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Irish suspects feature prominently on Dubai Most Wanted list

Sat, 25 May 2013 13:52:45 -0400

Ireland continues to suffer from its false implication in the high profile assassination of a militant in Dubai more than three years ago. Hamas commander Mahmoud Al Mabhouh was on a visit to the UAE on his way to China from Damascus. Twenty seven suspects were named by Dubai Police and it soon became apparent most of them were carrying passports belonging to citizens of other countries. ...

Israel stunned by Hawking snub

Sat, 25 May 2013 12:03:00 -0400

It is an event "of cosmic proportions", said one Palestinian academic, a befitting description of Stephen Hawking's decision to boycott an Israeli academic conference slated for next June. It was also a decisive moral call which was communicated by the Cambridge University, where Hawking is a professor, on May 8. Hawking is a world-renowned cosmologist and physicist. His scientific work had ...

Damac to deliver Oceanscape apartments four years late

Sat, 25 May 2013 11:21:02 -0400

Damac Properties has begun handing over apartments in its long-awaited Oceanscape project in Abu Dhabi. Most investors bought apartments off-the-plan in 2006, paying 30% of their purchase price in the first 120 days of reserving their property. After seven years Damac has finally finished the project, one of its first and probably last Abu Dhabi ventures. Despite being four years late, ...

UAE minister ranked 67th among worlds 100 powerful women

Sat, 25 May 2013 16:00:01 -0400

Sheikha Lubna bint Khalid Al Qasimi, the UAE's minister of development and international cooperation, has been ranked 67th among the world's powerful women in 2013 in an annual report by Forbes. Forbes is a US business magazine owned by Forbes Inc. Published biweekly, it features articles on finance, industry, investing, and marketing. Forbes also reports on related subjects such as technology, ...

Khurshid in Saudi Arabia as India scrambles to help workers

Sat, 25 May 2013 13:20:01 -0400

Indian External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid Saturday discussed bilateral issues, including the Nitaqat law, with his Saudi Arabian counterpart Prince Saud Al Faisal as the Indian missions there scrambled to help over 55,000 Indian workers leave the kingdom in adherence to its new stringent work policy. Addressing a joint press conference with his Saudi Arabian counterpart, Khurshid thanked ...

Salman Khurshid in Jeddah for counter-terrorism Nitaqat Law trade talks with Saudi leadership

Sat, 25 May 2013 11:51:01 -0400

External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid arrived in Jeddah on Saturday for talks with the Saudi Arabian leadership on a wide range of issues, including the controversial 'Nitaqat law' and on counter terrorism cooperation. Khurshid, who is on an official two-day visit to Saudi Arabia, was given a warm welcome by Saudi Arabia's Deputy Foreign Minister Abdul Aziz Bin Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz soon ...

Scramble to help Indians hit by Saudi work policy

Sat, 25 May 2013 03:20:01 -0400

Indian External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid is here to discuss matters of bilateral interest, including the Nitaqat law, as the Indian missions in Saudi Arabia scramble to help over 55,000 Indian workers leave the kingdom in adherence to its new stringent work policy. Khurshid, who arrived here Friday, was welcomed by Saudi Deputy Foreign Minister Prince Abdul Aziz Bin Abdullah. In his ...

UAE OIC condemn killing of British soldier

Fri, 24 May 2013 17:20:02 -0400

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) have strongly condemned the killing of a British soldier in Woolwich, London. "This brutal act is rejected by all religions and deserves every condemnation and denunciation," UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan said. Sheikh Abdullah also expressed the UAE's solidarity with Britain in combating ...

Air Arabia launches flight to Abha in Saudi Arabia

Fri, 24 May 2013 17:20:01 -0400

Air Arabia, the largest low-cost carrier in the Middle East, has launched a flight to Abha in Saudi Arabia from the airlines' main hub in Sharjah. The new service marks Air Arabia's eighth destination in Saudi Arabia and the 85th worldwide. Air Arabia now offers two weekly flights to Abha. Offering 88 weekly non-stop flights to Saudi Arabia from Sharjah and another hub in Alexandria, Egypt, Air ...

Bahrain Journalists Association Holds Workshop

Sat, 25 May 2013 17:19:19 -0400

Manama-May-25(BNA) Bahrain Journalists Association (BJA) held a workshop under the theme "The Official Spokesperson .. Communication Skills with the Media". Culture Ministry Media Advisor Dr. Elie Flouty conducted the training in the presence of officials, journalists, students and public relations officers working in both the public and private sectors. The lecturer stressed ...

Excerpts Hariri re Hizbullah fighting in Syria.Preventing weapons fromSyria reaching Hizbollah.Israel re weapon to Hizbullah via Syria.Qatar-funded Al Jazeera U.S. launch.Syrian May 20 2013

Sat, 25 May 2013 15:26:36 -0400

Excerpts: Hariri re Hizbullah fighting in Syria.Preventing weapons from Syria reaching Hizbollah.Israel re weapon to Hizbullah via Syria. Qatar-funded Al Jazeera U.S. launch.Syrian May 20, ...

