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Construction begins on new island off Jumeirah Beach in Dubai

Mon, 20 May 2013 04:26:18 -0400

Work began on Monday on the development of a man-made island in Dubai, 500 metres directly opposite the Jumeirah Beach Residence complex. To be known as Bluewaters Island, the new development will house five star hotels and resorts, al fresco dining and entertainment zones, and residential apartments and villas. The focal point of the island city, which will cost $1.6 billion, will be a 688 ...

Kerry Mideast Talks on Syria to Include Russian Call for Involving Iran

Tue, 21 May 2013 18:15:03 -0400

STATE DEPARTMENT U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is in the Middle East this week for talks to promote an international peace conference on Syria. Russia wants Iran to be part of the process. In this fight for control of Syria, Iran is one of the biggest backers of embattled President Bashar al-Assad. So Russia says Iran should be part of the peace process. "Iran has ...

Indian mission in Jeddah working to fix passport problem

Tue, 21 May 2013 08:20:02 -0400

The Indian consulate in Jeddah is using diplomatic channels to make passport authorities in Saudi Arabia accept newly-designed Indian passports, which they are refusing saying they were not officially informed about the change. According to Consul General Pranav Ganesh, the consulate is aware of the "unexpected problem", the Arab News reported Tuesday. "The matter has been taken up with the ...

Staying at the Burj Al Arab Enjoy a 24-karat gold iPad

Tue, 21 May 2013 17:52:44 -0400

iPad for the hotel last October in support of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. "The Gold & Co. London 24-carat gold iPad is the ultimate in luxury accessories, hence we wanted it to be paired with Burj Al Arab, the world's most luxurious hotel," Amjad Ali, CEO of Gold & Co. London, said in a release. "The symmetry is obvious, as both the gold iPad and the hotel are ...

Car bomb other attacks kill 20 in Iraq

Tue, 21 May 2013 17:09:28 -0400

In this photo taken on Monday, May 20, 2013, Ali Karim weeps over his daughter's coffin before her burial in the holy Shiite city of Najaf, 160 kilometers (100 miles) south of Baghdad, Iraq. A wave of car bombings across Baghdad's Shiite neighborhoods and in the southern city of Basra killed and wounded dozens of people, police said. (AP Photo/ Alaa ...

Smit Tugs Move Crippled UASC Ship to Saudi Arabia

Tue, 21 May 2013 17:03:24 -0400

has been moved to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, by two tugs from Smit Salvage.Prior to the arrival of the tugs, UASC vessels Ain Snan and Jebel Ali had, in turns, extended emergency support to the vessel.Full power was restored to the generators prior to the beginning of towage on May 13, and towage operations began on May 15. The vessel was cast off by the Smit tugs at Jeddah on May 18, when four tugs ...

Crime Rate Explodes in Post-Revolutionary Egypt

Tue, 21 May 2013 16:57:09 -0400

, saying the police inherited "this mess." According to the report, armed robberies rose from 233 in 2010 to 2,807 in 2012. Break-ins in private homes went from 7,368 in 2010 to 11,699 in 2012. There have also been increasing numbers of firearms coming into the country, Osman said. Human rights activists in Egypt said the thousands of criminals released during the revolution factored ...

Bahrain Ambassador Receives Arab Parliament Secretary General

Tue, 21 May 2013 16:56:41 -0400

Cairo-May-21(BNA) Bahrain Ambassador to Egypt and Permanent Representative to the Arab League Shaikh Rashid bin Abdulrahman Al-Khalifa today received Arab Parliament Secretary-General Dr Abdel Nasser Janahi and discussed ways of enhancing cooperation between Arab Parliament and the Kingdom. The ambassador commended the crucial role of the Arab Parliament in addressing the regional ...

Islamists in Egypt Threaten Copts and Judicial Integrity Says Ex-Court Official

Tue, 21 May 2013 16:41:19 -0400

Morsi Sheikh, former head of the Appellate Court and director of the Center for Justice and Democracy of Human Rights, stated that Copts in Egypt face continual threats and violence from ...

Egyptian troops mistakenly fire on Sinai funeral in sweep against militants behind kidnapping

Tue, 21 May 2013 16:40:43 -0400

An Egyptian Army vehicle with a tank heads to the closed Rafah border crossing between Egypt and the Gaza strip, in Sheikh Zuweyid, northern Sinai, Egypt, Monday, May 20, 2013. Security officials said 17 military and more than 20 police armored vehicles were deployed in northern Sinai Monday as a response to the kidnapping by suspected militants of six policemen and a border guard there last ...

Oman to buy $2.1B Raytheon missile system

Tue, 21 May 2013 16:32:15 -0400

Raytheon Co. as part of a U.S. drive to install a coordinated air-defense system linking the region's Arab monarchies to counter Iran. Details of the contract, including the type of system involved, have not been disclosed, but Oman has been in the market for a medium-range surface-to-air missile system for some time. Raytheon executives are expected to sign a letter of intent -- the first ...

Arts of the Arab Spring

Tue, 21 May 2013 16:00:31 -0400

Jean-Pierre Filiu, a professor of Middle Eastern Studies at the School of International Studies, or Sciences Po. in Paris,was in Boston to lecture at Harvard University on the topic revolution, Islamism and jihad in North Africa. He stopped by our studio to talk with anchor Marco Werman about his other interest, hip hop, inspired by the Arab ...

New Zealand Football confirm Jordan clash

Tue, 21 May 2013 15:42:05 -0400

Source: Neil Emblem New Zealand Football has confirmed that a New Zealand selection coached by Neil Emblen will play Jordan at North Harbour Stadium on June 4. Jordan - ranked 77 in the world - is set to play Australia in an Asian World Cup qualifier in Melbourne on June 11, and will use the match against New Zealand 'A' at North Harbour Stadium in Auckland as preparation for the ...

World Brief | Middle East Israel Extends Zone for Fishing Off Gaza

Tue, 21 May 2013 15:31:25 -0400

JERUSALEM -- Israel said Tuesday that it would permit Palestinians to fish up to six nautical miles off the Gaza coast, canceling the limit of three nautical miles that was imposed after Gaza militants fired rockets into Israel in ...

Politics goes pop in ‘Arab Idol’ show

Tue, 21 May 2013 15:28:05 -0400

When speaking of Japanese art, people use words such as wabi and sabi, words that speak of a delicate sensibility and an ephemeral existence. Viewing the retrospective show of painter Toko Shinoda, the first word that comes to mind is ...

Egypt Sends Troops Into Sinai

Tue, 21 May 2013 15:19:20 -0400

CAIRO [MENL] -- Egypt has begun sending thousands of troops into theturbulent Sinai Peninsula. Officials said the Egyptian Army was sending scores of combat units inSinai for another counter-insurgency offensive. They said the armyreinforcements were searching for seven officers abducted on May 16 near theborder with Israel and the Gaza ...

UPDATE 1-Chevron nears sale of Egypt Pakistan downstream assets -sources

Tue, 21 May 2013 14:59:06 -0400

Tue May 21, 2013 2:59pm EDT By Dinesh Nair DUBAI May 21 (Reuters) - Chevron Corp is in advanced talks to sell most of its downstream assets in Egypt and Pakistan, three sources said, with the planned disposals seen raising around $300 million for the U.S. oil major. Chevron, the second-largest U.S. oil company, is conducting a separate sale process for its assets in both countries, the banking ...

Kerry Visits Oman Seeking Syria Peace Consensus

Tue, 21 May 2013 14:48:17 -0400

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry has held talks in Oman on his latest stop in a campaign to help arrange an internationally-sponsored Syrian peace ...

Jordan Army Turns Back Syrian Refugees at Border

Tue, 21 May 2013 14:48:15 -0400

A girl wears a headband in the colors of the Syrian revolutionary flag and painted her face with hearts during a protest in front of the Syrian embassy in Amman, Jordan, May 17, ...

