 | Gunmen kill Iraqi TV presenter |
| Prominent al-Iraqiya TV presenter Riad al-Saray is shot dead in Baghdad by unknown attackers. |
|
| Revolutionary rap |
| Meet the 'first lady of Arabic hip hop' |
|
| Iran stands firm on stoning case |
| Foreign powers should stop interfering in the case of an Iranian woman who was sentenced to death by stoning, Iran's foreign ministry says. |
|
| ElBaradei eyes Egypt poll boycott |
| Egyptian opposition figure Mohammed ElBaradei calls for a boycott of November's parliamentary election, saying it is certain to be rigged. |
|
| Political void 'threatens Iraq' |
| Six months after Iraq's parliamentary elections, an Iraqi minister warns that the political deadlock is damaging the security situation in the country. |
|
| Iraq's six-month political stalemate |
| Six months on from the declaration of a hung parliament in Iraq's election, there is still no new government. |
|
| Iran pressured over stoning threat |
| The international community is calling for Iran to reconsider the stoning to death of a woman for adultery. |
|
| Iran 'hampers IAEA investigation' |
| The International Atomic Energy Agency says Iran has hindered its investigations by repeatedly objecting to its choice of inspectors. |
|
| Foreign fall-out |
| Stoning case creates problems abroad for Iran |
|
| Fighting back |
| Website takes on Muslim Brotherhood critics |
|
| French FM pledges Ashtiani support |
| France's Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner says he will 'do anything' to help save an Iranian woman sentenced to death on an adultery conviction. |
|
| Lebanon PM retracts Syria charge |
| Lebanese PM Saad Hariri says he was wrong to accuse Syria of assassinating his father - former Lebanese PM Rafik Hariri. |
|
| Israel settlement ban 'will end' |
| Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman vows his party will block any attempt to extend the partial freeze on settlements in the West Bank. |
|
| Pope 'may appeal' in Iran stoning |
| The Vatican says it could appeal diplomatically to Iran to spare the life of an Iranian woman sentenced to death by stoning for adultery. |
|
| Suicide attack on Baghdad base |
| At least seven people are killed and more than 20 wounded as suicide bombers target an army recruitment centre in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad. |
|
| One dead in Israeli raids on Gaza |
| Israel carries out three bombing raids on the Gaza Strip, killing one man and injuring another. |
|
| Iran stoning woman 'to be lashed' |
| An Iranian woman sentenced to death by stoning for adultery now faces being whipped for indecency, her son says. |
|
| Bahrain charging Shia activists |
| Prosecutors in Bahrain accuse 23 Shia activists of forming a "terrorist network" aiming to overthrow the Gulf state's Sunni-dominated government. |
|
| Tourism near the Gaza border |
| At the Zikim Kibbutz, near Ashkelon in southern Israel, tourists come in to see what life is like living just a short distance from the Gaza border. |
|
| ElBaradei alleges 'smear' tactic |
| Former UN chief nuclear chief Mohamed ElBaradei accuses Egypt's government of being behind a campaign to smear his family. |
|
| Fresh start |
| How easy is to find an optimist in the Middle East? |
|
| Behind the scenes |
| Israeli and Palestinian talks seen from the inside |
|
| Uneasy reading |
| Reading Arabic 'hard for brain' |
|
| Egypt silences papers on posters |
| Newspapers in Egypt are banned from reporting on a poster campaign promoting the chief of intelligence as a possible future president, the BBC learns. |
|
| Blair in 'radical Islam' warning |
| Former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair tells the BBC that radical Islam is the greatest threat facing the world. |
|
| Clinton warns on Mid-East talks |
| The US secretary of state warns the current round of Mid-East peace talks may be "the last chance for a very long time". |
|
| Week in pictures |
| Striking pictures from around the world this week. |
|
| Plane 'crashes on Dubai highway' |
| A cargo plane has crashed on a major highway in Dubai, setting some cars on fire, local officials and media reports say. |
|
| Savvy tourists bag Dubai Ramadan deals |
| Since the credit crunch Dubai has been attracting tourists with massively discounted prices at luxury hotels but during the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan the city is having to work even harder to entice tourists. |
|
| Irish delay EU-Israel data deal |
| Dublin delays a deal to allow transfers of EU citizens' data to Israel, which is accused of forging passports. |
|
| Gaza militants vow Israel attacks |
| Militant groups in the Gaza Strip vow to step up attacks against Israel, following the first direct talks between Israeli and Palestinian leaders in nearly two years. |
|
| Israeli novelist on Middle East conflict |
| The Israeli novelist David Grossman on how the Middle East conflict tore his family apart. |
|
| Egypt spy chief poster campaign |
| Posters promoting Egypt's intelligence chief appear on the streets of Cairo, amid growing speculation over who will succeed President Hosni Mubarak. |
|
| Raising the stakes |
| Why Middle East peace is so important to President Obama |
|
| Bid for Mid-East peace to begin |
| The first direct peace talks between the Israeli and Palestinian leaders in 20 months are to begin, despite fresh violence and the threat of more. |
