World Cup draw lends Africa no favors
JOHANNESBURG: Boasts that Africa would finally deliver World Cup champions this July have given way to a realization that surviving the first round is a massive challenge for almost all…
Security clash with Amonsito workers, disperse parliament sit-ins
CAIRO: Security bodies forced protesters to break-up their sit-ins outside parliament on Sunday, “under threat of arrest”, according to the Hisham Mubarak Law Center (HMLC). This followed clashes earlier in…
57 ancient tombs with mummies unearthed in Egypt
CAIRO: Archeologists have unearthed 57 ancient Egyptian tombs, most of which hold an ornately painted wooden sarcophagus with a mummy inside, Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities said Sunday. The oldest…
The end of fiscal sovereignty in Europe
MILAN: The late Milton Friedman said that a common currency — that is, a monetary union — cannot be sustained without a deep form of economic and political union. By…
A farewell to nuclear arms?
BERLIN: As the recent UN and Washington summits have demonstrated, nuclear arms control and disarmament are among the top issues on the world’s political agenda. They are likely to remain…
Arab attitudes one year after Cairo
Almost one year ago, President Barack Obama traveled to Cairo to deliver what was billed as an "Address to the Muslim World". Obama understood that after eight years of neglectful…
The burden of collective narratives
JERUSALEM: The Israeli-Palestinian conflict, like every conflict between ethnic or national groups, is rooted in national and religious narratives. Cases in point are Northern Ireland, Sri Lanka, Bosnia, Kosovo and…
Med Union summit delayed to ensure its success, says Spain
CAIRO: The foreign ministers of Egypt, France and Spain said on Sunday that a Mediterranean Union summit was delayed until later this year to ensure it is not affected by…
Childhood deaths down 60 percent since 1970, says study
PARIS: The proportion of children under five who die each year across the globe has dropped 60 percent over the past four decades, according to a study published Monday. In…
Bahrain's Arcapita signs $200 mln loan, sees FY loss
MANAMA: Bahraini investment house Arcapita on Sunday signed a new $200 million loan, signaling that debt markets are opening up to the troubled sector, and said it expected a sizable…
