Opportunities for foreign influence
By Safa Hussein BAGHDAD: If government formation in Iraq is to be compared with that of other countries, the two most distinguishing characteristics of the Iraqi case would be the lengthy…
The weary titan
By Pierre Buhler PARIS: The unfolding “currency war,” which is likely to dominate discussions at the upcoming G-20 summit in Seoul, must be assessed against the backdrop of the new landscape…
Maat prepares local media for decentralization
By Heba Afify CAIRO: Maat — a civil society organization that has been active in the field of human rights since 2004 — organized a two-day workshop for local media personnel…
Righting the Wrongs of Leprosy
By Yohei Sasakawa TOKYO: At its 15th session, which ended at the beginning of October, the United Nations Human Rights Council adopted a resolution encouraging governments to eliminate discrimination against people…
Film academy to honor Godard’s art, not ideology
Amid concerns that Jean-Luc Godard may harbor anti-Semitic views, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is moving forward with plans to honor the filmmaker at its second annual…
Egypt mulls US dollar ‘century bonds’: minister
Egypt is considering offers from international investment banks to launch 100-year "century bonds" that would help demonstrate appetite for longer-term Egyptian debt, the finance minister said on Wednesday. Egypt…
Exhibition brings ancient Book of the Dead to life
As self-help manuals go, the ancient Egyptian Book of the Dead has certainly stood the test of time. For centuries, the 3,500-year-old guidebook offered Egyptians a step-by-step guide to the…
Gaza graffiti: The art of war
The people of Gaza have been dehumanized. This was the overarching message at the Cairo launch of Swedish journalist Mia Grondahl’s book “Gaza Graffiti: Messages of Love and Politics.” Organized…
Islamic finance outsources scholars’ supervision to grow
MANAMA: Bankers in Islamic finance are increasingly outsourcing sharia supervision due to a lack of scholars in the industry, but critics say this is making the sector even less transparent…
Zain shareholder, Etisalat sign due diligence deal l
KUWAIT: Etisalat and major Zain shareholder Kharafi Group signed an agreement on Wednesday to start the due diligence process for a deal to sell 46 percent of Zain to the…