|
| Obama demands Mid-East progress |
| President Obama urges Mid-East leaders not to let the chance of a peace deal slip away, ahead of a new round of talks. |
|
| Obama condemns W Bank 'slaughter' |
| President Barack Obama condemns the "senseless slaughter" of four Israeli settlers, as he opens a new round of Mid-East diplomacy. |
|
| On the cards |
| Where are Iraq's "most wanted" now? |
|
| Netherlands frees Yemeni suspects |
| Two Yemenis arrested in Amsterdam on suspicion of planning a terror attack are released, prosecutors in the Netherlands say. |
|
| Attack overshadows Mid-East talks |
| Palestinian security forces mount a huge operation after four Israeli settlers are killed, as leaders gather in Washington to revive peace talks. |
|
| Handover marks 'new chapter' for Iraq |
| US Vice-President Joe Biden has spoken at a ceremony marking the end of US combat operations in Iraq. |
|
| The prospects of Mid-East peace |
| The BBC's Rupert Wingfield-Hayes has been to the West Bank to see if there is any hope of bridging the gap between the two sides. |
|
| Fresh fears |
| Teen death renews concern over female mutilation in Egypt |
|
| Helicopter tour of West Bank and Israel |
| Rupert Wingfield-Hayes takes a helicopter flight over the West Bank and Israel to understand the geography of the disputed land. |
|
| US seeks Middle East peace effort |
| On the eve of Middle East talks, the White House condemns an attack which killed four Jewish settlers and says it is crucial for peace efforts to continue. |
|
| US urges caution over plane pair |
| US officials say they do not believe the two Yemeni men arrested on a flight to Amsterdam were planning a terror attack. |
|
| Obama 'awed' by US Iraq sacrifice |
| President Obama hails the end of US combat operations in Iraq, saying the US has paid a "a huge price" to "put Iraq's future in its peoples' hands". |
|
| Four Israelis killed in West Bank |
| A Palestinian gunman kills four Israelis in an attack in the West Bank, Israeli security forces say. |
|
| US Army packs up Iraq equipment |
| The equipment which has been vital to the US Army during its campaign in Iraq is being shipped out of the country as the operation comes to an end. |
|
| Iran's Bruni slurs 'unacceptable' |
| France's foreign ministry says "insults" in Iran's media aimed at France's first lady, Carla Bruni, are "unacceptable". |
|
| Israel academics shun settlements |
| More than 150 Israeli academics say they will no longer lecture or work in Jewish settlements in the West Bank. |
|
| Divided they stand |
| Differing positions on core issues of the Israel-Palestinian conflict |
|
| Iraq PM hails US troop withdrawal |
| Iraq's prime minister says the country is now "independent", hours before US combat operations are due to end officially. |
|
| American misadventure? |
| 'Imperial adventure' in Iraq leaves US a shrunken superpower |
|
| 'It's time for us to go' |
| After seven and a half years, the American military's combat mission in Iraq formally ends on Tuesday. |
|
| Cairo zoo puts lions on the pill |
| Vets at Cairo's Giza Zoo are experimenting with the human birth control pill in an attempt to slow their rapidly expanding population of lions. |
|
| Biden in Iraq for mission change |
| US vice president Joe Biden makes an unannounced visit to Iraq ahead of the official end of the US combat mission there on 31 August. |
|
| Iran paper calls Bruni prostitute |
| An Iranian newspaper has called France's first lady Carla Bruni a 'prostitute', reports the BBC's Christian Fraser in Paris. |
|
| Bittersweet memories |
| Life in Iraq during the US occupation |
|
| Rabbi calls for Abbas to 'vanish' |
| An Israeli rabbi says the world would be better without Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, prompting strong criticism from US officials. |
|
| Rebuilding Iraq's Air Force |
| US pilots help Iraq develop its new Air Force |
|
| Counting the cost |
| Key figures from seven years of conflict in Iraq |
|
| Rural exodus |
| Syria struggles as farmers flee four-year drought |
|
| In pictures |
| Rare glimpse inside Shia Islam's holy sites in Iraq |
|
| Withdrawal symptoms |
| Iraqi views on the US troop withdrawal and their future |
|
| Jenin booms as it shakes off violent past |
| Jenin, in the West Bank, was a dangerous place to live during the second intifada - but now the town is booming. |
|
| Staying power |
| Paul Bremer on why US 'must not walk away from Iraq' |
|
| Nails removed from 'abused' maid |
| Doctors remove 13 nails and five needles from a Sri Lankan housemaid who said her employer in Saudi Arabia hammered them into her body. |
|
| Egypt swelters as power cut daily |
| Cities across Egypt have been hit by daily blackouts during the past two weeks, sparking protests and calls for the electricity minister to be sacked. |
|
| Call for Iraq deaths inquiry in UK |
| A full judicial inquiry into all those killed in the war in Iraq should be held, the UK-based Iraq Body Count campaign group says. |
|
| Israeli stab suspect held in US |
| A US judge orders a man arrested over a series of 18 attacks held without bond after the suspect was extradited to Michigan. |
|
| Iran-bound tiger found in baggage |
| A two-month-old tiger cub is found sedated and hidden among stuffed toys in a woman's luggage at Bangkok's international airport. |
