Tunisia first to govern in era of transition
By Aida Rehouma and Rabab Fayad TUNIS/GENEVA: On October 23, the country that sparked the Arab Spring led the region from revolution to political self-determination. Over 90 percent of eligible Tunisian…
The people versus the police
By Naomi Wolf NEW YORK: America’s politicians, it seems, have had their fill of democracy. Across the country, police, acting under orders from local officials, are breaking up protest encampments set…
Ready for new Erdogans in the Middle East?
By Yuksel Taskin Right after the landslide victory of the AKP in the 2007 elections, the government led by Recep Tayyip Erdogan felt secure enough to follow a very active and…
The ECB’s battle against central banking
BERKELEY: When the European Central Bank announced its program of government-bond purchases, it let financial markets know that it thoroughly disliked the idea, was not fully committed to it, and…
Egypt constitution to allow expats to vote, says report
CAIRO: Egypt's justice ministry has agreed to a constitutional amendment to allow millions of Egyptians living abroad to vote in parliamentary elections, a government newspaper reported on Wednesday. Under the…
Hopes fade for extended stock market rebound
DUBAI/CAIRO: Hopes for an extended rebound of Gulf stock markets have faded once again because of global market turmoil triggered by Greece's shock decision to hold a referendum on its…
Egypt T-bill yields rise at LE 12 bln sale
CAIRO: Egyptian treasury bill yields climbed at a LE 12 billion ($2.01 billion) auction on Wednesday ahead of a three-day bank holiday next week, the Finance Ministry said. Yields have…
Arabs step up pressure on Syria to end bloodshed
CAIRO: Arab foreign ministers meet anew Wednesday to step up pressure on Syria to end nearly eight months of deadly violence, as 14 more civilians were reportedly killed in the…
French satirical paper ‘firebombed’ after Mohammed cartoon
PARIS: The offices of a French satirical newspaper that published a special Arab Spring edition with the Prophet Mohamed as "guest editor" were destroyed in a suspected firebomb attack Wednesday,…
Credit downgrades put Egypt economy in greater risk
CAIRO: Egypt’s credit ratings, which have been downgraded to negative outlooks twice over the past month, are expected to impact the country’s banking sector as well as the economic recovery…