Jerusalem, AP—Israeli leaders on Sunday threatened to take tougher action against the Palestinians over their decision to join the International Criminal Court, a day after freezing the transfer of more than 100 million US dollars in tax funds. Last week’s Palestinian decision to seek membersh
Pangkalan Bun and Surabaya, Indonesia, Reuters—Bad weather forced divers trying to identify sunken wreckage from a crashed AirAsia passenger jet to abort their mission on Sunday and Indonesian officials said they had not yet picked up any signals from the lost plane’s “black box.”
Cairo, Asharq Al-Awsat—Egypt has seized the assets of controversial preacher Yusuf Al-Qaradawi, seen as the “spiritual guide” of the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood organization, according to a judicial source. Qatar-based Qaradawi is currently wanted in Egypt, after being charged by state prosecutors o
Beirut, Asharq Al-Awsat—Lebanon will impose visa restrictions on Syrians coming into the country starting Monday, as it struggles to cope with the influx of refugees fleeing the conflict in its war-torn neighbor. Syrians previously enjoyed visa-free travel with neighboring Lebanon, which has made th
Beirut, Reuters—Islamist fighters seized a suburb east of Damascus on Sunday after driving out a smaller rival insurgent group in deadly clashes, a monitoring group said, the latest example of rebel infighting in Syria’s nearly four-year conflict. Fighters from the Jaysh Al-Islam (Army of Isla
Riyadh and Baghdad, Asharq Al-Awsat—Saudi Arabia is to press ahead with plans to reopen its embassy in Baghdad after an absence lasting over two decades, both countries have confirmed. The Saudi Foreign Ministry said on Saturday that a team from the ministry would travel to Baghdad this week to coor
Seoul, AP—North Korea on Sunday criticized the United States for slapping sanctions on Pyongyang officials and organizations for a cyber-attack on Sony Pictures—the latest fallout from a Hollywood movie depicting the fictional assassination of North Korea’s leader. An unnamed spokesman for Nor
Anbar (Al-Baghdadi District), Asharq Al-Awsat—For the past six months, Iraq’s small town of Al-Baghdadi—55 miles west of Ramadi—has been fighting off Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) fighters seeking to take control of the town. Asharq Al-Awsat entered the Anbar town and spoke to l
Beirut, Asharq Al-Awsat—People often keep their secrets and real intentions hidden deep inside, yet the Naked: Beyond the Social Mask exhibition has uniquely revealed these inner thoughts through the handiwork of thirty Lebanese and international designers brought together in Beirut. Curated by Hous
Rejection of the Palestinian statehood bid went so smoothly that the US didn’t even have to resort to its UN Security Council veto. The draft resolution failed to garner the 9 votes required after Nigeria, which had initially backed the Palestinian plan, abstained from the vote. The eight stat
London, Reuters—A British nurse being treated for Ebola in London is in a critical condition after deteriorating over the last two days, her hospital said on Saturday. The Royal Free Hospital has been treating Pauline Cafferkey, 39, with blood plasma from an Ebola survivor and an experimental anti-v
Paris, Asharq Al-Awsat—France could undertake military intervention in Libya within the next three months, an Arab diplomatic source informed Asharq Al-Awsat as French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian gave the strongest indication yet that Paris is considering the move. Speaking following a
Having just bidden farewell to 2014 with a failure at the UN Security Council to pass a resolution ending the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories within three years, let’s wish everybody a happy new year. In fact, the US had made its intentions clear by claiming the resolution failed t
United Nations, AP—Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon authorized a three-year extension Friday of the mandate for the UN-backed tribunal prosecuting suspects in the 2005 assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. The suicide truck bomb that killed Hariri and 22 others including the bom
Beirut, Asharq Al-Awsat—Three moderate rebel factions in southern Syria have united to form a joint military command, dubbed the “First Army,” in a step they said was aimed at filling the security vacuum left by retreating government forces. In a video posted on YouTube, fighters operati
Honolulu and Washington, Reuters—North Korea was hit with more sanctions on Friday designed to impede access to the US financial system in the wake of a cyberattack on Sony Pictures Entertainment, which the Obama administration has said was supported by the reclusive country. The US government named
Khartoum, Asharq Al-Awsat—South Sudan Foreign Minister Barnaba Marial Benjamin said that dialogue between Sudan’s central government and rebels loyal to former vice-president Riek Machar have made significant progress, but stressed that more dialogue is still needed over the assignment o
Anbar, Asharq Al-Awsat—A delegation from Iraq’s western Anbar governorate, large parts of which remain under the control of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), is preparing to visit Washington to call for more security and humanitarian assistance, the head of Anbar’s Provincial Council
Riyadh, Asharq Al-Awsat—King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz is in a stable condition after overcoming a lung infection, the Saudi royal court said on Friday. Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud was admitted to a Riyadh hospital to undergo medical tests on Wednesday. “
Jakarta, Bloomberg News—Search teams looking for the crashed AirAsia jetliner found bodies still strapped in their seats and debris resembling parts of the tail, as they deployed sonar and pinger locators to seek the plane’s data recorders. The Indonesian navy picked up the bodies wearing seat
