UN Security Council condemns Israeli raid on aid flotilla as protests continue
CAIRO: The UN Security Council condemned the Israeli attack on the Gaza aid flotilla in a joint statement Tuesday, but stopped short of passing a resolution. Protests continued…
Iraqi Supreme Court ratifies March election results
BAGHDAD: Iraq's Supreme Court on Tuesday ratified the results of the country's March general election, clearing the way for a faster pace to government formation talks which remain in limbo.…
Qaeda says top leader Yazid dead, say monitors
KABUL: Al-Qaeda said its number three leader and Osama bin Laden's one-time top money man Mustafa Abu Al-Yazid has been killed along with several family members, in what would be…
Saudi cleric sues to block women teaching young boys, says report
RIYADH: A Saudi Islamic scholar has sued to block an education ministry move to allow female teachers to teach young schoolboys in private schools, Arab News reported Tuesday. Shariah law…
Mubarak orders opening Rafah border crossing with Gaza
CAIRO: Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak on Tuesday ordered the opening of the Rafah border crossing to allow humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip, the official MENA agency reported. The order…
Iran arrests two female reporters ahead of poll anniversary
TEHRAN: Iran has arrested two female journalists working for reformist newspapers ahead of the first anniversary of a disputed presidential election, an opposition website reported on Tuesday. "Azam Veisameh and…
Iran women splurge on makeup despite Islamic restrictions
TEHRAN: Banned after the 1979 Islamic revolution, cosmetics like lipstick and nail polish have flooded Iran so much in recent years that it is now the Middle East's second largest…
Sunny Side Up in Tunisia
TUNIS: Tunisia is ramping up investments in renewable energy projects in an effort to both trim its own electricity bill and pave the way for many exports, following the announcement…
Qatar sets terms for $1.4 bln bond, waits with sukuk
DUBAI: Qatar will issue eight-year conventional bonds worth 5 billion riyals ($1.37 billion) with a coupon of 6.5 percent on Tuesday, while the same-sized Islamic portion awaits approval, a central…
Oil falls to near $72 on Chinese, European data
LONDON: Oil fell more than $2 to around $72 on Tuesday, erasing earlier gains, after Chinese and European data raised concerns over the pace of economic growth. China's factories scaled…