Egyptian authorities have released leadership figures from the illicit Muslim Brotherhood group, including deputy chairman of the Muslim Brotherhood Mahmoud Ezzat.

Security forces had detained Brotherhood leaderships two months ago in what was known to the media as the case of ‘al-Qotbein’, in reference to Sayyed Qotb who was sentenced to death by hanging during...

A passenger on a flight from Washington to Denver caused a state of emergency when flight staff thought he was attempting to ignite explosives in his shoes.

The passenger, later revealed to be a Qatari diplomat, was smoking in the lavatory and made a comment, interpreted as a threat by flight staff.

President Obama was immediately informed of the incident. A...

Sudan’s first multi-party elections scheduled to take place next week will be democratic, says Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir.

According to AFP, the declaration comes just as the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM), Umma and Communist Party announced a pullout of the elections on Wednesday, which could raise questions about the legitimacy of fair and free...

Nationals from 33 countries, including the UK and US, will have to obtain a visa prior to arrival in Qatar under rules announced by the Gulf state's Ministry of Interior.

According to Arabian Business, UK nationals will be required to present bank statements and have at least $1,300 in their account. Visitors who are traveling for business purposes must obtain a local sponsor.

The US has ordered the arrest or assassination of conservative American-Yemeni Imam, Anwar Al-Aulaqi for his involvement in attacks against the United States.

Al-Aulaqi - thought to be a leading figure in Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula - is the first US citizen to be added to the list of suspected terrorists the CIA is authorized to kill.

Al-Aulaqi's name...

A pair of Siamese twins from Gaza have arrived in Riyadh for a life-saving operation to separate them.

Sponsored by King Abdullah, the twins (Retal and Retaj) arrived on board a private plane in what doctors described as a critical state.

The operation will take place at King Abdul Aziz Medical City's National Guard in Riyadh, one of the most qualified institutions...

A group of artists and intellectuals have decided to boycott a film festival organized by the French cultural center in Cairo after the Center insisted on screening the Israeli film ‘Almost Normal’.

Actor Asser Yassin, who quit the panel of judges of ‘Rencontres de l’image’, said in his statement to the media: "I respect France’s freedom...

Israeli troops were at fault in the killing of four Palestinians and could have made better decisions to avoid loss of life, officials from the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement following internal investigations.

According to reports, the four were killed during anti-settlement demonstrations in the West Bank last month. Analysts were quick to note the IDF rarely...

Somali pirates have seized a South Korean oil tanker carrying an oil load worth an estimated $170 million and led it to their base off the coast of Somalia.

South Korea immediately dispatched a destroyer to the region, but did not confront the hijackers in an effort to keep the 24-man crew safe.

This is the third time pirates have hijacked a giant oil tanker after...

Dozens of pro-democracy demonstrators have been detained by security forces wielding batons in Cairo.

The protesters were calling for constitutional changes as part of the April 6 movement,
a youth initiative started on Facebook which aims to abolish Egypt's emergency law.

The police said the demonstration was illegal because its leaders had no permit to...

Saudi cleric, Muhammad Al-Arifi, declared live on the religious TV Channel Ikra’, his intention to visit
occupied Jerusalem next week.

Al-Arifi Said: "I will shoot the next episode of the program (Dah Basmataka [leave your mark]) in Jerusalem," and insisted that "Palestine is in fact rightfully for Muslims."

It is rare for Muslim...

Freedom of information website Wikileaks has published a video of two US pilots in Apache planes in one of Baghdad streets, chasing a group of Iraqis, before killing them.

Wikileaks said the attack in the video claimed the lives of 12 Iraqis, including Reuters journalists Namir Nureddine and his driver and assistant Saeed Jumagh.

Following the dissemination of the...

Up to fifty people have been killed in Peshawar, northern Pakistan, following a series of attacks targeting the US consulate.

A number of security personnel and six attackers were among the dead.

The White House condemned the attack which has been claimed by the Pakistani Taliban.

The Pakistani Taliban said in a statement that the 15 militants who...

The Egyptian publisher of a book supporting Mohamed ElBaradei, former director-general of the IAEA, has been released from detention, Egyptian media reported.

Ahmed Mahanna, head of the publishing house ‘Dawwen’, was arrested last Saturday for publishing a book titled ‘ElBaradei and the Dream of the Green Revolution’ authored by an Egyptian journalist.

Egyptian cannabis smokers are up in arms over a hashish shortage in the north African country, according to local newspaper Al Masry Al Youm.

