Cairo, Asharq Al-Awsat—As Libya’s two rival governments gear up for another round of reconciliation talks in Geneva this week under the auspices of the UN, the country’s Tobruk-based government is continuing its attempts to impose its authority over the strife-torn North African state and build new
Riyadh, Asharq Al-Awsat—The Saudi embassy in Baghdad will reopen in two months’ time, Iraq’s Deputy Prime Minister Baha Araji told Asharq Al-Awsat on Saturday. “The opening of the Saudi embassy will end a state of strained relations that has remained since the era of Saddam Hussein and after the US
Tripoli, Reuters—A suicide bomb attack on a cafe in the Lebanese city of Tripoli killed at least seven people on Saturday, the latest violence to hit a region repeatedly buffeted by violence linked to the civil war in neighboring Syria. The Al-Nusra Front, Al-Qaeda’s official affiliate in the
Paris, Reuters—Hundreds of thousands of French citizens will be joined by dozens of foreign leaders, among them Arab and Muslim representatives, in a march in Paris on Sunday in honor of the victims of this week’s Islamist militant attacks. The march, which is to start at 3 pm (1400 GMT) and b
Ramadi, Iraq, Asharq Al-Awsat—The family of former Iraqi MP Ahmed Al-Alwani, who is currently in prison facing a death sentence for terrorism-related activities, has renewed claims that his conviction was based on confessions obtained through torture under the Nuri Al-Maliki government. Alwani
I have to admit that I have never liked the word “terrorism,” particularly when it is used by the US in the context that we are accustomed to seeing it used at present. However, the Paris attack targeting Charlie Hebdo cannot be described by any other word or label. During the last days of the [&hel
Seoul, Reuters—North Korea said on Saturday it was willing to suspend nuclear tests if the United States agreed to call off annual military drills held jointly with South Korea, but Washington rejected the proposal as a veiled threat. The offer, which the North’s official KCNA news agenc
The Paris attack on Charlie Hebdo and the subsequent events in France serve as an unfortunate reminder that the threat of terrorism is a real and present danger, and that nobody is safe from it. Today, it is difficult to completely secure capitals or major cities, and this is something that can be s
Tripoli, Reuters—Libya’s factions have agreed to a new round of UN-backed negotiations to attempt to end the conflict destabilizing the North African country three years after its civil war ousted Muammar Gaddafi. The meeting, announced after United Nations envoy Bernardino Leon met riva
Riyadh, Asharq Al-Awsat—A deadly attack on Saudi border guards along the Saudi-Iraqi frontier this week was carried out by Saudi members of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) seeking to cross back into the Kingdom undetected, security sources told Asharq Al-Awsat. This comes as the Sau
Sana’a, Asharq Al-Awsat—Saudi Arabia has renewed regional efforts to implement the UN-sponsored Peace and Partnership Agreement aimed at restoring stability and security in Yemen, a Yemeni presidential adviser told Asharq Al-Awsat, as the powerful Houthi rebel group, already in control of the capita
Paris, AP—France’s president chaired an emergency security meeting Saturday aimed at thwarting a repeat of the attacks around Paris by terrorists linked to Al-Qaeda in Yemen that scarred the nation and left 20 dead at a satirical newspaper, a kosher supermarket and a printing house. Three atta
Cairo, Asharq Al-Awsat—Abdullah Al-Thani, head of the internationally recognized government of Libya, is facing political rivals from within and without. A parallel government, run by Islamists in Tripoli is vying with his Tobruk-based parliament for control of the North African state, while h
Suleimaniyah, Iraqi Kurdistan, Asharq Al-Awsat—Kurdish artist Rebwar Saeed has donated the profits from sales of his paintings at a recent exhibition in Suleimaniyah, Kurdistan, to Kurdish Syrians from Kobani—a Syrian town currently witnessing fierce battles between Peshmerga troops and the People&#
Dammartin-en-Goele, Reuters—Two brothers suspected of attacking the offices of French satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo were killed when police stormed their hideout on Friday while their hostage was freed, a police official said. However, a police source said at least four other hostages had
Cairo, Reuters—After Egyptian cartoonist Andeel took to social media to condemn the slaughter of colleagues in Paris, he received expressions of sympathy—often not for the victims but for the suspected Islamist gunmen. Some respondents on his Facebook page criticized the attack at the offices of the
Cairo, Asharq Al-Awsat—Egypt’s highest election committee has announced that parliamentary elections are set to take place in two stages in March and April, completing the third and final step of the political roadmap announced following the ouster of Islamist president Mohamed Mursi in 2013.
Moscow, Asharq Al-Awsat—Any talks between Assad regime officials and Syrian opposition figures in Moscow will be based on the Geneva Communique which calls for the establishment of a transitional governing body with full executive powers, a senior Russian diplomat told Asharq Al-Awsat. The ass
Beirut, Reuters—Syria’s Al-Qaeda-affiliated Al-Nusra Front and other Sunni Muslim militants fought during the night to capture two Shi’ite villages in the country’s north but were repelled, activists on both sides of the war and a monitoring group said on Friday. The insurgents wer
Dammartin-en-Goele, France, Reuters—French anti-terrorist police surrounded a small northern town and helicopters hovered overhead after at least one person was taken hostage in a print works by two men believed to have carried out an attack on a Paris satirical journal. Earlier, police had chased a
