International Politics of the Middle East

The KOF Index of Globalization measures the three main dimensions of globalization: economic social and political. In addition to three indices measuring these dimensions, we calculate an overall index of globalization and sub-indices referring to actual economic flows economic restrictions data on information flows data on personal contact and data on cultural proximity. Data are available on a yearly basis for 208 countries over the period 1970 - 2007.

American guns inscribed with Bible codes are being used by US forces and Afghans to fight the Taliban.

David Chater, Al Jazeera's correspondent in the Afghan capital Kabul, said: "It is a rallying cry for the Taliban. It gives them a propaganda tool.

"They've always tried to paint the US efforts in Afghanistan as a Christian campaign."

Egypt's main opposition group, the Muslim Brotherhood, has named Muhammad Badie as its new leader following the resignation of Muhammad Akef.

The Brotherhood is officially banned but controls a fifth of seats in the Egyptian parliament after it fielded independent candidates in the last general elections in 2005.

Badie's election came after a bitter dispute between conservatives in the group, who place emphasis on strengthening the organisation and ideological outreach, and reformists advocating a more active public role.

Bakri, who was deported from Britain in 2005, added that, whatever happened, his followers could regroup under a different name. "Tomorrow we can call ourselves whatever we think is suitable for us," he said.

Danny Ayalon, Israel's deputy foreign minister, embarrassed Oguz Celikkol, the Turkish ambassador on Monday, making him sit on a low couch and removing the Turkish flag from the table in a meeting called to convey Israeli protests over a Turkish television series.

The series that sparked the latest row between the two countries was a Turkish television drama, called The Valley of the Wolves, which Israel says depicts Israeli security forces as kidnapping children and shooting old men. That followed a drama aired on Turkish state television last October that appeared to portray Israeli soldiers shooting a Palestinian baby at close range. Israeli displeasure Ayalon had summoned Celikkol on Monday to express Israel's displeasure over The Valley of the Wolves.

At the beginning of the conversation with the Turkish envoy, the deputy foreign minister told cameramen in Hebrew: "Pay attention that he is sitting in a lower chair ... that there is only an Israeli flag on the table and that we are not smiling."

A group can be banned for planning acts of terrorism - but also for glorifying it. Al-Muhajiroun fall into the latter category because of its track record of celebrating acts of violence, including once describing the 9/11 hijackers as the "Magnificent 19".

A senior Hamas leader has said that the Palestinian group is close to reconciliation with the rival Fatah movement.

"We are in the final stages now."

"It was a big mistake sending an e-mail to Israel's football federation," Ali Kaffashian, president of the Iran Football Federation, said in a statement carried by the semi-official Mehrs News Agency. "However, I am sure the director of the foreign relations office didn't do it on purpose."

league routinely sends New Year's greetings to all members of FIFA, the sport's global federation, except for Israel.

Mohammad-Mansour Azimzadeh Ardebili, the head of the league's foreign relations office, resigned over the matter, Kaffashian said.