Middle East

United Nations, April 3: Syria told international envoy Kofi Annan that its military will withdraw troops and heavy weapons from populated areas by April 10, in what could be a first step toward ending the bloody yearlong conflict, UN diplomats said Monday. The announcement came as Syrian troops hunted down activists and destroyed their homes in the country’s rebellious areas, and the United

Jeddah, April 3: The Labor Ministry has completed a study on prospects of canceling the individual kafala (sponsorship) system replacing it with recruitment companies. The move may lead to the nullification of sponsorship system all together at a later stage. The study, which took five years to complete, included the rules and regulations for the new recruitment companies. “The study will be

Beirut, April 2: Syrian government troops clashed with rebel forces across the country Monday as international envoy Kofi Annan prepared to brief the U.N. Security Council on the progress of his mission to ease the nation’s crisis. A new flurry of high-level diplomacy has failed to stop the violence in a year-old conflict that the U.N. says has killed more than 9,000 people. On Monday, more than

Dubai, April 2: Following the triumph of Monterosso, ridden by Mikael Barzalona, at the Dubai World Cup main event on Saturday night, His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai — the founder of the Godolphin stables which owns Monterosso — spoke exclusively to CNN’s Winning Post prior to and after the Dubai World Cup at the

Dubai, April 2: Under the patronage of His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, the Dubai International Humanitarian Aid and Development Conference and Exhibition (Dihad) was inaugurated on Sunday by the UN Messenger of Peace and Chairperson of the International Humanitarian City, Princess Haya bint Al Hussein, wife of

Istanbul, April 2: Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal said the Russian veto at the UN Security Council had given the Syrian regime license to continue its campaign of killings and genocide against its people. Addressing the Istanbul meeting, he reiterated the Kingdom’s call to arm the opposition to confront Bashar Assad’s “crimes against humanity.” Prince Saud said Kofi Annan’s peace mission