By MARIA GOLOVNINA | REUTERS BENGHAZI, Libya: Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi has released dozens of opposition supporters and allowed them to sail back to Benghazi on Friday in a move that could mark the beginning of broader talks between the adversaries. In a transfer facilitated by the Red Cross, a […]
By MUHAMMAD HUMAIDAN | ARAB NEWS JEDDAH: Makkah Gov. Prince Khaled Al-Faisal has approved a religious awareness mini-festival to be organized during the Jeddah Summer Festival this year. The meet, which will feature cultural events, amusement programs and sport items apart from religious lectures and awareness programs, will be held […]
BEIRUT (AP) – Hundreds of Syrians, some with gunshot wounds, crossed into neighbouring Lebanon in search of a refuge from the growing government crackdown in their homeland, a Lebanese security official said Saturday. Other Syrians marched in a funeral for victims of the crackdown outside Damascus, demanding President Bashar Assad’s […]
Amnesty has found no solid evidence of the abuse claims levelled at Gaddafi supporters Human rights organisations have cast doubt on claims of mass rape and other abuses perpetrated by forces loyal to Colonel Muammar Gaddafi, which have been widely used to justify Nato’s war in Libya. Nato leaders, opposition […]
Hu Jia – one of China’s most prominent dissidents – has been released from prison, his wife says. Mr Hu, 37, served a three-and-a-half-year prison sentence for “inciting subversion”. His term had been set to end on Sunday. Read More
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao has arrived in the UK for the UK-China Strategic Summit. Read More
UNITED NATIONS – The international community should implement a comprehensive and balanced drugs control strategy, Li Baodong, the Chinese permanent representative to the United Nations said here on Friday. Li made the statement as he addressed a Security Council open meeting on threats to international peace and security. Read More
BEIJING/BRUSSELS – Kicking off his European tour at a crucial time in the eurozone debt crisis, Premier Wen Jiabao might find the coincidence a good opportunity to draw Beijing closer to its largest trading partner. Observers from both sides said China, which has been buying European debt during the crisis, […]
This essay dates from November, 2005, but is still very valid. Stirrings in the Desert Heavy Hand of the Secret Police Impeding Reform in Arab World By NEIL MacFARQUHAR AMMAN, Jordan, Nov. 13 – At a cultural festival last year, Sameer al-Qudah recited a poem of his depicting Arab rulers […]
It was probably in the year 1995 when I attended a reception by the Ambassador of Pakistan to Thailand on the occasion of the Pakistani Independence Day. Tables and chairs were placed around the garden. On the next table some Quranic verses were quoted in a conversation. When I overheard […]
When US Defense Secretary Robert Gates devoted his final policy speech this month to berating NATO and America’s European allies, he was engaging in a time-honored tradition: Americans have worried about Europeans shirking their share of global burdens since the start of the 60-year-old alliance. Gates sounded a pessimistic note, […]
The world is witnessing a chaotic transition to uncertainty. While there is a profound transformation in the balance of global economic power, the lack of leadership has created a serious vacuum. Not much more than a decade ago, the emerging economies — China, India, Indonesia, Turkey, Brazil, Mexico, South Africa, […]
http://rnw.bbvms.com/p/embedPlayout/c/1153538.js Addition: Man replaced ‘Muslims’ with ‘Jews’ in Wilders pamphlet, got arrested On March 24, 2008, a man was arrested in Amsterdam for ‘making discrimanatory statements against Jews’. He had taken a text from Geert Wilders and replaced the words ‘Islam’ and ‘Muslims’ with ‘Judaism’ and ‘Jews’. This resulted in […]
The cataract operations in Benin reached the 100 mark, after more than 1000 patients were assisted in Burkina Faso. Humanity First is planning to reach the 1000 mark in Benin this year also. read here … (ok, in German).
Jennifer Steinhauer June 24, 2011 The House on Friday resoundingly rejected a measure that would have authorized the United States’ mission in Libya, with 70 Democrats deserting President Obama on an issue that has divided their party and became a major Constitutional flash point between Congress and the White House. […]
By RIMA AL-MUKHTAR | ARAB NEWS JEDDAH: The Women2Drive campaign continued down a rocky road with some sustaining the campaign a week after it was launched with sporadic efforts on Friday. Meanwhile a dawa (Islamic propagation) group, in Riyadh made clear its belief that women driving cars is against Islamic […]
By GALAL FAKKAR | ARAB NEWS JEDDAH: Requests for visit visas so far are up 30 percent compared to the same period last year, according to sources from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The ministry’s branch in Jeddah is struggling to handle the number of foreigners wanting to bring their […]
By ARAB NEWS JEDDAH: Foreign workers contracted by various government bodies will by paid the 15 percent cost-of-living allowance on equal footing with their Saudi colleagues, local daily Al-Watan reported Friday, citing the Ministry of Finance. Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah recently ordered a 15-percent increase in […]
By MD HUMAIDAN | ARAB NEWS JEDDAH: The Haj Ministry has said that between Jan. 19, the start of the Umrah season, and last week the number of pilgrims was 34 percent higher than the same period last year. About 2.84 million pilgrims have come for the lesser pilgrimage so […]