US report on religious freedom puts Egypt on 'watch list'
CAIRO: A newly released report by a United States government panel says Egypt continues to be a country whose actions reflect a troubling lack of religious freedom. The United States…
Actress Lynn Redgrave has died at age 67
Lynn Redgrave, an introspective and independent player in her family's acting dynasty who became a 1960s sensation as the unconventional title character of "Georgy Girl" and later dramatized her troubled…
In your face: Cuba's underground rappers test free speech
Cuba's underground hip hop duo "Los Aldeanos" are boldly grooving where no Cuban has gone in five decades: criticizing the communist government loud and proud for the first time to…
INTERVIEW: Orascom Development to boost Swiss, Moroccan unit sales
CAIRO: Swiss-based developer Orascom Development Holding, which has lifted profits despite a world downturn, said on Monday it planned to expand home sales in major resort towns and build up…
Obama presses Mideast peace push
SHARM EL-SHEIKH: US President Barack Obama pressed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday on the urgent need for new talks with the Palestinians after the Jewish state's leader met…
Peacemaking's added angle
BENSALEM, Pennsylvania: Reports that the Obama Administration will propose a peace initiative clearly hints at the level of frustration Washington is feeling. It is also clear that a real peace…
Kyrgyzstan's new window of opportunity
WASHINGTON, DC: After resigning in the wake of bloody anti-government protests that left 86 dead and more than 1,500 wounded, the exiled former President of Kyrgyzstan Kurmanbek Bakiyev told reporters…
A cloud over airplane safety
PRINCETON: When airports across Europe reopened after the closure caused by the eruption of Iceland’s Eyjafjallajökull volcano, it was not because the amount of ash in the atmosphere had dropped,…
The abuse of history and the Iranian bomb
TEL AVIV: Saturated with their often tragic history, Jews tend to pay great reverence to the past. But the past, especially when not handled with care, can be the enemy…
Egypt's Eastern eyes 3 pct export rise in 2010-11
CAIRO: Egyptian cigarette monopoly Eastern Company said it planned to raise exports 3 percent to LE 62.1 million ($11.2 million) in its 2010-11 year. Eastern, whose trademark brands include Cleopatra…