Alphiniqia News Agency

Early Iraq poll results put PM in lead
Iraq's election commission is expected Thursday to announce partial results of last week's vote. ... more...

Three strong earthquakes strike Chile
A 7.2-magnitude earthquake struck Chile on Thursday morning near Libertador, Gen. Bernardo O'Higgins of the U.S. Geological Survey reported. ... more...

Crazy for Thai tatoos
For many, tattoos can be a sign of rebellion, individuality or fashion; but in Thailand, tattoos have a whole different meaning. ... more...

Islam and recession in Bahrain
Bahrain's finance minister said adherence to strict Islamic rules helped his country escape the worst of the global recession. ... more...

Outlook brighter for international airlines
The international airline business is improving, said an industry group Thursday, and while losses are still expected for 2010, they should be half the size previously forecast. ... more...

Court: EMI can't break up Pink Floyd albums
Pink Floyd won a legal battle Thursday against EMI that prevents the band's long-time record label from selling individual songs online. ... more...

Trump presses on with $1B golf course in Scotland
Despite the financial downturn affecting property prices and construction projects around the world, bullish American billionaire Donald Trump remains committed to building what he has dubbed the "wor... more...

Thousands protest Greek austerity plan
Thousands of people marched through Athens Thursday as part of a 24-hour nationwide strike to protest further austerity measures by the embattled government. ... more...

Brazen raven is birdie no golfer wants
Birdies are normally seen as a golfer's best friend but at one course in Northern Ireland members are getting increasingly irritated by a certain feathered felon. ... more...

Strong aftershocks hit Chile
A 7.2-magnitude earthquake struck Chile on Thursday morning near Libertador, Gen. Bernardo O'Higgins of the U.S. Geological Survey reported. ... more...

Violence rocks Somali capital
Heavy fighting flared in the Somali capital Thursday, a day after a battle between government forces and Al-Shabaab rebels left 29 dead and at least 80 people wounded. ... more...

Shell stops selling gasoline to Iran
Royal Dutch Shell has stopped selling gasoline to Iran, the company confirmed Wednesday, adding to a list of oil giants that have stopped sales after a threat of future U.S. sanctions. ... more...

Nigeria violence 'fed by ethnic issues'
Former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo insisted Wednesday that this week's explosion of violence that claimed at least 200 lives is not driven by religious tensions between Christians and Muslims... more...

Mexican telecom king tops richest list
Forbes magazine released its annual list of the world's richest people Wednesday, and for only the second time since 1995, Microsoft founder Bill Gates' name was not at the top. ... more...

Myanmar bars Suu Kyi from election
Myanmar's ruling junta has announced a new election law that disqualifies pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi from participating in upcoming national elections. ... more...

Gates in Afghanistan on visit
U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates arrived in Afghanistan on Monday morning on an unannounced visit, as NATO-led coalition forces are pressing an offensive in the nation's south. ... more...

Biden: U.S. will hold Israelis, Palestinians accountable
The United States will hold both Israel and the Palestinians responsible for any steps that make peace between them more difficult, Vice President Joe Biden said Wednesday. ... more...

Al Qaeda frees Spanish aid worker
A Spanish aid worker kidnapped by Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) last November in Mauritania has been freed unharmed, but the group continues to hold two other Spanish workers, Spain's deputy ... more...

U.S., Iran 'court' Afghanistan
America's defense chief thanked Afghanistan's soldiers for their service during a tour of a training camp Wednesday as Iran's hardline president arrived in Kabul with a pledge to purge "occupying forc... more...

6 killed in attack at charity in Pakistan
Militants attacked the office of a humanitarian organization in northwest Pakistan on Wednesday killing six people, police said. ... more...