Syrian army tightens grip near Turkish border
BOYNUYOGUN REFUGEE CAMP, Turkey: Syrian troops are tightening their grip on villages near the Turkish border, setting up checkpoints and arresting dozens in an attempt to staunch the flow of…
12 ‘Qaeda’ militants, two Yemen soldiers killed in clashes
ADEN: Twelve suspected members of an Al-Qaeda-linked group and two Yemeni soldiers were killed in clashes near the gunmen-held southern city Zinjibar, an army officer said on Sunday. …
Experts: Despite cohesion, Syria regime could fall
CAIRO: Unlike other Arab autocratic regimes which have cracked under a wave of uprisings Syria's leadership has remained intact but analysts differ on whether it can weather the storm and…
Tunisia’s Ben Ali denies all charges on eve of trial
BEIRUT: Ousted Tunisian president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, whose trial begins in absentia in Tunis on Monday, denies all charges against him and hopes his country will "overcome chaos,"…
Ex-housing minister referred to criminal court again
By Mai Shams El-Din CAIRO: The Prosecutor General referred Thursday former housing minister Ibrahim Suleiman and two associates to criminal court for profiteering, the prosecution said in a statement. The public…
Saudi women defy drive ban
RIYADH: A number of Saudi women drove cars on Friday in response to calls for nationwide action to break a traditional ban, unique to the ultra-conservative kingdom, according to reports…
UN labor treaty vows to protect domestic workers
GENEVA: Member states of the UN labor agency adopted a treaty on Thursday to improve conditions for tens of millions of domestic workers worldwide, hailed as a great victory by…
Egypt boat held by Somali pirates freed after 10 months
CAIRO: An Egyptian boat seized with its 22-member crew by pirates off the coast of Somalia in August 2010 has been freed, an Egyptian foreign ministry official said on Friday.…
Towards KG1 democracy in Egypt
By Rania Al Malky CAIRO: The debate over the pros and cons of holding legislative elections as early as next September has polarized Egypt’s political class, and in turn the newly…
Spain freezes assets of detained Mubarak associate
By Daniel Woolls /AP MADRID: Spain has frozen €33 million ($47 million) in accounts held by a detained Egyptian associate of ousted president Hosni Mubarak and relatives of the detainee, who…