Vienna, Reuters—Iran and six powers failed on Monday for a second time this year to resolve their 12-year dispute over Tehran’s nuclear ambitions, and gave themselves seven more months to overcome the deadlock that has prevented an historic deal. Western officials said they were aiming t
There seems to be no letup in the attempts by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) to shock the West through its notorious image and reputation; and in that department it has definitely succeeded. Indeed, the group seems to have an unbridled obsession with its own image and how people see it&#
Baghdad, Asharq Al-Awsat—The head of the prominent Sunni Dulaim tribe from the country’s western Anbar province has called on the Iraqi government to “make good on its promises” to tribesmen in the province fighting the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), amid a renewed offensive by the extremis
Tel Aviv and Ramallah, Asharq Al-Awsat—The Israeli cabinet approved a draft bill on Sunday to officially recognize the country as a “Jewish state,” amid criticisms regarding the law discriminating against Arab residents in Israel, from both Israeli politicians and the Palestinian Authority, who labe
Washington, Reuters—US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel has resigned, the first major change to President Barack Obama’s cabinet since his Democrats were routed in midterm elections three weeks ago. Hagel was appointed less than two years ago as Obama pushed his signature program of winding up wa
Riyadh, Asharq Al-Awsat—Foreign ministers from Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states will meet in Doha on Tuesday in preparation for the annual GCC summit next month, which will also be held in the Qatari capital. General-Secretary of the GCC Abdullatif Bin Rashid Al-Zayani said the meeting w
Vienna and London, Asharq Al-Awsat—An extension to the talks on Iran’s nuclear program now looks likely, a number of diplomatic sources have said, as Monday evening’s deadline for a comprehensive deal draws nearer. An Iranian official source told French news agency AFP on Sunday that Tehran was look
Abu Dhabi, AP—British driver Lewis Hamilton vows to race even faster next year when he defends his Formula One title. Hamilton sealed his second F1 title in style on Sunday, winning the 11th race of his campaign at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix to finally get the better of rival and teammate Nico Rosberg
Baghdad, AP—Iraqi troops backed by Shiite militiamen and Kurdish security forces recaptured two towns seized previously by militants in an eastern province, said Iraqi officials on Monday, a new victory for Iraqi security forces in their attempt to regain areas lost to the militants. Police official
Bahrainis have headed to the polls in large numbers for their country’s parliamentary elections, with the turnout exceeding 51 percent despite the calls for a boycott of the polls from the opposition, led by Al-Wefaq, the country’s main Shi’ite opposition group. Despite a number of religious fatwas
The summit held by the Gulf Cooperation Council’s (GCC) in Riyadh last week has turned the page on the complex dispute between four of its members, leading to the return of the ambassadors of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain to Qatar. The summit was followed by a significant state
Tunis, Asharq Al-Awsat—As Tunisians head for the polls to elect a new president, speculation has arisen regarding the future direction of country’s foreign policy in the event that the incumbent, Moncef Marzouki, is not re-elected. While Marzouki, a former member of the Congress for the Republic Par
Nairobi, Reuters—Kenyan security forces have pursued and killed more than 100 militants and destroyed their camp in Somalia after the ambush of a Nairobi-bound bus that killed 28 people, Deputy President William Ruto said on Sunday. Somalia’s Islamist Al-Shabaab militants have claimed responsi
Beirut, Asharq Al-Awsat—US Vice President Joe Biden wrapped up his visit to Turkey on Sunday, after meeting with Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in a bid to gain more support from Ankara against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). Turkey has been a reluctant
Baghdad, Reuters—Iraqi forces said on Sunday that they had retaken two towns north of Baghdad from Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) fighters, driving them from strongholds they had held for months and clearing a main road from the capital to Iran. There was no independent confirmation that the
Manama, Asharq Al-Awsat—Bahrainis voted in parliamentary and municipal elections on Saturday amid a high turnout, despite calls for a boycott of the polls from the country’s main opposition groups. Speaking to the press from a polling station, Justice Minister Sheikh Khalid Bin Ali Al Khalifa announ
Vienna and London, Asharq Al-Awsat—The failure of the talks on Iran’s nuclear program in Vienna could threaten regional stability, an Iranian official told Asharq Al-Awsat on Saturday, as hopes that a deal will be reached before Monday’s deadline fade. Ali Khorram, an adviser to Iranian Foreign Mini
Kabul, AP—Afghanistan’s parliament approved agreements on Sunday with the US and NATO allowing international troops to remain in the country past the end of this year amid a renewed offensive by Taliban militants. The international combat mission in Afghanistan, begun after the 2001 US-led inv
Tunis, Reuters—Tunisians went to the polls on Sunday to vote for their first directly elected president, in the final step to be taken to full democracy after the 2011 revolution that ended the rule of Zine El-Abidine Ben Ali. More than three years since overturning Ben Ali’s one-party rule, T
Small events make big history. This is a brief interpretation of the so-called historical coincidence. What if Führer Adolf Hitler’s dream of becoming a famous artist had come true; What would the world’s destiny and the course of human history have been like? History is a complex series of intercon