Hunger poverty rates in Egypt up sharply over past three years - UN report

Tue, 21 May 2013 14:46:38 -0400

21 May 2013 &#150 Poverty and food insecurity in Egypt have risen significantly over the last three years, according to a joint reports released today by the United Nations food agency and partners. An estimated 13.7 million Egyptians or 17 per cent of the population suffered from food insecurity in 2011, compared to 14 per cent in 2009, according to the report by UN World Food Programme ...

Horse racing Purebred Arabian horses are racing onto world stage

Tue, 21 May 2013 14:46:21 -0400

Female jockey Marta Pisarek, right, rides Altesse Kossack to a win in the British leg of the HH Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies World Championship on Saturday at Newbury Racecourse in England. ...

Hamas to close tunnels if Egypt will open border

Tue, 21 May 2013 14:37:08 -0400

Hamas said it would be willing to close all smuggling tunnels under the Gaza-Egypt border upon opening of a commercial crossing, Palestinian news agency Ma'an cited Ghazi Hamad, Hamas undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as saying Tuesday. Egyptian police angered by the kidnapping of seven colleagues Thursday by Islamist ...

Bahrain Attends Arab League Meeting

Tue, 21 May 2013 14:30:09 -0400

Cairo-May-21(BNA) Bahrain Ambassador to Egypt and Permanent Representative to the Arab League Shaikh Rashid bin Abdulrahman Al-Khalifa today attended an urgent meeting to discuss the developments of the Syrian crisis, in the aftermath of the atrocities perpetrated in Al-Qassir . Egyptian delegate Amro Abul-Ata chaired the session in the presence of Arab League secretary-general Dr. Nabeel ...

Solar power brightens Oman oil output prospects

Tue, 21 May 2013 14:29:02 -0400

Petroleum Development Oman (PDO) and US GlassPoint Solar have commissioned the Middle East's first solar enhanced oil recovery (EOR) project, the project partners said on ...

Saudi Arabia Five beheaded and ‘crucified’ amid ‘disturbing’ rise in executions

Tue, 21 May 2013 14:28:55 -0400

Saudi Arabia must halt a "disturbing" rise in death penalty usage that has resulted in at least 47 state killings in the country already this year, Amnesty International urged after six more people were executed today.Five Yemeni men were beheaded and "crucified" this morning in the city of Jizan, while a Saudi Arabian man was executed in the south-western city of ...

Saudi Arabia arrests more ‘Iran spy ring’ suspects

Tue, 21 May 2013 13:30:38 -0400

Saudi Arabia has arrested 10 more suspects in what it says is a spy ring linked to Iran, state media report. Those detained include eight Saudis, a Turk, and a Lebanese citizen. Eighteen people were arrested in the same case in ...

Soccer New Zealand A confirmed to play Jordan

Tue, 21 May 2013 13:30:00 -0400

New Zealand-based All Whites and fringe internationals will get a chance to stake claims for inclusion in the squad for November's intercontinental playoff when a New Zealand A side take on Jordan at North Harbour Stadium on June 4. New Zealand Football yesterday confirmed the match will take place and that All Whites assistant Neil Emblen will coach the side. Jordan, ranked 77 in ...

Qatar banks size up UAE and global investments

Tue, 21 May 2013 13:28:23 -0400

Qatar National Bank and Commercial Bank International, its UAE affiliate, on Tuesday lent US$350 million to Air Arabia, the Sharjah low-cost carrier. Emre Rende for The ...

New Egypt tax law cuts for poor business hikes

Tue, 21 May 2013 13:26:00 -0400

CAIRO -; Egypt's president has signed a new tax law that cuts the amount paid by poorer Egyptians while increasing taxes on small and medium-sized ...

Middle East North Africa - Restricting speech restricts Arab freedom

Tue, 21 May 2013 13:17:26 -0400

The sight of hundreds of thousands of Arabs marching on the streets of a number of Arab countries, demanding their dignity and rights, will remain among the iconic images of the twenty-first century. The willingness of so many citizens to take such tremendous risks to their own lives, with thousands dying for their freedom, stunned a world long accustomed to the image of the resigned, ...

Syria claims destroyed vehicle inside its territory

Tue, 21 May 2013 13:13:38 -0400

Mount Hermon is seen in the background as Israeli soldiers travel on mobile artillery units after an exercise on the Israeli occupied Golan Heights, close to the ceasefire line between Israel and Syria in this February 14, 2013 file photo. REUTERS/Baz ...

Academy forward Jordan Morris on U.S. U-20 roster for pre-World Cup tournament

Tue, 21 May 2013 13:13:12 -0400

made the squad. The U.S., grouped with Colombia, Congo DR and host France, will be in action starting May 28 in Toulon, France, as both preparation for this summer’s FIFA U-20 World Cup in Turkey and one last evaluation toward that final roster. Morris, a Mercer Island native, is one of three academy players nationwide to make the team and had starred in a training camp earlier this year ...

Kerry in Oman to help ink $2.1b defence deal

Tue, 21 May 2013 13:12:20 -0400

US Secretary of State John Kerry arrived inOmanon Tuesday aiming to help finalise an estimated $2.1 billion deal to supply a US-made air-defence system to the Gulf ...

Bahrain-UAE Officials Hold Preparatory Meetings

Tue, 21 May 2013 13:11:44 -0400

Abu Dhabi-May-21(BNA) Senior officials' from the Kingdom of Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates committee meetings took place today at the UAE's Ministry of Foreign Affairs to prepare for the meetings of the Higher Committee. Bahrain's delegation was chaired by Ambassador Hamad Ahmed Abdulaziz Al Amer, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Regional Cooperation and ...

State Minister for Communication Affairs Lauds Batelcos Role in Developing Bahrains Communication Sector

Tue, 21 May 2013 13:11:44 -0400

Manama, May 21 (BNA)-- State Minister for Communication Affairs Shaikh Fawaz bin Mohammed Al Khalifa paid a visit today to Bahrain Telecommunications Company (Batelco) Network Operations and Customer Services Complex in Salmaniya where he was received by the company's Chief Executive Rashid Abdullah and a number of Directors General. He toured the complex and got informed about its ...

Bahrains Reaction to Irans Threats Report

Tue, 21 May 2013 13:11:43 -0400

Manama, May 21. (BNA) -- Bahrain's stance vis--vis the recent Iranian statement against it reflects the fact the kingdom will not tolerate any attempt to interfere into its domestic affairs, under whatever pretext, and resolve to ensure security and stability for its citizens. In this regard, the Foreign Affairs Ministry sent official letters to the secretaries-General of the United ...

In Official Letters to a number of International Organizations .Minister of Foreign Affairs informs the international community of Irans threats to Bahrain

Tue, 21 May 2013 13:11:42 -0400

Manama, May 21st (BNA) -Minister of Foreign Affairs, Shaikh Khalid Bin Ahmed Bin Mohammed Al Khalifa, sent official letters to: United Nations Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, European Union's High Representative for Security and Foreign Policy, Baroness Catherine Ashton, the Secretary General of the League of Arab States, Dr. Nabil Elaraby and to the Secretary General of the Organization of ...

Research and Markets Fresh Fruit Market in United Arab Emirates Business Report 2013

Tue, 21 May 2013 13:02:09 -0400

"Fresh Fruit Market in United Arab Emirates: Business Report 2013" report to their offering. This report is a comprehensive research of fresh fruit market in United Arab Emirates. The report starts with giving brief country profile for United Arab Emirates, including general information and main economic indicators. Further, the report provides in-depth analyses fresh ...

Egypts army blocks roads in Sinai in hunt for kidnappers

Tue, 21 May 2013 12:54:35 -0400

CAIRO (Reuters) - Egypt's army and police stepped up roadblocks in an area of northern Sinai as they tried to track down militant Islamists who kidnapped seven security officers last week, a security source said on ...

