Roadmap in works for new nations to join Makkah pact
Agencies
1 September 2026 Middle East
Israeli airstrike kills two people in Gaza
Reuters, Cairo
31 August 2026 Middle East
Israeli strikes kill three in Gaza
AFP, Gaza City
29 August 2026 Middle East
New US threats: Iran warns of ‘crushing’ response
Agencies
22 August 2026 Middle East
Iran fishermen venture back to Hormuz despite fears of new fighting
AFP, Bandar Abbas
18 August 2026 Middle East
Syria reaches deal with Moscow on fate of Russian bases
AFP, Damascus
10 August 2026 Middle East

Palestinian shot dead in West Bank

A Palestinian woman rammed her car into a West Bank checkpoint yesterday, wounding two Israelis before being shot
24 June 2016

Dubai eases liquor rules for Ramadan

Dubai is breaking new ground with its decision to loosen rules prohibiting day-time alcohol sales during the Muslim
23 June 2016

Turkey may stage UK-style referendum

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has suggested Turkey could hold a referendum over whether to continue its long-stalled accession process to join the European Union.
23 June 2016

Air raids kill 25 civilians in Syria's Raqa

Warplanes have bombed the Islamic State group's de facto Syrian capital Raqa, killing at least 25 civilians, after the jihadists drove pro-government forces out of their bastion.
22 June 2016

25 killed in ammo store explosion in Libya

At least 25 people have been killed and dozens injured in an explosion at an ammunition store in the western Libyan town of Garabulli.
21 June 2016

More than 700 doctors killed in Syria war: UN

Attacks on hospitals since Syria's war broke out five years ago leaves more than 700 doctors and medical workers dead, many of them in air strikes, according to UN investigators.
21 June 2016

Iran general warns Bahrain after Shia cleric stripped of citizenship

The head of Iran's Revolutionary Guards has suggested there could be armed resistance in Bahrain after the Sunni Muslim-ruled kingdom's top Shia cleric was stripped of his citizenship.
21 June 2016

Bahrain revokes top Shia cleric's citizenship

Bahraini authorities have revoked the citizenship of the most prominent Shia cleric in the Sunni-ruled kingdom, accusing him of
20 June 2016

Iran foils major terrorist attacks

Iran's intelligence ministry yesterday said it had thwarted a major jihadist plot to carry out bomb attacks in the capital Tehran and other parts of the country, state media reported.
20 June 2016

Air strikes kill 23 IS fighters in Syria

Artillery fire from Turkey and coalition air strikes killed 23 Islamic State militants in northern Syria, broadcaster Haberturk reported yesterday.
20 June 2016

23 killed in Afghanistan

A busload of Nepali security guards were among 23 people killed in a string of bombings across Afghanistan yesterday, days after Washington expanded the US military's authority to strike the insurgents.
20 June 2016

Iraq eyes Mosul after Falluja victory over IS

Iraqi forces hunted down holdout jihadists in Falluja yesterday after retaking the city centre and trained their sights on Mosul, the
18 June 2016

Forces retake Fallujah HQ

Iraqi forces raised the national flag over the main government compound in Fallujah yesterday, top commanders
17 June 2016

Bomb Syria regime

Dozens of US diplomats think America should launch military strikes against the Syrian government, according to a
17 June 2016

EgyptAir crash: Second black box 'recovered'

The flight data recorder from the EgyptAir plane that crashed in the Mediterranean Sea last month is retrieved, Egyptian investigators say. The news comes a day after search teams recovered the cockpit voice recorder from the wreckage of Flight MS804.
17 June 2016

US diplomats urge military strikes against Syria's Assad

More than 50 State Department diplomats signs an internal memo sharply critical of US policy in Syria, calling for military strikes against President Bashar al-Assad's government to stop its persistent violations of a cease-fire in the country's civil war.
17 June 2016

Dead Sea drying: A new low-point for Earth

The Dead Sea, the salty lake located at the lowest point on Earth, is gradually shrinking under the heat of the Middle Eastern sun. For those who live on its shores it's a slow-motion crisis - but finding extra water to sustain the sea will be a huge challenge.
17 June 2016

Qatar convicts Dutch woman held 'after being raped'

A court in Qatar convicts a Dutch woman of having sex outside marriage after she told police she was raped.
14 June 2016

Militants losing ground in sirte

Libyan forces have retaken parts of Sirte from IS militants, gaining ground in the extremist group's most significant stronghold outside
11 June 2016

Thousands trapped as SDF forces surround Manbij

A siege by US-backed Kurdish and Arab forces of the key jihadist-held town of Manbij in northern Syria left tens of thousands of
11 June 2016