Paris, Reuters—French police arrested 12 people on Friday suspected of helping militant Islamist gunmen in last week’s killings in Paris, where visiting US Secretary of State John Kerry laid wreaths at two main attack sites. The arrests came after Belgian police killed two men and detain
Beirut, Asharq Al-Awsat—The Syrian National Coalition is holding meetings today and tomorrow in Istanbul to discuss attendance at talks with the Assad government in Moscow, scheduled for later this month, as Coalition president Khaled Khoja expects to receive a formal invitation to attend the
Sana’a, Asharq Al-Awsat—The Houthi rebels’ growing involvement in state affairs and exposure to confidential documents could pose a risk to Yemen’s national security, senior Yemeni sources have warned. A high-level Yemeni government official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, told Ashar
Brussels and Verviers, Reuters—Belgian security forces were on high alert on Friday after police killed two gunmen recently returned from Syria during one of several raids across the country against an Islamist network suspected of planning imminent attacks. Daily routines for most were little chang
By now you might feel that you have read all you need to about the events in Paris last week that triggered worldwide sympathy for a France absorbing the shock of terrorist attacks. Nevertheless, to discuss ways of fighting back against this latest form of terrorism we may still need to put the even
London, Asharq Al-Awsat—Planning for the liberation of Mosul from Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) fighters is complete, Nineveh Governor Atheel Al-Nujaifi told Asharq Al-Awsat on Thursday, adding that a long-awaited Iraqi military offensive to recapture the city is set to get underway “
Baghdad, Asharq Al-Awsat—In June 2014 the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) launched its lightening advance across northern areas of Iraq, taking control of Mosul, the capital of Nineveh province and Iraq’s second-largest city. Since then, planning has been under way for a counter-offensive to
Paris, Reuters—President François Hollande assured Muslims in France and abroad on Thursday that his country respected them and their religion but would not compromise its commitment to freedom and democracy. Speaking a week after three days of Islamist militant violence that killed 17 people in Par
Cairo, Asharq Al-Awsat—The UN-sponsored talks between Libyan rivals gathered in Geneva will not produce a solution for the crisis in the North African country, a senior Libyan official told Asharq Al-Awsat this week. A member of the cabinet of Libyan PM Abdullah Al-Thani, who requested anonymity bec
Erbil, Asharq Al-Awsat—A political delegation from the autonomous Kurdistan region in Iraq will meet with the central Baghdad government “soon” in order to resolve a number of disputes between both sides, sources told Asharq Al-Awsat. The Kurdish delegation will include representatives f
Beirut, Asharq Al-Awsat—Lebanese authorities have implemented new security plans at the country’s largest prison, including placing “dangerous” prisoners in solitary confinement, after police raided the detention facility following reports that the prison had become an “operations room”
Moscow and Beirut, Asharq Al-Awsat—The Syrian opposition remains undecided over participation in talks organized by Russia at the end of this month, with a key Syria-based group saying it has yet to make up its mind on attending the preliminary talks that are aimed at starting a new peace process. S
Cincinnati, AP—A 20-year-old man’s Twitter posts sympathizing with Islamic terrorists led to an undercover FBI operation and the man’s arrest on charges that he plotted to blow up the US Capitol and kill government officials. Christopher Lee Cornell, also known as Raheel Mahrus Ubaydah,
“Paris is the capital of the world,” French President François Hollande said recently after the Paris terror attacks, expressing the international support his country has received in the form of a million-strong march in Paris led by him and some 40 world leaders and officials of different levels. T
Geneva and Cairo, Reuters/Asharq Al-Awsat—UN-sponsored talks in Geneva between rival Libyan factions aim to reach agreement to form a unity government, the United Nations envoy for Libya said on Wednesday, as he tried to launch talks which only one side to the conflict has formally endorsed. The Eur
Jakarta, Indonesia, AP—A Singaporean navy ship has found the crashed AirAsia plane’s fuselage, a 32-yard-long section with a wing attached, in the Java Sea, authorities said Wednesday. Images taken by a remote-controlled vehicle from the ship showed parts of the plane’s wing and words on
Sana’a, Asharq Al-Awsat—A Yemeni presidential committee began a visit to Ma’rib province on Tuesday to resolve the escalating tensions following Houthi threats to attack the country’s oil and gas hub, according to the province’s top official. Speaking exclusively to Asharq Al-Awsat, the province’s g
Geneva, AP—US Secretary of State John Kerry is in Geneva for talks with his Iranian counterpart on how to speed up nuclear negotiations as a March target date approaches to conclude a deal. Kerry arrived in Geneva late Tuesday and is to meet Wednesday with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammed Javad Zar
Paris, Reuters—The first edition of Charlie Hebdo published after the deadly attacks by Islamist gunmen sold out within minutes at newspaper kiosks around France on Wednesday, with people queuing up to buy copies to support the satirical weekly. “I’ve never bought it before, it’s n
A recent Associated Press report investigated Iran’s growing domination of Iraq under the cover of supporting it against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) organization. According to the sources quoted in the report, the Iranians have sold Iraq nearly 10 billion US dollars’ worth of we
