Arab dissent finds voice in cyberspace
Activists from Egypt to the UAE are using virtual means to organise real opposition
Bomb kills 30 after Maliki reassures on security
A car bomb in the northern Iraqi oil hub of Kirkuk killed at least 30 people and wounded 40 last night, hours after Nouri al-Maliki, prime minister, tried to reassure…
Syria invites Obama for talks
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has issued an informal invitation to President Barack Obama to visit Damascus for talks, in a further that relations between the two countries may gradually be thawing
Israel struggles to adapt to a changing picture of Iran
Iran is no longer the country the west had thought, or wanted to think, it was. The post-election scenes on the streets of Iranian cities surely strengthen those who argue that the way to encourage Tehran’s return to the international community is through engagement, writes Philip Stephens
UN nuclear watchdog chooses new head
New holder of sensitive post must confront Iran’s expanding uranium enrichment programme, blocked investigations into alleged military nuclear activity in Iran and Syria, and North Korea’s atomic tests
Comoros crash prompts blacklist calls
France and Brussels want a UN standards body to draw up a global blacklist of aircraft deemed unsuitable to fly amid concerns over the lack of co-ordination between countries on safety alerts
Hunt widens for looted treasure
An international effort is being stepped up to find the thousands of antiquities stolen in Iraq after the allied invasion and to halt the global trade in such artefacts
London ‘very concerned’ by Iran trial threat
Britain’s Foreign Office said it was ‘very concerned’ by reports from Iran that local embassy staff may face trial in connection with demonstrations against last month’s presidential election
Oil groups resist tough bid terms
Iraq’s first big effort to attract foreign investment to its oil sector met stiff resistance from companies yesterday. Only BP of the UK and China’s CNPC were willing…
Rivals unite to reject Iran’s regime
Iran’s reformist opposition delivered a co- ordinated message to Iranians, declaring the government of Mahmoud Ahmadi-Nejad illegitimate and encouraging supporters to challenge it
Bomb kills 30 after Maliki reassures on security
A car bomb in the northern Iraqi oil hub of Kirkuk killed at least 30 people and wounded 40 others last night hours after Nouri al-Maliki, prime minister, sought to…
Amnesty details violations in Gaza assault
The human rights group says Israeli forces had shot, at close range, civilians who were fleeing their homes in search of shelter and had fired tank shells into civilian homes
Iran accuses detained embassy staff
Two of the British embassy staff detained in Iran played a “remarkable role” and were “main elements” behind the post election unrest in Iran, the semi-official Fars news agency has alleged
Saudis award 9,000km border security work
EADS will be building a fence along Saudi Arabia’s borders with Iraq and Yemen to ensure safety from all criminal activities and to stem the flow of illegal immigrants into the country
Lebanon leader inherits mixed legacy
New prime minister Saad Hariri takes over a growing economy but also one shackled by the country’s longstanding factionalism and a huge national debt
