Jordan moves against Hamas, cedes holy sitesJordan's King Abdullah II has made two significant departures from the policies of his late father, King Hussein this weekWed Sept 01 1999 - 01:00
King Fahd's illness at time of eldest son's death raises speculation over successionSaudi King Fahd's failure to attend last week's funeral of his eldest son has given rise to speculation that his presence in …Sat Aug 28 1999 - 01:00
Small and secretive Druze community longs for peaceIt was a Saturday, market dayWed Aug 25 1999 - 01:00
Turkey will face renewed pressure to halt nuclear power plant constructionFollowing Tuesday's earthquake, Ankara can expect to come under renewed pressure to cancel construction of a nuclear power plant…Fri Aug 20 1999 - 01:00
UN finds mortality rate of Iraqi children doubled under sanctionsThe mortality rate of Iraqi children has doubled since sanctions were imposed in August 1990 after Baghdad invaded KuwaitFri Aug 13 1999 - 01:00
Quakes precede eclipseIran and the eastern Mediterranean were rudely awakened early yesterday morning many hours before the solar eclipse by two major…Thu Aug 12 1999 - 01:00
Contrasting reactions to eclipse in Eastern worldNicosia: it was twilight at 2.30 p.m. yesterday at the height of the eclipseThu Aug 12 1999 - 01:00
Getting through on a fatwa, prayer and buckets of waterToday's solar eclipse will be a major event in the eastern Mediterranean because of its clear, sunny skies.Wed Aug 11 1999 - 01:00
August is a wicked month, bringing seven plagues to CyprusAugust is the cruellest month in the eastern Mediterranean, for it is in August that we are afflicted with seven summer plagues…Tue Aug 10 1999 - 01:00
Elation gives way to worry on BarakPalestinian officials, elated over the prospects for the peace process under the new Israeli Prime Minister, were "brought back…Thu Jul 29 1999 - 01:00
Turkish PM takes hardline stance on unity in CyprusThe Turkish Prime Minister, Mr Bulent Ecevit, looking elderly and frail, adopted a robust hardline stance yesterday during celebrations…Wed Jul 21 1999 - 01:00
Ousting of Makarios was defining momentAs the sun began to blaze just before eight in the morning 25 years ago today, Greek army troops in armoured cars swept up the…Wed Jul 14 1999 - 01:00
Arabs still wary of Barak's intentions despite his plea for `peace of the brave' in Middle EastWhile they welcome Tuesday's proclamation by the new Israeli Prime Minister, Mr Ehud Barak, that he wants a "peace of the brave…Thu Jul 08 1999 - 01:00
A city resonant with generators survives rationed electricityBeirut is back on a war footing, thanks to Israel's blitz against its power supplyTue Jul 06 1999 - 01:00
Rival gangs of Ukrainian and Georgian `Pontians' clash in streets of resortThe Greek Cypriot authorities are set to tighten restrictions on foreign workers while officials try to defuse a row between …Tue Jun 29 1999 - 01:00
Search for `disappeared' in Cyprus mirrors IrelandIn a sun-bleached beige and dusty military cemetery at Lakatamia, on the outskirts of the Cypriot capital, a team of forensic…Tue Jun 08 1999 - 01:00
SLA withdrawal from villages accompanied by Hizbullah killingsIsraeli warplanes screeched across the sky. From behind the green hills all around came the dull thump of artillery roundsWed Jun 02 1999 - 01:00
Soldiers were hit hurrying into a bunkerPTE Billy Kedian, the 18th Irish fatality in action in Lebanon, was hurrying his comrades from their sleeping quarters into the…Tue Jun 01 1999 - 01:00
Immediate pull-out of SLA militia in Jezzine is expectedLebanon awaits the imminent withdrawal of the South Lebanon Army (SLA) militia from the Jezzine enclave north of Israel's occupation…Mon May 31 1999 - 01:00
Khatami's call for Islamic democracy pleasing to ArabsIran's President Muhammad Khatami is a hit in the Arab world as well as in his own countryFri May 28 1999 - 01:00
Syria `anxious' to resume peace negotiationsThe European Union's Middle East envoy, Mr Miguel Angel Moratinos, says Syria believes that peace with Israel can be achieved…Sat May 22 1999 - 01:00
Barak victory raises Palestinian hopes of coexistenceArabs reacted predictably to Monday's landslide election victory by the Labour leader, Mr Ehud BarakWed May 19 1999 - 01:00
Citizens muted, politicians excited at Barak prospectPalestinian citizens reacted in muted tones and politicians were more excited about the expectation that the Labour leader, Mr…Tue May 18 1999 - 01:00
New king flies to Germany at start of first trip to WestJordan's King Abdullah is today visiting Germany, the current holder of the European Union Presidency, to secure support for …Mon May 10 1999 - 01:00
Turkish prosecutor tries to ban Virtue Party `vampires'Turkey's Chief Prosecutor, Mr Vural Savas, yesterday launched an attempt in the country's constitutional court to ban the Islamist…Sat May 08 1999 - 01:00