From Middle East to Eager Park a community is rebranded

Sat, 25 May 2013 15:01:52 -0400

Vacant buildings stand in the 1800 block of East Chase St. The block is near Eager Park, a six-acre park that will run through the mixed-use development near the Johns Hopkins Medicine ...

Equatorial Guinea prohibits Egypt revolt reports

Sat, 25 May 2013 14:44:29 -0400

No talk of a Tunisia or Egypt-style revolutions in Equatorial Guinea. These were the orders given to media in the country, which all are controlled by the state or the family of President Teodoro Obiang ...

Arab League condemns Israels decisoin to cancel UNESCO visit to Jerusalem

Sat, 25 May 2013 14:44:23 -0400

WAM CAIRO: The Arab League has strongly condemned Israel's decision to call off a visit to Jerusalem's historic Old City by the UN's cultural heritage body, and called on major powers to stop backing Israel's aggression on Jerusalem and the Palestinian heritage and territories. The pan-Arab organisation, in a statement, said Israel's decision takes the international ...

IDEX 2013 wins the Best Exhibition at Middle East Event Awards 2013

Sat, 25 May 2013 14:44:22 -0400

WAM ABU DHABI: The 2013 edition of International Defence Exhibition and Conference (IDEX) has won the Best Exhibition - Trade or Consumer award at the sixth annual Middle East Event Awards held on Wednesday, May 22nd 2013. The award show, which was held at Dubai's JW Marriott Marquis Hotel, recognised outstanding achievements of the Middle East's event industry. Saleh Al Marzooqi, ...

Egypt court rejects religious slogans in election law

Sat, 25 May 2013 14:12:10 -0400

CAIRO (Reuters) - Egypt's highest court ruled on Saturday that parts of a revised election law setting out terms for a parliamentary vote were unconstitutional, casting fresh doubt over a poll that has already been ...

WMD Regulation in the Middle East

Sat, 25 May 2013 14:06:34 -0400

"For the Syrian government to utilize chemical weapons on its people crosses a line that will change my calculus and how the United States approaches these issues," President Obama recently said. "So this is not an on and off switch. This is an ongoing challenge that all of us have to be concerned about." Evidently, current methods to control WMD, such as relying on ...

Tunnels between Egypt and Gaza closed and border was declared as military zone…

Sat, 25 May 2013 14:06:14 -0400

Tunnels between Egypt and Gaza closed and border was declared as military zone GAZA - Palestinian Government in Gaza announced that the tunnels between Egypt and Gaza were closed, and the border was declared as a military zone."The tunnels between Gaza and Egypt, where the smuggling and shipment of some goods were made, were closed, and the border was declared as a closed military ...

Israel says Syria seeks to provoke conflict

Sat, 25 May 2013 13:40:46 -0400

Ron Prosor, Ambassador of Israel to the United Nations, speaks during a Security Council meeting on the Middle East on Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2012 (AP Photo/Bebeto ...

Israel targeted in Syria cyber attack expert

Sat, 25 May 2013 13:40:45 -0400

JERUSALEM: An organization calling itself the "Syrian Electronic Army" has launched a cyber attack against the water distribution system of Haifa, Israel's third largest city, an expert said on Saturday. The attack "by this organization which we don't know exactly who is behind" was carried out two weeks ago and failed, said Professor Yitzhak Ben-Israel, head of ...

Saudi Foreign Minister Condemns Iranian Threats Against Bahrain

Sat, 25 May 2013 13:39:17 -0400

Manama-May-25(BNA)The Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs His Royal Highness Prince Saud Al-Faisal has today slammed Iranian threats against the Kingdom of Bahrain. He was speaking during a press conference held with his Indian counterpart Salman Khurshid in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. HRH Prince Al-Faisal urged Iran to promote peace and bolster relations with its neighbours instead of using the ...

Growth is Arab regions top priority

Sat, 25 May 2013 12:47:56 -0400

Reviving economic growth in the Arab region should be the priority to aid the transition from instability, the deputy managing director of the IMF said yesterday. Min Zhu also called upon the international community to make good on billions of dollars in support funds pledged more than two years ago to ...

Bahrain to Host Annual Gulf Construction Conference in June

Sat, 25 May 2013 12:35:55 -0400

Manama, May 25. (BNA) -- Bahrain will host the Annual Gulf Construction Conference, to be held at the Gulf Hotel's Conventions and Conferences Centre, under the theme of "Challenges and Future Opportunities in the Construction Sector". The event, organised by the Bahrain Contractors Association in association with the Oregon Consultants Group, will be patronised by the labour ...

Bahrains Ambassador to Egypt and African Union Takes Part in African Unions Extraordinary Summit

Sat, 25 May 2013 12:35:55 -0400

Cairo, May 25. (BNA) -- The Kingdom of Bahrain's Ambassador to the Arab Republic of Egypt as well as the African Union (as an observer) Shaikh Rashid bin Abdulrahman Al Khalifa, took part in the opening session of the extra-ordinary summit on the Golden Jubilee celebration of the African Union. The event, which began this morning at Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, under the theme ...

