Lebanon on edge after Hezbollah revelation on Hariri probe
BEIRUT: Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah's disclosure that his party is likely to be implicated in the assassination of ex-premier Rafiq Hariri could send the country sliding back to chaos, analysts…
Israel: Controversial conversion bill shelved
JERUSALEM: An Israeli government decision to shelve a controversial bill on Jewish conversions drew praise Friday from liberal Jewish groups in Israel and the US who opposed the legislation and…
Al Qaeda claims Yemen attacks, vows more strikes
DUBAI: Al Qaeda's Yemen arm said on Friday it was behind coordinated attacks on security offices in the Arabian Peninsula state in which four people were killed, and threatened more…
Britain voices ‘concern’over disappearance of Hassan killer
BAGHDAD: British Foreign Secretary William Hague voiced "concerns" to his Iraqi counterpart on Friday over the apparent disappearance from prison of aid worker Margaret Hassan's convicted killer. Hague's telephone conversation…
Saudi Hires Thousands of New Teachers after Sacking of Extremists
RIYADH: The Saudi Arabian government plans to hire 23.221 new teachers before the start of the new academic year in September, local media is reporting. The move comes just days…
Imprisoned activist a ‘clear message’ from gov’t, says rights group
CAIRO: A three-month prison sentence issued against an activist accused of assaulting police officers during a demonstration, has been condemned as a “clear message from the persistent Egyptian government”. The…
SCA scours bed of Lake Qarun in search of antiquities
CAIRO: Egyptian experts have begun to explore the depths of Lake Qarun south of Cairo using remote sensing radars in search of sunken artifacts, antiquities officials told AFP on Wednesday.…
Mubarak says economy is Egypt’s top priority
CAIRO: President Hosni Mubarak said Thursday improving economic growth and dealing with social disparities were top priorities for the Arab world's most populous nation, challenging his political opponents to take…
Dubai World restructuring could trigger Gulf gains
LONDON/DUBAI: Pivotal talks this week on restructuring the debts of Dubai World could be a trigger for investors to return to the Gulf region, under a cloud since the state…
Jordan budget gap shrinks as spending curbs bite
AMMAN: Jordan's budget deficit more than halved in the first five months of the year as the government maintained a freeze on non-essential capital spending, finance ministry sources said on…