Moscow, Reuters—Separatists battling government troops in east Ukraine plan a general mobilization and aim to boost their fighting force to 100,000 men, one of their main leaders said on Monday. Alexander Zakharchenko, leader of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic (DNR), was quoted b
Before the image of Shaimaa El-Sabagh retreats from our memory, let us look once again at her final moments, as she marched through the streets of Cairo, carrying flowers to commemorate those who had fallen in the chaos that has gripped Egypt’s over the last four years, unaware that she would soon f
Three bullets hit a FlyDubai jet at Baghdad airport last week, causing the suspension of not only many flights to the Iraqi capital but fresh doubts in Iraq and abroad about the Iraqi government and its ability to control the country. It will take time before the major airlines resume flights and tr
Beirut, Asharq Al-Awsat—The Hazzm Movement, a Western-backed Syrian rebel group, has joined a coalition of other Syrian fighting groups, in what observers say is an attempt to protect itself from Al-Qaeda’s representative in Syria, the Al-Nusra Front. A statement released by the coalition, known as
Hong Kong, Reuters—Thousands of pro-democracy protesters returned to the streets of Hong Kong on Sunday in the first large-scale rally since demonstrations rocked the global financial hub late last year. Some 2,000 police flanked an estimated 12,000 protesters marching on the city’s glitzy sho
Cairo, AP—Al-Jazeera English reporter Peter Greste left Egypt on Sunday after the president approved his deportation following more than a year behind bars in a case that was widely condemned by rights groups, officials said. A Cairo airport official said Greste, an Australian national, is on an Egy
Riyadh, Asharq Al-Awsat—As uncertainty continues over the future of global oil prices, analysts and policymakers across the world have turned their gaze to Saudi Arabia—the state with the world’s largest oil reserves—with more intensity than usual. Saudi Arabia’s mew monarch, King Salman
Cairo, Asharq Al-Awsat—Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi has ordered the creation of a unified military command to fight militant groups in the Sinai Peninsula on Saturday, just days after a deadly attack in the region killed dozens of security personnel. In what was one of the worst terrorist
Sana’a, Asharq Al-Awsat—Recent advances by Yemen’s Houthi movement are part of an attempt to take control of the strategic Bab El-Mandeb strait off the Yemeni coast, military sources in the country said on Saturday. This comes as three members of the group and three military personnel were killed on
Maiduguri, Nigeria, AP—Islamic extremists attacked Maiduguri, the biggest city in northeast Nigeria from four fronts overnight with the crescendo of warfare—booming cannon and whooshing rockets—continuing Sunday, witnesses said. The third attack in a week on Maiduguri comes amid unconfirmed reports
Tokyo, Reuters—Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) militants said they had beheaded a second Japanese hostage, journalist Kenji Goto, prompting Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to vow to step up humanitarian aid to the group’s opponents in the Middle East and help bring his killers to justice. 
Baghdad, Asharq Al-Awsat—Iraqi National Guard units will be formed within six months, Prime Minister Haider Al-Abadi pledged on Saturday at an interfaith dialogue conference in Baghdad. “The government is committed to forming a National Guard force within 6 months,” the prime minister said, hi
Cairo, Asharq Al-Awsat—In a small hotel on Cairo’s Shahab Street the broken dreams of the Arab Spring gather. Three men congregate in the lobby. They watch a Premier League game and share stories of how they lost everything. The hotel guests include Khaled, a Yemeni who fled the Houthi advance
In a vitally important and effective step, King Salman Bin Abdulaziz has brought in new blood to Saudi Arabia’s government and ministries. This represents a comprehensive and formidable government, combining the vitality of youth and the wisdom of age. This government includes ministers in their thi
Was it a surprise? Perhaps only those who don’t know Saudi King Salman Bin Abdulaziz were surprised by the quality of the bold decisions that he took earlier this week in one fell swoop. However, the majority of Saudis are well aware of King Salman’s practical attitude and decisiveness, particularly
Sana’a, Asharq Al-Awsat—Yemen’s Houthi movement has refused to participate in UN-brokered meetings with government and political parties over the future of the country, instead holding its own conference to discuss its next move. According to Yemeni government and political sources, speaking t
Donetsk, Associated Press—Artillery fire killed at least 12 civilians in the main rebel stronghold of Donetsk on Friday amid fierce fighting between pro-Russia separatists and government troops as hopes for a break in hostilities were dashed when an attempt to call a new round of peace talks f
Tokyo, Associated Press—The fates of a Japanese journalist and Jordanian military pilot were unknown Friday, a day after the latest purported deadline for a possible prisoner swap passed with no further word from the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) group that is holding them captive. Jo
In both the US and Western Europe, there are two major political currents that are always happy to doubt and belittle any constructive step taken by traditional regimes in the Middle East: the ultra-conservative Right and the radical Left. The ultra-conservative Right is usually, and wholeheartedly,
Cairo, Reuters—Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi cut short a visit to Ethiopia for an African Union summit on Friday after the Egyptian wing of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) claimed the killing of at least 30 soldiers and police officers in the Sinai Peninsula. The four sepa
