Mubarak defense will last a month, says court chief
CAIRO: Defense lawyers in the trial of ex-Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak, his sons and seven former security officials will begin to present their cases from next Tuesday and have a…
Voters unenthusiastic about repeat in Sahel
CAIRO: Cairo province’s first constituency, which had recorded the highest voter turnout during the first round of Egypt’s staggered parliamentary elections, witnessed noticeably low turnout during the repeat Tuesday. The…
Less tribal candidates leads to lower turnout in North Sinai run-offs
CAIRO: The loss of some tribe-backed candidates is one of the main reasons for the low voter turnout in the North Sinai run-offs on Tuesday. Three of the four candidates…
West edges closer to confrontation with Iran
TEHRAN: Iran's showdown with the West slid closer to dangerous confrontation on Tuesday as international alarm over a new uranium enrichment plant and Tehran's death sentence for a "CIA spy"…
Burning roadblocks at 2nd day of Nigeria strike
LAGOS: Angry youths erected a burning roadblock outside luxury enclaves in Nigeria's commercial capital Tuesday as a paralyzing national strike over fuel prices and government corruption entered its second day.…
Bahrain orders murder retrial, observer turned back
DUBAI: A Bahraini appeal court has ordered the retrial of two men sentenced to death for running over and killing two policemen during pro-democracy protests last year, state media reported.…
South Sudan facing multiple crises, says UN refugee chief
JUBA: South Sudan faces challenges of "huge dimensions" as the world's newest nation struggles to support hundreds of thousands of people returning home or fleeing violence, the UN refugee chief…
Israel OKs harsh penalties for illegal migrants
JERUSALEM: Israel's parliament on Tuesday approved harsh new penalties on illegal migrants and Israelis who help them, passing one of several controversial measures designed to stanch the flood of Africans…
Tunisian dies of self-immolation, year after Ben Ali ouster
TUNIS: A Tunisian man who set himself on fire to protest unemployment has died, a hospital official said Tuesday, a year almost to the day after a fruit-seller's self-immolation sparked…
A PALESTINIAN VIEW: 2012: A grim staging ground
By Ghassan Khatib The two main Middle East-related events of 2011 appear to be continuing into the new year. One is the complete stagnation of the Palestinian-Israeli peace process, and the…