Articles from the author

At its core, the program is about timing

Amid talks about an imminent strike on Iraq, Arabs in general and Kuwaitis in particular recall the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait on August 2, 1990.

With the passing away last week of Mohammad bin Ali Al Mahmoud at the age of 91, the UAE has lost one of its pioneers in the field of education.

The recent leaking of a document that is being circulated in Washington's senior official circles has stirred reactions from several corners.

U.S. President George W. Bush announced recently that his administration will suspend additional financial aid to Egypt in protest against the seven-year prison sentence handed down to Saad Eddin Ibrahim, the American-Egyptian sociology professor and director of the Ibn Khaldun Centre for Develop-mental Studies (ICDS).

The Financial Times reported last week that Saudi investors have been exiting the U.S. market, saying that $200 billion has been withdrawn in reaction to the increasing anti-Saudi sentiment in the U.S. of late.

His father was his role model. He carried his father's shoes as he followed in his footsteps. Life was tough in the barren desert, and Hassan Al Fardan learnt the intricacies of trade when he was just 16.

Members of the Norwegian committee of the Nobel Peace Prize recently criticised the former Israeli Prime Minister Shimon Peres who was awarded the Peace Prize in 1994, which he shared with the Palestinian President, Yasser Arafat, and the late Israeli Prime Minister, Yitzhak Rabin.

Israel recently destroyed the Khalil Al Sakakini Centre in which the office of the prominent Palestinian poet, Mahmoud Darwish, is located. Al Sakakini is a cultural centre that maintains valuable art work and ancient manuscripts. The building, which was constructed in 1927, is a valuable representation of traditional Palestinian architecture.

The results of the first round of the French elections held recently jolted everyone, with the extreme-right wing represented by Jean-Marie Le Pen and French President Jacques Chirac garnering a higher percentage of votes than Lionel Jospin.

Arab foreign minister members of the follow-up committee designated during the Arab summit in Beirut last March met last Saturday.

Parliaments in a number of Arab countries recently witnessed significant developments. In Tunisia, President Zine Al Abidine Ben Ali called for a referendum to amend the constitution to extend the presidential term.