Erbil, Asharq Al-Awsat—Kurdish Peshmerga forces claimed to have liberated the northeastern town of Sinjar from the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) militants, CNN reported on Saturday. A twitter account affiliated with the Kurdistan Region Security Council said on Saturday that the strategic t
If you don’t like what you are seeing in reality, you can escape to your imagination, fleeing from the known to the unknown. This is the reality for people today, particularly those in the Middle East who are facing desperate hardships, whether we are talking about the brutal butcher knives of the I
Cairo, Asharq Al-Awsat—Although Egypt’s political parties are “weak,” they can play an effective role in forming the next parliament and launching a political movement in Egypt, Amr Moussa said. The Egyptian statesman and political veteran spoke to Asharq Al-Awsat about the p
London, Asharq Al-Awsat—Want to fight Israel’s illegal occupation of Palestinian territory? Pretty soon, you’ll be able to do just that in Ramzi’s Rumble, a forthcoming Indie game that puts the player in the shoes of a young Palestinian who has to defend his land from illegal settlers. Throwin
Seoul/Washington, Reuters—North Korea said US accusations that it was involved in a cyberattack on Sony Pictures were “groundless slander” and that it was wanted a joint investigation into the incident with the United States. An unnamed spokesman of the North’s foreign minist
Riyadh, Asharq Al-Awsat—Saudi police forces killed four “terrorists” in the Eastern Province town of Al-Awamia on Saturday while attempting to arrest suspects wanted in connection to the fatal shooting of a soldier last week, Saudi Arabia’s Interior Ministry announced. In a statement to the Sa
London, Asharq Al-Awsat—In exclusive comments to Asharq Al-Awsat US lawyer Stanley Cohen spoke of his “extraordinary anger” on hearing of the brutal execution of American aid worker Peter Kassig by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), ending six weeks of frenetic efforts to save his lif
Cairo, Asharq Al-Awsat—There is no military solution to the Libya crisis, Britain’s ambassador to Libya Michael Aron has said, calling on all parties to heed the UN’s call for national dialogue. Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat from Tunis, where the majority of Western diplomats to Libya have fled
Algiers, AP—With oil prices at their lowest in five years and showing few signs of hitting bottom, Algeria is feeling the pinch. Though its problems are dwarfed by the impact on Russia for example, Algeria may have to rein back many of the policies it has held dear over many years. Generous subsidie
Paris, Asharq Al-Awsat—EU countries are divided over the UN Envoy Staffan de Mistura’s proposal to suspend hostilities between government and opposition forces in northern Syria, as Britain and France demand strong guarantees for the plan’s sound implementation, an EU diplomat told Asharq Al-A
Baghdad, AP—Sporadic clashes between Iraqi Kurdish fighters and Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) extremists, as well as other logistics problems, are delaying the evacuation of the last Yazidis still trapped on Mount Sinjar, an Iraqi lawmaker said Friday. Fighting was still underway near the m
Havana, AP—Everyone in Cuba is talking about the startling turn in relations with the United States, with one notable exception: Fidel Castro. So far, the larger-than-life retired Cuban leader has made no public comment on the biggest news in years—that the US and his island nation will restore dipl
The Internet has affected almost all aspects of our lives. Our online dependence has increased to a point where it has become difficult to imagine what our lives would be like without this technology. According to a recent International Telecommunication Union (ITU) report, by the end of this year,
As oil prices continue to fall, it is evident that a state of paranoia has afflicted Iran and Russia—two allies of the government of Bashar Al-Assad. Tehran and Moscow have issued similar statements in terms of their condemnation of plummeting oil prices, both claiming that this is the product
Washington, Reuters—The US government on Friday blamed North Korea for a devastating cyberattack against Sony Pictures, calling it an unacceptable act of intimidation and vowing to impose “costs and consequences” on those responsible. It was the first time the United States has dir
Damascus, Asharq Al-Awsat—Rehab and Sally did not feel self-conscious on their first day at their new job in Al-Kamal coffeehouse in the Syrian capital Damascus. The coffeehouse regulars, however, were surprised to see the waitresses in a place usually only frequented by men. Although women ha
Washington and Ramallah, Asharq Al-Awsat—The Palestinians are ready for further negotiations on the draft resolution that they submitted to the UN Security Council on Wednesday in order to secure 9 out of the 15 votes required to meet a 2017 deadline for the end of Israeli occupation. Speaking
Washington, Asharq Al-Awsat—The US State Department has listed Egyptian insurgent group Ajnad Misr and senior Al-Qaeda figure Ibrahim Al-Rubaysh as Specially Designated Global Terrorists. In a statement issued on Thursday, the US State Department said: “Ajnad Misr is an Egyptian violent extrem
Vienna and London, Asharq Al-Awsat—It is Christmas season in Austria and a chilly, drizzly evening in its capital Vienna. The city’s busy Christmas market at the foot of its grand Town Hall beams cheerfully with multi-colored lanterns as steam radiates from its hot punch stalls. Nearby, a Syrian fam
Reaffirming its previous resolutions, in particular resolutions 242 (1967); 338 (1973), 1397 (2002), 1515 (2003), 1544 (2004), 1850 (2008), 1860 (2009) and the Madrid Principles, Reiterating its vision of a region where two democratic states, Israel and Palestine, live side by side in peace within s
