Qatar Airways’ plan to launch its first Irish route will go ahead on schedule and will be unaffected by four of Qatar’s Arab neighbours cutting diplomatic ties with the country.

An Arab attacker armed with a gun and a knife has opened fire in a southern Israel bus station, killing an Israeli soldier and wounding 10 people in one of the boldest attacks yet in a month-long wave of violence.

Premier Benjamin Netanyahu apologised to Israel’s Arab citizens today for remarks he made during last week’s parliamentary election that offended members of the community.