Middle Orient

TEHRAN (AP)— Iran’s confirmation Sunday that it has detained a fourth Iranian-American — this one a peace activist from California — seems certain to further rile relations between the two countries, already tense over Iran’s nuclear programme.

NAHR BARED (AFP) — Lebanese soldiers and diehard Islamist gunmen entrenched in a refugee camp fought gunbattles on Sunday after at least 17 people were killed in an operation to storm rebel positions.

BAGHDAD (AP) — An apparent suicide car bomber took aim at a US convoy carrying demolition experts on Sunday, collapsing a major highway overpass south of Baghdad and trapping American soldiers in the rubble.

GAZA (Reuters) — Rival Palestinian factions battled in the Gaza Strip on Sunday, raising the weekend death toll to at least three and 39 injured in the fiercest internal fighting since a ceasefire was declared nearly a month ago.

A zionist occupant’s helicopter has fired missiles at Islamic Jihad offices in Gaza City, hours after the organisation claimed responsibility for a cross- border raid into the zionist occupying land of Palestine.

GAZA (Reuters) – Rival Palestinian factions battled in the Gaza Strip on Sunday, raising the weekend death toll to at least three and 39 injured in the fiercest internal fighting since a ceasefire was declared nearly a month ago.

AMMAN, Jordan – Jordanian police exchanged gunfire with a small group of armed men suspected of stealing electricity and water in a town near the Israeli border, the official Petra news agency reported.

Jordan is still in its boom phase with construction projects dotting the Amman skyline, but spaces are filling up, writes Nadine Marroushi.

Belgium, Le Soir newspaper: The EU Council is planning to keep MEK in the terrorist list again. It seems that the Council is not paying attention to the verdict of EU Court of Justice issued on December 12th which ruled in favor of Mojahedin. (The Council did not even appeal …

WASHINGTON — In the dusty battlegrounds of Iraq where open-air food shopping poses a security threat, new technology is allowing US troops to enjoy fresh fruit and vegetables, even in remote desert locations.