Sluggish credit slows strong Mideast rebound, says IMF
DUBAI: Stress in the financial system and weak credit are expected to slow economic rebound in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region this year, the International Monetary Fund…
Moldova Comes in From the Cold
CHISINAU: Today, “color revolutions,” which a few years ago were seen as promising developments in the post-Soviet space, seem to be out of fashion. Around the world, disappointment with democracy…
The Arab League's new opportunity
NEW YORK: Recently the Arab League’s Arab Peace Initiative follow-up committee endorsed the launch of proximity talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority (PA) for the second time in as…
The Geoengineering Temptation
NEW BRUNSWICK: Let’s be clear: man-made global warming is real. As a result of all the carbon dioxide, methane, soot, and other substances that we human beings pump into the…
Thirty-six years after Ma'alot
AMMAN: In the month of May many people celebrate Israeli Independence and grieve Al-Nakba; they lament ongoing violence and fear the next strike. In this sense, times have not changed…
Hay'ah toning down shows of power in Saudi Arabia
JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia: Mersal Village on entertainment nights was once a magnet for members of the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice (known locally as Hay’ah…
Iran police crackdown 'targets posh cars'
TEHRAN: Iranian police launched a crackdown on irreverent social behavior, seizing cars whose drivers are deemed to be harassing women, the state IRNA news agency reported on Monday. "Tehran police…
European arrested for illegal entry into Yemen, says ministry
SANAA: Yemeni security forces have arrested a European national of Arab origin for alleged illegal entry from a coastal area, the interior ministry said on its website on Monday. "Yemeni…
Kuwait charges top writer with harming national interests
KUWAIT CITY: Kuwait charged a prominent author and government critic on Monday with damaging national interests and undermining the status of the Gulf state's ruler. Mohammad Abdulqader Al-Jassem, also a…
Israel to ease West Bank movement restrictions
RAMALLAH, West Bank: Israel's military announced Monday it plans to further ease restrictions on Palestinian travel in the West Bank, delivering what appeared to be a first in a series…