http://al-shorfa.com/ Al-Shorfa covers events in the Arabic World and the Middle East through reports and analysis by correspondents in Egypt, Lebanon, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, Iraq, Jordan, Bahrain and other countries in the region. en-gb Clerics and officials urge citizens to ensure zakat contributions do not fall in the hands of groups like al-Qaeda. http://al-shorfa.com/r/ah9r meii/features/2013/05/20/feature-01 Mon, 20 May 2013 00:00:00 +0000 Journalists Takaful Fund will offer Bahrain's press corps financial assistance through interest-free loans and grants. http://al-shorfa.com/r/aha0 meii/features/2013/05/20/feature-02 Mon, 20 May 2013 00:00:00 +0000 Black treacle, or molasses, is still made in Upper Egypt according to traditional methods which manufacturers say preserves its authentic taste. http://al-shorfa.com/r/aha6 meii/features/2013/05/20/feature-03 Mon, 20 May 2013 00:00:00 +0000 Dozens of Hizbullah fighters were killed in fighting alongside regime troops in the Syrian town of Qusayr on Sunday (May 19th), media outlets and hum... http://al-shorfa.com/r/ahal meii/newsbriefs/2013/05/20/newsbrief-01 Mon, 20 May 2013 00:00:00 +0000 The Iraqi Ministry of Defence on Monday (May 20th) said it launched a large-scale military campaign along the Iraqi-Syrian border.... http://al-shorfa.com/r/ahar meii/newsbriefs/2013/05/20/newsbrief-02 Mon, 20 May 2013 00:00:00 +0000 In an initial death toll on Monday (May 20th) the Iraqi Interior Ministry said 58 were killed, mostly civilians, and about 116 others wounded in a se... http://al-shorfa.com/r/ahb0 meii/newsbriefs/2013/05/20/newsbrief-03 Mon, 20 May 2013 00:00:00 +0000 Aid organisation Oxfam warned Monday (May 20th) that warmer weather will increase health risks for Syrian refugees in Jordan and Lebanon, and appeale... http://al-shorfa.com/r/ahbc meii/newsbriefs/2013/05/20/newsbrief-04 Mon, 20 May 2013 00:00:00 +0000 Egypt has sent police reinforcements to the Sinai after a dawn attack on a police camp on Monday (May 20th) in the wake of the kidnapping of security... http://al-shorfa.com/r/ahbf meii/newsbriefs/2013/05/20/newsbrief-05 Mon, 20 May 2013 00:00:00 +0000 An opposition leader, rights activist and long-time dissident in Syria's opposition-held city of Raqa has been abducted, AFP reported Monday (May 20t... http://al-shorfa.com/r/ahbu meii/newsbriefs/2013/05/20/newsbrief-06 Mon, 20 May 2013 00:00:00 +0000 The Iraqi Ministry of Education announced Monday (May 20th) it signed an agreement with UNICEF to implement a programme to teach 180,000 Iraqi primar... http://al-shorfa.com/r/ahc0 meii/newsbriefs/2013/05/20/newsbrief-07 Mon, 20 May 2013 00:00:00 +0000 An al-Qaeda member has been convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment for carrying out terrorist attacks, Iraq's Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) sa... http://al-shorfa.com/r/ahc6 meii/newsbriefs/2013/05/20/newsbrief-08 Mon, 20 May 2013 00:00:00 +0000 Three Iraqis wanted in connection with terrorist attacks carried out last year have been arrested, Salaheddine provincial police said Monday (May 20t... http://al-shorfa.com/r/ahcf meii/newsbriefs/2013/05/20/newsbrief-09 Mon, 20 May 2013 00:00:00 +0000 A woman and three of her children were killed when a mortar fell on a house in al-Dahab al-Abyad village, west of Baghdad, on Monday (May 20th), Iraq... http://al-shorfa.com/r/ahco meii/newsbriefs/2013/05/20/newsbrief-10 Mon, 20 May 2013 00:00:00 +0000 The Bahraini government on Sunday (May 19th) announced the launch of a large-scale national project to reconstruct old residential areas in the count... http://al-shorfa.com/r/ahcx meii/newsbriefs/2013/05/20/newsbrief-11 Mon, 20 May 2013 00:00:00 +0000 Proposed new laws and amendments to existing legislation aim to guarantee freedoms, fight corruption and strengthen the independence of the judiciary. http://al-shorfa.com/r/ag22 meii/features/2013/05/18/feature-01 Sat, 18 May 2013 00:00:00 +0000 Painter Sadik Jaafar tells Al-Shorfa he wants to focus on the positive and show people that despite harsh conditions, there is continuity and creativity in Iraq. http://al-shorfa.com/r/ag2b meii/features/2013/05/18/feature-02 Sat, 18 May 2013 00:00:00 +0000 A day after at least 140 people were killed across Syria, including 58 civilians, violence continued afresh, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights... http://al-shorfa.com/r/ag2n meii/newsbriefs/2013/05/18/newsbrief-01 Sat, 18 May 2013 00:00:00 +0000 Violence in Iraq on Saturday (May 18th) killed at least seven people, a day after at least 51 people were killed across the country, police and medic... http://al-shorfa.com/r/ag2t meii/newsbriefs/2013/05/18/newsbrief-02 Sat, 18 May 2013 00:00:00 +0000 The Iraqi Justice Ministry on Saturday (May 18th) launched a special programme to rehabilitate al-Qaeda inmates before their release from prison.... http://al-shorfa.com/r/ag32 meii/newsbriefs/2013/05/18/newsbrief-03 Sat, 18 May 2013 00:00:00 +0000 Three Iraqi soldiers were killed and four others were wounded -- one seriously -- on Saturday (May 18th) in a rocket attack in southern Mosul, Iraqi... http://al-shorfa.com/r/ag3e meii/newsbriefs/2013/05/18/newsbrief-04 Sat, 18 May 2013 00:00:00 +0000 The presidency of Yemen's national dialogue conference on Saturday (May 18th) suspended the sessions of the conference's working groups for one day t... http://al-shorfa.com/r/ag3h meii/newsbriefs/2013/05/18/newsbrief-05 Sat, 18 May 2013 00:00:00 +0000 Iraqi police have disabled three cars rigged with bombs in different areas across Baghdad, the Iraqi Interior Ministry said Saturday (May 18th).... http://al-shorfa.com/r/ag3w meii/newsbriefs/2013/05/18/newsbrief-06 Sat, 18 May 2013 00:00:00 +0000 Iraqi security forces have arrested six wanted men, two of whom are suspected of involvement in attacks on a football stadium in 2009 that killed nin... http://al-shorfa.com/r/ag42 meii/newsbriefs/2013/05/18/newsbrief-07 Sat, 18 May 2013 00:00:00 +0000 Kuwait's Al-Rahma Charity is providing urgent humanitarian aid to hundreds of displaced Syrian families in Lebanon in a bid to alleviate their suffer... http://al-shorfa.com/r/ag48 meii/newsbriefs/2013/05/18/newsbrief-08 Sat, 18 May 2013 00:00:00 +0000 The second annual "Forum for Media Freedom Defenders in the Arab World" kicked off Saturday (May 18th) in Amman.... http://al-shorfa.com/r/ag4h meii/newsbriefs/2013/05/18/newsbrief-09 Sat, 18 May 2013 00:00:00 +0000 Saudi Raha Moharrak, 25, has reached the summit of Everest, the BBC reported Saturday (May 18th).... http://al-shorfa.com/r/ag4q meii/newsbriefs/2013/05/18/newsbrief-10 Sat, 18 May 2013 00:00:00 +0000