Global briefing
Week in review: Al Qa'eda denounced by Libyan group
- Jihadist ideology is now under attack from its erstwhile proponents. A Libyan group has issued a new religious document denouncing the tactics used by al Qa'eda as illegal under Islamic law.
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37 killed, 82 trapped in China mine
A gas explosion at a state-run coal mine in northern China, has killed 37 people and trapped 71 others nearly 500 metres underground.
Italian police hold pair linked to Mumbai attacks
Italian police have arrested two Pakistani men accused of providing logistical support for last year’s terror attacks in Mumbai.
Keeping the Haj safe for pilgrims
With the swine flu virus rife, Hamida Ghafour looks at the measures in place to protect those setting out for Mecca.
Refugee camps struggle to cope as Yemeni conflict escalates
Thousands of Yemenis have sought refuge in overcrowded camps as efforts against al Houthi rebels escalate.
French rapper Diam's is keeping it real with Islam
The French-Cypriot rapper who converted to Islam has sold millions of CDs documenting the poverty and racism blighting urban France.
British families await inquiry into conflict that claimed their sons in Iraq
Mothers and fathers want to know if the British involvement in the war that claimed their sons and daughters was justified.
Pakistani army gets tough to turn people against Taliban
Under increasing international pressure to deal with militant attacks, the army has been accused of resorting to desperate measures.
EU elects ‘grey mouse’ president
Herman Van Rompuy, the virtually unknown Belgian prime minister, got the nod over Tony Blair, who had been a favourite for the post for months.
US talk show queen Oprah is pulling the plug
After two decades at the top of the ratings list, The Oprah Winfrey Show is drawing to a close.
Taliban leader said to be in Karachi
Pakistan strongly denied a US report that Mullah Omar, the head of the Afghan Taliban, is living in Karachi.
Suicide bomb in Afghan town
A suicide bomber riding a motorcycle blows himself up in the heart of Afghanistan’s southwestern town of Farah.
With a tainted image, Karzai takes oath
Karzai is sworn in as president amid growing concern over the violence and corruption plaguing his country.
Obama welcomes new EU President
The US president Barack Obama welcomes the appointment of Herman Van Rompuy as the first European Union president.
CIA in recruitment pitch to Arab-Americans
Advertising campaign aims to woo immigrants from the Middle East who blame the intelligence agency for its role in torture.
Bad blood between Egypt and Algeria runs deeper than football
Violence is latest incident in escalating diplomatic row between Egypt and Algeria, whose two World Cup qualifying matches this week inflamed decades-old tensions.
Today's comment
A spiritual analysis of extremism
Jihad Hashim Brown : Westerners need to stop thinking they are celebrities living out pop-modern lives for us on a stage for all their eastern fans to wish they were them.
Your Prophet is your Islam
Omid Safi: Whenever I ask non-Muslims about the Prophet Mohammed: the response is invariably one of deafening silence.
Cold feet as I prepare for journey of a lifetime
Hadeel al Shalchi: By this time next week I hope to be in the final stages of possibly the most challenging duty of my faith – the Haj.
Most popular stories
- With a tainted image, Karzai takes oath
- Obama welcomes new EU President
- School reforms pass the test
- Suicide bomb in Afghan town
- Maoists suspected of derailing train
- Germany’s Christmas offensive
- Hundreds rescued from floodwaters
- Army faces friction over evacuations
- Iraqi exiles praise vice president’s election law veto
- Karzai sworn in for second term
Maoists suspected of derailing train
Suspected Maoist rebels have derailed a passenger train in eastern India, killing two people and injuring more than 40.
Hundreds rescued from floodwaters
Emergency workers rescue about 200 people as rising floodwaters cause widespread havoc in northern England’s Lake District.
Iraqi exiles praise vice president’s election law veto
Tareq al Hashemi’s decision to veto Iraq’s election laws was welcomed yesterday by many of the Iraqi exiles who feared their voices would be lost in the vote.
Army faces friction over evacuations
Israel's leaders say the nation's security is in danger as longas refuseniks continue to defy orders to dismantle Jewish outposts in the West Bank.
School reforms pass the test
Innovation may soon be part of the scholastic identity in Qatar, where an ambitious, six-year-old reform programme has begun bearing fruit.
Bekaa body may finally end hostage riddle
Investigators are carrying out DNA tests on the remains of a man thought to be the journalist Alec Collett, kidnapped in Lebanon in 1985.
Spotlight
The legal legacy of a ‘hedonist’
- In an unprecedented case, the former prime minister Ehud Olmert faces trial for graft, while some of his ministers have been sentenced.
Frontiers
Why the historian is wearing flippers
- Prehistoric European cultures existed along coastlines that have since been reclaimed by the sea. Archaeologists are turning to the ocean floor to join the missing pieces of human civilisation.
Dispatches
Bad blood between Egypt and Algeria runs deeper than football
- Violence is latest incident in escalating diplomatic row between Egypt and Algeria, whose two World Cup qualifying matches this week inflamed decades-old tensions.
The week
- 14.11.2009 to 20.11.2009 Jet fighters took to the Dubai skies, five people survived two months adrift on open seas and Apple entered talks to allow music downloads in the UAE.
Review
- World Young Egyptian women, Ursula Lindsey reports, are taking to blogs and publishing books to give voice to their frustration with the indignities of single life, the pressure to marry and the stigma of divorce.