Footballers keen to join SerbsA Cyprus football club got a big response to an appeal for volunteers to join Serb forces in YugoslaviaWed Mar 31 1999 - 01:00
Hizbullah adopts wait-and-see posture on south LebanonThe Shia Hizbullah movement fighting Israel in south Lebanon has dropped its pledge to end its war of liberation once the Jewish…Mon Mar 29 1999 - 01:00
A man of the people, loved by the peopleKing Hussein, who has been declared clinically dead, survived nearly 47 years on the throne of JordanSat Feb 06 1999 - 00:00
May deadline flexible `to end of this year'The Palestinian President, Mr Yasser Arafat, would put off declaring independence on May 4th in return for guarantees from the…Wed Feb 03 1999 - 00:00
Abu Dhabi advocates early lifting of sanctions seen as bolstering SaddamAlthough the UN Security Council has once again put off decisions on Iraq by establishing panels to study disarmament, humanitarian…Mon Feb 01 1999 - 00:00
King expected to announce son as heirJordan's King Hussein informed his brother Crown Prince Hassan on Friday evening that he will not succeed to the throneMon Jan 25 1999 - 00:00
Euphoric homecoming for king as he returns from latest, longest, battleKing Hussein landed his private jet at Amman's old city airport precisely on schedule at three o'clock yesterday afternoon, although…Wed Jan 20 1999 - 00:00
`Spy' claims bolster Iraqi case on UN inspectorsYesterday's reports that UN arms inspectors provided the US with intelligence on the security apparatus protecting President …Thu Jan 07 1999 - 00:00
Ministers resign as Greeks `bow to Turkish threats'Two cabinet ministers from the socialist Edek party, the junior partner in the Cyprus government, will formally tender their …Mon Jan 04 1999 - 00:00
Turks oppose Crete missile deploymentTurkey's Foreign Minister, Mr Ismail Cem, has described as "unacceptable" the Greek Cypriot decision to store or deploy Russian…Thu Dec 31 1998 - 00:00
In command of the most wonderful city for $2The sun was high in a clear blue sky when I climbed the narrow stair just inside Jaffa Gate to a window where, for $2, I purchased…Tue Dec 29 1998 - 00:00
Iraqi opposition split on bombsDuring last week's US-British air campaign against Iraq, the country's fractured opposition-in-exile split between those who …Thu Dec 24 1998 - 00:00
Clinton effigy burnt at protestPalestinians, who just three days ago were celebrating President Clinton's visit to their homeland, burned the US President in…Fri Dec 18 1998 - 00:00
Clinton, Netanyahu, Arafat to meet after historic voteIsrael yesterday accepted the cancellation by Palestinian leaders - voting by a show of hands in the presence of President Clinton…Tue Dec 15 1998 - 00:00
Palestinian morale takes flightIn a brief ceremony yesterday President Clinton and the Palestinian President, Mr Yasser Arafat, inaugurated Gaza International…Tue Dec 15 1998 - 00:00
Palestinians see very little reason to celebrate nowLampposts along Gaza's main thoroughfares are decorated with US and Palestinian flagsMon Dec 14 1998 - 00:00
Tide of tackiness dents village charmChristmas came to Ayios Dhometios early this yearTue Nov 17 1998 - 00:00
Ankara steps up its war of words against Damascus over guerrillasThe dispute between Turkey and Syria, which surprised foreign governments with its suddenness and ferocity, has exposed the suspicion…Mon Oct 12 1998 - 01:00
Cyprus swelters, in need of rainOn the flat-roofed houses of Nicosia rotund white plastic containers, resembling small petrol tankers without wheels, crouch …Tue Sept 08 1998 - 01:00
Clerides and Greek PM in agreement on missilesThe Greek Cypriot President has apparently persuaded the Greek Prime Minister to agree to the installation in November of two…Sat Aug 29 1998 - 01:00
Leading Palestinians resign in protest at Arafat's refusal to introduce real reformsDr Hanan Ashrawi, the Palestinians' most successful spokesperson on the international scene, resigned yesterday from the cabinet…Fri Aug 07 1998 - 01:00
Arafat fails to make credible changes in reshuffleAfter a year of procrastination and prevarication, the Palestinian President, Mr Yasser Arafat, yesterday presented a "new" cabinet…Thu Aug 06 1998 - 01:00
Arafat under pressure as hope fades for Oslo accordThe Palestinian President, Mr Yasser Arafat, is under great pressure from ministers, legislators and the general populace to …Tue Aug 04 1998 - 01:00
Yilmaz stands firm on missile threatSirens wailed at dawn yesterday and church bells rang at mid-morning in the south of Cyprus as Greek Cypriots mourned land and…Tue Jul 21 1998 - 01:00
Envoy upbeat on restarting talks processThe UN's chief envoy to Cyprus, Mr Diego Cordovez, hopes talks between the two communities on the island will resume in the autumn…Mon Jul 06 1998 - 01:00