Saudi Arabia warns against Irans nuclear programme

Sat, 25 May 2013 12:29:57 -0400

Oracle Financial Services rallies on strong response for OFS The promoters had received bids for 17.34 million shares against 4.43 million shares offered for ...

Christians in the Arab world A guide

Sat, 25 May 2013 11:28:38 -0400

How many Christians live in the Middle East? Between 10 million and 12 million. The Middle East is the birthplace of Christianity and home to some of its oldest communities, but the Christian population has dropped dramatically over time, especially over the last decade. When Christianity was founded 2,000 years ago, it spread rapidly across the Roman Empire, ...

Soldier secretly returns from Kuwait to surprise daughter at high school graduation

Sat, 25 May 2013 11:23:16 -0400

A Georgia high school graduate received more than her diploma Thursday when her Army Reserve sergeant father traveled half way around the world to be present for the ceremony. Army Reserve Sgt. 1st Class Dedrick Clark secretly returned from Kuwait after spending eight months away from his family overseas and collaborated with his wife and his daughter Dia's principal to pull off the ...

Hezbollah Syrian government forces push for advance in Qusair

Sat, 25 May 2013 11:22:48 -0400

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syrian government forces and the Lebanese guerrilla group Hezbollah launched a fierce campaign to seize more rebel territory in the border town of Qusair on Saturday, sources on both sides of the conflict ...

Middle East instability means tourism growth for Oman

Sat, 25 May 2013 11:22:11 -0400

This year, hotels in Muscat have witnessed the strongest growth in revenue per available room (RevPAR), STR Global said in a statement. Regional instability has caused revenues in the Omani capital's tourism industry to grow by more than 15 per cent in the first four months of 2013, according to data released by STR Global. "Due to various reasons, tourists do not prefer Egypt and ...

Cameroon plans Egypt-like protests

Sat, 25 May 2013 11:11:00 -0400

Opposition groups, trade unions and Diaspora groups are preparing "Egypt-like" protests in Cameroon tomorrow, 23 February, to call for President Paul Biya to step down. The US Embassy warns of possible ...

Jordan economy set to grow 3.5 pct in 2013 - central banker

Sat, 25 May 2013 10:58:34 -0400

DEAD SEA, Jordan | Sat May 25, 2013 10:58am EDT DEAD SEA, Jordan May 25 (Reuters) - Jordan's economy is expected to grow around 3.5 percent this year driven by remittances, higher domestic consumption and some pickup in construction activity, the kingdom's Central Bank governor said on Saturday. Ziad Fariz told Reuters on the sidelines of a World Economic Forum (WEF) conference ...

Visit of U.S. Special Envoy to the OIC Rashad Hussain to Bahrain

Sat, 25 May 2013 10:36:28 -0400

Manama, May 25. (BNA) -- U.S. Special Envoy to the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Rashad Hussain met with senior Bahraini Government officials, political leaders, and religious leaders in Manama, Bahrain on May 23, the US Embassy to Bahrain announced. In its statement, the Embassy said he underscored U.S. encouragement of unity and reform through the ongoing National Dialogue. He ...

Jordans king makes new plea to solve Syrian crisis

Sat, 25 May 2013 10:35:37 -0400

Jordan's King Abdullah II has privately asked the US to intervene in the Syrian conflict and help bring to an end that country's war and the flow of refugees into the ...

Jordan plans major exercises with 18 countries

Sat, 25 May 2013 10:30:20 -0400

AMMAN - More than 15,000 soldiers from 18 different countries will take part in a joint military exercise in Jordan in the coming weeks, a military official said on Saturday.Jordan’s armed forces will host the exercise, "Eager Lion 2013", with troops from "friendly countries", including the United States, taking part, the official Petra news agency cited the official as ...

Niger president says Islamist attackers came from Libya

Sat, 25 May 2013 09:38:13 -0400

Mahamadou Issoufou said Saturday."The attackers, according to all the information we have received, came from Libya, from the south of Libya," Issoufou told television channel France ...

Iraq forces strike Sunni militants near Syria

Sat, 25 May 2013 09:38:12 -0400

Sunnis heading to fight in neighboring Syria.Some 20,000 troops attacked suspected hideouts of fighters linked to Sunni militant groups, including Al-Qaeda, and looked to secure a key road leading to Syria, top officers said.Troops were also moved to the 600-kilometre (375-mile) border with Syria."The operation is large and backed by the air force," Staff General Ali Ghaidan Majeed, the ...

Turkish PM blames Syria over twin bombings

Sat, 25 May 2013 09:38:12 -0400

Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan greets his supporters as he visits the town of Reyhanli in Hatay province near the Turkish-Syrian border May 25, 2013. REUTERS/Umit ...

Assad should not have role in Syria talks Saudi Arabia

Sat, 25 May 2013 09:38:11 -0400

Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal attends an emergency meeting with Arab League foreign ministers, at the Arab League headquarters in Cairo, April 26, 2012. (AFP PHOTO/KHALED ...

