FIFA lifts headscarf ban on female players
By Rob Harris / AP BAGSHOT, England: The International Football Association Board annual meeting took a step toward clearing the way for female Muslim players to wear hijabs during games, five…
Students inconclusive in debate on religious aspects of presidential race
By Amir Makar CAIRO: A rather vague translation was the basis of the argument in a debate among university students over the eligibility for running for president, with both parties presenting…
Obama seeks to calm Israeli fears over nuclear Iran
By Steve Weizman / AFP WASHINGTON: US President Barack Obama and Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu go into key talks on the Iranian nuclear stand-off on Monday, with each publicly seeking to…
Iraq Sunni tribes warn against arming Syrian opposition
By Yara Bayoumy / Reuters COOLIE CAMP: When they see the plight of their Syrian kinsmen across the border, the Sunni tribesmen of western Iraq understand their rage. But with their…
Saudi flexes Gulf grip with Bahrain ‘union’ plans
By Brian Murphy / AP DUBAI: During a sermon last week at Bahrain's Grand Mosque, the pro-government prayer leader offered sweeping praise for one of the Arab Spring's counter-revolutions: Gulf rulers…
‘Qaeda fighters’ kill 26 police in west Iraq
By Bassim Al-Anbari / AP HADITHA: Suspected Al-Qaeda gunmen, some wearing army uniforms, raged through a western Iraq city Monday in a pre-dawn shooting spree that killed 26 policemen, including two officers…
Pitt, Clooney, Sheen headline marriage rights play
By Sandy Cohen / AP Martin Sheen commanded the stage with his impassioned portrayal of an attorney arguing for gay-marriage rights; Jane Lynch inspired instant response as a vehement same-sex marriage…
Egyptian women show off inspiring vocal skills
By Maha ElNabawi Over the past months, Egypt-US relations have been put on the line as a result of the arbitrary raid on pro-democracy NGOs, including mostly American-funded organizations. The clampdown…
Seeking a new horizon for Palestinian prisoners
By Shawqi Issa The thorny issue of the Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails has numerous angles. First, it is a humanitarian cause. Many of the prisoners have spent decades, some more…
The sustainability mindset
By Michael Spence MILAN: Markets and capitalist incentives have great strengths in promoting economic efficiency, growth, and innovation. And, as Ben Friedman of Harvard University argued persuasively in his 2006 book…