|
| Syrian soaps confront taboos |
| Syrian soaps have become popular across the region in recent years due to their realistic plots which have also caused controversy. |
|
| Stolen treasure |
| Experts warn Iraq 'bleeding antiquities' as instability continues |
|
| Israel protester conviction criticised |
| The European Union criticises Israel for convicting an organiser of the weekly Palestinian protests against the West Bank separation barrier. |
|
| Iran footballer in Ramadan fine |
| One of Iran's star footballers who had been fired for breaking the fast during the holy month of Ramadan is reinstated by his club. |
|
| 'Tortured' maid to have surgery |
| A Sri Lankan housemaid who accused her former employers in Saudi Arabia of implanting nails in her body is to undergo surgery, her doctors say. |
|
| Illegal trade |
| Stemming flow of illegal eggs and birds into the Gulf states |
|
| Biblical struggle |
| The Griffon Vulture's fight for survival in the Holy Land |
|
| Wounded platoon |
| The US soldiers struggling to stop killing after Iraq |
|
| Wave of deadly bombings in Iraq |
| Dozens of people are killed and injured in a series of bomb attacks across Iraq. |
|
| Yemen 'must improve human rights' |
| Amnesty International accuses Yemen of abandoning human rights as it tackles threats from al-Qaeda and rebels. |
|
| Two killed in Beirut gun battle |
| Two men are killed in clashes in the Lebanese capital, Beirut, between supporters of the Shia Islamist group Hezbollah and a rival Sunni faction. |
|
| 'Mystery campaign' |
| Who's promoting Hosni Mubarak's son as Egypt's next leader? |
|
| Fading allure |
| The younger Palestinians who won't struggle for the right of return |
|
| Israeli children to study Arabic |
| The authorities in Israel are introducing a new scheme to make Arabic-language classes compulsory in state schools. |
|
| Police want ex-Israeli PM charged |
| Israeli police recommend that former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert stand trial on corruption charges over his alleged role in the Holyland real estate scandal. |
|
| Brotherhood starts 'own Facebook' |
| Egypt's banned Muslim Brotherhood movement launches its own Facebook-style social networking site to promote moderate Islamic values, it says. |
|
| US troops in Iraq 'below 50,000' |
| The US military says the number of its troops in Iraq is already below the 31 August target of 50,000, when US combat operations are due to end. |
|
| Mauritania |
| Key facts, figures and dates |
|
| Expanding west |
| Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood is in Europe and America |
|
| Minister held over Van Gogh theft |
| The Egyptian government's head of fine arts is remanded in custody pending an investigation into the theft of a Van Gogh painting at the weekend. |
|
| 'No talks' if settlement ban ends |
| The Palestinian government warns that it will pull out of peace talks if Israel renews the construction of settlements in the occupied West Bank. |
|
| Jordan |
| Key facts, figures and dates |
|
| Jordan |
| Key facts, figures and dates |
|
| Arrests over Iraqi police deaths |
| The Iraqi police have broken up an alleged al-Qaeda gang whose members have been killing traffic police in Baghdad, officials say. |
|
| Iran suspends 'jail abuse' trio |
| Iran suspends three judicial officers over their alleged role in the killing of anti-government protesters in prison last year, reports say. |
|
| Oriflame workers detained in Iran |
| Allegations fly as Iranian authorities close the Tehran operations of Oriflame Cosmetics and detain five workers. |
|
| Lebanon aid ship delays Gaza trip |
| Activists hoping to break Israel's Gaza blockade in a Lebanese aid ship postpone their trip after Cyprus refuses the vessel entry. |
|
| Hassan killer 'escaped from jail' |
| The man convicted of abducting and murdering British aid worker Margaret Hassan in Iraq has escaped from prison, officials confirm. |
|
| 'Alarm lapse' in Van Gogh theft |
| None of the alarms and just a few security cameras were working at the Cairo museum from which a Van Gogh painting was stolen, Egyptian officials say. |
|
| Netanyahu predicts tough talks |
| Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu say reaching agreement in planned talks with Palestinians will be difficult, but a deal is achievable. |
|
| Iran unveils first bomber drone |
| Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad unveils his country's first domestically built, unmanned bomber plane. |
|
| Qatar tries to build cultural heritage |
| Qatar, this year's Arab Capital of Culture, now has an Islamic Museum of Art, and a National Museum is being built. But are big ambitions and deep pockets enough to create culture? |
|
| Cairo Van Gogh recovered - hours being stolen |
| A small painting by Vincent Van Gogh is recovered hours after being stolen from a Cairo museum, Egypt's culture minister says. |
|
| Van Gogh painting stolen in Cairo |
| A 'priceless' work by Vincent Van Gogh has disappeared from a Cairo museum, Egypt's culture minister says. |
|
| Israelis cash in on Kosher wine |
| When you think of the world's great wine producers Israel is not a name that often crops up, but there are signs that this may change. |
|
| Iraq |
| Key facts, figures and dates |
|
| Iran |
