Palestinian local councils boycott American officials, journalists; Fayyad says he would give up any aid that is dependent on political conditions; Fatah calls for Hamas to join effort. Read the full story

Ousted Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak has reportedly used the 18 days of pro-democracy protests in the country to move his family’s assets from European banks to Persian Gulf countries. Read the full story

In its latest effort to defuse public anger amid mass protests, embattled President Hosni Mubarak’s regime set up a committee Tuesday to recommend constitutional changes that would relax presidential eligibility rules and impose term limits. Read the full story

Chief Palestinian Authority negotiatior Saeb Erekat threatened on Monday to expose documents that show Qatar invested in Israeli settlements, Maan news reported.

“The time will come in future to reveal these documents,” he reportedly said. Read the full story

Washington is worried that Iran continues to attract investment from China despite a new round of UN Security Council sanctions imposed on Tehran, a US official says. Read the full story

The Arab League foreign ministers on Thursday authorized the Palestinian Authority to enter direct negotiations with Israel and left it up to PA President Mahmoud Abbas to decide on the timing. Read the full story

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad says the United States and Israel plan to attack two countries in the Middle East as part of a conspiracy to apply pressure on Iran. Read the full story

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad accused Russian President Dmitry Medvedev of turning against Teheran and joining US efforts to spread lies about its nuclear program on Friday, in the latest sign that Iran is drifting apart from a one-time key backer. Read the full story

The head of Hezbollah has said that some of its members will be among those charged with the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri in 2005. Read the full story

An Arab man convicted in Israel of rape because he pretended he was a Jew when he had consensual sex with a Jewish woman has called the verdict racist. Read the full story

Israel must go beyond easing its blockade of Gaza and throw open its long-closed border, EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton has said. Lady Ashton urged the international community to pressure Israel to end the blockade. Read the full story

Turkey has for the first time threatened to break diplomatic ties with Israel over its raid on a Gaza-bound aid flotilla in May. Turkey’s foreign minister said a break could only be averted if Israel either apologised or accepted the outcome of an international inquiry into the raid. Read the full story

Iranian aircraft will not be permitted to refuel in Germany, the UK and the United Arab Emirates, AFP reported Monday, citing an ISNA report. Read the full story

The CEO of French energy giant Total, Christophe de Margerie, says imposing sanctions against Iran over its nuclear program was a “serious mistake.” Read the full story

Iran has provided Syria with an advanced radar system which could provide it with early warning of an Israeli strike on its nuclear facilities, The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday, quoting Israeli and US officials. Read the full story

Iran said on Tuesday it would soon resume nuclear talks with Turkey and Brazil — a tentative first step back to international negotiations after Tehran was hit with a new wave of sanctions over its disputed nuclear work. Read the full story

Turkey has barred an Israeli military flight from Turkish airspace, in apparent retaliation for Israel’s raid on an aid convoy bound for Gaza. Turkey’s prime minister confirmed that a “ban” had been implemented following the 31 May raid, in which nine Turkish citizens on the flotilla were killed. Read the full story

Saudi Arabia has conducted tests to stand down its air defences to enable Israeli jets to make a bombing raid on Iran’s nuclear facilities, The Times can reveal. Read the full story