Witnesses change testimony, Mortada Mansour kicked out in ‘Camel Battle’ trial
CAIRO: Two prosecution witnesses changed their testimony Wednesday in favor of two defendants as the judge kicked out defendant and outspoken lawyer Mortada Mansour in the fourth hearing of the…
Israel circles wagons ahead of Palestinian vote
JERUSALEM: The Palestinians' decision to take their bid for statehood to the United Nations has left Israel in a quandary, with no easy moves to counter a diplomatic offensive that…
Qaddafi nowhere to be found as son in Niger ‘custody’
TRIPOLI: Moamer Qaddafi's son Saadi was under guard in the Niger capital on Wednesday after fleeing Libya over the weekend but NATO acknowledged it has no idea where his fugitive…
Iran judiciary denies decision taken on freeing US hikers
TEHRAN: Iran's judiciary said on Wednesday that no decision has been taken on releasing two US hikers convicted of spying, a day after President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said the duo would…
‘Exorcist’ director slams trend for comic book stories
Director William Friedkin on Tuesday decried a trend in cinema of infantilizing audiences with stories ripped from comic books, at the North American premiere of his new film "Killer Joe."…
Myanmar democracy leader’s struggle debuts on film
Myanmar's revered pro-democracy leader and Nobel peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi is now also a movie protagonist after Luc Besson's "The Lady" premiered on Monday at the Toronto film…
Cramp, ‘The Streets’ and the tragedy of Egyptian modern dance
This past Monday, in Downtown Cairo’s Rawabet Theater, novice dance troupe Cramp Group presented a new two-day contemporary dance performance by choreographer Mounir Saeed titled “The Streets.” “I wanted to…
Can we increase gross national happiness?
By Peter Singer PRINCETON: The small Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan is known internationally for two things: high visa fees, which reduce the influx of tourists, and its policy of promoting “gross…
Decoupling crime and identity after 9/11
By Alexander Kronemer WASHINGTON, DC: Insight is often found in moments we don’t anticipate. The tenth anniversary of 9/11 has occasioned volumes of commentary and analysis, searching for meaning about that…
The economics of peace in Afghanistan
By Graciana del Castillo KABUL: Suicide bombings, assassinations of top Afghan leaders, brutal attacks on Charikar and other places close to Kabul, Afghanistan’s capital, and a rapid increase in civilian deaths…