Israel

With no foreign journalists or rights groups allowed in the country, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has continually denied that his regime is waging a brutal crackdown.

In an overheard exchange with U.S. President Barack Obama at the G20 summit last week, French President Nicohlas Sarkozy allegedly called Benjamin Netanyahu a 'liar.'

Israeli officials deny that the international hackers' group were responsible for the malfunction of several government-run websites on Sunday.

Delegates on board the Freedom Waves to Gaza flotilla have been mistreated by Israeli forces and are currently being detained in Givon prison, central Israel, say activist groups.

Israeli naval forces have boarded two boats carrying humanitarian aid to Palestinian citizens living in the Gaza strip.

Human rights groups have accused doctors of failing to document signs of torture in Palestinian detainees, reports the Guardian.

The death toll among Syrian civilians after Thursday's clampdown of the security forces against anti-government protesters has risen up to 20 civilians, according to London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights

Following media speculations that Israel is contemplating launching an attack on its archenemy Iran, Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is said to have asked Shin Bet Chief Yoram Cohen to investigate the leak.

Tensions between Iran and the U.S. are mounting after Teheran warned that America should think twice as the government would be ready to "defend the country" amid speculation that the U.S. and Israel are considering an attack.

23-year-old Dimitri Bogotich, who has been sentenced to 69 months in prison for leading a violent racist group, said he joined the group while serving as a soldier in the Israel Defence Forces.

The UK fully opposes Israel's latest decision to expand its settlements, Britain's Foreign Secretary has told the Israeli Defence Minister.

Two boats bound for Gaza carrying medical supplies and messages of support from the U.S. have reached international waters after leaving Turkey on Wednesday.

Tensions between the US, its allies and Iran are mounting following a string of reports saying that the U.S. are considering attacking Iranian nuclear facilities, with the potential support and participation of both the UK and Israel.

The United Kingdom is prepared to militarily support a US strike against Teheran's nuclear enrichment programme, a British newspaper has reported, while in Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is believed to be pushing for a decisive strike against the Jewish state's arch-enemy.

Israel has announced it will instigate the building of 2,000 settler homes in the West Bank and freeze the transfer of Palestinian tax funds to punish Palestine for joining UNESCO.

Following the uproar caused by the Palestinian New UNSECO membership, an official has warned the outcome of the vote will "open the door" to 16 other UN agencies, a move which could further anger the U.S. and Israel.

The United Nations Education, Science and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) has voted to give the Palestinians full membership status in a move that will boost their bid for UN statehood.

When pictures of the release of Gilad Shalit, an Israeli soldier held captive for five years by Hamas, were beamed around the world,many featured a beaming Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli Prime Minister, unleashing a new phenomenon called "Bibi bombing" aimed at pocking fun at the politician's love of the limelight.

The International Quartet for peace in the Middle East is set to hold separate talks with Israeli and Palestinians officials in a bid to bring back that both sides to the negotiating table, after a year of stalemate.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's cabinet issued a statement confirming the approval of a prisoner exchange deal with Egypt to release suspected Israeli spy Ilan Grapel, a dual U.S.-Israeli citizen arrested in June and accused of being a spy in exchange for 25 Egyptian prisoners from Israeli jails.

Turkey is pursuing non-stop rescue operations in a desperate attempt to search for missing people who are believed to be trapped under debris in the aftermath of a massive 7.2 magnitude earthquake.

Rescue teams are on a race against time in Turkey, as efforts to find people trapped under rubble continued throughout the night, after the earthquake that hit Turkey's eastern Van region on Sunday killed more than 200 people.

The 29-second earthquake which struck Turkey has killed at least 138 people. The country continues to reel in hundreds of aftershocks, received in less than ten hours, one of which was at 6.0 magnitude strong enough to create more damages.

Libya's National Transitional Council might have successfully ousted Gaddafi following months of a conflict which culminated with the former leader's death, but in Syria, activists were still in the streets protesting against Assad, while Egypt and Tunisia are still reeling from the fall of their former dictatorship.

The latest "honey trap" accusation comes in the form of 26-year-old Russian Ekaterina "Katia" Zatulivete, who is accused of spying on the UK whilst maintaining a four-year affair with the 65-year-old Liberal Democrat MP Mike Hancock.

Freed Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit has given his first interview since being released after spending five years in captivity on Tuesday.

Gaza's Islamist rulers have released the Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit in return for hundreds of Palestinian militants held by Israel after more than five years in captivity, a Hamas military source has said.

The mystery of how Adam Werritty funded his jet-set £147,000 lifestyle around the world has been answered.

Captured Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit is expected to return to Israel via Egypt by next Wednesday, Palestinian sources and Israeli media have said.

Unconfirmed reports in the Egyptian press have said Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit has already been handed over the Egyptian authorities, amid speculation as to the captive's whereabouts.