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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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.
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.
Obama welcomes new EU President
The US president Barack Obama welcomes the appointment of Herman Van Rompuy as the first European Union president.
Hundreds rescued from floodwaters
Emergency workers rescue about 200 people as rising floodwaters cause widespread havoc in northern England’s Lake District.
Labour turns annual Queen’s speech into party broadcast
The Queen's Speech to parliament in London was little more than an outline of the government's election manifesto
Germany’s Christmas offensive
A new historical exhibition sheds light on how the festival was exploited for political propaganda in Germany for much of the 20th century.
Turkey reaches out to end disputes with Greece
In January 1996, the two neighbours and Nato allies came to the brink of war over the two islets, called Kardak in Turkish and Imia in Greek.
Russia changes tactic in North Caucasus
Development funds are making a difference, but doubts about a new Kremlin official's ability to rein in 'shameless' corruption cloud future.
British PM defends Afghan mission
Premier justifies action as death toll mounts and support wanes, but report says he is planning a Nato meeting in 2010 over an ‘exit strategy’.
Britain denies widescale Iraq abuse
A lawyer representing alleged victims claims British soldiers systemically mistreated prisoners in collusion with US forces.
Syria turns to France to defuse tensions
Washington's failure to draw up a viable action plan for the Middle East peace prompts Damascus to explore alternatives.
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
Creationism gains ground in Europe
European nations are seeing a sudden increase in a belief in creationism because of teh twin influences of Muslim migraion and US-style Christian fundamentalism, a conference on evolution will be told today.
Pledge to end Kurdish confict
Turkey’s government promises to solve the long-running Kurdish conflict in the country by strengthening the rights of all citizens.
UK Muslims to challenge compulsory sex education
Group says mandatory classes decision contravenes the right of children to be taught according to their parents’ tradition.
Russian police officer’s video posting draws attention to rampant corruption
Superiors accused of ordering subordinates to fabricate cases and work enormopus amounts of overtime without any pay.
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.