Michael Jordan Changing Bobcats to the Hornets A Tricky Situation

Tue, 21 May 2013 12:54:04 -0400

Charlotte Bobcats owner Michael Jordan is changing his team name back to the Hornets and it could take effect as early as the 2014-15 season albeit some confusing ...

Oman proposes Gulf ban on women wearing full-face niqab veils from driving

Tue, 21 May 2013 12:53:03 -0400

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia - A Saudi online newspaper says Oman is proposing that women be banned from wearing face veils when driving. Al-Watan said Tuesday Oman made the proposal at a meeting of Gulf Cooperation Council police traffic department heads. It singled out the niqab, a mask that covers a woman's face, leaving only a slit for her eyes. The Oman delegate said that wearing a niqab ...

Saudi Arabia executes five Yemenis and displays corpses

Tue, 21 May 2013 12:16:33 -0400

DUBAI // Saudi Arabia executed five Yemenis today for robbery and murder, then put their bodies on public display as a further punishment, state news agency SPA said. A sixth man, a Saudi national, was separately executed for murder, the agency said. It was the second time in less than three months that Saudi Arabia executed several convicted criminals at the same time. In February, the United ...

Muscat the focus of Omans aggressive plan for a tourism push

Tue, 21 May 2013 12:16:31 -0400

Muscat is an enticing one for any visitor. Men and women in traditional dress chat and pose gracefully around the souk, one of the oldest marketplaces in the Arab world, often seen with scarcely a guidebook -wielding tourist to get in the way of a camera shot. But all that could be about to change is an aggressive plan ...

Clashes between Egypt troops and gunmen in Sinai

Tue, 21 May 2013 12:13:31 -0400

Kerrys Visit to Oman Seeks to Guarantee Military Contract

Tue, 21 May 2013 12:11:38 -0400

Muscat, May 21 (Prensa Latina) The conclusion of a $2.1 billion USD agreement is the focus of the visit of U.S. secretary John Kerry to this capital of the Sultanate of Oman today. The agreement includes the sale of an anti-aircraft defense system produced by the Raytheon firm, which is based in the state of Massachusetts, and which Kerry supported from his position as senator before becoming ...

Saudi Arabia blocks access to Jpost.com

Tue, 21 May 2013 12:05:12 -0400

Commentator article Ahmed Abdel-Raheem is an Egyptian artist and a PhD student who works as a lecturer at Al-Lith College for Girls, Um Al-Qura University, Saudi Arabia, according to his byline on the website of ...

Jordan refuses entry to thousands of Syrian refugees

Tue, 21 May 2013 12:05:11 -0400

AMMAN - Jordan has turned away thousands of Syrian refugees in the past week in the first such clampdown since the crisis in Syria began more than two years ago, diplomats, activists and aid workers said on Tuesday.Jordan, due to host an international conference on Syria on Wednesday, has already taken in 473,587 Syrians out of a total of 1.5 million who have fled the conflict in an exodus that ...

Oman Project Is A Step Toward The Ikea Of Solar

Tue, 21 May 2013 11:54:05 -0400

GlassPoint installation in Oman, with oil rigs in background (Credit: GlassPoint) In the desert of southern Oman, near the border with Yemen, 4 acres of glass houses catch the sun. They sit in the Amal West oilfield, operated by Petroleum Development Oman. But these glasshouses aren't growing tomatoes, or any other crop, rather they are making steam. When it comes to developing its oil ...

Kerry visits Oman for arms deal talks on Syria Mideast

Tue, 21 May 2013 10:45:02 -0400

CORK/DUBLIN - Ireland said on Tuesday it was not to blame for Apple Inc's low global tax payments and had no special rate deal with the company after the U.S. Senate said it paid little or no tax on tens of billions of dollars in profits stashed in Irish ...

Qatar should consider more flexible exchange rate

Tue, 21 May 2013 10:40:01 -0400

Qatar and other Gulf states should consider moving to a more flexible exchange rate from long-entrenched pegs to the US dollar, to better manage inflation risk in the next decade, a senior Qatar central bank official said on ...

More troops arrive in Egypts Sinai over hostages

Tue, 21 May 2013 10:01:30 -0400

UN Drop in Syrians reaching Jordan unclear why

Tue, 21 May 2013 09:57:22 -0400

GENEVA -- U.N. officials say there has been a sudden fall in the number of Syrian refugees arriving in Jordan, but it's unclear why.Panos Moumtzis , the top U.N. refugee official for Syria, says the usual exodus of up to about 3,000 refugees daily has "dropped to almost zero" over the past four days.Moumtzis told reporters Tuesday in Geneva that his agency is asking if ...

At least 4 killed in Israel bank robbery

Tue, 21 May 2013 09:52:32 -0400

Israeli security officers cordon off the scene of a bank robbery in Beersheva, southern Israel, on May 20, 2013. At least four people were killed in an armed bank robbery that took place on Monday in south Israeli city of Beersheva, Israel channel 2 citing the Magen David Adom emergency services as reporting. During the standoff with police, one of the robbers committed suicide. (Xinhua/Yin ...

Irans Guardian Council rejects Mashaei Rafsanjani

Tue, 21 May 2013 09:49:24 -0400

In this Saturday, May 11, 2013 photo, Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei during a press conference after registering his candidacy for the upcoming presidential election, at the election headquarters of the interior ministry, in Tehran, Iran. (AP Photo/Ebrahim ...

Tunisia Salafist group calls for Friday demo

Tue, 21 May 2013 09:49:22 -0400

Saif Eddine Errais, center, spokesman of radical Islam Salafist group Ansar al-Sharia speaks during a press conference, Thursday, May 16, 2013 at the "Errahma" mosque in Cite Khadra, near Tunis. (AP Photo/Amine ...

Syria submits five names for possible peace talks sources

Tue, 21 May 2013 09:49:20 -0400

Syrian Prime Minister Wael al-Halqi talks to media in Damascus April 29, 2013, in this handout photograph distributed by Syria's national news agency SANA. ...

Bomb attacks kill at least 95 across Iraq

Tue, 21 May 2013 09:49:11 -0400

Iraqi security force members gather at the site of a car bomb attack in front of a crowded popular restaurant in Basra, 340 miles (550 kilometers) southeast of Baghdad, Iraq, Monday, May 20, 2013. (AP Photo/ Nabil ...

Saudi Arabia detains 10 more in Iran spying case

Tue, 21 May 2013 09:29:31 -0400

RIYADH (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia has detained 10 more people in a spying case it announced in March that it said was linked to Iran, state television reported on ...

Coronavirus claims another life in Saudi Arabia Tunisia announces 3 cases

Tue, 21 May 2013 09:28:49 -0400

Saudi Arabia , but one of the patients in the Eastern Region died yesterday, bringing the total number of coronavirus deaths in the Kingdom to 16. And Tunisia's Health Ministry announced today three cases of the deadly virus, including one ...

AP Source Michael Jordan changing team name to Hornets

Tue, 21 May 2013 09:28:15 -0400

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Charlotte Bobcats owner Michael Jordan is changing his team's name to the Hornets, said a person familiar with the situation.The person said Jordan will detail the timetable for the change to be completed at a press conference the Bobcats have scheduled for Tuesday. The person spoke to The Associated Press Monday on condition of anonymity because the name change has not ...

Egypt students protest keosene smell in beans

Tue, 21 May 2013 09:20:06 -0400

Dozens of students at Al-Azhar University in Egypt said that they smelled kerosene in beans served for dinner in the school's dormitories The students protested Monday after dinner, Ahram Online reported. An official from the university said initial tests didn't indicate any contamination and that the smell may have come from the gas stove on which the beans were cooked. The incident ...

