US hikers’ mothers urge Iran to bring sons home
WASHINGTON: The mothers of two US hikers held in Tehran urged Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Wednesday to bring the men with him to New York when he attends a UN meeting…
‘Gap remains wide’ on settlements, says Palestinian official
RAMALLAH: Israel and the Palestinians remain deeply divided on the renewal of settlement construction despite fresh peace talks, a senior Palestinian official said Thursday. The official said the negotiations held…
To save tigers, protect key breeding areas, says Study
JAKARTA: Conservationists must protect tiger populations in a few concentrated breeding grounds in Asia instead of trying to safeguard vast, surrounding landscapes, if they want to save the big cats…
Where’s the oil? On the Gulf floor, scientists say
NEW ORLEANS: Far beneath the surface of the Gulf of Mexico, deeper than divers can go, scientists say they are finding oil from the busted BP well on the sea's…
FTSE Group adds UAE as “secondary” emerging market
DUBAI: FTSE Group added the United Arab Emirates as a "secondary" emerging market within its global equity index series, which the index provider says is the first time the country…
Nigerian leader uses Facebook to declare candidacy
ABUJA: Nigeria’s President Goodluck Jonathan used his Facebook page on Wednesday to announce his candidacy for presidential elections next January, ending months of speculation over his intentions. Jonathan said he…
Iraq still sees 4 mln bpd oil output in 2013
BAGHDAD: Iraq can raise its oil output to about 4 million barrels per day in 2013, its deputy oil minister told Reuters, playing down concerns about insecurity and lack of…
Kakuma, the world’s most cosmopolitan refugee camp
KAKUMA: The 75,000 refugees camped under the burning sun on a rocky plain in Kenya's arid northwest represent a cross-section of east Africa's various wars and crises. From Somalia, south…
Decoding Egypt: To be a fan of Gamal Mubarak
Referring to Gamal Mubarak earlier this year, a senior editor at the distinguished London Review of Books wrote that "he may be the only person who is more widely disliked…
Europe and the rising powers
KYIV: The world’s center of gravity is heading eastward so fast that we Europeans can almost feel the ground moving beneath our feet. Because almost all major actors on the…