Latest from Middle East

British woman accused of drunken sex in Dubai taxi

Climate for worldwide change

Masada, Israel

This dramatic fortress, perched high above Israel's Negev Desert, was built by King Herod on the site of a former Bronze Age camp.

Israel: Highs and lows in the Negev Desert

Masada is worth the while it takes to get there, and the stamina you need to stay there, says Simon Calder.

Key 'disappointed' over MFAT leaks

Students die in Syrian university raid

What the Dickens? A new take on author

Oman: An oasis of charm

In Oman, Jim Eagles finds the picturesque fishing village of Quriyat refreshingly different.

Gwynne Dyer: The folly of war taken to extremes

Oman: Magical moments in the desert

Maybe it's the larrikin in me but I never tire of careering over desert sands in four-wheel-drives.

Oman's desert secrets

Unlike some desert landscapes, Oman's interior is extremely mountainous - sand and gravel deserts are broken up by rugged, striated, folded mountains in which nestle oases or wadis (river beds).

Osama bin Laden's wives to be jailed

Emanuele Ottolenghi: Iran regime change only hope

Nations pledge millions for Syrian opposition

Oman: Desert citadel's ingenious defences

Invaders hoping to capture Oman's Nizwa fort in centuries past would have had some medieval defence methods to deal with.

Nizwa, Oman

The inland Omani town of Nizwa is separated from the Gulf of Oman and the city of Muscat by the Jebel Akhdar mountains. It is home to the largest fort on the Arabian Peninsula and is still a great place to buy traditional Omani wares.

Israel: Shalom and Shabbat

Thank God it's Friday takes on a different meaning in Israel, says Damien Grant.

Gwynne Dyer: Bush's war looms over sad killings