Films with Arab themes hold sway at Cannes

Tue, 21 May 2013 08:50:53 -0400

Now that the first few days of catwalk bling and celebrity razzle-dazzle have died down, the Cannes film festival has returned to what it does best: showcasing strong, socially engaged cinema with a global ...

Fatah Scolds Arab Teens for Soccer Game with Jews

Tue, 21 May 2013 08:36:08 -0400

JERUSALEM, Israel -- Fatah, the party of Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas, threatened Arab teenagers for participating in a soccer game with Jewish Israelis. "Every now and then, some organizations who call themselves Palestinian come up with activities of normalization with the occupation," the Palestinian Authority's ...

UPDATE 1-Algerian prime minister says President Bouteflika convalescing

Tue, 21 May 2013 08:34:36 -0400

Tue May 21, 2013 8:34am EDT (Adds French foreign ministry statement in paragraph 6) By Myra MacDonald ALGIERS May 21 (Reuters) - Algeria's prime minister, reacting to reports that President Abdelaziz Bouteflika is seriously ill, said the 76-year-old was recovering in France but had been ordered to take complete rest by his doctors. Since he was rushed to hospital in Paris on April 27 with ...

Egypt tourist arrivals rise not back to pre-revolt levels

Tue, 21 May 2013 08:27:40 -0400

Egypt rose in the first four months of 2012, the cabinet said on Tuesday, but analysts say the sector is still suffering from the aftermath of the country's 2011 uprising. The revolt that ...

Jordan keeps out Syrian refugees in border clampdown

Tue, 21 May 2013 08:27:29 -0400

Syria on Wednesday, has already taken in 473,587 Syrians out of a total of 1.5 million who have fled the conflict in an exodus that has accelerated in the past four months, U.N. figures show. All four unofficial crossing points used by refugees trying to escape bombardments in the southern province of Deraa have been closed for the past six days, refugees and aid workers say, although the ...

Five Yemenis executed in Saudi Arabia

Tue, 21 May 2013 08:18:52 -0400

23/05/2012 14:03 CET Saudi Arabia has executed five Yemenis accused for killing a Saudi national and committing robberies in several towns in the kingdom, the interior ministry stated. The five men were executed in the southwestern town of Jizan and their bodies were displayed in public, near a university, according to an eyewitness. In a photo uploaded in Twitter, five men are seen hanging ...

Waseela awarded turnkey microwave network contract in Saudi Arabia

Tue, 21 May 2013 07:40:20 -0400

Waseela, a systems integrator in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, has been granted a nationwide microwave network contract in Saudi Arabia, Zawya reported. The project contract was awarded on a turnkey basis, requiring Waseela to provide services from planning and design of the network to operation and maintenance of the system. The contract consists of several stages, with the ...

Israeli peace negotiator Stalemate bad for Israel

Tue, 21 May 2013 07:39:01 -0400

Tzipi Livni told a parliamentary committee Tuesday that resuming negotiations was "first and foremost an Israeli interest." She spoke days before U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is expected to arrive in Israel for his latest push to restart long-dormant ...

Mortar attack kills 3 workers near Syrian capital

Tue, 21 May 2013 07:32:46 -0400

Three workers were killed and 23 others wounded Tuesday when armed men fired mortar shells that slammed a clothing factory in a Damascus suburb, the pro- government Sham FM radio reported.Most of those injured are in critical conditions, the report said, adding that a huge material loss has been caused to the al- Wasim factory in the eastern suburb of al-Mlaiha.Mortar attacks have become a daily ...

Syrian army destroys trespassing Israeli vehicle Israe l

Tue, 21 May 2013 07:32:11 -0400

Syrian army destroyed an Israeli military vehicle that trespassed on Syrian territories and Israel responded by firing two rockets at a military site in Syria, the military general command said in a statement Tuesday.The army destroyed the vehicle on Tuesday afternoon after it surpassed the ceasefire line between Israel and Syria on the Golan Heights and moved toward the town of Beir al-Ajam ...

Middle East’s first online court case registration launched in Dubai

Tue, 21 May 2013 07:10:24 -0400

Dubai Courts officially launched three innovative online service programmes. The three programmes provide facility for online case registration, access to archive of case files, and pro bono legal advice. The launch took place in the context of Dubai Courts’ strategic vision towards 'leadership in court performance', which aims to save time and effort, and to aid the facilitation ...

Tunisia Man back from Saudi Arabia dies from coronavirus 2 children treated and recovered

Tue, 21 May 2013 07:09:31 -0400

TUNIS, Tunisia - Tunisia's Health Ministry says a 66-year-old man has died after being infected by the new coronavirus following a visit to Saudi Arabia. The ministry's statement reported that his son and daughter were also diagnosed with the virus but have been treated and since recovered. The cases are the first for Tunisia and indicate that the virus is slowly trickling out of the ...

Qatars Doha Bank may sell bonds to raise capital - CEO

Tue, 21 May 2013 07:06:28 -0400

Tue May 21, 2013 7:06am EDT * CEO says has multiple options for capital raise * Bank focused on regional growth currently * Gulf banks have sold Tier 1 bonds in recent months By David French DUBAI, May 21 (Reuters) - Qatar's Doha Bank could issue a capital-boosting bond instead of shares as planned, although it was evaluating the best route to help raise core capital, its chief executive ...

Qatar National Bank to start India operations in expansion push

Tue, 21 May 2013 06:32:47 -0400

Qatar National Bank, one of the most acquisitive Gulf Arab lenders, will start operations in India in the third quarter of this year, the bank said on Tuesday, expanding its reach to Asia's third-largest economy. The state-owned bank, which has a presence in nearly 25 countries, said it had received all regulatory approvals to establish a fully-owned subsidiary under the name of QNB India ...

Syria Israel exchange fire over border

Tue, 21 May 2013 06:30:12 -0400

DAMASCUS, Syria -; Syria said Tuesday it destroyed an Israeli vehicle that crossed the ceasefire line in the Golan Heights overnight, while the Israeli military said gunfire from Syria had hit an Israeli patrol, damaging a vehicle and prompting its troops to fire ...

Qatars QNB set to launch Indian operations in Q3

Tue, 21 May 2013 06:16:54 -0400

QNB (India) will take the role of extending consultancy and advisory services in the field of investment and finance for the Middle East companies that are willing to establish businesses in India or invest in ...

Qatar expansion driving down credit growth - Barclays

Tue, 21 May 2013 06:16:42 -0400

"Annual credit growth is likely to be closer to 14-17% y-o-y" Qatar's banks' credit is likely to grow by 14% to 17% year-on-year (y-o-y) in 2013, much lower than the average 27% expansion seen in the previous two years, according to a Barclays study.The recent Qatar Central Bank (QCB) data showed a fall in credit during the first quarter of 2013, with quarter-on-quarter growth ...

VTB finds tricky main SPO buyer Qatar

Tue, 21 May 2013 06:14:19 -0400

Finance Qatar's sovereign wealth fund will become the main purchaser in VTB's secondary public offering, buying $1 billion of the available $3.3 billion shares. It may prove to be a difficult shareholder for Russia's second largest lending bank. The Sovereign Fund of Qatar is aiming to secure a business partnership in order to develop new joint projects. After the purchase it ...

Israel extends Palestinians Gaza fishing zone

Tue, 21 May 2013 06:03:22 -0400

Palestinian fishermen riding fishing boats take part in a protest calling for an increased fishing zone, at the seaport of Gaza City April 7, ...

Eight bosses sacked in big Kuwait Petroleum shake-up

Tue, 21 May 2013 05:58:53 -0400

State-owned Kuwait Petroleum Corp (KPC) has sacked the heads of all of its eight subsidiaries in the company's largest ever shakeup, following a controversial $2.2bn compensation payment to US firm Dow Chemical, according to local ...

