Mubarak, sons deny murder, corruption charges; case adjourned till Aug. 15
CAIRO: Former president Hosni Mubarak denied murder and corruption charges as he appeared in court with his two sons on Wednesday in a historic trial. The trial hearings will resume…
All the world’s a stage
By Philip Whitfield CAIRO: Comedy or tragedy, the bane of Shakespeare’s enthralling drama “Much Ado About Nothing”. As in the Cairo performance deception is the heart of the matter. Deceit is…
Talking about religion after Norway
By Julie Clawson AUSTIN, Texas: The recent tragedy in Norway, the worst attack the country has experienced since WWII, shocked and pained the world. It has also forced us as a…
Famine and hope in the horn of Africa
By Jeffrey Sachs NAIROBI: Yet again, famine stalks the Horn of Africa. More than ten million people are fighting for survival, mainly pastoralist communities in the hyper-arid regions of Somalia, Ethiopia,…
Israel’s anti-boycott law forces Israelis to take a stand
By Mairav Zonszein TEL AVIV: Last summer, a group of prominent Israeli actors and artists signed a letter declaring their refusal to perform in the newly built cultural centre in Ariel,…
UN divided as tanks besiege Syrian cities
DAMASCUS: Hundreds of tanks and troop carriers were deployed on Wednesday near the Syrian protest hubs of Deir Ezzor and Hama, activists said, as the UN Security Council was to…
Palestinian envoy urges US not to veto UN bid
WASHINGTON: A top Palestinian envoy said she has tried in vain to persuade the Obama administration not to veto a Palestinian bid next month for UN membership of a state…
South Sudan rebels declare ceasefire, says spokesman
KHARTOUM: A South Sudan rebel group led by renegade general Peter Gadet has agreed to an unconditional ceasefire and is committed to talks on merging its troops with the army,…
Iraq to open talks with US on training mission
BAGHDAD: Iraq will open talks with Washington over a military training mission to last beyond a 2011 pullout deadline, Baghdad's Foreign Minister said on Wednesday, after months of US appeals…
Kolkata set for ‘London Eye’ in major facelift
Kolkata, once capital of British India, on Tuesday began work to transform the congested and fading city into a "second London" complete with a London Eye ferris wheel. Mamata Banerjee,…