Israeli raid puts wrench in US Mideast diplomacy, say analysts
WASHINGTON: The Israeli raid on a Gaza-bound aid flotilla puts a wrench in new US-brokered indirect Middle East peace talks and exposes how the key problem of Gaza has been…
Abbas to ask Obama for'bold decisions' on Middle East
BETHLEHEM: Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas on Wednesday called for US President Barack Obama to make "bold decisions" on Middle East peace and accused Israel of "terrorism." His remarks at the…
Amnesty condemns Libya executions
NICOSIA: Amnesty International condemned the reported execution of 18 people in Libya, many of them foreigners, the rights group said in a statement received by AFP on Wednesday. "Amnesty International…
Algeria's Kabylia declares government in France
PARIS: A movement demanding autonomy for Algeria's Kabylia region said Wednesday it had set up a government-in-exile in France to challenge the national leaders in Algiers. "We are setting up…
Turkish Jews fear anti-Semitism
ISTANBUL: Turkey's Jewish community fears that fury over Israel's deadly raid on a Gaza-bound aid flotilla could provoke anti-Semitism in the Muslim-majority nation, a newspaper editor said Wednesday. "We are…
DR Congo refugees are prey to rape
NYAMOBA: Annie was seven months pregnant when she lost her baby because "at least six men in military uniform" raped her in the Republic of Congo, after fleeing conflict across…
Abu Dhabi police seize 16 kilos of heroin
DUBAI: Abu Dhabi police have seized 16 kilograms (34 pounds) of heroin which three Afghans and a Pakistani tried to sell to undercover agents, The National newspaper reported on Wednesday.…
Taliban suicide squad targets Afghan 'peace jirga'
KABUL: A Taliban suicide squad armed with rockets on Wednesday targeted a landmark Afghan peace conference hosted by President Hamid Karzai in a bid to seek a consensus on how…
Climate change to hurt Egypt farming, tourism
CAIRO: Egypt's farming and tourism sectors could be hurt as climate change takes its toll on the country, fueling food security concerns in what is already the world's largest wheat…
New UN nuclear sanctions could mean confrontation, says Iran
BRUSSELS: Fresh international sanctions against Iran over its nuclear program could lead to confrontation, foreign minister Manouchehr Mottaki warned in Brussels Wednesday. "There are two options," to resolve the problem,…