Al-Qaeda gunmen kill two in Yemen attack

Sat, 25 May 2013 09:38:10 -0400

Yemen on Saturday, a security official and witnesses said.The two assailants threw a grenade at the police checkpoint in the coastal town of Al-Shihr in Hadramawt province, the sources said, adding that two other policemen were wounded.The security official said the attack bore the hallmarks of Al-Qaeda militants, who are active in the region, without giving further details.Fighters loyal to ...

Meqdad ends Russia visit returns to Syria

Sat, 25 May 2013 09:38:09 -0400

United States are seeking to broker an international peace conference on Syria in an effort to end the more than two-year-old crisis that has claimed at least 94,000 lives. No date has been set for the conference to be held ...

Palestinian-Israeli peace deal still possible Abbas

Sat, 25 May 2013 09:38:08 -0400

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas speaks at the World Economic Forum, held at the King Hussein Bin Talal Convention center, in Southern Shuneh, 55 kilometers southeast of Amman, Jordan, Saturday, May 25, 2013. (AP Photo/Raad ...

Rights group urges UAE not to deport strikers

Sat, 25 May 2013 09:38:06 -0400

United Arab Emirates not to deport migrant building workers for staging a rare strike to demand better pay and conditions."It would be scandalous if the UAE deported workers who have taken a courageous stand for their basic rights," HRW Middle East ...

Iran denies it has forces fighting in Syria

Sat, 25 May 2013 09:38:03 -0400

FILE - U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry meets with Jordan's Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh in Amman, Jordan, Wednesday, May 22, 2013. Jordan is hosting 10 other nations Wednesday for a "Friends of Syria" conference in Amman. (AP Photo/Jim Young, ...

Kerry accuses Sudan leader of repression in war-torn regions

Sat, 25 May 2013 09:37:05 -0400

US Secretary of State JohnKerrySaturday accused Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir of repressing the people of the South Kordofan and Blue Nile regions and trying to impose Islamic rule on ...

Wise Leadership Congratulates King Abdulla II of Jordan

Sat, 25 May 2013 09:36:36 -0400

Manama, May 25. (BNA) -- His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa today sent a cable of congratulations to the Jordanian Monarch HM King Abdulla II marking his country's Independence day. HM the King wished King Abdulla II continuous good health and happiness and the brotherly Jordanian people further progress and prosperity. HM King Hamad also lauded the steady growth of the solid ...

Aid groups urge EU to fulfil commitments to Palestinians

Sat, 25 May 2013 09:22:48 -0400

RAMALLAH, West Bank (Reuters) - A group of 80 international aid agencies urged the European Union on Saturday to follow through on pledges it made last year to back Palestinian communities seen as vulnerable to Israeli settlement expansion in the occupied West ...

Syrian opposition resumes unity talks key to peace conference

Sat, 25 May 2013 08:20:26 -0400

George Sabra (L), a veteran Christian opposition figure and acting President of the Syrian National Coalition, speaks during the opening session of a meeting by members of the Syrian opposition in Istanbul May 23, ...

Egypt to return taxes collected from Qatar bank deal

Sat, 25 May 2013 07:34:26 -0400

CAIRO | Sat May 25, 2013 7:34am EDT CAIRO May 25 (Reuters) - Egypt will refund taxes collected from Qatar National Bank 's acquisition of National Societe Generale Bank to shareholders on Sunday, an official from a clearing company told Reuters on Saturday. The clearing company will return 10.2 million Egyptian pounds ($1.5 million) total in taxes it collected from NSGB ...

Qatars Nakilat set to enter luxury yacht business

Sat, 25 May 2013 07:27:18 -0400

Qatar Gas Transport Company (Nakilat) is to diversify from its primary operation of overseeing the world's largest fleet of LNG vessels and start building luxury yachts, the company's managing director told Arabian ...

Qatar drops bid to host UN aviation body

Sat, 25 May 2013 07:27:17 -0400

Qatar has dropped a bid to move the headquarters of the International Civil Aviation Organisation from Montreal to Doha, Canadian and ICAO officials said on ...

African dreams of Egypt-like revolt

Sat, 25 May 2013 06:33:34 -0400

All over Africa, the dramatic events in Tunisia and Egypt are followed, with opposition groups and dissidents hoping the same could happen in their country. Mostly, these are only dreams, but some could come ...

Jordan king says extremism grown fat on Israel-Palestinian conflict

Sat, 25 May 2013 06:21:17 -0400

SOUTHERN SHUNEH, Jordan - Jordan's King Abdullah II says extremism has "grown fat" off of the longstanding conflict between Israel and the Palestinians. "Good faith talks must get going," he said in Saturday remarks at the opening of a two-day meeting of the Geneva-based World Economic Forum on the shores of the Dead Sea. He pointed to an Arab peace initiative that ...

If Egypt can we can do it too - Swazi opposition

Sat, 25 May 2013 05:47:36 -0400

"Tunisia and Egypt are a big 'we can do it too,' not just for Swaziland, but for the rest of the African continent and the repressed Arab world," according to the Swazi ...

