Israel has confirmed details of what goods it will allow to enter the Gaza Strip with the easing of its blockade. Consumer goods are being allowed but a “blacklist” of items including weapons and materials that could have a military use will be barred or limited. Hamas, which controls Gaza, dismissed the concessions as of [...]
Turkey has for the first time threatened to break diplomatic ties with Israel over its raid on a Gaza-bound aid flotilla in May. Turkey’s foreign minister said a break could only be averted if Israel either apologised or accepted the outcome of an international inquiry into the raid. The Israeli government said it had nothing [...]
Iran has accused the UK, Germany and the UAE of refusing to provide fuel to Iranian passenger planes. The allegation came days after the US enacted unilateral sanctions over Iran’s nuclear programme, to penalise foreign companies trading with Tehran. Britain said it was not aware of any refusal to refuel Iranian planes, and Germany stressed [...]
Lebanon’s top Shia Muslim cleric, seen as a key figure in the founding of militant group Hezbollah, has died at the age of 74. Grand Ayatollah Mohammed Hussein Fadlallah was regarded as Hezbollah’s spiritual guide after the group was founded in 1982, a charge both denied. An implacable critic of the US, he had a [...]
Israel has asked the UN to suspend attempts to organise an international inquiry into a deadly raid on a ship trying to break the blockade of Gaza. Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak said any inquiry should be shelved because new attempts to breach the blockade were still being organised. Nine pro-Palestinian activists died when Israeli [...]
At least 26 people have been killed in a twin suicide car bombing close to a state-owned bank in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, officials have said. More than 50 others were also hurt when the vehicles exploded simultaneously outside the Trade Bank of Iraq’s headquarters in the Yarmouk district. The blasts severely damaged the building [...]
Israel has announced an internal inquiry into its deadly raid last month on a convoy of Gaza-bound aid ships. Israel earlier rejected a UN proposal for an international probe, but has now agreed to include two foreign observers in its own inquiry. The “independent public commission” proposal would be voted on by the cabinet, said [...]
The Head of the Arab League is visiting the Gaza Strip, the first senior Arab official to do so since the Islamist militant group Hamas took over in 2007. Amr Moussa’s visit is partly intended to add to pressure on Israel to end its Gaza blockade, correspondents say. Nine people were killed when Israeli troops [...]
Iran faces its toughest sanctions for failing to comply with UN demands over its nuclear enrichment, the US says. The Security Council is set to vote on a fourth round of sanctions to tighten financial curbs on Iran, while expanding a limited arms embargo. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said they were “the most [...]
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has warned Iran will not agree to talks on its nuclear programme if a fourth round of UN sanctions are imposed this week. He also said a nuclear fuel-swap deal brokered by Turkey and Brazil was an offer that would not be repeated. Mr Ahmadinejad urged Russia not to side with Iran’s [...]
