A TikTok star has been detained in Egypt, two days after she and another influencer were convicted of human trafficking and given long jail terms. Haneen Hossam, 20, posted a video on Monday in which she asked for clemency, saying she had never harmed anyone. On Sunday, a court in Cairo sentenced her in absentia […]
Iran nuclear deal Iran’s president-elect has welcomed the negotiations with world powers aimed at reviving a 2015 nuclear deal but said they must guarantee national interests. At his first news conference since his victory in Friday’s election, Ebrahim Raisi promised he would not allow the talks in Vienna to be dragged out. He also insisted […]
Hardliner Ebrahim Raisi has won Iran’s presidential election in a race that was widely seen as being designed to favour him. He thanked Iranians for their support, after securing 62% of the votes. Mr Raisi is Iran’s top judge and holds ultra-conservative views. He is under US sanctions and has been linked to past executions […]
Benjamin Netanyahu has lost his 12-year hold on power in Israel after the country’s parliament voted in a new coalition government. A new “government of change” will be led by right-wing nationalist Naftali Bennett of the Yamina party. He will lead an unprecedented coalition of parties which was approved with a razor-thin majority of 60-59. […]
Israeli opposition parties have reached an agreement to form a new government that would end Benjamin Netanyahu’s 12-year tenure as prime minister. Yair Lapid, leader of the centrist Yesh Atid party, announced an eight-faction coalition had been formed. Under a rotation arrangement, the head of the right-wing Yamina party, Naftali Bennett, would serve as prime […]
Netanyahu corruption trial Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has warned that a proposed new unity government would be “a danger for the security” of the country. He urged right-wing politicians not to support a deal after ultra-nationalist leader Naftali Bennett said he would join talks with centrist Yair Lapid. Mr Lapid has until Wednesday to […]
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is trying to dissuade his opponents from forming a government as he seeks to hold on to power. Centrist party leader Yair Lapid has until Wednesday to build a coalition. Media reports from Israel say he is close to reaching a deal with ultra-nationalist leader Naftali Bennett. Mr Netanyahu, Israel’s […]
The UN Human Rights Council has voted to investigate violence in the recent conflict between Israel and Hamas. The body approved the resolution, brought by a group of Islamic countries, by 24 votes to nine. But the United States said the decision threatened to endanger progress in bringing calm to the region. At least 242 […]
Iran has announced a four-month ban on the energy-consuming mining of cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin after cities suffered unplanned blackouts. President Hassan Rouhani told a cabinet meeting the main cause of the blackouts was a drought that had affected hydro-electric power generation. But he said cryptocurrency mining, 85% of which is unlicensed, was draining more […]
By Jeremy Bowen BBC Middle East editor After the ceasefire, Palestinians in Gaza, who had stayed inside as much as they could while there was a chance of getting killed outside, walked round their neighbourhoods to get a better idea of what Israel had done. People stopped to inspect huge piles of concrete rubble from […]
