David Blair's Blog, page 104

Briton on death row in Abu Dhabi is company director's son

A young Briton who has been sentenced to death in Abu Dhabi is the son of a company director who has worked in the Gulf since the 1980s.

Briton facing death penalty in Abu Dhabi caught in undercover police operation

The Briton who faces the death penalty in Abu Dhabi was caught selling drugs by an ambitious police operation involving telephone tapping and undercover surveillance, according to court files.

One million teenage girls 'suffer death or injury from pregnancy'

About one million teenage girls suffer death or injury from childbirth or pregnancy complications every year, according to a report.

Turkey's Recep Tayyip Erdogan voices 'wrath' over downed jet

Turkey's prime minister risked an escalating confrontation with Syria on Tuesday, voicing "wrath" over the destruction of an air force jet and toughening the rules of engagement of his armed forces.

Syria: Turkey issues border warning as it condemns 'heinous' attack on jet

Turkey's armed forces have toughened their rules of engagement in response to Syria’s “heinous” destruction of an air force jet, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the prime minister has announced.

Away from the desk: David Blair in Iraq

Continuing our series on memorable journeys made by Daily Telegraph writers, David Blair, the chief foreign correspondent, recalls a perilous journey from Iraq to Jordan and a driver he’ll never forget.

Egypt's generals, and America, have learned the bloody lessons of Algeria

The generals who remain the power behind the throne in Egypt appear to have learned a lesson from events in a nearby country over two decades ago. In December 1991, an Islamist party calling itself the Islamic Salvation Front (FIS) won an outright majority in the first round of Algeria’s...

Syria 'shoots down Turkish fighter jet'

Syrian air defences “shot down” the Turkish jet fighter that went missing while on patrol near the border between the two countries on Friday, according to local television reports.

Iran and world's leading powers fail to resolve nuclear impasse

Iran and the world’s six leading powers failed to resolve any point of substance during “tough and frank” negotiations over Tehran’s nuclear ambitions, declining even to fix another meeting.

Russia trying to negotiate with Iran to prevent collapse of nuclear talks

Russia was trying to prevent negotiations between Iran and the world's six leading powers from collapsing on Tuesday as the two sides searched for a possible compromise.