Arab League to seek UN seat for Palestinian state
DOHA: The Arab League decided on Saturday to seek full UN membership for a Palestinian state in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, with East Jerusalem as its capital,…
HSBC MidEast sells $500 mln 5-yr Islamic bond
DUBAI: HSBC's Middle East unit priced a $500 million Islamic bond on Thursday at 155 basis points above midswaps, carrying a maturity of five years. The Islamic bond, or sukuk,…
Qatar earmarks up to $10 bln for Egypt projects
CAIRO: Qatar said on Saturday it was prepared to invest up to $10 billion in several projects to support Egypt's economy, including a stake in a new $9 billion port…
Sudan says UN must leave once south independent
JUBA: Sudan has ordered the official termination of the UN's north-south peacekeeping mission on July 9, the date the south will declare full independence, Khartoum’s official news agency said. "Sudan…
Bomb kills Iraqi soldier, firefighter near Baghdad
BAGHDAD: Iraqi officials say a roadside bomb planted outside a suburban liquor shop west of Baghdad has killed a soldier and a firefighter and wounded 10 others. The blast came…
‘Qaeda’ gunmen seize southern city: Yemen official
ADEN: More than 200 suspected Al-Qaeda gunmen have wrested control of the south Yemen city of Zinjibar after heavy fighting with security forces that left 16 dead, an official said…
Ahmadinejad mulled resignation over row: reports
TEHRAN: Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad considered resigning after supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei vetoed a minister's sacking, but ultimately decided not to, parliament's deputy speaker said Sunday. "At one stage…
Syrian troops kill 2 in besieged town: witness
AMMAN: Syrian forces killed two people and wounded scores more on Sunday in the town of Rastan in central Syria, which has seen large demonstrations against the rule of President…
Facebook and Spotify to stream music
Facebook and Spotify are collaborating on a streaming music service at the world's largest online social network, according to a report by business magazine Forbes. A Facebook spokesman told AFP…
Shakira considering album in Arabic
Colombian pop singer Shakira said she would one day like to sing pop songs, if not an entire album, in Arabic. The native Spanish speaker, who also has global hits…