The Australian military Friday confirmed Iranian gunboats tried to capture Australian sailors near the sea border between Iran and Iraq, saying the incident occurred more than two years ago.

The emergence of “Hamastan” in Gaza sent leaders in the Middle East and elsewhere scrambling for an answer: Whose fault is it? Is it reversible? Will the same thing happen in the West Bank? What should and could be done now? In this soul-searching process there is plenty of blame …

President Hosni Mubarak yesterday signed a long-awaited law on teachers’ pay, which was passed by the People’s Assembly (the lower house of the Egyptian Parliament) on Wednesday. As of July 1, teachers and all other personnel involved in education will be entitled to pay rises.