North Korea’s tears
By Ian Buruma HO CHI MINH CITY: Can an entire people go mad? Sometimes it certainly seems so. Images of North Koreans in their hundreds of thousands howling with grief over…
The German hour
By Jean Pisani-Ferry BRUSSELS: A series of developments over the last few weeks have set in motion a downward spiral for the eurozone. Unless officials — especially German officials — act…
Schadenfreude capitalism
By Harold James PRINCETON: The protracted financial and economic crisis discredited first the American model of capitalism, and then the European version. Now it looks as if the Asian approach may…
Islamists, NDP remnants face off in tribally-controlled Qena
CAIRO: Islamist parties face fierce competition from the remnants of the disbanded National Democratic Party (NDP) in the Upper Egyptian province of Qena as voters cast their ballots Wednesday in…
Qaliubiya judges complain of illiteracy as they wait for voters
SHOUBRA EL-KHEIMA: Waiting Wednesday for voter turnout to match the first day of voting, judges supervising the polling stations of Qaliubiya’s Shubra El-Kheima blamed illiteracy and lack of awareness for…
Mubarak trial prosecution says interior ministry uncooperative
CAIRO: The prosecution said Wednesday during the trial of ousted president Hosni Mubarak that the interior ministry and the national security agency were uncooperative, refusing investigators’ requests for official documents…
Shoubra El-Kheima voters say elections are completely different
SHOUBRA EL-KHEIMA: Residents of the district of Shoubra El-Khiema in Qailubiya flocked to polling stations Wednesday in the first post-Mubarak polls, some recalling their previous experience of voting in legislative…
Al-Gamaa Al-Islamiya, Copts compete in Minya
MINYA: Competition intensified in Minya between the ultra conservative Al-Gamaa Al-Islamiya's Building and Development Party (BDP) and Coptic candidates in the Upper Egyptian province that enjoys the second highest Coptic…
North Sinai voters wary of Islamist dominance
NORTH SINAI: As North Sinai’s various tribes compete for seats in parliament, they face one common challenge: Islamist candidates. Voters in North Sinai cast their ballots in the third phase…
Gold jumps after preliminary EU deal on Iran oil ban
LONDON: Gold was set for its strongest two-day rally in 2-1/2 months on Wednesday after an agreement in principle among European leaders to ban Iranian oil imports boosted the crude…