JERUSALEM: A Jerusalem bishop said on Wednesday he was “dismayed” by the desecration of dozens of Christian graves on the edge of the Old City, as police probed the vandalism.

Stone graves lay in pieces with crosses toppled at the Protestant cemetery on Mount Zion, where Christians believe Jesus’s Last Supper took place.

“We discovered that more than 30 tombstones and crosses were smashed to pieces,” Hosam Naoum, an Anglican bishop, told journalists at the cemetery.

BAGHDAD: Iraq’s anti-corruption agency said on Wednesday the justice minister had been given a court summons after he was accused of blocking a graft probe by refusing to hand over documents.

A probe began last month into “suspicions of corruption” in the delivery of prison meals, with “poor quality” and limited food provided compared to the payments made.

On Tuesday, Judge Haider Hanoun, who heads the government’s anti-corruption agency, accused Minister of Justice Khaled Shawani of “using his power to hinder the work” of investigators.

PARIS: Iranian authorities on Wednesday released on bail star actor Taraneh Alidoosti after holding her for almost three weeks over her support for the protest movement, her lawyer said.

Alidoosti is one of Iranian cinema’s most acclaimed stars, winning international renown for performances in award-winning films by director Asghar Farhadi, including the Oscar-winning 2016 movie “The Salesman.”

RAMALLAH: The new Israeli government headed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is seeking to restore close ties with Russia in a bid to counter Moscow’s increasingly friendly relationship with Iran, analysts say.

At least one observer believes Russia’s support for Iran could pose a future threat to Israeli security operations against Iranian targets in Syria.

On Jan. 3, Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen, after a phone call with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov, asked his Cabinet colleagues to avoid commenting on the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

WASHINGTON: The US is looking at ways to target Iranian drone production through sanctions and export controls, and is talking to private companies whose parts have been used in production, the White House said on Wednesday.
“We are assessing further steps we can take in terms of export controls to restrict Iran’s access to technologies used in drones,” White House National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said in a statement.