Qatar to get $500m of shares in Russian bank VTB

Tue, 21 May 2013 05:58:53 -0400

The sovereign wealth funds of Qatar, Norway and Azerbaijan will each get about $500m of the new shares being issued by VTB, the Russian bank's chief executive Andrei Kostin said on Tuesday.The $500m allocation is the "kind of ticket we are thinking of" Kostin told Reuters in London. The allocations will give the investors more than half the new shares being sold in VTB's ...

Officials More attacks in Iraq 7 killed

Tue, 21 May 2013 05:24:26 -0400

A police officer says a suicide blast at a checkpoint, followed by militants who opened fire at Iraqi troops, has killed three soldiers in Tarmiyah. The town is 50 kilometers (30 miles) north of ...

Attacks in Iraq kill 7 including 3 soldiers

Tue, 21 May 2013 05:15:52 -0400

A new wave of attacks struck war- torn Iraq on Tuesday morning and killed at least seven people, including three soldiers, while 75 others were injured in the violence, police said.Three Iraqi soldiers were killed and seven others wounded in an attack by an armed group at a base of the Iraqi army in Tarmiya, some 30 km north of Baghdad, a police source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.The ...

18 militants killed in Afghan operations within day

Tue, 21 May 2013 05:15:51 -0400

Eighteen militants have been killed and 22 others detained in a series of operations in different Afghan provinces within the last 24 hours, the country's Interior Ministry said Tuesday."Up to 18 armed Taliban have been killed and 22 others captured in Nangarhar, Kandahar, Zabul, Wardak, Logar, Ghazni, Paktiya and Helmand provinces when Afghan National Police (ANP), supported by army ...

Iran approves agreement on Argentine bombing probe diplomat

Tue, 21 May 2013 05:12:52 -0400

Eduardo Amadeo, a legislator from the opposition Peronist Front, left, speaks against an agreement between Argentina and Iran in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2013. The signs read in Spanish "Iran kills," left, and "Do not betray their memory, no to the agreement with the Iran regime." (AP Photo/Victor R. ...

Qatar Economic Zone 1 first phase to open in 2016

Tue, 21 May 2013 05:12:25 -0400

The first of Qatar’s three planned economic zones may be open for business as early as the first quarter of 2016, according to Fahad Rashid Al-Kaabi, CEO of Qatar Economic Zone Projects. Speaking on the sidelines of the MEP Conference in Qatar, Al-Kaabi added that the opening of the third economic zone could follow soon after in 2016 Q2. "We have a phased approach on all the economic ...

IMF again raises Egypt inflation forecast to 3-year high

Tue, 21 May 2013 05:10:00 -0400

The International Monetary Fund Inflation in Egypt is expected to climb to 10.9 percent this year, the highest level since 2010, the International Monetary Fund said on Tuesday, more than it expected in April."Inflation is expected to rise in Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, and Tunisia, reflecting recent and planned subsidy cuts and, in some cases, pressure from monetization of fiscal deficits and ...

Saudi Arabia crucifies 5 Yemenis for murder Report

Tue, 21 May 2013 05:08:37 -0400

Saudi Arabia on Tuesday executed and crucified five Yemenis convicted of murder and forming a gang which carried out robberies across several towns in the conservative Muslim kingdom, the interior ministry said. The five were executed in the southwestern town Jizan, it said, quoted by state news agency SPA, bringing the number of executions in Saudi Arabia this year to 46, according to an AFP ...

Barclays Bank Egypt FY2012 profit after tax up 301

Tue, 21 May 2013 05:06:42 -0400

- Barclays Bank Egypt announced its financial results for the year ended 31 December 2012 where profit after tax grew to reach EGP 368m, 301% ahead of same period in 2011. Despite the challenging economic and political situation, profits increased, driven by robust performance across all lines and segments. "The largest contributor to our improved profitability is growth of 31% on net ...

Arab Islamic Summit Calls on Hans Hassle for Vertical Urban Agriculture Solution for the MENA Region at Dushanbe May 20th 2013

Tue, 21 May 2013 05:06:29 -0400

May 21, 2013 /CNW/ - Plantagon International AB - the Swedish vertical agriculture innovation company headed by Hans Hassle speaks at the technical forum jointly organized by The International Center for Biosaline Agriculture (ICBA) and the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) on "Innovations for Agriculture and Food Security" that will be held ...

Egypts anti-Morsi rebels gather millions of signatures

Tue, 21 May 2013 04:48:23 -0400

An Egyptian activist covers her face with the petition for "Tamarod," Arabic for "rebel," a campaign calling for 15 million signatures expressing "no confidence" in Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi and calling for early presidential elections, during a protest in Tahrir Square in Cairo on May ...

Death toll in Turkish balloon crash reaches 3

Tue, 21 May 2013 04:01:58 -0400

ANKARA, Turkey: Officials say another Brazilian tourist has died of wounds sustained after a hot air balloon crashed to the ground, raising the number of tourists killed to 3. The balloon collided with another balloon mid-air and crashed during a sightseeing tour of volcanic rock formations in Turkey's Cappadocia region on Monday. The governor's office for Nevsehir province said Tuesday ...

Arab Food Security Conference Opens In Khartoum

Tue, 21 May 2013 03:56:49 -0400

KHARTOUM, May 21 (BERNAMA-NNN-SUNA) -- An Investment and Arab Food Security Conference, organized by the Sudanese Businessmen and Employers Federation, in collaboration with the Arab Chambers of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization(UNIDO), has opened in Khartoum. Assistant to the President Nafie Ali Nafie, addressing the opening of the ...

Clashes kill 4 cops 26 militants in S. Afghanistan

Tue, 21 May 2013 03:03:37 -0400

An Afghan provincial official said Tuesday that four Afghan policemen and 26 militants have been killed in ongoing clashes in the country's southern province of Helmand."Militants numbered hundreds launched armed attacks against police checkpoints in Pirozo and Kolali areas of Sangin district Monday morning and clashes still going on there till now," the provincial government ...

Roadside bombing kills 6 police in W. Afghanistan

Tue, 21 May 2013 03:03:35 -0400

Six Afghan police were killed as a roadside bomb went off in Herat province 640 km west of Kabul on Tuesday, a local official said."The ill-fated policemen were on the way to Obe district this morning when their vehicle ran over a mine on the road leading to Salma dam, leaving all the six aboard the van dead,"district police chief Shir Agha told Xinhua.He blamed the enemies of peace, a ...

LIVE The 8th annual Arabian Business Forum

Tue, 21 May 2013 02:59:00 -0400

10:45: Next up is Ryan Mahoney, the charismatic CEO of Better Homes, one of the biggest realtors in Dubai. The family business, founded by Mahoney's mother, Linda, is now reaching outside the UAE into global ...

Adel Imam is gonna con his way through Ramadan

Tue, 21 May 2013 02:58:54 -0400

new TV drama "Al Araf" (The Fortune Teller) will challenge his acting abilities as he alternates portraying a military general, wealthy businessman, famous doctor, lawyer, and an ambassador.The Egyptian actor is able to fraud everyone with whom he comes in contact, including police, and manages to get himself out of every possible jam in the television comedy directed by his own son, ...

Ethiopia Ethiopia Kuwait Agree to Build Up Relations

Tue, 21 May 2013 02:40:24 -0400

Ethiopia and Kuwait have agreed to strengthen existing trade and investment relations. During his stay in Kuwait, Prime Minister Hailemariam Dessalegn held discussions that country's senior officials on various issues common concern. Ethiopia and Kuwait have been enjoying excellent diplomatic relations since 1997. Embassies of the two countries have contributed to the flourishing bilateral ...

IMF warns Saudi Arabia over inflation risk

Tue, 21 May 2013 01:56:40 -0400

Saudi Arabia faces a possible inflation risk due to buoyant growth that may warrant policy action to prevent the economy from over-heating, the International Monetary Fund has ...