No exodus of Indians from Saudi Arabia Officials

Sat, 25 May 2013 04:40:48 -0400

Kingdom has increased "significantly" in the last few months. "There is no exodus of people. The number of Indians who have come to Saudi Arabia in the past three months have risen significantly according to Saudi authorities," said Sibi George, Minister and Deputy Chief of Mission at ...

Still double standards in Egypt justice

Sat, 25 May 2013 04:32:25 -0400

Egyptian activists are enraged by continued double standards by the judiciary, as strikers and protesters are still sent to military tribunals while an ex-Minister ordering the shooting of protesters is ...

Qatar Gaza Aid Via Egypt Not Israel

Sat, 25 May 2013 04:30:49 -0400

Former US President Jimmy Carter has downplayed the US influence over Israel and Palestine, saying its record low sway on either side hinders resolution of prolonged Palestinian-Israeli ...

Arab Lawmakers Say Early Vote Boosts Netanyahus Chances

Sat, 25 May 2013 04:30:47 -0400

Some Arab members of the Israeli parliament, the Knesset, said Wednesday that Prime Minister Netanyahu's call for early elections was a simple political calculation. Netanyahu called on Tuesday for an early election, seeking to strengthen his political position after signaling that any military action against Iran could be months away.Opinion polls suggest Netanyahu's right-wing Likud ...

Deaths in Israel-Egypt Border Shootout

Sat, 25 May 2013 04:30:39 -0400

One Israeli soldier and three armed men have been killed in clashes along the Israel-Egypt border. Israeli troops shot the three heavily armed men when they crossed the Egyptian border and ambushed the soldiers, averting "a very big terror attack", an Israeli military spokeswoman said on Friday. The incident took place on the Israeli side of the frontier at a place called Har Harif, ...

Kuwait says port project to continue despite Iraqi opposition

Sat, 25 May 2013 04:29:31 -0400

Kuwait said Wednesday it was " determined to go ahead with" the construction of a port which neighboring Iraq said would affect its shipping lanes.Kuwaiti government spokesman Ali Al-Rashid said the Gulf emirate "won't be intimidated by any remarks," referring to those from Baghdad earlier Wednesday which called the construction of the Mubarak Al-Kabir port on ...

Iran and Egypt Old Foes New Competitors

Sat, 25 May 2013 02:22:55 -0400

Demonstrators storm the offices of the Muslim Brotherhood's political wing, the Freedom and Justice Party, in protest of President Morsi's expansion of powers in Alexandria, Egypt, on Nov. 23. (Photo: Mohamed Hanno, ...

8 killed across Iraq as violence escalates fresh deaths come after bloodiest day in months

Sat, 25 May 2013 01:08:56 -0400

Iraqi armed tribesmen pose for a picture in front of a truck in a road north of Ramadi (Azhar Shallal/AFP) Eight people were killed across Iraq Saturday, hours after a series of bombings rocked Baghdad in the bloodiest day there in months, officials said.Calls for a halt to sectarian violence went unheeded, with gunmen storming the home of a top police anti-terrorism official and killing him, his ...

Lebanese singer Razan introduces dubstep to the Arab World with new video

Sat, 25 May 2013 00:27:10 -0400

Who would have thought that scandalous Razan would be the one introducing dubstep to the Arab world? The Lebanese bombshell Razan Moghrabi had been trying to lay low ...

Revenge Landmines of the Arab Spring - By Joe Sheffer

Fri, 24 May 2013 23:24:50 -0400

In the mountains of Yemen, a strange and deadly face-off between elite soldiers and rebellious villagers could have big international ...

Lebanese president accuses local politicians of turning country

Fri, 24 May 2013 22:18:33 -0400

Lebanon's President Michel Suleiman said Friday that local politicians are turning Lebanon into battleground through the unrest in the northern city of Tripoli and fighting in the Syrian region of al-Qusayr.On the occasion of the Resistance and Liberation Day, Suleiman said that Lebanese people have not liberated themselves from their allegiances to political powers, stressing that "the ...

Death toll reaches 23 in clashes in Lebanons Tripoli

Fri, 24 May 2013 22:18:28 -0400

The death toll from clashes in Lebanon's Tripoli has risen to 23 as cautious calm prevailed in the northern city Friday after fierce battles between pro- and anti-Syria neighborhoods, a local security source told Xinhua.According to the source, the calm had been occasionally violated by intermittent sniper bullets and a rocket that hit Naji Center, where only material damage was caused.At ...

Food poisoning hits 150 female students in Egypt

Fri, 24 May 2013 22:18:28 -0400

At least 150 female students were hit by food poisoning on Friday at Zagazig University in Egypt's Nile Delta province of Sharqiya, senior health ministry official told Xinhua."150 female students were hit by food poisoning in Zagazig University and no death cases have been reported," Health Ministry 's spokesman Yahya Moussa told Xinhua on Friday.Moussa noted that 100 ...

