Baghdad blasts kill 57 as Iraq tensions rise
BAGHDAD: A rash of bombings hit Baghdad on Thursday, killing at least 57 people in the first big attack on Iraq's capital since a crisis between its Shia Muslim-led government…
Iran rejects Gulf Arab accusation of meddling
TEHRAN: Iran on Thursday rejected Gulf Arab leaders' accusation of interface in their affairs, accusing them of parroting "baseless" US charges against Iran while ignoring US "espionage" against Iran. "In…
Army rulers hike tone against protesters
CAIRO: The ruling military escalated its tone against pro-democracy activists Wednesday, warning of an attempt to "topple the state," as government media said a plot had been uncovered to use…
New Qaeda spin-off threatens West Africa
BAMAKO: An Al-Qaeda offshoot that claimed the abduction of three Europeans in Algeria is threatening to spread jihad beyond North African deserts and establish a foothold in sub-Saharan West Africa.…
‘Kidnappings’ mar Sudan Christmas without South
KHARTOUM: The fear of kidnappings, a dwindling number of worshippers, and shrinking church finances mar the first Christmas in Muslim-majority Sudan since the Christian South separated, church sources say. "We…
France spotlights short films on winter solstice
France marked the shortest day of the year on Wednesday with the launch of a nationwide short film festival, 30 years after starting a hugely popular music festival on the…
Famed Myanmar satirist ‘shocked’ by freedom
He kept his quick wit throughout jail terms, torture and solitary confinement, but it seems nothing quite prepared Myanmar's most famous comedian for his first trip out of the military-dominated…
Hepworth statue latest target of British metal thieves
Police were searching Wednesday for a sculpture by renowned British artist Barbara Hepworth which thieves tore from its plinth in a London park. The theft of the bronze work of…
In Lapland, young and old fall for Santa’s magic
The letter came from Italy, addressed simply "Babbo Natale," but that was enough to reach this frozen, far-north address — along with hundreds of thousands like it from around the…
New Islamist group vows attacks in Sinai
WASHINGTON: A new Islamist group in Egypt's Sinai peninsula has vowed attacks on the military government in Cairo and US targets, according to a statement posted on a militant forum.…