The International Monetary Fund said on Sunday it would continue talks with Egypt aimed at agreeing possible financial aid after meeting with government officials seeking a $4.8 billion loan to relieve a currency and budget crisis. The IMF has said Egypt needs to take bold, immediate action to address its economic problems and has
In late December 2010, the Tunisia uprising was sparked by a tragic public suicide-burning of a twenty-something street vender in an act of civil disobedience. Instantaneously, media commentary like wildfire around the world labeled this event “Arab Spring,” branding it the beginning of a struggle for democracy in the region. Correspondents in the tumultuous Middle
Famous for its unique mud brick tower houses and labyrinthine souqs and listed as a world heritage site by the United Nations, Yemen’s old city of Sanaa is now under serious threat. The entire area was declared a world heritage site by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 1986; in
Egypt’s central bank opened a scheme on Sunday allowing foreign investors in the stock and government debt markets access to dollars despite severe shortages of foreign currency. In a statement posted on its website, the central bank said it had decided to restart and broaden a mechanism helping foreign investors to repatriate their funds
Between 1993 and 2001, the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and the Palestinian Authority (PA) signed six agreements with Israel and conducted countless meetings and summits to bring about a lasting peace between them. Each Israeli concession was met with Palestinian non-compliance and escalating violence. Six times, Palestinians failed to honor their commitments and increased
Unlike Iraq or Afghanistan, a huge invasion is unnecessary to destroy Iran's nuclear facilities. President Barack Hussein Obama's dangerous complacency and compromise with Iran has afflicted U.S. foreign policy for too long, causing incalculable damage to Israel's security and American interests in the region. The truth speaks for itself: diplomacy does not work
A video of bearded Islamists taking turns to flog a man in former Libyan President Muammar Qaddafi’s hometown, Sirte, has left people in the country in shock, Al Arabiya reported Saturday. Although it was not clear what the man had done to deserve the punishment, the floggers – who belonged to Ansar al-Shariah (Partisans
Clashes between Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood members and oppositional protesters were heated on Saturday night in a southeastern Cairo suburb, with reports of “sticks and iron chains” being used during the attacks. Witnesses, according to local news site Egypt Independent, reported that the clashes Brotherhood members were provoked by protesters spraying graffiti against the group
Police fired tear gas to disperse thousands of supporters and opponents of President Mohammed Mursi during clashes that erupted on Saturday as he launched development projects in southern Egyptian where residents have long complained of being neglected by the central government. Mursi was in Sohag province to unveil a housing project and new education
If you happen to walk past a café in Tel Aviv over the next week and see a familiar face – with an odd-looking mustache and perhaps “mingling” more than your average café-goer – it may be someone you know pretty well. The scene could be U.S. President Barack Obama carrying out his “fantasy.”