ECLECTIC RANT Time for Israel to Accept the Arab Peace Initiative as s Basis for Peace Negotiations

Fri, 24 May 2013 22:06:53 -0400

) unanimously endorsed by the 22-member Arab League in 2002 at the Beirut Summit of the Arab League? It is time for Israel to accept the API as a basis for peace negotiations. The Arab League latest proposed API to Israel states in brief that if Israel ends the occupation of the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem, and allows the Palestinians to build their own state, the Arab world will recognize ...

Royal Congratulatory Messages To Jordan

Fri, 24 May 2013 20:59:17 -0400

Bandar Seri Begawan - His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam has consented to send a congratulatory message to His Majesty King Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein, King of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, and member of the royal family, as well as the people of Jordan, on the occasion of Jordan's Independence ...

US Turkey Qatar seek urgent UN rights debate on Syria

Fri, 24 May 2013 19:59:09 -0400

The United States, Turkey and Qatar called Friday for an urgent debate on Syria at the UN's top human rights body next week, citing the escalating conflict and the regime's assault on the central town of ...

Bahrains GPZ in deal with 1800 workers to end strike

Fri, 24 May 2013 19:57:26 -0400

Bahraini labour ministry has said around 1,800 workers at G P Zachariades (GPZ) contracting firm who went on strike last week, claiming they hadn't been paid for the past two months, have returned to work, Gulf Daily News has reported. "There was an agreement that the company would pay one and a half months salary and the balance would be paid in a couple of days," said the ...

Egypt in talks with Qatar Iraq over energy imports

Fri, 24 May 2013 19:57:26 -0400

Egyptian oil minister Sherif Haddara has said negotiations with Qatar over a gas swap deal and Iraq over oil imports are ongoing and will "soon" be finalised, Ahram has reported. "Communications are open with them," Haddara said. "These are big deals and need time. Soon we will hear that they are ...

Over 1 lakh Indians face arrest in Saudi Arabia

Fri, 24 May 2013 19:56:23 -0400

naturalisation law or Nitaqat, which seeks to replace foreigners in companies with its own people, India is in the midst of a gigantic effort to bring back over 75,000 people in the next few months. After having failed to regularise their work status, these people have applied for emergency exit certificates to leave the country by July 3, the deadline set by Saudi Arabia for deportation of ...

Kenya Egypt rebuilds its Energy sector after Turmoil

Fri, 24 May 2013 18:31:27 -0400

Egypt . "Coming on the heels of Cabinet-level approval for the project, the concession agreement between Mashreq and the Port Said Port Authority clears the way for the fast-tracking of this critical project, which stands as a backup to Egypt's national energy security," said Mashreq Petroleum Chairman and Managing Director Dr. Tamer Abubakr. Mashreq Petroleum is a core platform ...

Qatar withdraws bid to move UN agency from Montreal

Fri, 24 May 2013 17:55:09 -0400

Qatar has withdrawn its bid to take the headquarters of a major UN agency away from Montreal.The small, oil-rich Gulf nation made a surprise bid in late April to move the headquarters of the International Civil Aviation Organization, which sets international rules for airplane transportation - sending the Canadian government into what Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird called a "tooth and ...

Syrian refugees in Jordan unmoved by peace bid

Fri, 24 May 2013 17:44:06 -0400

A Syrian woman buys supplies from a make-shift store, at the Zaatari refugee camp, near the Syrian border, in Mafraq, Jordan, Monday, April 29, 2013. (AP Photo/Mohammad ...

U.S. spy servers found in Syria spark queries

Fri, 24 May 2013 17:44:05 -0400

BEIRUT: Reporters Without Borders is calling for explanations from a Californian Web security company after a hacktivist group discovered 34 of its servers were being used by the Syrian government, potentially to spy on Internet users. The Blue Coat servers use Deep Packet Inspection technology "to analyze and control the activities of Syrian Internet users – censuring websites, ...

Regime likely to succeed in bid to take Qusair secure vital corridor

Fri, 24 May 2013 17:44:04 -0400

Aleppo last summer." Opposition activist Hadi Abdullah, from Qusair, said rebels repelled a government advance in the town’s outskirts Thursday while George Sabra, the acting head of the National Coalition, urged fighters to "rush to the rescue" of the town. However, analysts say that due to their superior military capacity and manpower, it is likely President Bashar ...

Bahrainis protest over raid on ayatollah’s home

Fri, 24 May 2013 17:44:03 -0400

Bahraini women hold pictures of Bahraini senior Shiite cleric Sheikh Issa Qassem during a protest against the regime and to show solidarity with the cleric in the village of Abu Saiba, west of Manama, on May 17, 2013. (AFP PHOTO/MOHAMMED ...

Ahead of hajj WHO to help virus-hit Riyadh

Fri, 24 May 2013 17:44:02 -0400

Saudi Arabia dig deeper into deadly outbreaks of a new SARS-like virus to draw up advice ahead of the annual hajj pilgrimage, which attracts millions of Muslims. The U.N. agency, which is not currently recommending any restrictions on travel to the kingdom or screening of passengers at airports or entry points, will send a second team of experts in the coming weeks, WHO ...

