Rome, Reuters—Four migrants were found dead on a cargo ship that was taken to Italy after apparently being abandoned by its crew in Greek waters, the Italian Red Cross said on Wednesday. The Blue Sky M was carrying an estimated 900 migrants when it was spotted drifting near the coast of Corfu on Tue
Ramallah, AP—The Palestinian leadership is meeting Wednesday to plan its next steps after a resolution to end Israel’s occupation was rejected by the UN Security Council, and could set a date for applying to join the International Criminal Court, Palestinian officials said. The UN vote Tuesday
Anbar, Asharq Al-Awsat—Anbar residents trapped in territory under the control of Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) fighters are facing an escalating medical and humanitarian crisis due to a shortage of medicine and medical assistance and persistent power and water outages, local sources w
Those worried about the slump in the oil market—which has seen prices of crude oil fall to their lowest levels in years—may owe a debt of gratitude to the armed militias in Libya. These groups are now setting ablaze storage tanks in the country, reducing the oil output from one of OPEC’s
So, Saudi Arabia has announced its projected budget for 2015, setting a record for the largest budget in the Kingdom’s history. Following the announcement, Saudi Finance Minister Ibrahim Al-Assaf confirmed that Riyadh is committed to its policy of spending on development to guarantee basic needs and
Medina, Asharq Al-Awsat—Saudi Arabia’s Medina Development Authority has unveiled new plans for the construction of gates at the three main roads leading into the city after launching a competition for the design. The first of the gates will be located at Medina’s southern entrance, while
Brussels, Reuters—The United States plans by the end of next year to station around 150 tanks and armored vehicles in Europe for use by US forces training in Europe as part of the US response to the Ukraine crisis, according to a US military commander. Some of the tanks and vehicles—enough to
Sana’a, Asharq Al-Awsat—Shi’ite Houthi fighters are seeking to take control of strategic military weapons, including long-range missiles capable of striking neighboring Gulf states, head of Yemen’s Aba’d Center for Strategic Studies warned. In comments to Asharq Al-Awsat, head of the Aba’d Cen
Beirut, Asharq Al-Awsat—The Syrian opposition is preparing to attend meetings with the Assad regime in Moscow, expected to take place in January, according to representatives from the two main umbrella opposition groups. Qasim Al-Khatib, the representative of the Syrian National Coalition in Cairo,
United Nations and Ramallah, Reuters—Arab UN delegations on Monday endorsed a Palestinian proposal to forge a peace deal with Israel within a year and end Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories by late 2017, despite fierce Israeli and US opposition. The timing for a UN vote on a measure that
Jakarta, Reuters—Indonesian rescuers searching for a missing AirAsia plane carrying 162 people pulled bodies and wreckage from the sea off the coast of Borneo on Tuesday as relatives of those on board broke down in tears on hearing the news. Indonesia AirAsia’s Flight QZ8501, an Airbus A320-20
It takes years, or sometimes even decades, until we can judge whether the response to a major event has been correct or not. While we also know that sometimes a good decision can tip over to become a bad one, simply based on timing. US President Barack Obama’s delay in taking a quick stance against
Istanbul, Asharq Al-Awsat—Ekrem Dumanlı was arrested on December 14, part of a series of coordinated raids by Turkish authorities against a number of prominent media figures, all facing charges of belonging to a terrorist “parallel organization.” The organization in question? Fethullah Gülen’s
Abu Dhabi, Asharq Al-Awsat—Iraqi Oil Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi said his country stands by the Saudi-brokered OPEC decision to maintain production among the organization’s member countries, amid some of the lowest oil prices since the aftermath of the global financial crisis. Saudi Arabia proposed th
Athens, Reuters—Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras announced plans for an early general election next month after parliament rejected his candidate for president on Monday, throwing the country’s international bailout into doubt. After three rounds of voting, the only candidate in the race,
Sana’a and Al-Hudaydah, Asharq Al-Awsat—The people of Yemen’s oil-rich Ma’rib province are ready to defend the region against any outside interference, the province’s governor has told Asharq Al-Awsat. Governor Sultan Al-Arada said the people of Ma’rib are “doing all they can” to ensure the province
What could possibly have motivated a 74-year-old German author, researcher and former politician to knock on the door of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and confer and negotiate with the group for months so he could visit them in their strongholds to report to the world on their activitie
Manama, Asharq Al-Awsat—Sheikh Ali Salman, head of Bahrain’s main Shi’ite opposition movement Al-Wefaq, has been arrested after a day of questioning at the Interior Ministry on numerous charges including calling for the forcible overthrow of the regime, his lawyer said. Salman’s lawyer, Abdull
Jakarta, Reuters—A missing AirAsia jet carrying 162 people could be at the bottom of the sea after it was presumed to have crashed off the Indonesian coast, an official said on Monday, as countries around Asia sent ships and planes to help in the search effort. The Indonesia AirAsia plane, an
Baghdad, Asharq Al-Awsat—Iraqi President Fuad Masoum has completed the final legal procedures formally renouncing his British nationality and citizenship in line with the requirements of the Iraqi constitution, which stipulates that “sovereign officials” cannot hold dual nationality. A stateme
