If the United States wishes to invite Kurdish parties to upcoming Syrian peace talks, it might as well invite terror group ISIS too, said Turkey’s foreign minister on Saturday. Turkey views Kurdish fighters in Syria as extremists. The Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) and its armed wing, th
The British government is required to publish a detailed plan for Brexit by mid-February, clarifying its position on future membership of the European Union’s single market and customs union, a committee of lawmakers said. “The government needs to publish its Brexit plan by mid-February
The Syrian opposition High Negotiations Committee announced on Saturday that it supported all efforts poured into planned peace talks in Kazakhstan. According to Reuters, the HNC viewed the meeting as a preliminary step for resuming the next round of political negotiations in Geneva. “The comm
Egypt’s Interior Ministry announced that 10 militants linked to ISIS had been killed during a raid on one of their hideouts in the Sinai Peninsula yesterday. According to the ministry’s statement, members of the group opened fire on security forces while they approached their hideout in an aba
The King Salman Centre for Relief and Humanitarian Aid has provided humanitarian relief and aid to countries that have been afflicted with disaster amounting to $680,674,206 through 172 projects since the centre was established by King Salman in 2016. The centre has provided aid to people in need in
ISIS militants launched their biggest attack in months on regime-held areas in the contested city of Deir al-Zor on Saturday, leaving dozens of dead, a war monitor said. The militant group attacked the city from several sides, the Syrian government and opposition activists said. At least six large e
An airstrike on a district held by ISIS targeting the house of senior militant Harbi Abdel Qader in the Iraqi city of Mosul killed up to 30 civilians, residents reported to Reuters. Abdel Qader was not in the building at the time, but several members of his family died, one resident said late on Fri
Brussels- Belgian-Moroccan imprisoned for three years in Guantanamo Moussa Zemmouri, 38, has issued proceedings against the Belgian State with the U.N. Committee against Torture. “Belgium is complicit in his unlawful detention,” his lawyer, Walter Van Steenbrugge, asserted in De Standaard on Friday.
Jeddah- The Saudi Exhibition and Conventions Bureau (SECB), affiliated to Saudi Commission for Tourism & National Heritage (SCTH), has announced that visitors of licensed activities exceeded 4.4 million in 2016. SECB, also, adopted Trade Fairs Plan for 2017 that aims to reach a total of 86 trade
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas warned Saturday that peace could suffer if U.S. president-elect Donald Trump goes ahead with plans to move Washington’s embassy to Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Abbas made the comments as he inaugurated the Palestinian embassy to the Holy See following an aud
Economists are going to have to approach things a bit differently if they want to stay relevant in the Trump age. Political economy research is going to become more important. Some humility wouldn’t hurt. And they should look someplace other than the federal government to test their ideas. Thi
Ankara-Intense meetings were held in Turkey on Friday between Turkish officials and representatives of the Syrian armed and political opposition to put the final touches on the line-up of the opposition delegation due to participate in talks on a solution to the Syrian crisis in Astana on January 23
In this chapter, I enclose the third and last part of Dr William Polk’s letter on his visit to Saudi Arabia: “Today, I met the King. As I expected, he was extremely friendly, attentive and has a sharp memory. He is just like he was when I met him all those years ago whilst he […]
One has to feel a little bit sorry for Morgan Schneiderlin somewhere along the line, even if the basic reason his move to Manchester United did not work out was because he could not prove himself a better midfield option than the 35-year-old Michael Carrick. United splurging all that money on Paul P
Tel Aviv- A day after Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s wife Sara was questioned by police, Israel Police’s Lahav 433 anti-corruption unit decided to question PM’s son Yair Netanyahu. Yair is expected to be summoned by police for questioning as part of two ongoing criminal investigations
Washington- U.S. Republican Senators Ted Cruz and Jim Inhofe are pushing for a bill that compels the Department of State to designate the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist group, informed U.S. sources said. A source who preferred to remain anonymous told Asharq Al-Awsat that “C
Ankara- Fitch Ratings Inc. warned of the possibility to downgrade Turkish credit rating in the upcoming days, noting Turkey’s deficit in foreign currencies. Fitch is expected to announce its report on Turkish economy on the 27th of January amidst anticipation due to current fluctuation of Turk
LOS ANGELES — It certainly reads like a political statement: Next week, one day before Donald J. Trump takes the presidential oath of office, the Sundance Film Festival will open its 33rd edition with a climate-change documentary starring Al Gore. Mr. Trump has mocked the science of global warming a
U.S. Ambassador Samantha Power on Friday warned that cutting Washington’s funding to the U.N. over a resolution that condemned Israeli settlements would be “extremely detrimental” to American interests as a spokeswoman said Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is prepared to meet with U.S.
London-Three deputy intelligence officials from the Iranian Revolutionary Guards have been arrested on charges of economic corruption, according to informed Iranian sources. A senior security official in Iran said that the three officials were arrested on charges of “major economic corruption,” “smu
