In Syria, a wild and far-fetched idea
By Alon Ben-Meir Will Assad have the courage and the vision to rise to the historic occasion and change the geopolitical dynamics throughout the Middle East? The time and circumstances have…
A sensible future
By Mennat Maassarani The democratic awakening that has crept through most Arab countries in the past few months has left the planet in awe of the magnitude of a place long…
Accept with minor “interpretations”
By Yossi Alpher There is a certain formalistic justification in Israel's standoffish attitude toward the Arab Peace Initiative. After all, the API was never seriously "marketed" to Israel. The concluding paragraph…
Fukushima and derivatives meltdowns
By Mark Roe CAMBRIDGE: Financial commentators have likened Japan’s earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear catastrophe to derivatives’ role in the 2008 financial meltdown. The resemblance is clear enough: each activity yields big…
Syria bans all demos, as 10 killed in Homs
DAMASCUS: Syria imposed on Tuesday a total ban on all demonstrations after warning of a crackdown on an "armed revolt" by Islamist radicals and security forces fired on protesters in…
Libya rebels say 10,000 killed, UN sends in food aid
MISRATA: The UN said Tuesday it has sent food for 50,000 people to west Libya as aid groups scrambled to reach trapped civilians and rebels put the death toll from…
Tunisian court drops case at heart of protests
TUNIS: A Tunisian court dropped charges Tuesday against a policewoman whose dispute with a fruit vendor sparked a chain of events that unleashed uprisings around the Arab world. The state…
Israel peace plan ‘reinvents occupation’, say Palestinians
RAMALLAH: Leaked details of a purported new Israeli peace plan show it to be "a reinvention of Israel's occupation," a senior Palestinian official said on Tuesday. Hanan Ashrawi, a leading…
Mubaraks had wealth beyond their means
CAIRO: Egypt's financial oversight body says the former president of Egypt and his family have amassed wealth beyond their means in the form of properties and bank accounts. The state…
Cairo says Iran has not appointed an Egypt ambassador
CAIRO: Egypt said on Tuesday Iran had not appointed an ambassador to Cairo, denying a news report that the two countries had restored diplomatic relations after over 30 years. The…