| Key facts, figures and dates |
|
| Will fuelling Bushehr give Iran the bomb? |
| Why is Iran being allowed to fuel a nuclear reactor when the West has tried to stop it getting a nuclear weapon? The BBC's Jonathan Marcus reports. |
|
| Saudi 'faces spine-op punishment' |
| Amnesty International urges Saudi officials to stop any attempt to medically paralyse a man as a judicial punishment. |
|
| Iran to start up nuclear reactor |
| Iran is poised to declare its first nuclear power station operational in a ceremony marked by national celebrations. |
|
| US seeks to jail Lockerbie bomber |
| The Obama administration calls for Abdelbasset Ali al-Megrahi, who was convicted in the 1988 Lockerbie bombing, to be returned to prison in Scotland. |
|
| High stakes |
| Does Washington lack a clear plan for Mideast peace talks? |
|
| Field work |
| Egypt's graduates sent to turn the desert green |
|
| Field work |
| Egypt's graduates sent to turn the desert green |
|
| Plans to revitalise downtown Cairo |
| When it comes to Cairo's historical highlights, the Pyramids sit comfortably at the top of a cultural 'to-do' list. |
|
| Middle East peace talks to resume |
| Israel and the Palestinians agree to resume direct negotiations for the first time in 20 months, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says. |
|
| All fired up |
| Iran hails the opening of its first nuclear power plant |
|
| Mid-East leaders await talks call |
| Israeli and Palestinian officials are awaiting statements from the Middle East Quartet and Washington inviting them to direct talks. |
|
| Lockerbie bomber restraint urged |
| The UK government urges Libya not to celebrate the first anniversary of the release of the man responsible for the Lockerbie bombing. |
|
| Fading flame? |
| Traditional Ramadan lanterns threatened by Chinese imports |
|
| 'Risking lives' |
| Fears over UK Muslims delaying treatment during Ramadan |
|
| UN criticises Gaza restrictions |
| A UN report says the Israeli army has increasingly restricted Palestinian access to farmland in the Gaza Strip and fishing zones along its shore. |
|
| US Mid-East talks plans 'ready' |
| The US is preparing to release a statement establishing details for direct negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians, the BBC has learned. |
|
| Iraq combat troops on way home |
| The last brigade of American combat troops has left Iraq, nearly two weeks before the deadline set by President Obama. |
|
| Last US combat troops leave Iraq |
| The last American combat troops in Iraq leave the country, two weeks ahead of a deadline for an end to the US combat mission, says the Army. |
|
| Palestinian linked to Munich dies |
| A funeral is held in the West Bank for a Palestinian believed to have been involved in the 1972 Munich Olympics massacre. |
|
| Turkish embassy man stays in jail |
| An Israeli court approves the detention of a man who broke into the Turkish embassy in Tel Aviv, while the man's lawyer says this client was an Israeli informer. |
|
| Viewpoint |
| David Kilcullen argues that Iraq can handle its own security |
|
| Man handed to Israel after stand-off |
| A Palestinian man who broke into the Turkish embassy in Israel, in an apparent bid for asylum, has been turned over to the Israeli authorities. |
|
| Iraq bomb 'won't stop democracy' |
| Iraq's transition to democracy and the US withdrawal will not be derailed by the deadly bombing in Baghdad, says the White House. |
|
| Hariri murder 'evidence' handover |
| Hezbollah hands a tribunal what it claims is evidence of Israeli involvement in the murder of ex-Lebanese PM Rafik Hariri. |
|
| Lebanon gives Palestinians rights |
| The Lebanese parliament finally passes a law allowing the 400,000 Palestinian refugees living in the country to work legally. |
|
| Gaza anniversary |
| Settlers and Palestinians recall Israeli withdrawal in 2005 |
|
| Israel Turkish embassy 'shooting' |
| Shots have been fired at the Turkish embassy in Tel Aviv and Israeli officials say at least one hostage has been taken. |
|
| Sacred text |
| Centuries-old Koranic traditions survive the test of time |
|
| US confirms CIA black site tapes |
| US officials confirm the existence of tapes of a 2002 interrogation of alleged 9/11 plotter Ramzi Binalshibh, reportedly at a secret jail. |
|
| Jordan policemen freed in Darfur |
| Two kidnapped Jordanian peacekeepers with the joint UN-African Union force in the Sudanese region of Darfur are freed unharmed. |
|
| Family's fight over Iran student's death |
| One family in Iran has been documenting the death of their son, a promising 25-year old student, who died in anti-government protests. |
|
| Israeli denies Facebook mistake |
| A former Israeli soldier says she did nothing wrong by posting pictures of her and Palestinian prisoners onto Facebook. |
|
| Unstoppable force |
| Egypt's controversial Brotherhood thrives despite being banned |
|
| Iran lawyer says stoning must stop |
| Iranian lawyer in exile in Norway, Mohammed Mostafaei, condemns the practice of stoning in his country. |
|
| Deadly attack on Iraqi recruits |
| At least 41 people are killed in a suicide attack on an army recruitment centre in Baghdad, officials say. |
|
| Anger at Israel Facebook photos |
| A former Israeli soldier is criticised for posting images of herself on Facebook posing with bound Palestinian prisoners. |
