Sports Talk: Surprise and surprise
By Alaa Abdel-Ghani Qatar gets the World Cup. So does Russia. The first World Cup in the Middle East and the first in East Europe. This is what FIFA decided Thursday,…
Maradona finds another team he’d like to coach
BUENOS AIRES: Diego Maradona has found another job he'd like — coach of Boca Juniors. Almost five months after being released as Argentina coach, Maradona said he like to lead…
World Cup losers cry foul
ZURICH: Defeated World Cup hopefuls vented their anger Friday over FIFA's decision to name Russia and Qatar as the hosts of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups after a bitter…
Qatar: From desert longshot to 2022 World Cup host
DOHA: It seemed a longshot at best when Qatar announced it was bidding for the World Cup. After all, the desert nation is located in one of the most volatile…
US airport security program to launch in Yemen
WASHINGTON: A US-style airport security program will soon be set up in Yemen, where an Al-Qaeda affiliate has engineered a string of failed international airline attacks, US officials said Thursday.…
Afghan government hits back at ‘stupid’ US leaks
KABUL: Afghan government officials on Friday hit back at "stupid" allegations made in leaked US diplomatic cables about corruption but refused to comment on a damning assessment of President Hamid…
King Abdullah: patient reformer battling hardliners, own age
By Paul Handley / AFP RIYADH: Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz was 81 when he rose to the Saudi throne in 2005, but moved like a reformer decades younger to unleash his…
Hezbollah image at stake in Hariri case: experts
BEIRUT: An indictment of Hezbollah members in connection with the murder of Lebanese ex-premier Rafiq Hariri could forever tarnish the party's image as a resistance movement and threaten its raison…
Memos: US pressing for Saudi help in Pakistan
CAIRO: The United States has been pushing its powerhouse ally Saudi Arabia to help stabilize Pakistan and Afghanistan, but it has struggled to overcome the kingdom's deep mistrust of Pakistan's…
Thousands battle Israel’s worst fire as toll hits 41
HAIFA: Thousands of Israeli firemen and rescuers fought Friday to control a massive forest fire that has killed 41 people, as global help poured in to battle the biggest inferno…