Dubais Burj al Arab introduces gold iPads for guests

Tue, 21 May 2013 01:56:40 -0400

Dubai's Burj al Arab, the sail-shaped iconic building often dubbed 'a seven-star luxury hotel' has unveiled 24-carat gold iPads for use by its in-house ...

Gaza’s Assaf The Arab World’s New Singing Sensation

Tue, 21 May 2013 01:48:51 -0400

with his renditions of love songs and patriotic Palestinian songs. Like ';Song for Palestine, ‘Oh you bird going back home'; (above). It’s easy to understand why Palestinians are going crazy for him. Mohammed Assaf has drawn comparisons to the late ...

Jordan seeks to bring Hornets back

Tue, 21 May 2013 01:48:17 -0400

(1 hr ago) Charlotte Bobcats owner Michael Jordan is changing his team's name to the Hornets, said a person familiar with the situation. The person said Jordan will detail the timetable for the change to be completed at a news conference the Bobcats have scheduled for Tuesday. The person spoke to The Associated Press Monday on condition of anonymity because the name change has not been ...

Israel fires back at Syria after gunshots at its troops

Tue, 21 May 2013 01:43:03 -0400

Israeli soldiers walk together during a training close to the ceasefire line between Israel and Syria on the Israeli occupied Golan Heights May 7, ...

Oman unveils master plan for tourism port

Tue, 21 May 2013 01:42:22 -0400

MUSCAT, Oman - In response to the directives of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said to convert Sultan Qaboos Port into a tourist port, Dr Ahmed bin Salim Al Futaisi, Minister of Transport and Communications, announced Sunday, the approval of the master plan for the development of the port for tourism and for the establishment of a specialised company that will act as a developer for the project. ...

Dave Villwock apparently leaving U-96 Spirit of Qatar team | Hydroplanes

Tue, 21 May 2013 00:54:00 -0400

One of the most successful partnerships in unlimited hydroplane racing — that of driver Dave Villwock and the U-96 Spirit of Qatar team — is apparently breaking up. In a statement posted on the H-1 Unlimited Facebook page last night, team manager Erick Ellstrom wrote: "Dave Villwock has retired from our team. We had a great run together and celebrated many victories together. We ...

Jordan will change Charlotte nickname back to Hornets | NBA

Tue, 21 May 2013 00:49:37 -0400

Charlotte Bobcats owner Michael Jordan is changing his team's name to the Hornets, said a person familiar with the situation. The person said ...

Iran to list approved presidential candidates

Tue, 21 May 2013 00:45:49 -0400

Iran's June 14 presidential election steps up a gear on Tuesday when the Guardians Council releases the approved list of candidates who have passed muster under the vetting process. The unelected council, controlled by religious conservatives appointed by supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, must ensure that all candidates meet certain conditions before being allowed to stand. These ...

Dubai aims to become top destination for health tourism in the Middle East

Tue, 21 May 2013 00:38:20 -0400

Medical tourism has been brought to the fore with renewed optimism and a host of projects as announced by the Dubai Health Authority (DHA) on Sunday. The projects are part of the authority's strategy for 2013-2025, which build on His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai's long-term sustainable development vision ...

Kerry travels to Middle East Will face time help Syria

Tue, 21 May 2013 00:27:21 -0400

Secretary of State John Kerry will visit Oman and Jordan in hopes that in-person meetings can rally support for peace talks in Syria, despite uncertain support from ...

Washington sells US$2b more arms to Oman

Mon, 20 May 2013 22:35:53 -0400

(1 hr 34 mins ago) US Secretary of State John Kerry will help ink a major estimated US$2.1 billion proposed deal with Oman to supply a US-made air-defense system to the Gulf nation, officials said. One of the main focuses of Kerry's trip to Muscat was to applaud the signing of a letter of intent between Oman and US manufacturer Raytheon ahead of talks on the final contract, they told ...

UN urges implementation of law on violence against women in Afghanistan

Mon, 20 May 2013 21:43:55 -0400

The UN agencies in Afghanistan on Monday called for full implementation of legislation to protect women from violence, especially child marriage, which remains rampant in the insurgency-hit country.The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and UN Women have urged Afghan authorities to step up their efforts to fully implement the law on the Elimination of Violence against Women ( EVAW), in ...

Number of Syrian refugees in Lebanon reaches 474000 UN

Mon, 20 May 2013 21:43:55 -0400

The number of Syrian refugees in Lebanon has reached 474,000, the latest report of UN Higher Council for Refugees showed on Monday.Up to 379,000 refugees have been registered with the agency, while over 95,000 are waiting for their registration process to be completed.There are currently 149,000 Syrian refugees in northern Lebanon, 133,000 in the Bekaa region, 58,000 in Beirut and Mount Lebanon, ...

Israeli researchers use holographic images to restore vision to

Mon, 20 May 2013 21:43:53 -0400

A group of Israeli biomedical engineering researchers have developed a device to stimulate cells in the visual system after they have been injected with a special light-sensitive protein, the leader of the researchers told Xinhua on Monday.Researchers at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology in Haifa are working on a tool that would resemble a pair of glasses using holographic images that ...

Jew carried out lethal shooting attack at Israeli

Mon, 20 May 2013 21:43:53 -0400

A Jewish man had carried out a shooting rampage at a bank in southern Israel on Monday, in which four people were killed and seven others wounded, local media reported.Police Commissioner Yohanan Danino disclosed that only one shooter was involved in what was described as a "revenge attack" on the bank's management, after being refused a loan to cover his mortgage.The man ...

9 killed 53 wounded in attacks against mosques in southern

Mon, 20 May 2013 21:43:52 -0400

At least nine people were killed and 53 others wounded in bombing attacks against two Shiite mosques in Iraq's southern city of Hilla on Monday, a police source said.A suicide bomber wearing explosive vest blew himself up at Al- Wardiyah mosque in Hilla, some 100 km south of the Iraqi capital of Baghdad, and about five minutes later a bomb exploded in the nearby Al-Galagh mosque, the source ...

2 soldiers killed in clashes in northern Lebanon

Mon, 20 May 2013 21:43:51 -0400

Two Lebanese soldiers were killed and three others injured in Tripoli Monday as the army sought to implement a security plan to contain the clashes in the northern port city.The deaths bring the toll of the clashes to four as the fighting enters its second day, the other two being civilians.Local media said the army's efforts to quell the unrest met resistance in some areas, resulting in the ...

Iraqi PM to overhaul security plans after deadly bombings

Mon, 20 May 2013 21:43:50 -0400

The Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al- Maliki said Monday that he will overhaul security plans and carry out changes in his security personnel after a wave of deadly bomb attacks which killed and wounded hundreds of people."Now we are about to make changes in the high and middle positions, as well as in the (security) plans," Maliki told reporters in a news conference.Maliki's comments ...

Egyptian army ready to release kidnapped soldiers in Sinai source

Mon, 20 May 2013 21:43:49 -0400

The Egyptian army sent more troops to Sinai Peninsula on Monday, getting ready for a possible military operation to release the seven kidnapped soldiers, a military source told Xinhua.On Thursday, a group of militants abducted seven military recruits in North Sinai's Green Valley, some 20 km away from the governorate's capital of Arish."More soldiers ... entered Sinai today under a ...

Syria’s Idriss warns Lebanon to restrain Hezbollah

Mon, 20 May 2013 21:41:41 -0400

Supporters of Hezbollah and relatives of Hasan Faisal Sheker, an 18-year-old Hezbollah member, carry the coffin during his funeral in Nabi Sheet near Baalbeck May 20, 2013. ...

