The situation in Tunisia could have ended up mirroring either the Libyan or the Egyptian scenarios if the Ennahda Movement and other Islamist groups failed to realize that political participation means accepting all democratic conditions, not just the ballot boxes. Tunisia has had its fair share of
Amman, Reuters—At least 45 civilians were killed and some 175 wounded when aircraft bombed a northern Syrian city controlled by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), as Bashar al-Assad’s government stepped up air raids, residents and a monitoring group said on Friday. Helicopters a
Banda Aceh, Indonesia, Reuters—Survivors of Asia’s 2004 tsunami and relatives of its 226,000 victims cried and prayed as they gathered along Indian Ocean shorelines on Friday for memorials to mark the 10th anniversary of a disaster that still leaves an indelible mark on the region. When
Just before his second election win, President Barack Obama was caught by a surreptitiously live microphone whispering confidences in the ears of the then Russian President Dmitri Medvedev. The gist of the whisper, later broadcast by eavesdroppers in the US media, was an Obama promise to be “more fl
Beirut, Reuters— Deep into its fourth year of conflict, Syria looks less and less like a state than a patchwork of warring fiefdoms, making outside powers more reluctant to intervene even as it becomes more destabilizing for the region. The United States finally entered Syria’s war this year,
Vatican City, Reuters—Pope Francis condemned the “brutal persecution” of minorities by Islamic State of Ira and Syria (ISIS) insurgents in his Christmas message on Thursday and urged people not to be indifferent to the suffering of so many around the world. Tens of thousands of peo
Riyadh, Asharq Al-Awsat—Saudi Arabia announced its 2015 budget on Thursday, projecting spending of 860 billion riyals and revenues of 715 billion riyals, leaving a projected deficit of 145 billion riyals. The projected spending for 2015 is slightly higher than the estimated 855 billion riyals
Riyadh, Asharq Al-Awsat—Moderate Syrian opposition fighters are increasingly joining the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) for financial reasons, Syrian National Coalition representative to the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Adib Al-Shishakli has warned. In comments to Asharq Al-Awsat, Sh
There are many exciting similarities between Tunisia and Egypt. The two countries have followed almost exactly the same course, from the chaotic bedlam of the Arab Spring to the almost similar surnames of their current presidents, Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi and Beji Caid El-Sebsi. In Tunisia, street vendo
Cairo, Asharq Al-Awsat—Why do so many literary pioneers in the Middle East, starting out as poets, novelists and critics cross over into publishing? Is it a question of money? Or, is there a need to redefine the relationship between creative innovators and publishers? Many writers believe state-run
Moscow, Reuters—Russia said on Wednesday NATO was turning Ukraine into a “frontline of confrontation” and threatened to sever remaining ties with the Atlantic military alliance if Ukraine’s hopes of joining it were realized. The Kiev parliament’s renunciation of Ukraine
Paris, Asharq Al-Awsat—France is set to send its top Middle East official on a tour of the region in early January in a fresh round of diplomatic efforts to end the presidential deadlock in Lebanon, French sources told Asharq Al-Awsat. The move comes as Lebanese Prime Minister Tammam Salam on
New Delhi, AP—Long-simmering land and ethnic disputes erupted in bloodshed in northeastern India when rebels launched coordinated attacks on tribal settlers in Assam state, killing at least 63 people, officials said Wednesday. The killings took place in five attacks late Tuesday targeting trib
Beirut, AP—Jordan’s military says one of its warplanes that was on a mission over Syria has crashed in the northern province of Raqqa and the pilot was captured by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) group. The statement carried by state news agency Petra said that IS and “t
The media wars in the Arab world that erupted before and after the 2011 Arab Spring uprisings are well-known to ordinary people who switch between Arab and international news channels in order to familiarize themselves with the different points of view or angles of coverage. Viewers have become expe
Baghdad, Asharq Al-Awsat—Iraq’s National Guard project will go ahead, despite opposition from some domestic political parties, Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Saleh Al-Mutlaq said. In a broad-ranging interview with Asharq Al-Awsat, Mutlaq criticized the time it is taking for Baghdad to establish a
New York, AP—At least 60 journalists around the world were killed in 2014 while on the job or because of their work, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) said Tuesday, making the past three years the deadliest for journalists since the organization began keeping track more than two decad
Ramallah, Asharq Al-Awsat—The Palestinian leadership has agreed to make amendments to the statehood resolution it submitted to the UN Security Council on Wednesday before a vote by the Council due by the end of the year. In comments to Asharq Al-Awsat, Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO)
Beirut, Asharq Al-Awsat—A video released by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) appears to suggest it has executed four of its own members, for what it said was their attempts to “revolt” against the group. The video, released on the Internet on Monday, said the group had intercepted a “cell”
Cairo and Riyadh, Asharq Al-Awsat—Al-Jazeera Mubasher Misr, the controversial Qatari-owned channel that covers Egyptian news and which has been banned in the country, announced that it would be suspending its broadcast on Monday following an easing of diplomatic tensions between Cairo and Doha. Al-J
