Syria eyed Israel for 2008 killing, says leaked US cable
NICOSIA: Syria suspected Israel of carrying out the 2008 murder of a top security aide of President Bashar Al-Assad, according to US diplomatic cables leaked by WikiLeaks and published by…
Turkey to Design and Produce Its Own Fighter Jet
Turkey has tossed aside plans to purchase the Eurofighter Typhoon and is pursuing an ambitious endeavour to design and produce its own fighter jet instead. The decision, announced by Turkish…
Israeli ministers float limited West Bank pullout
JERUSALEM: With Mideast peace talks at an impasse, two senior members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud Party are shopping around a new idea: In the absence of peace, Israel…
Critical notes: Exhibitions flood Cairo art scene
By Mariam Elias Whether by intention or coincidence, several art institutions scheduled the opening of their latest exhibitions on Dec. 13, the night following the opening of the 12th International Cairo…
Finland wants jail for execs in Egypt bribe case: reports
By AFP HELSINKI: Finland's state prosecutor is seeking prison sentences for five defendants in a bribery case involving Finnish defense company Patria's dealings with the Egyptian government, reports said Monday.…
A dismal failure of leadership all around
By Alon Ben-Meir NEW YORK: It is hard to describe the state of affairs of the Arab-Israeli conflict at this particular juncture without using adjectives such as "sad," "unfortunate" or even…
The protocols of Rupert Murdoch
By Jonathan Schell NEW YORK: Whenever I hear people on America’s Republican right call themselves “conservative,” I experience the mental equivalent of a slight electric shock. A conservative is someone who,…
Europe’s time to learn
By Harold James PRINCETON: Crises are a chance to learn. For the past 200 years, with the exception of the Great Depression, major financial crises originated in poor and unstable countries,…
Asians in festive shopping spree as West sulks
By Roberto Coloma/ AFP SINGAPORE: Strong currencies and a travel boom are fuelling a festive shopping spree in Asia's retail capitals even though consumers remain wary of a new downturn, economists…
Saudi buyers struggle to find affordable homes, says report
DUBAI: About 28 percent of the homes supplied in the Saudi capital Riyadh over the past 18 months are vacant as homebuyers find them unaffordable, Colliers International said on Monday.…