DUBAI: As Dubai developers reassured the world their ambitious construction projects would go ahead, officials from the emirate were expected in New York to shore up confidence after a debt landslide threatened its top companies. A government source said Sheikh

DUBAI: Palestinian writer-director Michel Khleifi walked away from the sixth annual Dubai International Film Festival with top honors in the Muhr Arab Feature completion for Zindeeq. The prize for best feature in the Muhr AsiaAfrica competition went to Philippines filmmaker

BUDAPEST: Inflexible budgets, looming elections and persistent economic woes could sap reforms in the European Unions eastern wing next year, undermining growth in some and pushing others toward a Greek-style debt trap. Few of the 10 ex-communist states that joined

OCCUPIED JERUSALEM: Israeli police surrounded the French Cultural Center in occupied East Jerusalem Thursday, apparently to detain the organizer of a Palestinian cultural event, a French diplomat said. Around 50 people, including officials from the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority (PA),

The Lebanese pride themselves on being members of a civilized, modern, cosmopolitan society. But when it comes to the rights of women, all of our pretentiousness is exposed, because the country is still lagging far behind most of the developed

DUBAI: Interrogation of memory is a recurring theme in film. Its not hard to see why. Identity, whether personal or group identity, tends to be derived from remembered events and the meaning that recollection projects upon them.Memory has been the

BEIRUT: Tourism Minister Fadi Abboud Thursday announced a licencing clampdown on Beiruts nightlife hub, Gemmayzeh. The minister said owners of establishments on the popular street must abide by a brace of new regulatory measures within three months, or face the

BEIRUT: The number of tourists visiting Lebanon during the month of October 2009 was at 135,871, an increase of 13.6 percent compared to the same month of last year, according to figures released by the Tourism Ministry. This year-on-year increase

BEIRUT: When it rains, people usually know they should leave their homes an hour earlier than usual to beat the traffic. However, this weeks storm proved that no hour is best to escape nightmarish traffic congestion and flooded roads. Thursdays

BEIRUT: President Michel Sleiman announced Thursday that American airlines are considering a partnership agreement with Middle East Airlines (MEA) as a first step to resume direct flights between Beirut and the United States and eventually Canada. The issue of MEA

Irans hardline rulers sent uncompromising signals to foes at home and abroad on Wednesday, warning of possible legal action against opposition leaders and testing an upgraded missile that could reach Israel.The United States said the launch of a Sejil 2

The 10-day-old climate talks ran into disputes and paralysis as they entered a critical stage Wednesday, just two days before President Barack Obama and more than 110 other national leaders hope to sign a historic agreement to fight global warming.Poorer

The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) on Wednesday extended the mandates of both president Mahmud Abbas and the Hamas-dominated Parliament until new elections can be held.The PLO took the decision that president Abbas and the Legislative Council will continue their duties

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has little to show for his years of talking peace with Israel, and with talks in deep freeze he seems to have hit a dead-end.His strategy of negotiating the creation of a Palestinian state alongside Israel

The Libyan convicted over the Lockerbie bombing cannot be contacted in Tripoli by the Scottish authorities charged with supervising him following his release, The Times newspaper reported Wednesday.Under the terms of his release from a Scottish jail on compassionate grounds

Imprisoned Palestinian leader Marwan Barghouti believes a Palestinian state will only be brought about through a combination of talks with Israel and popular resistance.In written responses sent to AFP from the Israeli jail where he is serving five life sentences,

Dozens of Iraqi security force members were involved in attacks that killed up to 112 people in Baghdad last week, Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki said Wednesday.There is widespread suspicion in Iraq that the police and armed forces have been infiltrated

Prime Minister Gordon Brown told former Israeli minister Tzipi Livni on Wednesday that she would always be welcome in Britain, after a warrant was issued here for her arrest, his office said.In a telephone call from Copenhagen where he is

The five children of Mary Muwombi have grown up in the war of South Sudan. It was a harsh existence living on the brink of death and eating whatever they could find just to survive. My children grew up in

Irans judiciary warned opposition leaders on Wednesday that prosecutors had enough evidence to try them and accused them of offences tantamount to those of the rebel Peoples Mujahedeen.I say to the leaders of the sedition that we have enough evidence