Kathmandu, Reuters—Trekkers stranded by an avalanche in Nepal, many of them from Israel, fought for food and for places on rescue helicopters after being denied shelter by locals in the aftermath of an earthquake that killed more than 5,000 people. Up to 250 people were feared missing immediately af
Ramallah, Asharq Al-Awsat—The Syrian government decided to cancel a scheduled meeting with the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) due to the latter’s stance on the assault on the Palestinian refugee camp of Yarmouk as well as the PLO’s recent efforts to free two Swedish nationals ca
Dubai, AP—Japan’s Inpex Corp. on Monday won a stake in the development of major oil fields in the oil-rich emirate of Abu Dhabi, deepening the Asian nation’s ties to the United Arab Emirates federation. The Abu Dhabi National Oil Co. said the deal gives Inpex’s Japan Oil Developmen
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and its allies last week announced the end of Operation Decisive Storm in Yemen, and the beginning of Operation Restoring Hope. But now we must ask: What did Operation Decisive Storm achieve, and what can we expect from Restoring Hope? In order to see what Decisive Storm
Riyadh, Asharq Al-Awsat—Yemen’s legitimate government has accused Jamal Benomar, the UN’s former special envoy to Yemen, of siding with the Houthi movement during UN-sponsored talks between the country’s different political factions earlier in the year. Benomar was tasked by the UN
Baltimore, Reuters—Baltimore erupted in violence on Monday as hundreds of rioters looted stores, burned buildings and at least 15 police officers were injured following the funeral of a 25-year-old black man who died after suffering a spinal injury in police custody. The riots broke out blocks
Beirut, Reuters—Ultra-radical Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) insurgents have killed at least 2,154 people off the battlefield in Syria since the end of June when the group declared a “caliphate” in territory it controls, a Syrian human rights monitor said on Tuesday. The ki
London, Asharq Al-Awsat—The legitimate Yemeni government led by internationally recognized President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi is preparing a report to present to the United Nations detailing former president Ali Abdullah Saleh’s involvement with terror groups such as Al-Qaeda, the country’s foreign mi
Riyadh, Asharq Al-Awsat—The traditional print book has not lost its luster despite the multiple new forms of publishing made possible by the Internet and the media, Saudi Princess Hessa Bint Salman Bin Abdulaziz said in a speech last week, during an event hosted by one of the Kingdom’s most prestigi
When, in 2003, the US and the UK decided to attack Iraq, bring down its regime, destroy its security and military apparatuses and cleanse its political life of what remained of the Ba’ath Party, their plan was met with reservations from the international community. The reason wasn’t because no
Jerusalem, AP—A top Palestinian intelligence official provided first details on Sunday of the release of two Swedish hostages held in Syria for 17 months, saying the captors drove them to a pre-arranged drop-off point, pushed them out of the car and sped off. The abductors from the militant, Al-Qaed
In addition to wars and direct confrontations, the Lebanese have grown used to witnessing in the public sphere a spate of verbal confrontations and a state of collective misunderstanding dominated by insults and feelings of hatred and aversion. This has been the case among Lebanon’s Christians and M
Bhaktapur, Reuters—Thousands of Nepalis began fleeing the capital Kathmandu on Monday, terror-stricken by two days of powerful aftershocks and looming shortages of food and water after an earthquake that killed more than 3,700 people. A senior interior ministry official said authorities had not been
Cairo, Asharq Al-Awsat—Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi on Saturday declared a state of emergency in North Sinai for a period of three months, beginning on Sunday, following a recent spate of attacks targeting security and army personnel in the province. A state of emergency has been enforced
Riyadh, Asharq Al-Awsat—Yemen’s ousted former president Ali Abdullah Saleh attempted to leave the country in a military aircraft just days ago, but was stopped due to the blockade of Yemeni airspace enforced by the Saudi-led anti-Houthi coalition, sources have told Asharq Al-Awsat. The sources, who
Kathmandu, AP— A powerful aftershock shook Nepal on Sunday, making buildings sway and sending panicked Kathmandu residents running into the streets a day after a massive earthquake left at least 1,900 people dead. The cawing of crows mixed with terrified screams as the aftershock pummeled the capita
Saudi Arabia, as well as all members of its coalition, are currently in a state of war against the main source of chaos in the region: Iran. Tehran is fomenting this chaos through its regional allies, from the Houthis in Yemen to Hezbollah in Lebanon to the sectarian National Mobilization forces in
Baghdad, Reuters—Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) militants in Iraq took partial control of a water dam and military barracks guarding it in the western Anbar province after fierce fighting through the night that continued on Saturday, security sources and witnesses said. The Iraqi gover
Riyadh, Asharq Al-Awsat—Saudi security forces have foiled a terrorist attack by militants affiliated to the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), an Interior Ministry spokesman announced. The “terrorist operation” would have seen seven car bombs target different sites across the Kingdom, wit
Beirut, Reuters—Islamist insurgents including Al-Qaeda’s wing in Syria the Al-Nusra Front on Saturday captured large parts of the northwestern Syrian town of Jisr Al-Shugour for the first time in the four year conflict. Syrian activists and a violence monitoring group said that fighters
