Regional News

Fri, 29 Aug 2008 01:36 PM


The Bahraini government is delaying projects in order to curb inflation, the chief executive of the country’s Economic Development Board (EDB) has admitted. The country is hoping to use its relatively low inflation and measured growth rate to attract international investors who want to tap the booming economies of the ...

$23mn project to tackle Sharjah parking woes

Fri, 29 Aug 2008 01:36 PM

Officials in Sharjah have given the green light to a $23 million project to solve parking problems in residential and commercial areas. A nine-storey car park spaning 5,300 square metres will be built at Abu Shagara under a five-year plan to establish 10 new parking facilities in the city.<br /><a target=_blank href=ht...

DMI to launch live Quran contest channel

Fri, 29 Aug 2008 01:36 PM

Dubai Media Incorporated (DMI) is to launch a special channel to broadcast live coverage of a Holy Quran memorising event taking place during Ramadan.The government-owned company, which runs Dubai TV, Sama Dubai, Dubai One and Dubai Sports Channel, will be setting up a new channel for the 12th edition of the competitio...

Arab summit to focus on unemployment, poverty

Fri, 29 Aug 2008 01:36 PM

The first ever Arab economic summit, to be hosted by Kuwait in January, will focus on worsening poverty and unemployment in the Arab world, and boosting inter-Arab trade. "The summit will tackle the aggravation of poverty and unemployment and the deterioration of living conditions in the Arab world, besides boosting mo...

UK says sorry over Qatar student's killing

Fri, 29 Aug 2008 01:36 PM

The United Kingdom has officially apologised to Qatar for the tragic murder of student Mohamed Al-Majed. John Hawkins, the British Ambassador to Qatar, met Mohamed’s family on Thursday to pass on his condolences and up update them on the police investigation continuing in the UK.<br /><a target=_blank href=http://www.a...

Saudi court set to hear child bride divorce case

Fri, 29 Aug 2008 01:36 PM

A controversial divorce case involving the marriage of two girls to men aged in their 70s will be heard by a Saudi court on Saturday. The mothers of the two girls, Shaikha, 16, and Abeer, 11, have filed for divorce on the grounds that the minors were forced into illegal wedlock and were victims of domestic violence.<br...

Warnings given two years before fatal blaze

Fri, 29 Aug 2008 01:36 PM

Dubai authorities issued warnings to the owner and tenants two years before a fire this week killed 11 labourers, the city's chief building inspector has revealed. The ground floor of the two-storey house in Naif that burned down on Tuesday had been partitioned into at least 30 rooms, with as many as 20 workers living ...

Spike Lee eyes Dubai for movie funding

Fri, 29 Aug 2008 01:36 PM

Hollywood movie maker Spike Lee is looking towards Dubai and the Gulf region to possibly help fund future films. The maverick producer-director says with the US suffering from the credit crunch, people are being forced to look elsewhere for funding and Dubai is one of the places he wants to target.<br /><a target=_blan...

Man City survive UEFA Cup scare

Fri, 29 Aug 2008 01:36 PM

Manchester City - thought to be the target of an imminent takeover by Arab investors - beat Denmark's Midtjylland on Thursday night after a last-gasp penalty shoot-out gave the English side a UEFA Cup lifeline. It took until the 89th minute for this second qualifying round, second leg to burst into life when doughty de...

$2bn deal to secure Bahrain energy supplies

Fri, 29 Aug 2008 01:36 PM

A consortium has signed a $2 billion deal for the development of the Al Dur Independent Water and Power Producer (IWPP) which aims to help Bahrain cope with future energy demands. The project will be built on the southeastern coast of Bahrain and will substantially increase power and water supplies in the Kingdom. <br ...