Berlusconi confirms he won’t run in next election
ROME: Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi confirmed he won't run again for office and said Wednesday his hand-picked successor Angelino Alfano will be his party's candidate when Italy holds new elections.…
El-Selmi claims consensus over constitutional principles, despite general objections
CAIRO: In defense of the much-debated charter that would govern the drafting of Egypt’s new constitution, known as the “El-Selmi Document,” Deputy Prime Minister for Political Affairs Aly El-Selmi, expressed…
EU parliament speaker urges Israel to free Irish lawmaker
BRUSSELS: The European parliament's president called on Israel on Wednesday to release an Irish EU lawmaker who is among more than 20 people detained for trying to break a naval…
European Commission allocates 22 mln euros for SMEs in rural Egypt
CAIRO: The European Commission approved Tuesday a program worth €22 million to improve living conditions in rural Egyptian districts by supporting the development of agricultural small and medium enterprises (SMEs).…
Saudi hails ‘success’ of this year’s hajj
MECCA: Saudi Crown Prince Nayef bin Abdel Aziz hailed the "success" of this year's hajj despite fears of "chaos" in the wake of the Arab Spring, as remaining pilgrims continued…
Supporters gather in solidarity with imprisoned activist’s mother on hunger strike
CAIRO: Ahead of a planned demonstration Wednesday in solidarity with detained activist Alaa Abdel-Fattah, his family showed resilience and optimism, as his mother entered her fourth day on hunger strike.…
Protesters hurl eggs at Syria delegation in Cairo
CAIRO: About a hundred protesters camped outside the Arab League in Cairo hurled eggs at a delegation of Syrian opposition figures who arrived there for talks on Wednesday, accusing them…
NSGB 9-month net profit climbs 9 pct
CAIRO: Egypt's National Societe Generale Bank (NSGB) said on Wednesday net income for the first nine months of 2011 rose 9 percent to LE 1.09 billion ($182.6 million). "Despite the…
Flush with cash, DNO eyes Mideast growth
OSLO: Norwegian group DNO is cash-strong and ready to pursue acquisitions while boosting oil exploration and output across the Middle East and North Africa, as it integrates the Persian Gulf…
Arab turmoil drags down profits at Austria’s OMV
VIENNA: Turmoil in Libya and Yemen ate into earnings at oil and gas group OMV in the third quarter and it was impossible to predict when production will normalize, the…