Hezbollah role in Syria grows more prominent

Mon, 20 May 2013 21:41:40 -0400

Hezbollah fighters in their military uniform, foreground, carry the coffin of Hezbollah fighter Hassan Faisal Shuker, 18, who was killed in a battle against Syrian rebels in the Syrian town of Qusair, during his funeral procession in his hometown of Nabi Sheet in the eastern Bekaa valley, Lebanon, Monday May 20, 2013. (AP ...

Tlass brothers emerge with new Syria transition plan

Mon, 20 May 2013 21:41:39 -0400

BEIRUT: The Tlass brothers have re-emerged on the Syrian opposition scene with a new transition initiative from one and a possible nomination for a defense role in a ...

Russia Assad foes must attend talks without terms

Mon, 20 May 2013 21:41:38 -0400

Sergey Lavrov said Monday it was crucial for Syrian opposition envoys to engage in peace talks without setting preconditions, apparently referring to demands for President Bashar Assad’s removal. Lavrov also reiterated ...

‘War on mosques’ now daily part of Iraq strife

Mon, 20 May 2013 21:41:36 -0400

Ihsan al-Shammari told AFP. "It is a war on mosques." Iraqis have lived with near-daily violence since the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of the country that toppled dictator Saddam Hussein, and militants still attack both security forces and civilians almost each day. Now, they have set their sites on mosques as well. In one of the deadliest attacks, two bombs exploded near ...

Iran election overseers add further caveats

Mon, 20 May 2013 21:41:35 -0400

TEHRAN: Iran’s election overseers said Monday they would bar candidates who are physically weak from running in next month’s presidential election, a reference to a former leader seen as a threat to hard-liners. Former President Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani’s entry in the race scrambled the equations because of his popularity, reputation and potential to draw voters away from ...

Kuwait stocks extend rally UAE markets slip off highs

Mon, 20 May 2013 21:41:32 -0400

bourse extended sharp year-to-date gains in heavy trading Monday, while profit-taking weighed on bourses in the UAE and other markets were mixed. Kuwait’s index rose 1.3 percent to hit a fresh 46-month high, trading 111 million dinars ($387.9 million). Companies owned by one of Kuwait’s largest merchant families rose after a favorable court ruling. Kuwaiti newspaper reports said ...

12 kidnapped policemen killed in western Iraq

Mon, 20 May 2013 20:37:40 -0400

Twelve kidnapped policemen were killed and four were wounded in overnight clashes between the abductors and the Iraqi security forces in Anbar province, a provincial police source said on Monday.The Iraqi army and police forces carried out a joint operation on Sunday night in the desert area between Baghdad and Jordan to free kidnapped policemen, and the troops clashed with their kidnappers, the ...

India opens exit door for workers in Saudi Arabia

Mon, 20 May 2013 20:31:35 -0400

DUBAI: India on Monday started verification and issuance of emergency certificates allowing its citizens to leave Saudi Arabia following concerns over a new labour policy in the Gulf kingdom. The schedule announced is for the delivery of the first batch of 12,000 emergency certificate applications received at the Indian embassy in Riyadh and nearly 3,000 in Saudi's Eastern Province. The ...

Worlds most luxurious train station planned by Saudi Arabias King Abdullah

Mon, 20 May 2013 20:30:41 -0400

WITH gold-plated walls and marbled walkways, this isn't your average train station. Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah is planning to build an extravagant new six-line train network, in a move that's sure to make travellers around the world extremely envious. Its breathtaking, sweeping design was created by architect Zaha Hadid to mimic the country's wind-blown sand dunes. It's also ...

Egypt Sends Show of Force to Sinai After Kidnappings

Mon, 20 May 2013 20:29:53 -0400

CAIRO ...

Raytheon to sign $2.1 billion arms sale to Oman U.S. officials

Mon, 20 May 2013 20:22:46 -0400

SAN FRANCISCO/NEW YORK - Yahoo Inc will buy blogging service Tumblr for $1.1 billion cash, giving the Internet pioneer a much-needed social media platform to reach a younger generation of users and breathe new life into its ailing brand. ...

CU Buffs signing Jordan Gehrke adds drama to QB situation

Mon, 20 May 2013 20:08:50 -0400

"He's very athletic, extremely accurate, can make all the throws and is a bright young man in regards to football and in the classroom," CU coach Mike MacIntyre, above, said of Jordan Gehrke. (Denver Post file) Jordan Gehrke has a message for all those Division II and III schools he turned down out of high school. Only he knows what that will say but the most important part will be ...

Oceaneering Bags Saipem Gig Offshore Egypt

Mon, 20 May 2013 19:31:14 -0400

Oceaneering International, Inc. announced that it has secured a contract from Saipem to supply umbilicals for the Burullus West Delta Deep Marine Phase IXa development located offshore Egypt. The order consists of ten subsea production control umbilicals totaling approximately 52.2 miles (84 kilometers) in length and two electrical power cables totaling approximately 55 kilometers (34.2 miles) ...

Gemayel speaks to Qatar emir on regional issues

Mon, 20 May 2013 19:22:53 -0400

Amin Gemayel discussed domestic and regional issues Monday with Qatar’s emir, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani. The two officials spoke of the situation ...

Egypt KSA to sign joint power line deal

Mon, 20 May 2013 19:19:33 -0400

Egyptian electricity and energy minister Ahmed Imam is expected to sign an agreement with his Saudi counterpart for the construction of an electrical power line between the two countries, Daily News Egypt has reported. The total cost of the project is set to reach $1.6bn, with each side to bear the cost of construction on its own side of the border, which for Egypt is estimated at $600m. The line ...

Qatar establishes $1bn energy fund

Mon, 20 May 2013 19:19:32 -0400

Three Qatari state-backed entities, including the Gulf country's sovereign wealth fund, have announced plans to set up a $1bn fund to invest in overseas energy infrastructure assets, Reuters has reported. The new fund, which will be run by Qatar Holding, Qatar Petroleum International and Qatar Electricity and Water Co (QEWC), will invest outside Qatar "in the fields of power generation, ...

Total buys Shells fuel network in Egypt

Mon, 20 May 2013 19:19:32 -0400

France's Total has acquired the fuel retail network of Royal Dutch Shell in Egypt, as the oil and gas major seeks to boost its distribution position in the country and across the region, Daily News Egypt has reported. Total currently owns 70 fuel stations in Egypt, which represents 4% of the market share. "Through this acquisition, we reaffirm our ambition to pursue our development in ...

Saudi Arabias MMG picks advisor for debt restructuring

Mon, 20 May 2013 19:19:32 -0400

The investment banking arm of Gulf International Bank has been appointed by Saudi contractor Mohammad Al Mojil Group (MMG) to advise it on a restructuring of its debts, Reuters has reported. MMG Group has been in financial difficulty for some time, with shareholders rejecting a plan to liquidate the company in November after its accumulated losses exceeded 75% of its capital at the end of the ...

Ford Trucks See Boost as Roadshow Reaches Saudi Arabia

Mon, 20 May 2013 18:18:35 -0400

Ford Middle East and Al Jazirah Vehicles Agencies Co. (AJVA), the Ford and Lincoln importer-dealer in Saudi Arabia, brought the legendary F-150 and Ranger Built Ford Tough pickup trucks closer to Saudi customers through a unique roadshow across 10 major Saudi cities, dubbed the largest of its kind. Ford's history in the Middle East goes back more than 60 years. The company's ...

Report Egypt militants planned US Embassy attack

Mon, 20 May 2013 17:52:18 -0400

By Becky Bratu, Staff Writer, NBC News An al Qaeda-linked cell disrupted in Egypt was planning suicide attacks on the French and U.S. embassies, the state news agency MENA reported, according to Reuters.In light of this news and last week’s stabbing of a U.S. citizen on the embassy’s perimeter, the U.S. Embassy in Cairo alerted U.S. citizens to exercise "elevated ...

