Karzai confirms informal Taliban talks ongoing
KABUL: Afghan President Hamid Karzai confirmed his government has been in informal talks with the Taliban on securing peace in war-weary Afghanistan "for quite some time" — the latest in…
Somali pirates seize ship with 20 -Filipino crew members
NAIROBI: Somali pirates have seized a Japanese-owned cargo ship with 20 Filipino crew members onboard, the European Union Naval Force said Monday. The owners of the Panama-flagged Izumi received an…
4 killed execution-style in Iraq, police chief survives bomb
BAGHDAD: Four men were killed execution-style when gunmen swooped on their town south of Baghdad early Monday, while a top police chief survived a bomb attack in the Iraqi capital,…
Iranian leader in controversial visit to Lebanon
BEIRUT: Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad arrives in Beirut on Wednesday for a controversial visit, the highlight of which will be a tour of Lebanon's volatile border with his arch-enemy Israel.…
Abbas told Arab summit Israel has ‘cancelled Oslo’, says aide
RAMALLAH: Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas told Arab leaders over the weekend that Israel has in effect scrapped the landmark 1993 Oslo autonomy accords, an aide said on Monday. "Abbas affirmed…
Niger upsets Egypt 1-0 in African Cup qualifier
NIAMEY, Niger: Niger caused a major upset in 2012 African Cup of Nations qualifying on Sunday with a 1-0 victory over Egypt, winners of the last three editions of the…
Global study finds China and Middle East leading digital age
HONG KONG: China and the Middle East are racing ahead of the West in embracing the internet according to "the largest ever" global study of online habits. The Digital Life…
Muslim Brotherhood vies for 30 pct of parliament
CAIRO: The Muslim Brotherhood, Egypt's largest opposition group, said Saturday it will contest up to 30 percent of the seats up for grabs in next month's parliamentary elections, shrugging off…
French, Italian tourists killed in road accidents
CAIRO: An Egyptian medical official says a speeding van overturned and killed two foreign tourists, one of them French, on their way to a Red Sea resort city. The head…
Pope calls for peace at Mideast religious talks
VATICAN CITY: Christianity, Islam and Judaism should work for Middle East peace, Pope Benedict XVI said on Sunday, opening a Vatican conference set to include senior Muslim and Jewish leaders…