Latest fromMiddle East

Palestinian youths shot dead
Israeli troops have shot dead four Palestinians in the last 24 hours.

UK 'ran renegade torture unit in Iraq'
Fresh evidence has emerged that British military intelligence ran a secret operation in Iraq which authorised degrading and unlawful treatment of prisoners.

Dubai: Desert rose all petal, no stem
Dubai is flashy, showy and ambitious but it's still too self-conscious, writes Stuart Dye.

Britain set to ban NZ's new killer party drug
A drug thought to be used by Kiwis as a substitute for ecstasy could be banned in Britain after being linked to two deaths.

NZ group to jetski from London to Auckland
A group of six New Zealanders will this year attempt to jet-ski from London to Auckland, via Sydney.

Iraqi voters defy threats and bombs
In the face of bomb and mortar attacks that killed 38 people and wounded 89 others, Iraqis went to the polls yesterday.

Longest-serving 'chained wife' breaks free after 48 years
Susan Zinkin divorced her husband in 1962 but was forbidden from looking for new love for almost 50 years.

Private security operatives ordered to leave country
Guards linked to Blackwater given seven days to leave after US court rejects charges.

Tehran braces for fresh protests
Tonight, Iran begins marking 31 years since the country's Islamic revolution.

Egypt: Disco boat escape from Cairo's bustling metropolis
Jill Worrall is whisked through Cairo's cacophony by taxi, boat and horse-drawn carriage.

Munitions wash up on popular Israeli beaches
Israeli security forces closed two popular beaches yesterday to scour them for explosives after two barrels filled with munitions were found washed up on the shores of southern Israel.

New Zealand's nine Oscar nods
Nine figures of the New Zealand film industry have been nominated for the 2010 Oscars.