Asharq Al-Awsat Editorial

Editorial desk and wire-service reports (AFP, Reuters, AP) as published in the Asharq Al-Awsat English Edition. This archive preserves the original text (2005–2017); attribution appears in the article dateline where provided by the source.

articles

Kuwait, Saudi Arabia Between Two Crises

Saudi Arabia’s King Fahd, may he rest in peace, could have tried to do like Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa, Qatar’s crown prince back then and its real ruler. Following the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait back then, during the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) meeting in Doha, Sheikh Hamad tried to blackmail

Flynn Probe Extends to Cover Turkish Dealings

Washington- US federal investigators are examining whether former national security adviser Michael Flynn was secretly paid by the Turkish government to lobby, according to a report from The New York Times published on Friday. Investigators working for the special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III, rec

World

Rouhani Inaugurated President for a Second Term

London – Iranian President Hassan Rouhani announced his country’s readiness for further enhancing cooperation with other states and the launch of “mother of all negotiations”, hinting to Tehran’s anticipation for communicating with the new US administration. Rouhani believes that the success of the

World

Hajj Pilgrims Receive a Warm Saudi Welcome

Jeddah- Saudi Arabia, the birthplace of Islam, receives pilgrims who come to perform Hajj rites each year with welcoming programs that start at the point of arrival until departure. After reaching Makkah, Hajj pilgrims are received with chants, Zamzam water dates and a smile. Upon leaving, they leav

World

Ould Cheick: No Direct Talks at Present

London- UN special envoy to Yemen Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed described the new UN roadmap in Hodeidah as the “prelude and not the target,” and said that it was the start of a comprehensive solution to the Yemeni crisis. In an interview with Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper, Ould Cheikh asserted that “at pres

World

Syrian Opposition Summit Scheduled for October

London- Extensive contacts kicked off lately in support of the High Negotiations Committee (HNC) efforts to hold a broad opposition meeting next October that could reach a political vision and a unified delegation ahead of engaging in serious talks with Damascus for implementing UNSC Resolution 2254

271 Jihadi Militants Return to France- Minister

French interior minister Gerard Collomb revealed, in a newspaper interview, that 271 jihadi militants have returned to the country from war zones in Iraq and Syria and all of them are subject to investigation by public prosecutors. With around 700 French nationals estimated to have fought in ISIS ra

World

Trump is Right about North Korea

As President Trump nears the threshold of a military crisis with North Korea, he needs to sustain this early intuition — and not be driven into actions that may look tough but would leave every player worse off. The template hasn’t really changed from the Korean War in 1950: North Korea’s aggressive

Casting Doubts over Kuwait’s Liberation

People’s memory may be short-lived, but the invasion of Kuwait too big of an event that touched on everyone’s lives, not just Kuwaitis. Despite 27 years passing since, the fallout endures till this very day. Kuwait today hosts an open platform for political and intellectual differences and debate, w

Kagame Re-Elected Rwanda President for Third Time

Paul Kagame was elected for a third term as president of Rwanda, scoring 98 percent of the vote amid what critics and rights groups say are widespread human rights abuses, a muzzling of independent media and suppression of political opposition. With 80 percent of votes counted from Friday’s el