Arab nations in retreat at London conference on Libya
LONDON: Some Arab countries appeared to distance themselves from Tuesday's London conference, held to plot a course for Libya's political transition, damping French and British hopes of building a consensus.…
Arab League could host Palestinian unity talks
CAIRO: The Arab League is willing to host Palestinian reconciliation talks, Secretary General Amr Moussa said on Tuesday after a meeting with Hamas leader Mahmoud Zahar in Cairo. "The Arab…
EGX 30 closes up, normal trading hours resume Sunday
CAIRO: Egypt’s benchmark EGX 30 closed Wednesday up 1.32 percent at 5,480.94 points while the broader EGX 100 increased by 1.12 percent as officials announced normal trading hours will resume…
The hard right goes soft
PARIS: The central paradox of French politics was confirmed once again on March 27. In a nationwide vote to select local authorities (the so called Conseiller Général), the far-right National…
Japan’s recovery bonds
TOKYO: The tsunami raced through the town at eight meters per second, the speed of a gold-medal sprinter. The wave’s height reached 15 meters, towering above even the highest pole-vault…
Yemen’s regime change gets personal
SANAA: When Yemen’s President Ali Abdullah Saleh ordered his military on March 18 to fire on peaceful protesters calling for his resignation, he sealed his fate. A wave of military,…
Talking to the Muslim Brotherhood of Egypt
A secular youth movement may have deposed President Hosni Mubarak, but the Muslim Brotherhood of Egypt is positioned to take power in September’s parliamentary elections and assume a leading role…
Egypt bourse to resume normal trade hours Sunday
CAIRO: Egypt's stock market, which re-opened last week after a shutdown of more than seven weeks, will resume its normal four-hour trading session on Sunday, a bourse official said. Trading…
Hamas figure hopes for new Gaza policy from Egypt
CAIRO: A leading Hamas figure says he hopes Egypt's new rulers will have a different policy toward Gaza and permanently reopen a key border crossing. The remark comes as a…
Ultraconservative Muslims more assertive in Egypt
CAIRO: Members of an ultraconservative Muslim sect clashed with villagers south of Cairo over demands that a liquor store and coffee shops be closed, officials said Tuesday, a sign of…