http://www.ft.com/world/mideasthttp://www.ft.com/rss/world/mideastFT.com - World, Middle Easten© Copyright The Financial Times Ltd 2008. "FT" and "Financial Times" are trademarks of the Financial Times.support@ft.comFri, 9 May 2008 17:02 BSTFri, 09 May 2008 17:12:59 BSTNewspapers15http://news.ft.com/cms/d1f3ce1a-6bbe-11da-bb53-0000779e2340.gifhttp://www.ft.com/world/mideast(PICS-1.1 "http://www.classify.org/safesurf/" L gen true for "http://www.ft.com/" r (SS~~000 1))http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/804d3d28-1d26-11dd-82ae-000077b07658.htmlhttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/804d3d28-1d26-11dd-82ae-000077b07658.htmlGunmen loyal to the Shia militant group Hizbollah seized control of several Beirut neighbourhoods and shut down a pro-government newspaper and television station Fri, 9 May 2008 09:16 BSThttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/2dc63ebe-1de0-11dd-983a-000077b07658.htmlhttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/2dc63ebe-1de0-11dd-983a-000077b07658.htmlEhud Olmert has admitted receiving funds from a US-Jewish businessman while serving as mayor of Jerusalem and minister for trade, but said the money was for his campaignsFri, 9 May 2008 17:02 BSThttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/f284ff56-1c8c-11dd-8bfc-000077b07658.htmlhttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/f284ff56-1c8c-11dd-8bfc-000077b07658.htmlThe pervasive lack of fuel and other supplies and the loss of sanitation services have led to deteriorating living conditions among the territory's 1.5m residentsThu, 8 May 2008 01:29 BSThttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/b6c758d0-1ce4-11dd-82ae-000077b07658.htmlhttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/b6c758d0-1ce4-11dd-82ae-000077b07658.htmlAn explosion in the southern city of Shiraz last month which killed 14 people was the result of a bomb attack by a group with links to the US and Britain, Iran's intelligence minister has said.Thu, 8 May 2008 11:02 BSThttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/814bdd08-1cf2-11dd-82ae-000077b07658.htmlhttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/814bdd08-1cf2-11dd-82ae-000077b07658.htmlCivilians caught up in fighting between security forces and Shia militiamen in a Baghdad slum are running out of food, water and medicine and relief agencies are unable to bring in supplies, officials saidThu, 8 May 2008 21:45 BSThttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/7a236478-1b8b-11dd-9e58-0000779fd2ac.htmlhttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/7a236478-1b8b-11dd-9e58-0000779fd2ac.htmlCentral bank governor Hamad al-Sayari on Tuesday urged the government to fight inflation, warning that economic policies in the kingdom faced a 'critical situation'Tue, 6 May 2008 17:57 BSThttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/d69a26e2-1bc2-11dd-9e58-0000779fd2ac.htmlhttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/d69a26e2-1bc2-11dd-9e58-0000779fd2ac.htmlIn spite of record oil prices, food security across the region has reached a precarious point, with cereals imports expected to reach $22.6bn this yearWed, 7 May 2008 02:22 BSThttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/bab6fa20-1c4b-11dd-8bfc-000077b07658.htmlhttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/bab6fa20-1c4b-11dd-8bfc-000077b07658.htmlThe launch of the Bank of London and the Middle East last July – before the credit squeeze – looks ill-judged. But it is not an ordinary bank – it deals in Islamic financeWed, 7 May 2008 18:09 BSThttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/faffebe6-1c8c-11dd-8bfc-000077b07658.htmlhttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/faffebe6-1c8c-11dd-8bfc-000077b07658.htmlConservatives have attacked the former president for his interpretation of what the Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini meant when he talked of 'exporting the revolution'Thu, 8 May 2008 03:46 BSThttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/64cecc6a-1baf-11dd-9e58-0000779fd2ac.htmlhttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/64cecc6a-1baf-11dd-9e58-0000779fd2ac.htmlYoussef Boutros Ghali backs new government measures designed to pay for an increase in public sector salaries, denying that they would stoke inflationTue, 6 May 2008 22:12 BSThttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/6b82a3b6-1aaa-11dd-aa67-0000779fd2ac.htmlhttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/6b82a3b6-1aaa-11dd-aa67-0000779fd2ac.htmlThe Gulf outpost seeks to shed fusty elements of the public school tradition to reflect the diverse nature of the modern GulfMon, 5 May 2008 17:38 BSThttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/7ad40324-1bd0-11dd-9e58-0000779fd2ac.htmlhttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/7ad40324-1bd0-11dd-9e58-0000779fd2ac.htmlGlobal market turmoil and the western backlash over sovereign wealth funds have pushed Dubai International Capital, the $13bn fund controlled by Dubai's ruler Sheikh...Wed, 7 May 2008 03:00 BSThttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/92e7ccf8-1b89-11dd-9e58-0000779fd2ac.htmlhttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/92e7ccf8-1b89-11dd-9e58-0000779fd2ac.htmlPantera and Argent are among those that have launched regionally focused vehicles in a drive to offer hedging in markets where the tenets of Sharia law ruleWed, 7 May 2008 03:03 BSThttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/e3fe0f94-1ad5-11dd-aa67-0000779fd2ac.htmlhttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/e3fe0f94-1ad5-11dd-aa67-0000779fd2ac.htmlIran has suspended security discussions with Washington in protest at the offensive against Shia militia in Baghdad, describing the dialogue as meaninglessMon, 5 May 2008 20:16 BSThttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/e2e5f662-1ac1-11dd-aa67-0000779fd2ac.htmlhttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/e2e5f662-1ac1-11dd-aa67-0000779fd2ac.htmlAsher Goren, a staunchly secular Israeli who witnessed the country's birth, remains pessimistic over peace and the ultra-orthodox community's political partiesMon, 5 May 2008 18:23 BST