The British newspaper The Guardian reported that the social networking site Twitter has suspended the accounts of Jordanian preacher Abu Qatada (Omar Mahmoud Othman), Abu Muhammad Al-Maqdisi (Essam Muhammad Tahir Al-Barqawi), the Egyptian Islamist director of the London-based Maqrizi Centre for Stud
Almost 55,000 migrants who were refused – or were not eligible – for asylum left Germany willingly between January and November 2016, up by 20,000 from the total number who left voluntarily in 2015, a newspaper reported on Wednesday. Germany had tough stance on immigration in the past pe
Those who are familiar with how Iran’s political institutions work explain General Qassem Soleimani’s intended appearances in pictures and films shot in Arab battlefields where his militias fight, and the broadcasting of them on TV and online social networks, as part of the ‘psychological warfare’ t
Beirut – Optimism diminished over the success of a Russian-Iranian conference over the Syrian peace process that is scheduled for mid-January in Astana. Well-informed Turkish sources told Asharq al-Awsat newspaper that the Iranian leadership was imposing vetoes on its possible representatives to the
Washington – U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has named Thomas Bossert as his Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counter-terrorism. Bossert served as top homeland security advisor during President George W. Bush’s tenure. Trump’s team announced that the role of homeland security a
One of the most remarkable things about Christmas is its basic reach, the layers of ritual and habit, the way this very special time of year manages to smear itself like a basting of goose fat across every one of the vital senses. Overwhelmed by these ruddy-cheeked riches, it can be a tricky choice.
Many constitutional systems around the globe have been tested in 2016. Turkey, Poland, the UK, the U.S. — each case sheds some light on how different constitutional arrangements respond to the challenges of political factions. Begin with the worst constitutional crisis, the one that is taking
Honolulu, U.S. – Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visited on Tuesday the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor, where he offered “sincere and everlasting condolences” to the victims of Japan’s attack on the base 75 years ago. “We must never repeat the horrors of war again, this is the solemn vow t
London – Former Iranian presidential candidate and president of the National Trust Party, Mehdi Karroubi, resigned from his party political role after almost six years spent under house arrest. Karroubi ran as a reformist candidate in the 2009 presidential elections. In 2011, the opposition leader w
London- Biological weapons of mass destruction with the ability to spread deadly diseases like Ebola and Zika could wipe out up to a fifth of the world’s population, it has been claimed, ex-NATO commander James Stavridis has said. Stavridis described the prospect of advanced biological technol
London – Asharq Al-Awsat has dedicated a week to review 2016’s most important incidences and developments before anticipating the major incidents of 2017. The newspapers’ reporters and writers have contributed in gathering the remarkable events that took place over the 12 past months on nation
Riyadh – Saudi Arabia faced in 2016 many political, diplomatic and security challenges – it also achieved the preventive equation of the region by showing a more decisive position against terrorism, in solidarity with the Gulf countries. The region has also suffered from Iranian terroris
Bucharest- Romania’s president Klaus Iohannis has blocked a proposal by the leftist party that won elections this month to appoint Sevil Shhaideh, the EU country’s first female and first Muslim prime minister, a move that could spark a political crisis. After winning the December 11 elec
The province of North Kivu in eastern Congo witnessed the end of a bloody week during which villages were attacked and battles broke out between the army and militias. At least 35 civilians have been killed in the violence. The death toll on Sunday was 22 people, but it was announced yesterday that
Oil jumped 1.7 percent Tuesday, continuing its year-end rally with support from expectations of tighter supply once the first output cut deal between OPEC and non-OPEC producers in 15 years takes effect on Sunday. U.S. crude prices have surged 25 percent since mid-November, helped by expectations fo
Iraq’s Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said that it would take at least three months to terminate the terror group ISIS, as U.S.-backed forces battle to dislodge the militants from their city stronghold of Mosul. Abadi made his statement on Tuesday. Asked to respond to comments by a commander of the
Judicial sources said that Egypt’s Supreme State Security Prosecution yesterday ordered the imprisonment of an Al-Jazeera journalist named Mahmoud Hussein for 15 days pending investigation on charges including preparing “fabricated” reports about the country to broadcast on the Qatari satellit
Perhaps no Afghan’s story better embodied America’s aspirations for Afghanistan than that of Capt. Niloofar Rahmani, the first female fixed-wing pilot in the fledgling Afghan Air Force. She was celebrated in Washington in 2015 when the State Department honored her with its annual Women of Courage aw
GIFT-BUYING season has arrived, and you might as well save some money while you’re at it. Plenty of apps can help make you a smarter shopper. It may seem obvious, but the Amazon app is an excellent tool to have on your phone as you peruse the offerings at your local mall. The app’s product […
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Tuesday that the Syrian regime was holding talks with the opposition ahead of possible peace talks in Astana, Kazakhstan, the Interfax news agency reported. Lavrov did not say where the current talks were being held and it was unclear which opposition g
