Last Friday marked the second anniversary of the chemical weapons attacks perpetrated by the Syrian regime against the towns and villages of Eastern Ghouta near Syria’s capital, Damascus. That day, according to reliable sources, the area covering the eastern and northeastern suburbs of the city—espe
Dammam, Asharq Al-Awsat—The mastermind of the 1996 bombing in eastern Saudi Arabia that killed and injured hundreds of US service personnel has been arrested, Saudi security officials told Asharq Al-Awsat on Tuesday. Ahmed Al-Mughassil has been arrested in the Lebanese capital Beirut and repatriated
Tripoli, Reuters—Turkey is introducing visa requirements for Libyans, Libyan officials said on Tuesday, pushing the North African country deeper into isolation. Turkey had been one of the few countries which Libyans could visit without a visa and became a major holiday destination for Libyans seekin
There is no convincing explanation to turning a train, a coach or any civilian place crowded with people into a battlefield. While investigations into the motives and intentions of the attack on an Amsterdam-to-Paris train by a Moroccan gunman are in their early stages, there is no doubt that the br
Jeddah, Asharq Al-Awsat—Saudi troops have arrived in Aden to help Yemen’s internationally recognized government to maintain security in the southern areas they recently liberated from Houthi rebels, a senior Yemeni military official has said. Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat, the official said the presen
Beirut, Reuters—Islamic State of Iraq and Syria’s (ISIS) demolition of a renowned ancient Roman temple in the Syrian city of Palmyra is a war crime that targeted an historic symbol of the country’s diversity, the United Nations’ cultural agency UNESCO said on Monday. Ultra-hardline ISIS
Baghdad, Asharq Al-Awsat—Iraq’s Prime Minister Haider Al-Abadi is facing calls to sever his links to the Islamic Da’wa Party. Several Iraqi lawmakers have also called on Abadi to declare a state of emergency in the country and freeze its current constitution. The calls come amid mounting public ange
Sana’a and Muscat, Asharq Al-Awsat—The Saudi-led coalition targeting the Houthis in Yemen on Sunday bombed the group’s northern stronghold of Saada, in the heaviest assault on the province since the start of the coalition’s air campaign in March. Informed Yemeni sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that mor
London, Reuters—Britain must remain cautious in its relations with Iran, Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said on Monday, after he reopened the British embassy in Tehran nearly four years after it was stormed by protesters. While the historic step marks an easing of tense relations between the Islam
Sana’a, Asharq Al-Awsat—Ground troops from the United Arab Emirates have landed in the central Yemeni province of Ma’rib to support forces loyal to Yemen’s government in their fight against the Iran-backed Houthi insurgents, sources say. Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat, Brig. Gen. Ahmed Asiri, the
A difficult financial phase is looming. Oil prices have fallen by more than half, and may continue to fall in future. However, this is not the first time Saudi Arabia has faced such a crisis: In 1986, oil prices dropped to 12 US dollars per barrel, but the Kingdom managed to endure the following dif
Beirut, AP—Lebanon’s prime minister hinted Sunday he might resign after violent protests against government corruption and political dysfunction triggered by a month-long trash crisis in Beirut. Tammam Salam also pledged that security forces that used violence against demonstrators would be he
“Mom, you cannot check my messages. I need my privacy, please!” Adam, my 10-year-old son, said to me while I was helping him sign up for a new e-mail address. I could not answer back and I was rather quite surprised by what he said. My little boy, who still enjoys bedtime stories, is now […]
Jeddah and Sana’a, Asharq Al-Awsat—Yemen’s exiled President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi has approved a plan to establish three military formations, made up mainly of tribal fighters and former military personnel, to fight the Houthi insurgency in the Tihamah region, a military official has said. The fact
Ankara, AP—Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said Friday that the nation will hold an early election on November 1, after no group won a majority from voters in June and Erdoğan’s party was unable to find a coalition partner. Erdoğan said he will meet with the parliament speaker on Monday
US President Barack Obama is deploying his immense persuasive powers to lobby in favor of the deal he says he has made with Iran regarding its nuclear project. As part of that lobbying, he has granted numerous interviews, always to reporters he has already charmed, avoiding inconvenient questions fr
Cairo, Asharq Al-Awsat—An Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) affiliate has claimed responsibility for a car bombing near a state security building in Cairo on Thursday. At least 29 people, including 8 policemen, were injured after a car bomb went off outside the national security building in the
Ankara, London and Erbil, Asharq Al-Awsat—Iraq’s former prime minister and vice president Nuri Al-Maliki has returned to the country after a visit to Iran, his media spokesman confirmed. Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat, Abbas Al-Mussawi said Maliki landed in Baghdad on Wednesday after a two-day visit to
Sana’a, Asharq Al-Awsat—Saudi-led coalition jets carried out dozens of airstrikes on Houthi rebels’ positions in Sana’a on Wednesday as government loyalists prepared a major ground offensive to retake the Yemeni capital, officials and eyewitnesses said. Airstrikes hit Al-Daylami Air Base, near Sana’
Ankara, Istanbul and Diyarbakır, Reuters—Turkey’s election commission has proposed that any snap parliamentary election should be held on November 1, officials of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) said on Thursday, reinforcing the sense that a re-vote is inevitable after June̵
