US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and her Russian counterpart clashed openly on Thursday over the planned startup this summer of Iran’s first, Russian-built nuclear power plant, highlighting a split in views over how to steer Iran away from nuclear weapons. Read the full story

The Obama administration refused to let go of the Ramat Shlomo construction controversy Sunday, with two top aides to US President Barack Obama slamming Israel amid a growing sense in Jerusalem that Washington was using the issue to squeeze diplomatic concessions from Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu. Read the full story

Arab League chief Amr Moussa has said that Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas had told him he would not enter indirect talks with Israel, only days after the Palestinian side had agreed to the contacts. Read the full story

Israel announced the construction of 1,600 homes in east Jerusalem yesterday, drawing criticism from Joe Biden, the US Vice-President, who is in the country trying to kick-start the peace process. Read the full story

Iraq has ordered 250 former and current staff of US security firm Blackwater to leave within a week, a minister says. Read the full story

The political furor escalated over President Obama’s high-profile rebuke of a recent Supreme Court ruling on campaign advertising Thursday, as Democrats pounded the high court decision. Read the full story

The government will appeal a court decision to dismiss charges against Blackwater security guards accused of killing 14 Iraqi civilians in 2007, Vice President Joe Biden said on Saturday Read the full story