|
| Israel 'to blame' for child death |
| The state of Israel is responsible for the death of a Palestinian girl hit by a rubber bullet in 2007 and must pay compensation to her family, a Jerusalem court rules. |
|
| Iraq coalition talks 'suspended' |
| Talks on the formation of a coalition government between the two main political blocs in Iraq have been suspended, politicians say. |
|
| Iran sets date for nuclear plant |
| Iran will start building a new uranium enrichment site by early next year, the country's top nuclear official says. |
|
| Homeless Dubai Briton returns to UK |
| Nicholas Warner, a British man who had been living rough on the streets of Dubai, is travelling back to the UK. |
|
| Man destitute in Dubai back in UK |
| Nicholas Warner, a British man who has been living rough on the streets of Dubai, is travelling back to the UK. |
|
| Israel demolishes barrier at Gilo |
| Israeli begins to tear down a concrete wall erected in 2001 to protect a Jewish settlement on the outskirts of east Jerusalem at Gilo. |
|
| Diplomat and poet al-Gosaibi dies |
| One of the best-known writers and public figures in Saudi Arabia, Ghazi al-Gosaibi, dies of cancer at the age of 70. |
|
| Bahrain arrests Shia activists |
| Four Shia Muslim activists, including the head of the Haq Movement for Liberty and Democracy, are arrested in Bahrain on security related charges, officials say. |
|
| Iraqis cleared of British deaths |
| Five Iraqis have been cleared of the murder of six Royal Military Police officers in 2003, the Ministry of Defence confirms. |
|
| Jerusalem projection draws tourists |
| The Tower of David is producing one of the world's largest light shows with its new attraction. |
|
| Lebanon 'kills militant leader' |
| Lebanese security officials say they have killed the suspected leader of the militant Sunni Islamist group Fatah al-Islam. |
|
| Spate of Iraq checkpoint killings |
| Gunmen shoot dead four Iraqi policemen and two government-backed militiamen in a spate of attacks at Baghdad checkpoints. |
|
| Lebanon opens fund to equip army |
| Lebanon's defence minister says the country has opened a bank account to receive donations to supply its poorly-equipped army. |
|
| African migrants killed in Egypt |
| Six migrants trying to enter Israel from Egypt are killed; four in a gunfight with people smugglers and two by Egyptian border guards. |
|
| No refuge |
| Plight of Iraqis facing deportation, instead of asylum, in Sweden |
|
| In pictures |
| Muslims observe the first Friday prayers of Ramadan |
|
| Israeli stabbing suspect in US court |
| A man arrested in connection with a series of nearly 20 stabbings agrees to return to Michigan to face charges in one of the attacks. |
|
| Music bringing young Iraqis together |
| A 19-year-old has helped form the new National Youth Orchestra of Iraq, bringing together musicians from all over the country. Hugh Sykes reports. |
|
| TV show angers Lebanon Christians |
| An Iranian-made television series about the life of Christ being shown on two Lebanese channels has been taken off air after complaints from Christians. |
|
| Israeli 'agent' freed in Germany |
| Germany frees on bail a suspected Israeli agent arrested in connection with the killing of a Hamas commander in Dubai. |
|
| Iran nuclear plant launch beckons |
| Russia says it will undertake a key step next week towards starting up a reactor at Iran's first nuclear power station at Bushehr. |
|
| Halal holidays |
| How Muslim women can join in the fun of the beach |
|
| Israeli 'agent' sent to Germany |
| Poland extradites to Germany a suspected Israeli agent wanted in connection with the killing in Dubai of a Hamas commander, officials say. |
|
| Stoning dilemma |
| Why Iran may be wavering over 'adulterer's' case |
|
| Man held over US serial stabbings |
| Police arrest a man in Atlanta in connection with a series of stabbings that left five dead in three states, as he attempts to board a flight to Israel. |
|
| Sticking to the plan |
| Why nothing short of a civil war may keep US troops in Iraq |
|
| Iran stoning woman 'confesses' |
| Iranian television broadcasts what it says is a confession by Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, who is under threat of being stoned to death. |
|
| Australia convicts Iraqi smuggler |
| An Iraqi man is convicted of smuggling more than 500 asylum seekers from Indonesia to Australia in 2001. |
|
| US 'on target' for Iraq departure |
| US forces are on target to end combat operations in Iraq by the end of the month, the White House says. |
|
| Kuwait to get US Patriot missiles |
| The US says it plans to sell Kuwait its latest Patriot anti-ballistic missile to meet "current and future threats". |
|
| Lebanon rejects US aid with ties |
| Lebanon's Defence Minister says he will reject US military aid if it comes with a condition that any weapons are not used against Israel. |
|
| Morocco 'breaks up militant cell' |
| The police in Morocco have broken up a cell of 18 militants planning a series of attacks in the country, officials say. |
|
| Fighting back |
| Locals facing home demolitions block Luxor tourist plan |
|
| Israeli army chief defends raid |
| The head of Israel's military defends its use of live ammunition during a deadly raid on an aid flotilla sailing to Gaza in May. |
|
| Briton dies in Iran rally crash |
