Iran

Iran suspends tax plan after traders protest

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has ordered the suspension of a new value added tax (VAT) after it sparked protests among traders in the country, Iranian media reported on Saturday.

Iraq

Turkish planes hit 31 PKK targets in Northern Iraq

Turkey's military said on Saturday it had launched air strikes against Kurdish separatist PKK bases in northern Iraq late on Friday, hitting 31 targets.

Middle East

Palestinians killed in explosion in Gaza-Egypt tunnel

Two Palestinians were killed in an explosion in a smuggling tunnel under the Gaza-Egypt border, police said on Saturday.

Syria

Journalists say they were taken illegally into Syria

Two American journalists who disappeared earlier this month during a trip across the Middle East said they were abducted by a taxi driver and taken illegally across the Lebanese border into Syria.

Iraq

Christians target of Al Qaida attacks

The city of Mosul has witnessed a wave of assassinations by Al Qaida operatives targeting mainly the Christian minority in the past week.

Sudan

Editor held for story on government salaries

A Sudanese newspaper editor said on Saturday he had been detained after publishing an article criticising high salaries paid to officials in south Sudan's ministry of legal affairs.

Iraq

Iraq struggles to stem ongoing brain drain

Many educated, affluent and secular Iraqis see no future for them.

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RSS FEED Get The Region as a news feed LATEST STORIES FROM The Region The Region Gaza-Egypt tunnel owners come into open The Region Iraqi government struggles to stem ongoing brain drain IRAN Russian 'aided Iran nuclear programme' IRAQ Christians target of Al Qaida attacks MIDDLE EAST Abbas's security forces raid Hamas bomb factory SUDAN Editor held for story on government salaries SYRIA Journalists say they were taken illegally into Syria MORE STORIES FROM The Region IRAN Iran suspends tax plan amid protest IRAQ Turkish planes hit PKK targets in Iraq Iraq struggles to stem brain drain France sells military weapons to Iraq MIDDLE EAST Gaza tunnel blast kills 2 Palestinians Gaza tunnel owners come into open SOMALIA Somali pirates release more Filipinos Hundreds of Burundi troops deploy in Mogadishu