The Israeli government said this afternoon that it did not expect any interruption of electricity supplies as the country has gas in storage and can also switch to other fuels like oil and diesel.

FORBES: Egypt Pipeline Explosion Cuts Gas Supply To Israel

An interruption to the electricity and water supplies in Basra, a city of more than 1m people caused, America says, by Iraq has threatened the health of its population, obliging some of them to wash in and drink dirty river water.

ECONOMIST: War in Iraq: Off with his head | The