Amman- The Jordan Economic Growth Plan (JEGP) – approved by the Jordanian parliament -aims at urging economic growth, enhancing economic condition as well as supporting investments and increasing revenues. King Abdullah II chaired a meeting for the Economic Policies Council during which a 5-year pla
German Chancellor Angela Merkel hoped on Friday to have a “good” partner in Britain after Brexit, while European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker described the exit as a “tragedy.” Merkel called for fair and constructive negotiations with Britain over its exit from the European Union, with t
The ruling party in Algeria, the National Liberation Front (FLN), won on Friday a majority in the North African country’s parliamentary elections that were marked by general apathy by the people. Turnout was only 38.25 percent, lower than 43 percent in the last election in 2012, reflecting general d
The White House announcement that US President Donald Trump will carry out his first foreign visit and that Saudi Arabia will be a major stop is a message on a major shift in his foreign policy priorities. Since Obama’s term came to an end in 2016, relations with Saudi Arabia have changed. During Ob
Jeddah- Saudi King Salman Bin Abdulaziz on Thursday issued a directive relieving women from the prerequisite of obtaining the consent of guardians in order to receive public services, “unless there is a legal basis for this request in accordance with the provisions of Islamic law.” King Salman bin A
North Korea on Friday accused the US Central Intelligence Agency and South Korea’s intelligence service of plotting to attack its “supreme leadership” with a bio-chemical weapon. The North’s Ministry of State Security released a statement saying “the last-ditch effort&#
Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau has rejected claims he had been wounded in an airstrike in remote northeast Nigeria. In a 14-minute video, the shadowy Boko Haram chief insisted he was not injured and that none of his key lieutenants was harmed either. “I’m alive, I’m alive, IR
Aden- Houthi militias in Yemen have threatened to kill the ousted president Ali Abdullah Saleh, stressing that he will be punished severely, reported the Saudi Press Agency SPA. A broadcasting channel affiliated with Iran-aligned putschist leader Abdulmalik Al-Houthi made a loud and clear threat to
Washington- A US Federal Judge in Minneapolis (State of Minnesota) has ordered an American-Somali man to remain in custody for watching a documentary on terrorism while in detention. Abdullahi Yusuf, 21, was sentenced last year for trying to join ISIS. But he violated the terms of his probation by w
Demonstrations against President Nicolas Maduro continued in the Venezuelan capital Caracas as students took to the streets on Thursday as the death toll in the protests gripping the country reached 37. “We are students, not terrorists!” a mass of students chanted as they marched in Cara
Riyadh- United Nations Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while counter-terrorism Ben Emmerson said Saudi Arabia suffered greatly from terrorism targeting its military and security institutions and civilians over the last three decades. The Sp
Ankara – Deep disputes between Ankara and Washington are beginning to emerge in wake of the US deployment of troops along the Syrian-Turkish border and Turkey’s strike against Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) positions in Syria and Iraq on April 25. A Turkish official warned that the US force
Beirut – Lebanese President Michel Aoun called on expatriates to return to their country and contribute to its reconstruction. Aoun’s comments came during the 4th edition of the “Lebanese Diaspora Energy” (LED) Conference, which kicked off on Thursday at the Beirut International Exhibition and Leisu
Baghdad – Several prisoners in Iraq have been held in the country without trial for around 12 years, revealed an Iraqi source linked to the prisons file. He painted to Asharq Al-Awsat a bleak picture of the situation of prisoners, especially those held in connection to terrorism, most notably in Bag
Riyadh- Saudi Arabia is considering through Saudi Arabian Monetary Authority (SAMA) requests of three foreign banks showing interest in entering the local market amidst the current economic reforms taking place in the kingdom. SAMA Governor Dr. Ahmed al-Kholifey said that SAMA is adopting an open po
Cairo – The Arab League council voiced on Thursday its complete solidarity with Palestinian and Arab prisoners who have been on hunger strike in Israeli jails since April 17, demanding that Tel Aviv respect the four Geneva conventions. It also demanded that the United Nations and its specialized ins
China’s home-grown C919 passenger plane took off on its maiden test flight Friday, marking a key milestone on the country’s ambitious journey to compete with the world’s leading aircraft makers by raising its profile in the global aviation market. The narrow-body of the first Chine
Ramallah – No agreement or new position was reached during Wednesday’s meeting between Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and US President Donald Trump, said a Palestinian source. It told Asharq Al-Awsat that the two sides simply agreed that peace should be reached. “Neither we nor the Israelis kno
Kabul- Hezb-e Islami (Islamic political party) leader Gulbuddin Hekmatyar entered the Afghan presidential palace for the first time after 20 years of hiding when backing extremist groups fighting the Western-backed Afghan government. Prominent Afghan figures, such as President Ashraf Ghani welcomed
Algeria- Algerian Interior Minister Noureddine Bedoui has expressed satisfaction with the parliamentary elections turnout, but leader of the Workers’ Party (PT) Louisa Hanoune stated that participation was low. During a news conference, Bedoui said that the turnout had reached 36 percent by 2:
