Activist posts herself nude, sparks outrage
By Maggie Michael /AP CAIRO: A woman activist who posted nude pictures of herself on her blog to protest limits on free expression has triggered an uproar in Egypt, drawing condemnations…
Al-Azhar slams pope-imam kiss ad as ‘absurd’, Vatican takes legal action
CAIRO: Al-Azhar, whose grand imam was pictured kissing the pope in a photo montage by Italian clothes company Benetton, on Thursday slammed the advertisement as "irresponsible and absurd." So absurd…
Libya imposes visa requirement on Egyptians
CAIRO: Libya has told Egyptians they will need visas to enter the country, Egypt's state news agency said on Wednesday, after Egypt imposed travel restrictions on Libyans during the uprising…
Kuwait emir orders tighter security after parliament stormed
KUWAIT: Kuwait's emir ordered security forces to take all necessary measures to safeguard "public order" after protesters stormed parliament to demand the resignation of the prime minister. An opposition lawmaker,…
Bringing the informal sector into the fold
By Masood Ahmed Unemployment rates in the Middle East and North Africa have remained above 10 percent over the past decade, the highest in the world. For the young the rates…
Turkey eyes new trade routes to bypass Syria violence
ISTANBUL: Turkey is weighing new transport routes to the Middle East that will bypass Syria where increasing violence has caused a 10 percent drop in Turkish exports to Damascus over…
Egypt team wins at Intel challenge for Hepatitis C detection
CAIRO: A team of entrepreneurs from Egypt came in third place at the seventh annual Intel Global Challenge at UC Berkeley, winning $10,000 for an innovation that can detect Hepatitis…
Dubai’s MAF plans debut sukuk by end-Nov: executive
DUBAI: Shopping mall developer Majid Al Futtaim (MAF) is aiming to raise between $350 million and $500 million in a five-year dollar-denominated Islamic bond, or sukuk, by the end of…
Families, activists and journalists denounce military trials
CAIRO: Families of citizens subjected to military trials gathered at a press conference Wednesday with activists and supporters to support a decision by the Journalists’ Syndicate to boycott the military…
Berlusconi releases love songs on last day in office
Italy's former prime minister and cruise-ship crooner Silvio Berlusconi released an album of love songs on his last day in office on Wednesday. The self-declared Latin lover, who often…