The Oscars and America’s flight of fancy
After vowing to avoid the meaningless coronation of the over-praised and the undeserved that is the Academy Awards telecast, I imprudently succumbed to temptation in the hope of seeing my…
Shots fired in Tripoli, rebels advance in east
TRIPOLI: Rebels vowing "victory or death" clashed with Muammar Gaddafi's forces near a key oil terminal and gunfire rang out in the capital as opposition protesters gathered on Friday in…
Thousands of Iraqis defy curbs to protest
BAGHDAD: Thousands of protesters massed Friday in cities and towns across Iraq after streaming in on foot in defiance of vehicle bans for rallies over corruption, unemployment and poor public…
Bahrain’s Shia opposition set to talk to rulers
MANAMA: The Shia opposition groups in Bahrain seeking to loosen the Sunni monarchy's grip on power said Thursday they are ready to negotiate with the Gulf nation's rulers about political…
Private-civil partnerships key to success in the Arab region
LONDON: During US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s recent tour of the Persian Gulf — which took her to the United Arab Emirates, Yemen and Oman, and ended in Qatar…
The son also slaughters
By Omar Ashour LONDON: “The enemy of yesterday is the friend of today....t was a real war, but those brothers are free men now.” Thus spoke Saif Al-Islam Al-Qaddafi in…
Yemen protesters boosted by president’s setbacks, say analysts
DUBAI: A string of setbacks for Yemen's president, including the defection of key tribal leaders, has boosted anti-regime protesters but the long-time leader should not be written off yet, analysts…
Saving the Egyptian revolution
By Shlomo Ben Ami TEL AVIV: Revolutions throughout history have proven to devour their children. Their final outcomes are seldom congruent with their prime movers’ intentions. Too frequently, revolutions are…
Egypt on the path to democracy
By Rania Al Malky CAIRO: As I write this editorial, history is once more being made in Tahrir Square. New Prime Minister Essam Sharaf, appointed on Thursday by the Supreme…
Egypt delays stock market reopening
CAIRO: Egypt's stock exchange, closed since Jan. 27 because of the protests that ousted president Hosni Mubarak, has once again delayed its reopening, the stock exchange said on Thursday. The…