Hamas probes tunnel deaths
GAZA CITY: Hamas said on Sunday it was investigating the deaths of four Palestinians in a smuggling tunnel between the Gaza Strip and Egypt, allegedly by poison gas pumped in…
Watchdog names 40 'predators of the press
PARIS: Media watchdog Reporters Without Borders named Monday the world's 40 worst "predators of the press" including politicians, religious leaders and militias to mark World Press Freedom Day. "They are…
Iraq begins Baghdad vote recount requested by PM
BAGHDAD: Iraqi officials began on Monday a controversial recount of the 2.5 million ballots cast in Baghdad, a move requested by Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki who narrowly lost a parliamentary…
Media should get Islam right
RABAT: Given the amount of violence and instability in countries with Muslim majorities, such as Iraq and Afghanistan, some people mistakenly assume the violence stems from Islamic teachings, when in…
Britain votes and reality waits
LONDON: I don’t mean to sound as though I am bragging, but the last time the Conservative Party won an election in Britain was 1992, when John Major was Prime…
Iran, US take their nuclear cases to UN stage
UNITED NATIONS: Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad brings his nuclear case to New York on Monday, turning a UN treaty conference into a stage for Tehran's long-running showdown with the Western…
Obama the centrist
BERKELEY: Despite the frequent cries of American Republicans that Barack Obama is trying to bring European-style socialism to the United States, it is now very clear that the US president…
A way out of the Middle East's critical mess
BRUSSELS: It is a welcome change that US President Barack Obama is not only committed to halting the spread of nuclear weapons but realizes that non-proliferation begins at home. In…
Focus of the Middle East spot crude market
SINGAPORE: The focus of the Middle East spot crude market this week will be the release of official selling prices (OSPs), as refiners and traders calculate their requirements and gauge…
Gabon's energy Raises the Stakes
PARIS: Gabon's energy sector is preparing to jump into the deep end with the launch of a bidding round for deep and ultra-deep offshore drilling. The energy ministry recently announced…