Babylon ruins torn between preservation and profit
BABYLON, Iraq: A US-funded program to restore the ruins of Iraq's ancient city of Babylon is threatened by a dispute among Iraqi officials over whether the priority should be preserving…
Women race in rare track meet in Hamas-ruled Gaza
GAZA CITY: About 40 women in tracksuits and headscarves have competed in a rare track meet in Hamas-ruled Gaza. The athletes ran 100, 400 and 1,500 meters in Saturday's championship.…
Baghdad airport tries to shed 'dangerous' reputation
BAGHDAD: Waving his hands wildly in the air, Abdel Al-Khafaji explains that it should not take four hours of security holdups to reach Baghdad airport's check-in queue ... and yet…
Lebanese vote in second round of municipal polls
BEIRUT: The second round of Lebanon's municipal elections kicked off on Sunday in Beirut and the Bekaa region, respectively dominated by Prime Minister Saad Hariri and the Shia party Hezbollah.…
Iran hangs woman, four other 'enemies of God': reports
TEHRAN: Iran hanged on Sunday five insurgents, including a Kurdish woman, convicted of bombing government offices and a gas pipeline to Turkey and described as "enemies of God", state media…
Taliban killed after beheading Afghan guards: military
HEART: US and Afghan forces killed 10 Taliban insurgents in a raid in western Afghanistan after the insurgents beheaded four guards working for the US military, the Afghan army said…
British embassy in Yemen reopens after failed attack
SANAA: The British embassy in Yemen reopened on Sunday almost two weeks after it was closed when its ambassador narrowly escaped a suicide bombing that targeted his convoy. "The embassy…
Iraq sends all but Baghdad vote results for ratification
BAGHDAD: The electoral commission has sent results from 17 of Iraq's provinces in its March 7 poll for ratification by the supreme court, with Baghdad the lone exception, an election…
Report on wellbeing of mothers and children ranks Egypt at 57
CAIRO: Egypt ranked 57 in the State of the World’s Mothers index, which compares the wellbeing of mothers and children in 160 countries. In commemoration of Mother’s Day, NGO Save…
Rachid meets executives in chemical, fertilizers industries
Minister of Trade and Industry Rachid Mohamed Rachid met Sunday with officials of the chemical and fertilizers industries sector as part of following up the implementation of a strategy on…