| A British man died in a road crash in Iran during a charity car rally, the Foreign Office has said. |
|
| Blast kills eight Iraqi soldiers |
| Eight Iraqi soldiers are killed and four wounded in a bomb attack in Iraq's northern Diyala province, police say. |
|
| Deadly blast hits Turkey pipeline |
| Two people are killed and one injured after an explosion hits an oil pipeline in south-eastern Turkey, reports say. |
|
| Spy charge for Lebanon ex-general |
| A Lebanese military court charges a former general turned Christian party politician with spying for Israel. |
|
| Golan Heights |
| A profile of the Syrian plateau captured by Israel in 1967 |
|
| Golan Heights |
| A profile of the Syrian plateau captured by Israel in 1967 |
|
| Morocco to close 'unsafe' mosques |
| Morocco will close 1,256 unsafe mosques to avoid a repeat of the collapse of a minaret that killed 41 people. |
|
| Gaza flotilla 'aimed to provoke' |
| Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak says that a flotilla of ships taking aid to Gaza in May was a planned provocation. |
|
| Saudi gives Blackberry reprieve |
| Saudi Arabia's telecommunications regulator says it will allow Blackberry services to temporarily continue in the kingdom. |
|
| Iran 'boosts uranium enrichment' |
| Iran has activated more equipment to enrich uranium more efficiently - in violation of UN resolutions, the UN nuclear watchdog says. |
|
| Loyalty test |
| Iraqi’s Sunni militia under pressure as violence rises |
|
| Election doubts |
| Jordan's Muslim Brotherhood undermine poll's credibility |
|
| Saudi eyes |
| Women photographers from Saudi Arabia exhibit in the US |
|
| Gates seeks cuts in US military |
| US Defence Secretary Robert Gates recommends closing a major US military command in a significant shift of defence spending. |
|
| Nasrallah shows Hariri 'evidence' |
| Hezbollah leader Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah reveals what he says is evidence of Israeli involvement in the murder of ex-Lebanese PM Rafik Hariri. |
|
| Tunisia singer in synagogue row |
| Tunisian star Saleem Bakkoush cancels his concert at the Carthage festival after criticism over his performance at a synagogue. |
|
| Iraqi traffic police 'given guns' |
| Baghdad traffic police are reportedly being given Kalashnikov assault rifles to defend themselves after a series of attacks. |
|
| Sudan suspends BBC Arabic radio |
| Sudan halts BBC Arabic broadcasts on FM radio stations in four northern cities, including the capital Khartoum. |
|
| Israeli jailed in Libya released |
| An Israeli man, who had been held in Libya since March on suspicion of spying, is released. |
|
| Netanyahu faces flotilla inquiry |
| Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu is due to face an Israeli inquiry examining the deaths of Turkish activists on a Gaza aid flotilla. |
|
| Iran lawyer in Norway asylum bid |
| Iranian lawyer Mohammad Mostafaei, who has been defending a woman facing death by stoning in Iran, arrives in Norway to seek asylum. |
|
| Iraq market bomb toll rises to 43 |
| The death toll from a market fire in the southern Iraqi city of Basra rises as officials confirm it was caused by a bomb. |
|
| Being a taxi driver in Jerusalem |
| The BBC follows two taxi drivers, an Israeli and a Palestinian, and investigates whether the daily experiences of life differ in the divided city of Jerusalem. |
|
| Deadly 'generator' blast in Iraq |
| An explosion, said to have been caused by a power generator, kills 14 people and injures 35 in the Iraqi city of Basra. |
|
| Pirates quit captured sugar ship |
| Pirates abandon a sugar cargo ship crewed by Syrians and Egyptians, a day after seizing it in the Gulf of Aden. |
|
| Turkish aid vessels return home |
| A Turkish aid ship that was raided by Israeli forces in May arrives back in Turkey after its release by Israel. |
|
| Saudi Blackberry deal 'in sight' |
| An agreement to prevent a ban on the Blackberry smartphone in Saudi Arabia is close to completion, Saudi officials say. |
|
| Adultery case woman attacks Iran |
| An Iranian woman sentenced to be stoned to death for adultery accuses officials of lying about other charges in her case to justify her execution. |
|
| End hunger strike, says Mousavi |
| Iranian opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi calls on 17 political prisoners to end their 12-day hunger strike, citing concerns for their health. |
|
| Saudi Blackberry service resumes |
| Blackberry devices are working again in Saudi Arabia after a four hour outage, despite a ban due to come into force on Friday 6 August. |
|
| Breaking taboos |
| Syrian radio stations push the boundaries of media controls |
|
| Japan ship damage 'was terrorism' |
| A Japanese tanker damaged earlier this week in the Strait of Hormuz was the target of a terror attack, the UAE state news agency says. |
|
| Blackberry 'ban' in Saudi Arabia |
| A ban on the use of Blackberry phones to send and receive messages is being rolled out in Saudi Arabia, users say. |
|
| Stolen childhood |
| Gaza children shoulder the burden of supporting large families |
|
| Lockerbie bomber cancer 'no fake' |
| Professor Karol Sikora, who examined Abdelbaset al-Megrahi in jail, insists the Libyan could not have "faked" his terminal cancer. |
|
| Aziz says West misjudged Saddam |
