IFC to boost funding in Mideast, North Africa
BRUSSELS: The World Bank's private-sector lending arm plans to increase its investments in the Middle East and North Africa despite the political turmoil that has deterred many investors, its chief…
Money magic
CHICAGO: Economic growth in the United States seems to be slowing again. This might reflect temporary factors, like the Japanese tsunami, which disrupted supply chains and caused some factories to…
The voice is Obama’s; the hands are Bush’s
US President Barack Obama's June 2009 speech in Cairo was widely received as a sincere expression of his desire for a "new beginning between the United States and Muslims around…
India gives
NEW DELHI: The recent India-Africa summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, at which India’s government pledged $5 billion in aid to African countries, drew attention to a largely overlooked phenomenon —…
Out of Arabia
Seen from the Middle East, the American debate on US foreign policy in the region is frequently tiresome, even if it can often have radical consequences on the lives of…
Queen hails king: actor Colin Firth leads British honors
Actor Colin Firth was rewarded in Queen Elizabeth II's birthday honors list on Saturday after he played her father in Oscar-winning film "The King's Speech." England cricket captain Andrew Strauss,…
Lady Gaga hails ‘revolutionaries of love’ at gay parade
Lady Gaga hailed gays on Saturday as the "revolutionaries of love" and called for "full equality now" for same-sex couples around the world in a speech in front of hundreds…
US, Chinese stars usher in Shanghai film festival
Susan Sarandon cracked jokes with Chinese actor Zhang Guoli. Matt Dillon tried out his Mandarin and Rupert Murdoch touted the new movie his Chinese-born wife is producing. Hollywood's elite joined…
A stimulating retelling of Ancient Egyptian stories
Ambassador Marc Franco, head of the European Union Delegation to Egypt, and his wife Rita Janssen hosted an intellectual night at their residence in Zamalek last week. Having vowed to…
Hamas rejects Fayyad as next Palestinian PM
GAZA CITY: Hamas on Sunday rejected the rival Fatah movement's nominee for prime minister, complicating plans to unify the dueling governments in the West Bank and Gaza Strip and jeopardizing…