Riyadh, Asharq Al-Awsat—Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman Bin Abdulaziz met with Britain’s Prince Charles on Tuesday in the Saudi capital Riyadh, at the beginning of a two-day trip to the Kingdom. The Prince and his delegation were received at the King Khalid International Airport in Riy
Jeddah, Asharq Al-Awsat—The second edition of the 21.39 art initiative, organized by the Saudi Arts Council, was launched in Jeddah on January 22, with an exhibition that attracted a large turnout of visitors from across the social spectrum. This year, the Council opted to present an overview of the
Washington, Reuters/Asharq Al-Awsat—US President Barack Obama will propose to Congress on Wednesday a new three-year authorization for the use of force against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), with limits on US combat troops’ involvement, lawmakers and congressional aides said
Donetsk, AP—Shelling rocked a bus station in the rebel stronghold of Donetsk Wednesday as fighting continued to rage in eastern Ukraine ahead of crucial peace talks later in the day. Rebel officials said that five people were killed and nine wounded at the scene of the attack, where an Associated Pr
Istanbul, Asharq Al-Awsat—It seems an age now since Turkey trumpeted its “zero problems” foreign policy, seeking more harmonious relations with its neighbors, especially the Arab states. But Turkey’s relations with its Arab neighbors have taken a sour turn recently, with Ankara seemingly at od
What do George Clooney, Jack Straw and Zbigniew Brzezinski have in common? The Hollywood star who sells coffee machines in TV ads, the former British foreign secretary, and the American ex-National Security adviser are among a growing number of Western elites who urge rapprochement with the Islamic
During his historic visit to Egypt in 1946, the founder of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia King Abdulaziz Al Saud was received with unprecedented warmth by the people, monarch, politicians and intellectuals of Egypt. King Abduaziz concluded that visit with a speech he addressed to the people of Saudi Ar
The latest so-called scandal of audio leaks from the Egyptian presidency is fit to be taught in media studies classes as a model of a failed campaign. It’s also proof that, regardless of how strong the media thinks it is, it cannot influence or change anything so long as it doesn’t have a concrete c
Ankara, Bloomberg—Hakan Fidan, the head of Turkey’s intelligence agency and a close confidante of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan for more than a decade, has decided to enter politics in a move that Erdoğan said he opposed. Fidan’s resignation February 7 signals differences between Erdoğa
Manama, Asharq Al-Awsat—Bahrain’s government suspended a new Saudi-owned news channel on Monday due to what authorities said was its failure to acquire the required licensing to broadcast in the island kingdom. The Al-Arab channel “had also failed to match the standards of regional and interna
Cairo, Asharq Al-Awsat—Libyan troops loyal to Gen. Khalifa Haftar recaptured a strategic army stronghold in the eastern city of Benghazi on Monday, according to military officials, as the battle for control of the city continues. Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat via telephone, a senior army official said
Sana’a, Asharq Al-Awsat—UN Special Envoy to Yemen Jamal Benomar is set to put forward an agreement to resolve the political crisis in the country, a source from a key Yemeni political coalition told Asharq Al-Awsat. This development comes a day after UN-brokered talks between the Houthis and o
Cairo, AP—Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Cairo on Monday to meet his Egyptian counterpart, with both sides eager to strengthen ties and show both have options outside of the West to pursue their goals. Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi greeted Putin, accompanied by several high-le
Beirut, Reuters—Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad said third parties including Iraq were conveying information to Damascus about the US-led campaign of air strikes against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) militant group in Syria. In an interview with the BBC broadcast on Tuesday, Assad said
Donetsk, AP—Government forces on Tuesday reported a counter-offensive in rebel-held eastern Ukraine, while the rebels said they were successful in surrounding Ukrainian troops at a strategic railway junction. The intense fighting, which the UN says has killed more than 5,300 people since April, come
After the burning alive of Jordanian fighter pilot Moaz Al-Kasasbeh by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), a strong response—international in nature, but Arab at its core—is needed, not as retaliation for this abominable crime, but to finally defeat ISIS and rein in the other evi
So the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) scored another gory “cinematic hit” last week when it broadcast footage of its murder of Jordanian pilot Moaz Al-Kasasbeh. But the broadcasting of this video also engendered in us some strange, uncomfortable feelings: that the other recently filmed execu
Washington, AP—President Barack Obama and German Chancellor Angela Merkel are trying for a public display of unity despite a potential split over arming Ukrainian fighters to wage a more effective battle against Russian-backed separatists. That was the unstated point of Monday’s meeting at the
Amman, Reuters—The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) has withdrawn some of its insurgents and equipment from areas northeast of the Syrian city of Aleppo, rebels and residents say, adding to signs of strain in the Syrian provinces of its self-declared caliphate. The group, which has recently lo
The Houthi movement succeeded in misleading the entire Yemeni political establishment for about 141 days. They misled outgoing president Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi (who is currently still under house arrest). They misled the UN assistant secretary-general and special adviser on Yemen, Jamal Benomar. The
