Full Coverage: Middle East

31.10.2009 The role of Britain in the effort to take Israel to the International Criminal Court over the killings of Palestinians in Gaza nine months ago will be to catch "diplomatic flu" and abstain rather than stand up against human rights abuses, says The Muslim News:

28.10.2009 Iceland is the best place for women when it comes to gender equality, a position it claimed from Norway, which now finds itself on the third place.

22.10.2009 Iraq remains the top country of origin of asylum applicants (13,200 claims) in industrialised countries for the fourth consecutive year, according to the UN refugee agency. Afghans (12,000) and Somalis (11,000) are the next largest groups as security conditions continue to deteriorate in large parts of their home countries.

19.10.2009 Where blogging has become a serious medium for social and political commentary as well as a target of government suppression.

18.10.2009 Yoav Shamir was called an anti-Semite for one his films, which, as a Jew and an Israeli, he found odd.

10.10.2009 There will be a celebration at 5.30pm at Grosvenor Square, opposite the US Embassy, to celebrate the Iraqi government's the release of 36 people seized from a camp for Iranian dissidents in Iraq. In London, hunger-strikers ended their 72-day sympathy fast to mark the group's return to Camp Ashraf.

05.10.2009 A documentary about “the only top official in the UN known by his first name” sounds dull. But don’t be put off - Sergio is engrossing.