Iran stacks presidential candidate list with safe Khamenei men

Fri, 24 May 2013 17:44:01 -0400

FILE -- In this Saturday, May 11, 2013 file photo, former Iranian President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, 78, waves to media, as he registers his candidacy for the upcoming presidential election, at the election headquarters of the interior ministry in Tehran, Iran. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi, ...

U.S. casts doubt on credibility of Iran’s upcoming election

Fri, 24 May 2013 17:44:00 -0400

United States Friday called into question the credibility of Iran’s presidential election next month, criticizing the disqualification of candidates and ...

HM King Hamad Congratulates Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad on Sport Achievement in 18th Arab Athletics Championship

Fri, 24 May 2013 17:42:18 -0400

Manama, May 24 (BNA)--His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa held a telephone call today with First Deputy Chairman of the Supreme Council for Youth and Sport and President of Bahrain Athletics Association Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa. HM congratulated him on the National Athletics Team's ability to grab third place, in general, in the 18th Arab Athletics Championship which was ...

Bahrain Condemns Crime That Claimed Life of British Soldier in London

Fri, 24 May 2013 17:42:17 -0400

Manama, May 24 (BNA)--Bahrain strongly condemned the crime which claimed the life of a British soldier in London, the UK, yesterday. Meanwhile, it expressed full support to the British government in confronting terrorism. The Foreign Ministry stressed in a statement Bahrain's call to prevent the extremists and terrorists from using the land of any country to receive funding and exploit ...

Bahrains Rights Britains Failure

Fri, 24 May 2013 17:18:19 -0400

, claimed that "so-called human rights organisations" are "largely administered by ex-ideologists and even terrorists". It continued: "As much as beasts cannot be left to roam freely, so in human society the feral element’s freedom should be under control." In fact, it is well documented ...

LeBron James Will Eventually Top Michael Jordan As Basketballs Greatest Player

Fri, 24 May 2013 16:36:46 -0400

Although there will be resistance, LeBron James will ultimately be seen as the greatest basketball player of all time, surpassing Michael Jordan. And it shouldn't really be close. It seems like an appropriate time to examine the comparison as James, 28 and finishing his 10th NBA season, is essentially halfway through his career barring injury. Worth noting is that it's also a career ...

Israeli-Palestinian problem at base troubles in Middle East says Jerusalem Patriarch

Fri, 24 May 2013 16:18:10 -0400

"There is no doubt that the Palestinian problem is the focus of all conflict in the Middle East for the last one hundred years. This is the truth that we cannot circumvent," said Latin-rite Patriarch Fouad Twal of Jerusalem. Speaking at a conference in Beirut on Christians in the Middle East, sponsored by the World Council of Churches, the Patriarch said that the Israeli-Palestinian ...

Officials probe why Arabs get adopted to get Dominican IDs

Fri, 24 May 2013 15:24:32 -0400

Santo Domingo.- The Central Electoral Board (JCE) is looking into the birth certificates of several foreigners of Arab origin, who were adopted by Dominicans and are seeking Dominican IDs and nationality. A report submitted to JCE president Roberto Rosario by the ID Dept. notes that a considerable number of foreigners has been periodically submitting requests to approve the adoptions of adults ...

WHO to help Saudi Arabias coronavirus investigation before hajj

Fri, 24 May 2013 15:15:46 -0400

Men wearing surgical masks as a precautionary measure against the novel coronavirus speak at a hospital in Dammam, Saudi Arabia on Thursday. Officials in Saudi Arabia say they've tightened infection control ...

10 men suspected of brutally killing 3 women in Egypt for alleged affairs

Fri, 24 May 2013 15:07:28 -0400

LUXOR, Egypt – A mother and two daughters were allegedly killed by male relatives in southern Egypt who believed they'd had affairs, the latest apparent example of so-called "honor killings" in which women are slain for violating traditional morals in the conservative region, a security official said Friday. Police believe the 10 men stormed the house of the women, ...

North African jihadists widen their war

Fri, 24 May 2013 14:57:18 -0400

The jihadist alliance in North Africa has widened its war with attacks in Niger demonstrating the militants are able to causing mayhem across the ...

Groups say repealing Jordan Lake Rules makes no sense

Fri, 24 May 2013 14:25:28 -0400

Pittsboro, N.C. - Before crowds descend on Jordan Lake to swim, boat and fish over the Memorial Day weekend, environment groups held a news conference Friday to express concern over legislation that would repeal water-quality rules for the lake.Environment North Carolina, the Sierra Club, the Haw River Assembly and local businesspeople said they were puzzled by the Senate's passage last week ...

United Arab Emirates - Emirati netizen sentenced to 10 months in prison

Fri, 24 May 2013 14:14:33 -0400

Reporters Without Borders expresses outrage at the Abu Dhabi appeals court confirmation of the 10-month prison sentence of netizen Abdullah Al-Hadidi.The appeals court made its ruling on 22 May.Arrested on 22 March, Al-Hadidi was convicted in a lower court in April ...

