Al-Azhar Sheikh says Palestinian unity an Islamic duty
CAIRO: The head of Egypt's prestigious Al-Azhar institution said on Wednesday resolving the rift between the Palestinian groups Hamas and Fatah was an Islamic duty and branded whoever blocked it…
Egypt summons EU envoys over death inquiry call
By AFP CAIRO: Egypt's foreign ministry summoned European Union ambassadors on Wednesday in protest at their call for an impartial inquiry into allegations that police brutally beat a man to…
The high cost of cheap fashion
OXFORD: I confess: I do it, too. Like most Western women, I do it regularly, and it is a guilty pleasure every time. It is hard to listen to one’s…
My Jerusalem
JERUSALEM: "What now?" asks the final line of Lea Goldberg's poem on the heavenly and earthly Jerusalems. Those of us in the earthly metropolis know that the dualistic divide isn't…
Civil society transforming Morocco
FEZ, Morocco: The past 20 years have been witness to several positive developments amongst Morocco’s civil society, demonstrating that organizations in this sector can inform national policy in this ever-evolving…
Setting the facts straight about Thailand
Dear Editor, I wish to refer to the article “Thailand on the precipice” by Mr. Sin-Ming Shaw (Published May 24, 2010) which reflects a crucial misunderstanding of the political situation…
Rights bodies urge Kuwait to drop charges against writer
KUWAIT CITY: Two leading international human rights organizations have welcomed the release of prominent Kuwaiti writer Mohammad Abdulqader Al-Jassem but urged the Gulf state to drop charges against him. "Though…
EU opens new chapter of membership talks with Turkey
BRUSSELS: The EU made an encouraging gesture towards Turkey Wednesday, nudging forward Ankara's laborious membership talks, amid fears that Europe's refusal to embrace the country is pushing it "eastwards." Representatives…
Saudi clerics battle over adult-breastfeeding, music fatwas
RIYADH: One cleric's endorsement of breastfeeding for grown men and another's saying music is not un-Islamic have opened up a pitched battle in Saudi Arabia over who can issue fatwas,…
Al Jazeera launches free TV service in Britain
LONDON: Arab news network Al Jazeera will begin broadcasting its English news channel on Britain's Freeview free digital platform on Thursday, making the UK its biggest English-speaking market for free…