Baghdad, Asharq Al-Awsat—Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Al-Abadi dismissed fears of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) advancing into the capital Baghdad during a speech to a graduating class of military officer cadets in the city of Nasiriyah in southern Iraq on Wednesday. “Baghdad is sa
Dallas, Reuters—A second Texas healthcare worker who treated the first patient to be diagnosed with Ebola in the United States has tested positive for the disease, the Texas Department of State Health Services said on Wednesday. At least 4,447 people have died in West Africa in the worst Ebola outbr
Cairo, Asharq Al-Awsat—Filmgoers are flocking again to Egypt’s cinemas after a successful Eid Al-Adha season, in a sign of a comeback for the industry which has been experiencing a lull since Egypt’s 2011 revolution with falling box office receipts and complaints from critics about the quality of th
Beirut, Asharq Al-Awsat—Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) fighters continued to advance in the eastern Syrian province of Deir Ezzor on Wednesday following “rare” clashes with government forces. The director of the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, Rami Abdulrahman, told Ashar
Sana’a, Asharq Al-Awsat—The Houthi movement continued to expand its grip on Yemen on Tuesday after taking control of a strategic port city in the country’s western region, while secessionists in the south called for independence, staging massive protests and sit-ins in the southern port city of Aden
Riyadh, Asharq Al-Awsat—The Saudi national accused of killing an American defense contractor and injuring another in a shootout in the capital Riyadh on Tuesday was a former colleague who had previously worked with the two men at Vinnell Arabia, a US-based defense contractor. Speaking to repor
Washington, Reuters—President Barack Obama on Tuesday told military leaders from more than 20 countries working with Washington to defeat Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) militants that he was deeply concerned about the radical group’s advances at the north Syrian town of Kobani and in w
Hong Kong, Reuters—Hong Kong authorities said on Wednesday that police involved in the beating of a pro-democracy protester would be removed from their positions after footage of the overnight incident went viral, sparking outrage from some lawmakers and the public. Police said they arrested 45 prot
Approximately 50 percent of international financial assistance to the Middle East—which makes up just 5.5 percent of the global population—is spent on fuel subsidies, World Bank Vice-President for the MENA Region Inger Andersen said in a recent interview with Asharq Al-Awsat. This is an
Washington DC, Asharq Al-Awsat—With war and chaos gripping parts of the Arab world, it is easy to forget that the economic situation across wide swaths of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) is also bleak. The dire economic prospects of many regional states were highlighted in Washington DC last
Vienna, Reuters—Iran does not expect a breakthrough in high-level nuclear talks with the United States and the European Union this week, but hopes they will help pave the way for a final deal, its foreign minister said on Tuesday. Mohammad Javad Zarif was quoted by Iran’s Fars news agency afte
London, AP—West Africa could see up to 10,000 new Ebola cases a week within two months, the World Health Organization said Tuesday, also confirming the death rate in the current outbreak has risen to 70 percent. WHO assistant director-general Dr. Bruce Aylward gave the figures during a news conferen
Washington DC, Asharq Al-Awsat—After the last few years of economic instability which Egypt has experienced—including an exodus of foreign money, rising inflation, unemployment and a ballooning public debt, among others—things are at last beginning to look on the up. Egypt finally took t
Istanbul and Suruç, Reuters—War against Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) militants in Syria and Iraq threatened to spill into Turkey on Tuesday, where reports emerged that the air force had bombed Kurdish fighters furious at Ankara’s refusal to help protect their kin in Syria. At least 3
Baghdad, Asharq Al-Awsat—Despite suffering setbacks elsewhere in Iraq, the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) continues to advance in the country’s western Anbar province. ISIS seized an Iraqi military camp in Hit on Monday, around 90 miles (150 kilometers) from Baghdad, after Iraqi forces
London, Asharq Al-Awsat—The UK Parliament voted to recognize the state of Palestine alongside Israel in a House of Commons debate on Monday. Voting 274 to 12, MPs supported a motion put forward by Labour MP Grahame Morris to urge the government to recognize Palestinian statehood. The vote was symbol
London, Asharq Al-Awsat—Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz received the Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad in Jeddah on Monday, in another sign of improving relations between the Gulf neighbors. The Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported that the two monarchs discussed “aspects of cooperation b
Beirut, Asharq Al-Awsat—The Lebanese government will not make a decision on accepting or rejecting controversial military assistance from Iran amid fears of inciting a political crisis in the country and upsetting the balance of power in the region, Lebanese sources close to the government inf
Seoul, Reuters—North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, shown using a cane for support, re-appeared in state media on Tuesday after a lengthy public absence that had fuelled speculation over his health and grip on power in the secretive, nuclear-capable country. Several pictures on the front page of t
Turkey is the only influential regional power which is truly capable of toppling the Syrian government, of besieging extremist groups in Syria, and of supporting the Iraqi government and protecting the Kurdistan region. Despite this, Ankara has so far refused to take any important initiatives to do
