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300 jailed in ‘flawed’ Saudi terror trials

More than 300 men convicted by Saudi Arabia for taking part in terror plots have been jailed following trials criticized by a rights group for their lack of transparency. Saudi Arabia reported last week that 330 people had been convicted of membership in a “deviant group” — a reference to the al Qaeda terrorist network, founded by Saudi exile Osama bin Laden. On Monday, a Justice Ministry spokesman released more details about the group, saying that 323 will serve time in jail “varying from a few months to 30 years, with 13 of them sentenced to more than 20 years,” according to the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA).

Europe Tries to Break Its Russian Gas Habit

For a quarter of a century, Russia has been Europe’s single biggest gas supplier, providing about a third of all the gas the European Union uses each year.

Saudi woman activist demands right to travel

Wajeha al-Huwaider picked up her passport, got in a taxi, and headed from her home in eastern Saudi Arabia to the nearby island kingdom of Bahrain — a 45-minute drive that many Saudis take to get away for the weekend. Despite having a valid passport, Saudi authorities at the border sent al-Huwaider home. That’s because in Saudi Arabia, a woman needs permission from her male guardian before she can leave the country

Vatican, White House: Abortion one topic of Obama-pope chat

U.S.

Uganda seeks to ban female circumcision

In many cases it’s a woman that grips the blade — maybe clean, maybe dirty — that cuts a girl’s path to womanhood. The cutter, who works for a fee, can pursue any number of surgical options for the young girl’s rite of passage. She can remove the girl’s clitoris entirely, narrow her vagina with stitches, or make other excisions of the girl’s genitalia.

Why Big Oil Declined Iraq’s Riches

Any notion that the invasion of Iraq was simply an oil grab took another hit on Tuesday when Baghdad opened the bidding on the rights to develop its massive energy reserves.

With U.S. Withdrawal, Iraq Takes Ownership of Its War

The decision to pull U.S.

Will Iran Take the Heat Off Israel over Settlements?

The reason for canceling Thursday’s scheduled meeting in Paris between Benjamin Netanyahu and George Mitchell was simple: there was nothing for the Israeli Prime Minister and President Obama’s Middle East peace envoy to discuss. The U.S

Iranian cleric urges firm punishment for protesters

Two weeks into turmoil, Iran’s leaders turned up the heat Friday as a high-ranking cleric warned protesters that they would be punished "firmly" and shown no mercy. “Rioters and those who mastermind the unrest must know the Iranian nation will not give in to pressure and accept the nullification of the election results,” said Ayatollah Ahmed Khatami during Friday prayers in Tehran, according to Iran’s state-run Press TV.

Jackson was star the world could not ignore

Michael Jackson had a level of hero worship on a par with Elvis Presley or the Beatles but he was the first black star to inspire such a massive following around the world. Total worldwide sales of more than 350 million records over his 40-year career give just a hint of the adoration there was for the “King of Pop.” The fact that his death came on the eve of a comeback tour in London will leave his devotees feeling even more bereft