Lebanese security authorities have detained a senior executive at state-owned mobile telecom network Alfa on suspicion of spying for Tel-Aviv. "Army intelligence officials are questioning him. They have also arrested another 'valuable catch'," Alarabiya.net quotes one of the sources as saying. Lebanese newspaper ad-Diyar said a security authorities had arrested Alfa's head of transmissions and broadcasting with the charge of "feed Israel with sensitive info... Read more »

11 Iraqi asylum seekers deported from the UK on 16 June still stay in detention in Baghdad. The men were part of a group of more than 40 removed more than a week ago after their claims for political asylum were declined. Some of the deportees claim they were beaten by UK officials during their flight to Baghdad. The UK Border Agency authorities have not responded to the allegations. According to bbc.co.uk one of the men said that they were being held in a s... Read more »

Iranian members of parliament protesting at Israel's blockade of Gaza plan to sail on an aid ship leaving from Lebanon. Lebanon said it would let a Gaza-bound ship called the Julia to travel, via Cyprus, despite warnings from Israel that it could stop by all necessary means ships that tried to sail from Lebanon to Gaza. "A ship is going from Lebanon to Gaza in the course of the current week and the lawmakers are following up to go to Gaza via this ship," Al... Read more »

Allegedly from 2,000 to 5,000 people have taken part in the demonstration against police brutality in the Egyptian city of Alexandria. They were led by the former UN nuclear watchdog chief Mohamed ElBaradei. He is now a campaigner for political reform in Egypt. It is the latest in a series of protests risen after the death of 28-year-old Khaled Said, earlier this month. Witnesses say he was beaten to death by policemen on an Alexandria street. Officials say... Read more »

President Bashar al-Assad prepares to visit Latin America. The trip is aimed at extending Syria's diplomatic reach and attract investment for the country. Syria faces a decline in domestic oil production and droughts that have done damage to agriculture. So Assad will be looking to strengthen links with a rich Syrian expatriate community in the region and with economic power Brazil. "Brazil is a rising power and Syria is aware of this. The president's visit... Read more »

A group of armed men kidnapped two German aid workers in Darfur region of Sudan on Tuesday. The two men working for Technisches Hilfswerk (THW) were snatched in their compound in Nyala, the capital of South Darfur state. "Yesterday (Tuesday) evening, seven men, four of them armed with AK-47 rifles, came on foot to the THW compound ... They snatched a Sudanese security guard and two internationals," Alarabiya.net. quotes the spokesman for Darfur's joint U.N.... Read more »

Israel’s PM Benjamin Netanyahu has given details of its plan to ease the seizure of the Gaza Strip, with all goods now expected to be let into the territory except those included in the list of banned items. This list which is promised to be shorter will be published soon. Statement made by Netanyahu said that the specific list would contain "weapons and war materiel" while humanitarian aid, food and building supplies would be allowed to let in. "From now o... Read more »

A group of heavily armed men have attacked a head-quarter of Yemen's intelligence services in the southern port city of Aden. A clash resulted in 11 people killed. According to security officials armed men entered the building's detention facility on Saturday and releases a number of people being held there. Hakim Al-Masmari, editor-in-chief of the Yemen Post in the capital, Sanaa, said at least 12 people were killed and six injured in the attack. "The [ass... Read more »

According to police reports, at least five people have been killed and more than 40 injured after a car bomb blasted on Friday in the Iraqi town of Tuz Khurmatu, 170km north of Baghdad. Women and children were among the casualties, police said. The explosion severely damaged some surrounding houses including the home of Niazar Nomaroglu, a Turkmen councilor. Reports suggest that it is Nomaroglu who was the target of the attack. The councillor himsel... Read more »

Tel-Aviv on Thursday approved a plan to ease its siege on the Gaza Strip after weeks of international pressure and indignation, but provided few details on what particular new goods would be allowed in. A brief government statement said Israel would "liberalise the system by which civilian goods enter Gaza (and) expand the inflow of materials for civilian projects that are under international supervision." Israel’s Defense Minister Ehud Barak said about its... Read more »