Best of BBC news

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas says he will head an interim unity government to prepare for elections in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

Heavy artillery fire rocks the restive Syrian city of Homs, in what anti-government activists are calling one of the fiercest assaults yet.

Provides an overview of Syria, including key events and facts about this influential Middle Eastern country.

The US is working closely with Israel to use diplomacy to prevent Iran from becoming a nuclear power, President Barack Obama says.

The Syrian activists daring to evade the secret police

Egypt says it is to try 43 people - including Americans and other foreigners - over the alleged illegal funding of non-governmental organisations.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton deplores as a 'travesty' Russia and China's veto of a UN resolution condemning Syria's violent crackdown on protesters.

Staffing issues plague Gulf start-ups

Saudi Arabia is awarding bursaries to young Saudis to help them start their own businesses.

Syria's government has been handed a "licence to kill" by Russia and China, opposition activists say, after the countries blocked a draft UN resolution.

The BBC's director general Mark Thompson has accused the Iranian authorities of intimidating those working for its Persian service.

Western nations deplore the vetoing by Russia and China of a UN resolution condemning the crackdown in Syria, as dozens are killed in Homs.

Russia and China veto an Arab and Western-backed UN resolution condemning the violent crackdown in Syria, hours after scores are killed in Homs.

Syrian government forces have bombarded the city of Homs with artillery shells and mortars, killing at least 55 people, according to opposition groups.

Survivors share experiences on World Cancer Day

Libya and Italy keen to repair ties damaged by the Arab Spring

The Middle East's experts on maritime security are meeting in Abu Dhabi this week and talk of Iran's threats of closing the Strait of Hormuz will feature prominently.

Activists say Syrian forces killed more than 200 people in Homs in the worst violence since anti-government protests began, but the government denies it.

At least four people are killed in clashes between Egyptian protesters and police, amid ongoing anger over deaths after a football match.

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei has warned that any attempt to attack his country's nuclear programme will meet a forceful response.