| Former Iraqi Prime Minister Tariq Aziz mounts a robust defence of Saddam Hussein, saying Iraq is worse off without him. |
|
| Seven die in Israeli rail crash |
| Seven people die and 20 are injured in a collision between a minibus and a train near Kiryat Gat in southern Israel. |
|
| Cameron in Iran nuclear 'gaffe' |
| Labour accuses David Cameron of making "another foreign policy gaffe" after mistakenly saying Iran has a nuclear weapon. |
|
| Egypt 'rape victim' appears on TV |
| Human rights activists in Egypt express concern following allegations that a woman was raped by two police officers. |
|
| Israel releases Turkish aid ship |
| Israel releases an impounded Turkish aid ship on which nine activists were killed as they tried to break the Gaza blockade two months ago. |
|
| Jordanian workers banned from web for wasting time |
| Jordan bars public sector workers from accessing 50 websites after it was found they wasted 2.5 hours a day online. |
|
| Poland to hand over Israeli 'spy' |
| A Polish appeals court upholds a decision to hand over to Germany an alleged Israeli agent wanted over the murder of a Hamas commander. |
|
| Israel charges three Arab 'spies' |
| Israel charges three Arab men with spying, saying they passed intelligence to Syria and plotted to kidnap a Syrian pilot who had defected to Israel. |
|
| 'Silent emergency' |
| Yemen's 'land of food' suffers chronic food shortages |
|
| Blackberry ban |
| Saudi and UAE ban is a thornier issue than it first appears |
|
| Holding back |
| Israel-Lebanon clash suggests neither side wants war |
|
| Iraqi widows |
| 'Love stories' lost and the daily struggle to survive |
|
| Debating Gulf states' Blackberry ban |
| Kirsty Wark discusses what lies behind the Gulf states' Blackberry ban with former Security Minister, Admiral Lord West and Wendy Grossman of Privacy International. |
|
| US gets serious on Iran sanctions |
| Washington forces countries to choose between US and Iran |
|
| Off the record |
| Candid views from Middle East officials and leaders |
|
| Iraq violence |
| Death toll dispute highlights security concerns |
|
| Smugglers' route from Turkey to Iran |
| Business as usual on the Iranian-Turkish border |
|
| Whale fossil stuck in Egypt customs wrangle |
| The fossil of a whale is at the centre of a bizarre customs wrangle at Cairo airport, the BBC's Jon Leyne reports. |
|
| Iran sanctions cripple ageing military |
| The BBC's Nick Childs examines the impact on Iran's ageing military of the latest international sanctions imposed over its disputed nuclear programme. |
|
| Algeria |
| Key facts, figures and dates |
|
| Algeria |
| Key facts, figures and dates |
|
| Lebanon |
| Key facts, figures and dates |
|
| Lebanon |
| Key facts, figures and dates |
|
| United Arab Emirates |
| Key facts, figures and dates |
|
| United Arab Emirates |
| Key facts, figures and dates |
|
| Could a different option with Iran work? |
| With sanctions appearing to have little effect, and Israeli military action a possibility, some argue there is still scope for the US to negotiate with Iran if it takes a different track, the BBC's Barbara Plett reports. |
|
| Tunisia |
| Key facts, figures and dates |
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| Tunisia |
| Key facts, figures and dates |
|
| Libya |
| Key facts, figures and dates |
|
| Libya |
| Key facts, figures and dates |
|
| Graphics: Oil and sanctions |
| Iran has faced waves of international sanctions since the Islamic revolution in 1979, but what effect have they actually had on the country and its economy and trading behaviour? |
|
| Analysis: Do economic sanctions work? |
| Is there any evidence that sanctions have worked against countries in the past? The BBC's diplomatic correspondent Jonathan Marcus reports. |
|
| Business empire of Revolutionary Guards |
| Iran's sophisticated, energy-rich economy is increasingly coming under control of the secretive Revolutionary Guards, the BBC's Mark Gregory writes. |
|
| China-Iran: Old ties, modern dependency |
| Sanctions imposed on Iran are having an effect on its business ties with China, reports Chris Hogg. |
|
| Syria |
| Key facts, figures and dates |
|
| Syria |
| Key facts, figures and dates |
|
| Yemen |
| Key facts, figures and dates |
|
| Yemen |
| Key facts, figures and dates |
|
| Mauritania |
| Key facts, figures and dates |
|
| Sudan |
| Key facts, figures and dates |
|
| Sudan |
| Key facts, figures and dates |
|
| Iraq |
| Key facts, figures and dates |
|
| Party politics |
| Glittering gathering reflects Iraqi election crisis |
|
| Israel marks Shalit anniversary |
| Rallies are planned in Tel Aviv to mark the fourth anniversary of the capture of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit by Palestinian militants. |
|
| US Congress backs Iran sanctions |
| The US Congress overwhelmingly approves new sanctions against companies trading with Iran over its nuclear programme. |
|
| Tough penalties |
| How do you punish a football team? Some examples... |
|
| Lebanon tries to save Arabic |
| Can Lebanon save Arabic from slowly going extinct? |
|
| Iran 'steps up' enrichment work |
| Iran produces 17kg (37lb) of uranium enriched to 20%, it says, defying UN attempts to halt its nuclear programme. |
|
| Farewell, l'hitraot, wa masalaam |
| Heavenly olive oil and other tales in Tim Franks' final diary after three years as correspondent in Jerusalem |
