Scribe writes Torah atop emblematic Masada fortress
In the tiny synagogue of Masada, a ruined desert fortress steeped in myth, symbolism and controversy, a Torah scribe sits motionless but for the slow, deliberate strokes of his right…
Oil above $79 after year of recovery
LONDON: Oil steadied above $79 a barrel on Thursday, poised for the biggest annual climb in a decade, a year after posting huge falls as the global economic crisis sapped…
ANALYSIS: After tough year, Dubai expats pack up, eye Asia
HONG KONG: For lawyer Wilfred Goh, the sign it was time to leave Dubai came early in 2009, when the financial crisis took its toll, plunging the emirate s main…
MB deputy supreme guide resigns
CAIRO: Mohamed Habib, deputy supreme guide of the Muslim Brotherhood, resigned from his posts in the group in opposition to the recent Guidance Office elections, from which he was left…
GFM takes Cairo protests to Israeli embassy
CAIRO: International activists from the Gaza Freedom March (GFM) continued protest action against the Egyptian government's refusal to let them into Gaza with a demonstration in downtown Cairo on Thursday…
Aim for healthy bulk in diet for losing weight
Eating less isn't the only way to weigh less.While starving yourself can help you shed weight, it isn't healthy and will only leave you with stronger cravings that you're more…
NY's Tavern on the Green restaurant closing
Tavern on the Green, once America s highest-grossing restaurant, is singing its culinary swan song.The former sheepfold at the edge of Central Park, now ringed by twinkling lights and fake…
Willy Wonka is in the kitchen
Nestled in a discreet corner of the First Mall is La Maison Blanche, the latest offering at the high-end luxury shopping center where the likes of Bulgari and Tiffany's rub…
Visiting bathhouses in Budapest, the city of spas
Sometimes called the "city of spas, Budapest is home to over a dozen thermal spas. The bathhouses make perfect destinations for weary tourists, sore backpackers, and families - as well…
Asian buyer pays record price for rare Vivid green diamond
An unidentified Asian buyer paid a record $3.07 million (?2.05 million) for a rare 2.52 carat Vivid green diamond at an auction in Geneva late Tuesday, auctioneers Sotheby s said.Sotheby…