Contested Sudan region should be ceded to south, says SPLM
JUBA: South Sudan wants its former northern enemies to cede the contested oil-rich border region of Abyei without holding a landmark referendum, a senior southern official said on Tuesday. Instead…
US denies giving ‘bags of cash’ to Afghanistan
WASHINGTON: The White House denied Tuesday it was giving Afghanistan "bags of cash," after Afghan President Hamid Karzai said it was receiving cash payments from "various friendly countries," including Iran.…
UN rights chiefs lead new assault on US
UNITED NATIONS: UN human rights chiefs and experts launched a new offensive on the US conduct of its "war on terror" and conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. The leaking of…
Bahrain’s Elaf eyes Malaysian sharia banking license
KUALA LUMPUR: Elaf Bank has applied for a Malaysian Islamic banking license after securing six financing deals worth about $1.4 billion in the country and Indonesia, its chief executive said…
BlackRock sees demand for emerging-market ETFs
DUBAI: Demand for emerging-market exchange traded funds (ETFs) is set to grow rapidly as investors hit by foreign-ownership regulations in many countries buy the product as an alternative, a managing…
Ailing Ivory Coast economy waits on election result
ABIDJAN: After a decade of political and military crisis, the economy of Ivory Coast has taken many setbacks, but the country's people hope that Sunday's presidential election will bring an…
Syria: Industrial strength
Syria’s rising appeal for companies seeking a foothold in the Levantine market has seen investment soar in its industrial sector, boosting government efforts to push the country towards a more…
Al-Wafd mulls boycotting PA polls, says secretary general
CAIRO: The executive bureau of Al-Wafd opposition party is considering boycotting the upcoming People’s Assembly (PA) elections in case the integrity of the polls is not guaranteed, Al-Wafd secretary general…
Egyptian literature absent at Algiers book fair
ALGIERS: Egyptian publishers were absent Tuesday as Algeria's President Abdelaziz Bouteflika kicked off an international book fair, nearly a year after the two countries clashed over a football match. Despite…
Pinkeye cases reach 2,637, says health ministry
CAIRO: The total number of cases infected with conjunctivitis, also referred to as pinkeye, amount to 2,637, the majority of which are in Dakahliya, the Ministry of Health said on…