According to official reports, hashish is used by about 7 million people in Egypt including 12 percent of school and university students.

Total spendings of Egyptians on hashish purchased from smugglers amounts up to more...

An Egyptian criminal court has ordered the release of 16 leading members of the Muslim Brotherhood group after less than two months in detention.

The released were bailed for 5000 Egyptian pounds each, with the exception of two who will remain under police custody in a hospital for some time.

The names of the released included two main figures of the leadership:...

Pope Benedict XVI called for “peace and reconciliation” in the Middle East on Sunday.

The Pope said in a speech delivered from the Papal Basilica of Saint Peter: “To nations that suffer from terrorism and religious or societal discrimination: May God grant you power to find the path to dialogue and peaceful coexistence.”

He also expressed...

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan Sunday attended the launch of the first Turkish Arabic-speaking satellite channel.

The inauguration took place in Istanbul, and was attended by Turkish political officials as well as authorized Arab ambassadors.

This coincides with evident progress in Turkish-Arab relationships, especially at the societal level,...

A Dubai court has sentenced a British couple to one-month in prison for exchanging kisses in a public area.

The incident dates back to November when a 24-year-old British man, residing in the Emirate, was seen kissing with his visiting 25-year-old girlfriend. The couple was seen exchanging kisses in a restaurant by an Emirati national, who called the police. Police forces...

A series of explosions shook the Iraqi capital Baghdad, killing at least thirty people.

The explosions started near the German Embassy then followed by a bomb explosion, another bomb exploded near the Iranian embassy. The last blast was near the Egyptian embassy.

Ambulances rushed to the scene to transport the injured to a nearby hospital for treatment, while...

Dr. Ali Gomaa, Mufti of Egypt, has said that charity and alms can be used to fund scientific research, highlighting the importance of scientific advancement "which contributes to breaking free from being exploited by those who possess the knowledge in the world."

His Excellency's call came during a conference at the National Research Centre to demonstrate the results of...

Women's rights groups around the world demanded rapid intervention to ban a Japanese video game simulating the rape of girls on streets as way of vengeance.

The game begins as a young girl is waiting at a train station. Noticing the user/player stalking her, she asks: "May I help you?" At this point a number of options appear to the user to select the way to...

US President Barack Obama reiterated his intention to increase pressure on Iran, stressing that more pressure increases the likelihood that Iran would comply with international demands.
Obama said that Tehran’s isolation increased since he became president.
Tehran appeared to be confident of Beijing’s support against the imposition of sanctions, especially with the...

The National Commission for the Sudanese elections said that the elections will take place on time, disregarding opposition parties’ request for a four delay to deal with alleged irregularities in the electoral process.

For his part, President Al-Bashir said that election results became clear and in favor of his party, ad he considered his opponents’ withdrawal from...

In a rally held in Samanoud, his hometown, Elbarabei said he will not resort to any of the available constitutional alternatives which could allow him to run for the presidency, describing the ruling regime, its institutions, and even parties, as illegal.
Former director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said that the popular celebration he receives everywhere he...

Russian police said that the 17 years old widow of an Islamic extremist from the North Caucasus carried out the attack in the Moscow subway, killing 40 people.
Chechen rebel and leader of the "Emirate of Caucasus," Doku Umarov, claimed responsibility for the suicide attack.
Umarov, who have been fighting for the establishment of an Islamic state, said that the Moscow and...

Child trafficking has increased in Somalia where youth are being forced into slavery, prostitution and poor working conditions say human rights groups.

According to reports, Somali women are also being trafficked to the Gulf and Kenya from the south-central Somali regions of Somaliland and Puntland due to the lack of government.

An awareness campaign has been...

American Muslims and Arab US citizens will no longer be subjected to racial profiling under new rules adopted by the Obama administration after complaints from passengers that airport security officials were singling them out because of their country of origin.

Security in US airports were beefed up following 911 but have increased since the attempted Christmas Day bombing that...

A US federal judge has ruled that the Bush administration violated the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, FISA six years ago when it tapped phones of the US-based Al-Haramain Islamic Foundation, which was later deemed a terrorist organization with ties to Al Qaeda.

According to reports, the judge allowed the case to move forward despite claims by the Bush and Obama...

Algerian security forces say they have captured an alleged Israeli spy working for the Mossad in the Southern Algerian town of Hassi Messaoud ten days after he entered the country on a fake Spanish passport.

According to reports, the alleged agent entered Algeria from Barcelona last month. During this time several newspapers reported the investigation of an alleged abduction of...