Riyadh, Asharq Al-Awsat—The Gulf-sponsored talks on Yemen, set to begin in the Saudi capital Riyadh on Sunday, will be followed by a second round of meetings to monitor the implementation of its outcomes, Asharq Al-Awsat has learnt. According to the conference’s draft agenda, which Asharq Al-Awsat o
Camp David (Maryland), Asharq Al-Awsat—US President Barack Obama pledged “ironclad” American support for Gulf regional security at the US-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) summit at Camp David on Thursday. Speaking following the meeting with senior Gulf officials and heads of state, the US Presid
Paris, Asharq Al-Awsat—Egyptian Prime Minister Ibrahim Mahlab has said that his country’s security forces are making progress toward eradicating terrorism in Egypt, but added that there is still work to do. In an interview with Asharq Al-Awsat on the sidelines of a state visit to Paris,
Warsaw, Poland, AP—Poland is paying a quarter of a million dollars to two terror suspects allegedly tortured by the CIA in a secret facility in this country—prompting outrage among many here who feel they are being punished for American wrongdoing. Europe’s top human rights court imposed the p
Until even a few years ago the UK general elections attracted special attention in the Middle East, reflecting historic, economic and political bonds going back to the 19th century in the context of a love–hate relationship. This month, however, the UK general election that produced the first majori
There is an illusion that the promised agreement with Iran regarding its nuclear program will push it toward moderation, as well as economic and political openness. What will probably happen is the complete opposite. The agreement will empower Tehran’s hawks, who are currently being endorsed in Iran
Riyadh, Asharq Al-Awsat—Saudi Arabia’s King Salman Bin Abdulaziz increased his country’s aid commitment to Yemen to over 500 million US dollars on Wednesday as a humanitarian ceasefire between the Saudi-led coalition of Arab countries and Houthi rebels held in Yemen despite reported violations. “We
London, Asharq Al-Awsat—The ongoing Yemen crisis and the Iran nuclear deal will top the agenda at the US–Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) summit being held at Camp David on Thursday, with President Barack Obama seeking to convince Gulf allies of Washington’s commitment to Middle East secur
London, Reuters—Britain’s anti-EU UK Independence Party was consumed by bitter infighting on Thursday after winning just one seat in a national election with the party’s campaign chief accusing leader Nigel Farage of making it look like a “personality cult.” UKIP, which wants
Let us compare the following two scenes. The first is a famous scene from the recent Hollywood movie, American Sniper, in which we are shown a point-of-view shot from the lead character, US Navy SEAL Chris Kyle, played by Bradley Cooper. In the scene, Kyle—who with 160 confirmed kills during h
Riyadh, Asharq Al-Awsat—The new UN envoy to Yemen Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed arrived in Sana’a on Tuesday hours before a five-day ceasefire between the Houthi rebels and Arab coalition forces took effect. The Mauritanian diplomat, who is visiting Yemen for the first time since he was appointed to the
Beirut, Reuters—Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) fighters launched an attack on Syrian army-held areas in Homs province overnight, a Syrian military source and an organisation tracking the war said, part of the group’s efforts to expand beyond its strongholds in the east. Syrian troops r
Karachi, AP—Gunmen killed more than 40 people on Wednesday aboard a bus in southern Pakistan bound for a Shi’ite community center, in the latest attack targeting the religious minority. The attack in the port city of Karachi was the deadliest Pakistan has seen in months. Provincial police chie
Washington, DC, Asharq Al-Awsat—Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister on Monday dismissed reports that Saudi King Salman’s decision not to attend a summit of Gulf Arab leaders in Camp David later this week signaled a rift in relations between Saudi Arabia and the United States. Speaking during a press con
Riyadh, Asharq Al-Awsat—The General People’s Congress (GPC), Yemen’s ruling party, will discuss whether to withdraw backing for its leader Ali Abdullah Saleh following his declaration of support for the powerful Houthi rebel group, a leading GPC official told Asharq Al-Awsat. Speaking via phone, the
Baghdad, AP—The videos of Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) militants destroying ancient artifacts in Iraq’s museums and blowing up 3,000-year-old temples are chilling enough, but one of Iraq’s top antiquities officials is now saying the destruction is a cover for an even more sinis
Kathmandu, AP—A major earthquake has hit Nepal near the Chinese border between the capital of Kathmandu and Mount Everest less than three weeks after the country was devastated by a quake. The US Geological Survey said the quake hit with a magnitude of 7.3 in an isolated, conservation area just afte
After a long flight, I always rush to purchase a newspaper or two to check out what has been happening in my absence, and to take a look at the more local news at my destination. This is precisely what I did on my arrival in New York a few days ago. The US newspapers […]
Erbil and Mahabad, Asharq Al-Awsat—On Sunday, and for the fourth day in a row, violent protests rocked the Kurdish-majority city of Mahabad in northwestern Iran, after the death on Thursday of a 25-year-old woman whom sources say died after an Iranian intelligence operative attempted to rape her. Vi
The upcoming summit at Camp David may be the most significant US–Gulf meeting in the last 50 years. This is not because it would be the first time a US president has met with Gulf leaders. But rather because Washington—and this is no secret—is aware of the strain and the confidence
