bloodless military takeover last week. Yet, many people in the West African nation support the coup leaders. They are on a charm offensive to win over their critics in and outside Africa.