UAE sees BlackBerry issue solved before deadline
ABU DHABI: The United Arab Emirates is "very optimistic" about reaching an agreement in a dispute with BlackBerry maker Research In Motion before an official deadline, a top Abu Dhabi…
Saudi energy demand rising too fast, says central bank
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia needs to tame growth in its domestic oil and gas consumption, which are too big for both its population growth and the size of its economy, the…
Saudi king, British defence minister in security talks
JEDDAH: British defence minister Liam Fox and Saudi King Abdullah discussed Saturday key regional stress points including Iran and Afghanistan, a British official said. "The defence secretary discussed issues including…
Khaled Saeid trial resumes amidst allegations of security intimidation
By Sarah Carr ALEXANDRIA: The trial of two policemen implicated in the death of Khaled Saeid continued Saturday, amidst allegations that security bodies are undermining court proceedings. A tight security cordon…
Al-Qaeda hostages ‘alive’ in Mali, says source
BAMAKO: Five French hostages kidnapped with a Togolese and a Madagascan by Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb 10 days ago "are alive" in Mali, a Malian source close to the…
Israeli on pilgrimage killed in Ukraine
KIEV: An Israeli man was stabbed to death during a pilgrimage to a Ukrainian town, local police said Sunday. Police spokeswoman Natalya Taran told The Associated Press that a Hasidic…
Ethiopians want more from sacred Nile waters
GISH ABAY: Here in the shadow of Mount Gish, the spring water that forms the Blue Nile is believed to have healing powers, but Ethiopians say that is the only…
Kuwait to scrap sponsor system for workers, says minister
KUWAIT CITY: Kuwait will scrap the much-criticized sponsor system for foreign labor in February, the Al-Rai newspaper reported Sunday, becoming only the second Gulf country to abolish a practice that…
Iraq inaugurates patrol boat in bid to build up navy
UMM QASR: Iraq inaugurated the first in a fleet of new patrol boats on Sunday, part of efforts to boost its naval capacity and secure key oil platforms ahead of…
Ahmadinejad 9/11 comments ‘obscenity’, says Asian president
UNITED NATIONS: East Timor's Nobel Peace Prize-winning president, Jose Ramos Horta, on Saturday accused Iran's outspoken leader of speaking "obscenities" when he evoked US government involvement in the September 11…