Oman - Omani security forces besiege a bloggers home and arrest him

Fri, 24 May 2013 14:14:32 -0400

The Arabic Network for Human Rights Information (ANHRI) denounces the Omani security services' continuous targeting and arrest of activists on social networks websites without charges or judicial orders.The security forces arrested Ziab El-Amri, a blogger and activist, on 20 May 2013 after the Omani special task force unit besieged his house located in Senaw in the Modabi province north of ...

3 Killed In “Honor Crime” In Egypt

Fri, 24 May 2013 13:56:00 -0400

';honor killing'; after the women were accused of infidelity. The women were reportedly beaten with sharp objects and strangled before their bodies were wrapped in sheets, weighted with stones, and thrown into the Nile River. At least one of the men has been arrested and is in custody; police are searching for the remaining suspects. So far, only one of the women has been found. The ...

Opposition skeptical as Damascus agrees to meeting

Fri, 24 May 2013 13:00:18 -0400

Syria's divided opposition on Friday called on the regime of President Bashar al-Assad to bluntly state whether it was interested in peace talks and on what terms after Russia said Damascus had agreed "in principle" to attend a peace conference in Geneva.Louay Safi, spokesman for the Western-backed National Coalition, the main opposition group, said "we would like to hear that ...

Bahraini protesters clash with police over raid on clerics home

Fri, 24 May 2013 12:46:22 -0400

LONDON (Reuters) - Hundreds of Bahraini Shi'ite Muslims angered by a raid last week on a top cleric's home clashed with police on Friday, while thousands more gathered in the cleric's village for a peaceful sit-in against their Sunni-led ...

PM Haniyeh of Palestinian government in Gaza called on Egypt to revise the Camp David Treaty which was signed with Israel

Fri, 24 May 2013 12:35:07 -0400

PM Haniyeh of Palestinian government in Gaza called on Egypt to revise the Camp David Treaty which was signed with Israel GAZA - Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh of Palestinian government in Gaza called on Egypt to revise the Camp David Treaty which was signed with Israel.Giving a Khutbah at the Khalil al-Wazir mosque in Gaza, Haniyeh said, "we ask Egyptian authorities to revise mainly the ...

Excerpts Safe exit for Assad proposed.AFP re Obama.Arab League re

Fri, 24 May 2013 12:27:47 -0400

Excerpts: Safe exit for Assad proposed.AFP re Obama.Arab League re Syria May 24, 2013 +++SOURCE: Saudi Gazette 24 ...

Gender pay gap in Middle East between 20-40

Fri, 24 May 2013 11:56:23 -0400

DEAD SEA, JORDAN // Bringing female workers' pay closer in line with their male colleagues in the Middle East and North Africa is exercising the minds of delegates at the World Economic Forum as estimates put the pay gap at between 20 and 40 per cent. Getting women into the workforce has long been a challenge for policymakers in a region where levels of female joblessness are generally ...

Increased Number of Displaced Syrians Returning from Jordan

Fri, 24 May 2013 11:51:30 -0400

Damascus, May 24 (Prensa Latina) Increasing numbers of Syrians displaced by the conflict in their country are voluntarily returning to their homeland from Jordan, national media are emphasizing here today. Based on reports from authorities in the neighboring country, the official news channel said on Friday that in recent days at least 645 people entered the country from the Hashemite Kingdom. It ...

Bahrain - Joint appeal to U.N. protests torture of detained rights defenders in Bahrain

Fri, 24 May 2013 11:45:15 -0400

The following is a joint appeal to three UN Special Rapporteurs calling for an investigation to torture in Bahraini prisons. The appeal, signed by over 50 NGOs, was initiated by the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights and the Gulf Centre for Human Rights that was signed from NGOs worldwide:UN Special Rapporteur on Torture Juan Mendezand UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders ...

Syria opposition seeks to unify as momentum for talks builds

Fri, 24 May 2013 11:26:17 -0400

UAEs $3 bln aid for Egypt will take time - UAE finmin

Fri, 24 May 2013 11:14:11 -0400

SIR BU NUAYR ISLAND, United Arab Emirates | Fri May 24, 2013 11:14am EDT SIR BU NUAYR ISLAND, United Arab Emirates, May 24 (Reuters) - T he $3 billion in aid that the United Arab Emirates pledged for Egypt in 2011 will "take time" to be transferred, the UAE Finance Minister and Dubai Deputy Ruler said on Friday. "We are going in the right way but it will take time. I cannot ...

UPDATE 1-Egypt tycoon to buy MTS fiber network in new Canada push

Fri, 24 May 2013 11:10:32 -0400

Fri May 24, 2013 11:10am EDT By Alastair Sharp and Euan Rocha TORONTO May 24 (Reuters) - Manitoba Telecom Services Inc will sell its Allstream fiber optic network to a company controlled by telecom tycoon Naguib Sawiris for C$520 million ($502.8 million), a deal that signals the Egyptian billionaire is still keen on the Canadian market. Under an agreement announced on Friday, Accelero Capital ...