|
| Wild land |
| Is Yemen becoming a jihadist plotter's paradise? |
|
| Jerusalem housing plan 'illegal' |
| UN chief Ban Ki-moon says Jerusalem municipality's plan to demolish Palestinian homes in Silwan is illegal and unhelpful. |
|
| Syria jails leading rights lawyer |
| An award-winning lawyer and activist has been jailed for three years in Syria, human rights groups say. |
|
| Migrants 'live in fear in Libya' |
| African migrants in Libya are "living in constant fear" and its human rights' reforms are stalling, an Amnesty report says. |
|
| Pakistan protest over Iran hanging |
| Demonstrations take place in the Pakistani port city of Karachi against the hanging of a militant leader by Iran. |
|
| Iran university reform sparks row |
| A row breaks out over President Ahmadinejad's battle for control over Iran's biggest and richest university. |
|
| BBC Mid-East report 'confidential' |
| A legal bid to force publication of a BBC review of its Middle East coverage is rejected by the UK Court of Appeal. |
|
| Israel launches 'spy satellite' |
| Israel launches a spy satellite called Ofek-9 that will reportedly be used to spy on Iran's nuclear programme. |
|
| Online diplomacy |
| But can Syrians and Israelis make peace via the web? |
|
| School row mothers pardoned |
| Israel's supreme court overturns jail sentences for ultra-Orthodox Jewish mothers who defied a school integration ruling. |
|
| Iran doubles highest banknote |
| Iran doubles the denomination of its highest banknote to 100,000 rials, worth about $10, its Central Bank Governor says. |
|
| Jerusalem park plan draws US ire |
| The US criticises an Israeli plan to demolish 22 Palestinian homes in occupied East Jerusalem to make way for a tourist park. |
|
| Israel asks UN to shelve inquiry |
| Israel asks the UN to ditch an international inquiry into an Israeli raid on a ship trying to break the Gaza blockade. |
|
| Faith battleground |
| Secular Israelis call for reform of ultra-Orthodox schools |
|
| Iraq electricity minister resigns |
| Iraq's electricity minister says he will resign after violent protests in several cities over chronic power shortages. |
|
| Saudis gold guesstimate doubles |
| Estimates of the amount of gold reserves by Saudi Arabia are doubled to 323 tons after an accounting change. |
|
| Ancient Egypt city located by radar |
| An ancient Egyptian city believed to be Avaris, the capital of the Hyksos who ruled 3,500 years ago, has been located by radar. |
|
| Israel details plan on Gaza goods |
| Israel gives details of how it is to ease the Gaza blockade, with all civilian goods now expected to be let into the territory, officials say. |
|
| Iraq suicide bombing kills eight |
| Eight people are killed in a suicide bombing at a market in the northern Iraqi town of Shirqat, police say. |
|
| Iran bars UN nuclear inspectors |
| Iran tells the UN's International Atomic Energy Agency it will not allow two of its inspectors to enter the country. |
|
| Gulf states eye China bank float |
| Qatar and Kuwait are reportedly lining up to invest $3.6bn in the upcoming flotation of the Agricultural Bank of China. |
|
| Cultural exchange |
| Refugee guides bring London museum to life |
|
| Iran hangs Sunni militant leader |
| Iran hangs Jundullah Sunni militant group leader Abdolmalek Rigi, who was arrested in February, official reports say. |
|
| Baghdad car bombings kill 26 |
| At least 26 people are killed in a twin car bombing in Baghdad, officials say, amid speculation banks may be a new target. |
|
| No Gaza joy over blockade easing |
| Israel says it is easing the land blockade of the Gaza Strip, but few people there are optimistic it will improve the situation, says the BBC's Jon Donnison. |
|
| Attack on Yemen security HQ |
| Gunmen attack Yemen's security headquarters in Aden, killing at least 10 security officers and freeing militants. |
|
| Meeting Syria's Bashar al-Assad |
| A Syrian leader pivotal to regional war and peace |
|
| Press rejects "easing" of blockade |
| Israel's announcement that it will take steps to ease its blockade of Gaza has been dismissed by Arabic press as a cynical ploy |
|
| Irish-Palestinian connection |
| Why the Palestinian cause finds favour in Ireland |
|
| Israel school protests draw fire |
| Some Israeli commentators have had enough of giving in to "separatist interest groups" and relish the prospect of confrontation caused by the High Court ruling's against ultra-orthodox Hassidic Jewish parents. |
|
| Libya becomes migrant dead end |
| Libya becomes dead end for Africa's migrants |
|
| Saudi Arabia |
| Key facts, figures and dates |
|
| Saudi Arabia |
| Key facts, figures and dates |
|
| Why time is against Ahmadinejad |
| Why Iran's leader faces a bigger battle now |
|
| Iranians in exile - One year on |
| Activists who fled Iran on the year since elections |
|
| Keeping impartial in the Mid-East |
| How does a Jewish journalist report the Middle East? |
|
| Iran |
| Key facts, figures and dates |
|
| Egypt |
| Key facts, figures and dates |
|
| Egypt |
| Key facts, figures and dates |
|
| Qatar |
| Key facts, figures and dates |
|
| Qatar |
| Key facts, figures and dates |
|
| Morocco |
| Key facts, figures and dates |
|
| Morocco |
| Key facts, figures and dates |
|
| Oman |
| Key facts, figures and dates |
|
| Oman |
| Key facts, figures and dates |
|