Daoud Kuttab Fighting for Media Freedoms in Arab region

Mon, 20 May 2013 16:57:16 -0400

International Press Institute held a regional conference in Amman to deal with press freedom issues in the Arab region. At the time, I was invited to speak at the conference about my work: using the Internet ...

Egypt’s Morsi dispatches army to Sinai after suspected Islamists snatch soldiers

Mon, 20 May 2013 16:13:39 -0400

CAIRO - Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi ordered army reinforcements to the restive Sinai on Monday amid rising tensions there over the kidnapping of seven soldiers by suspected Islamist militants. In a break from past practices, Morsi said he would not negotiate with kidnappers, which some interpreted as an effort by the beleaguered president to appear tough in the face of his falling ...

Al-Thani Arab Spring makes peace more pressing

Mon, 20 May 2013 16:12:47 -0400

thrown his state's riches behind Arab uprisings, said on Monday that the emergence of 'people power' had put Arabs in direct confrontation with Israel and made a resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict more pressing."We heard in the past that reform (in the Arab world) must wait until a peaceful settlement with Israel is achieved, but everybody should realize that such ...

Bahrain Attends WHO Meeting

Mon, 20 May 2013 16:07:13 -0400

Geneva-May-20(BNA)Bahrain delegation led by Health Minister Sadiq bin Abdulkarim Al-Shehabi today attended the 66th annual meeting of the World Health Organisation in Geneva, Switzerland. Bahrain Representative to the United Nations in Geneva Dr. Yusuf Bucheeri and other officials from the health ministry also attended the plenary WHO session. The delegation also attended the meetings of the ...

Arab League Condemns Iranian Belligerent Statements

Mon, 20 May 2013 16:07:13 -0400

Manama-May-20(BNA)The Arab League has today strongly condemned the belligerent statements made by the Iranian Assistant Foreign Minister for Arab and African Affairs. The Arab League slammed the Iranian threats and irresponsible and reprehensible statements which represent a flagrant interference in Bahrain's internal affairs and a blatant violation of international conventions advocating ...

Wave of attacks kill more than 70 people in Iraq

Mon, 20 May 2013 16:02:41 -0400

A wave of attacks has killed more than 70 people in Shia and Sunni areas of Iraq, extending one of the most sustained bouts of sectarian violence the country has seen in ...

New death from SARS-like virus reported in Saudi Arabia

Mon, 20 May 2013 16:01:24 -0400

Saudi Arabia says it has recorded another death from a new respiratory virus related to SARS, bringing the total number of deaths in the kingdom to 16. Saudi Arabia remains the center for the virus as investigators from the World Health Organization seek more clues about its origins and how it is spread. More than 20 people have died from the virus worldwide. The Saudi Health Ministry announced ...

Palestine-Israel peace pressing Qatar

Mon, 20 May 2013 15:58:17 -0400

He made no mention, however, of the Arab League's acceptance last month that Israelis and Palestinians may have to swap land in any peace deal, to allow Jewish settlements in occupied territory to become part of ...

Seychelles tourism pledges support to Qatar Airways

Mon, 20 May 2013 15:52:11 -0400

Minister Alain St.Ange, the Seychelles Minister of Tourism and Culture, met Mr. Akbar Al-Bakar, the CEO of Qatar Airways, at the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) Qatar Airways stand when he was in Dubai for the 2013 ATM tourism trade fair. Since his appointment to the Office of Minister in Seychelles, this was the first opportunity for Minister Alain St.Ange and the CEO of Qatar Airways to discuss ...

US deeply concerned by prosecution of political speech in Egypt urges government to act

Mon, 20 May 2013 15:51:35 -0400

WASHINGTON - The Obama administration is calling on the Egyptian government to rein in prosecutions of political expression amid what it called a "growing trend" of efforts to punish and deter people from speaking their mind. Ahead of a planned meeting this week between Secretary of State John Kerry and Egypt's president, the State Department said Monday that it was "deeply ...

Reinforcements sent to Egypts Sinai

Mon, 20 May 2013 15:14:16 -0400

EGYPT sent police reinforcements to the Sinai after an attack on a police camp in the wake of the kidnapping of security personnel, officials say. In Cairo, all options were on the table to secure the release of the three policemen and four soldiers held last week in the lawless peninsula, the presidency said. Eighty Central Security (riot police) units and 26 armoured personnel carriers were ...

Saudi Arabia inks pact to protect Philippine maids

Mon, 20 May 2013 15:03:15 -0400

MANILA--The Philippines said Monday it had signed a historic agreement with Saudi Arabia that would protect thousands of Filipina maids from being exploited in the Middle Eastern ...

Egypt faces social pressure to cease selling of alcohol

Mon, 20 May 2013 15:03:07 -0400

CAIRO--Egypt's liquor stores are under growing pressure to stop selling alcohol, they say, not from the country's Islamist government, but from society ...

Middle East a hot topic as McCully meets Kerry

Mon, 20 May 2013 14:52:15 -0400

Foreign Minister Murray McCully met US Secretary of State John Kerry in Washington early today (NZ time) and most of their meeting was spent discussing the Middle East. Mr McCully offered New Zealand's support towards the peace process between the Israelis and Palestinians, which could take the form of New Zealand peacekeepers taking part in an international force to run a buffer zone between the ...

Catholic Bishop in Egypt Notes Hopes for Strengthened Ties With Copts

Mon, 20 May 2013 14:46:09 -0400

A Coptic Catholic bishop has expressed hopes that the historic meeting May 10 between Pope Francis and Coptic Orthodox Pope Tawadros II will lead to the Coptic Orthodox Church recognizing Catholic ...

Hizbullah From ‘mentoring’ to ‘direct combat’ near Jordan Lebanon borders

Mon, 20 May 2013 14:02:05 -0400

Special to WorldTribune.com NICOSIA -- The Iranian-sponsored Hizbullah has poured in hundreds of troops in heavy fighting in southern Syria. Opposition sources said Hizbullah has sent up to 1,000 fighters to join the Syrian Army in its offensive in southern Syria. They said Hizbullah played a major role in blocking access to Sunni rebel strongholds around Dera, located near the Jordanian ...

Egypt lifts security after border kidnappings

Mon, 20 May 2013 13:59:52 -0400

An Egyptian military armoured personnel carrier patrols a street in the Sheikh Zowied town near Rafah, in the northern Sinai on May 20, 2013. Egypt sent police reinforcements to the Sinai after an attack on a police camp in the wake of the kidnapping of seven security personnel in the lawless peninsula, officials said. AFP PHOTO/MOHAMED EL-SHAHED *** Local Caption *** ...

Jordan Arab Spring clears way for press freedoms

Mon, 20 May 2013 13:52:12 -0400

FILE -- In this Thursday Sept. 29, 2011 file photo, Jordanian journalists protest in front the Jordanian House of Parliament, symbolically wearing tape over their mouths, as they protest over proposed changes to the anti-corruption law they believe will muzzle press freedoms, in Amman, Jordan. Jordans prime minister Abdullah Ensour told a meeting of the Geneva-based International Press ...

John Kerry to visit Middle East this week to revive peace talks

Mon, 20 May 2013 13:50:36 -0400

John Kerry arrives in the Holy Land this week on his fourth visit in two months amid deepening scepticism on all sides about his chances of breathing life back into the moribund peace process, and an acknowledgement by European diplomats that there is no "Plan B" in place in the event of its failure.The British foreign ...

Bahrain Athletics Team Arrives In Qatar

Mon, 20 May 2013 13:46:36 -0400

Doha, May 20 (BNA)-- Bahrain Athletics Team arrived in Doha to take part in the 18th Arab Championship which is hosted by Qatar Athletics Association from May 21 to 24. Sixteen Arab countries are participating in the four-day event. Bahrain Athletics Association Vice President Mohammed bin Jalal hailed Bahrain Athletics Association President Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa's support to ...