It was not just an isolated photograph or image, but a slew of videos that showed several fighters entering the homes—even bedrooms—of their enemies, which they proudly pillaged and plundered in front of the camera, on numerous occasions. These fighters, restrained by no one, stood in the middle of
Hong Kong, Reuters—Pro-democracy protests in Chinese-controlled Hong Kong subsided on Monday as students and civil servants returned to school and work after more than a week of demonstrations, but activists vowed to keep up their campaign of civil disobedience. Protesters lifted a blockade of gover
Cairo, Asharq Al-Awsat—The British government paid a ransom to free British hostage David Bolan, who was kidnapped by Islamist militants in Benghazi last May, informed Libyan sources have told Asharq Al-Awsat. Bolam, who worked at the head teacher of a private school in Benghazi, was released on Thu
Beirut, AP—Kurdish forces defending a Syrian town near the Turkish border clashed with the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) group on Monday after repelling a wide-ranging jihadist assault the day before in battles that left dozens dead on both sides. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Hu
Mina, Asharq Al-Awsat—Saudi Arabia remains committed to the fight against terrorism and religious extremism in all their forms until these phenomena are “eradicated,” the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, Saudi King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz, said on Sunday. “We will not rest until we eradicate this p
Beirut, Reuters—At least 16 insurgents from Al-Qaeda’s Syrian wing, the Al-Nusra Front, were killed in clashes with Shi’ite group Hezbollah in eastern Lebanon on Sunday after launching a major offensive, a source close to Hezbollah said. Hundreds of the Sunni Muslim insurgents attacked a
The ongoing strikes by the international coalition against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) make this an opportune moment to critically assess the international assistance given to the Syrian people since the start of their revolution against President Bashar Al-Assad’s murderous regime. I
Rio de Janeiro, Reuters—Voters across Brazil were casting ballots Sunday in the most unpredictable presidential election in decades and the first since the end of an economic boom underpinning the leftist Workers’ Party’s 12-year rule. As President Dilma Rousseff seeks a second term, vot
Tunis, Asharq Al-Awsat—Campaigning began on Saturday for Tunisia’s second set of parliamentary elections following the ouster of longtime dictator Zine El-Abidine Ben Ali in 2011. The election, scheduled for October 26, will see an electorate of 5.3 million—including around 311,000 registered to vot
Mina, Asharq Al-Awsat—Custodian of the Holy Mosques King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz praised on Saturday the “colossal efforts” of the Saudi security forces in protecting Hajj pilgrims this year and their role in safeguarding the Kingdom from “errant groups.” Speaking on behalf of King Abdullah on the oc
Mursitpinar and Beirut, Reuters—Kurdish forces battled overnight with Islamists trying to seize a hill overlooking a Syrian border town with Turkey as US-led coalition warplanes carried out raids on the militants, a Kurdish official and a monitoring group said on Sunday. A translator with the Kurdis
Erbil, Asharq Al-Awsat—Journalists and human rights activists gathered outside the UN office in Erbil to urge the international body to provide greater support for Iraqis fleeing the advance of the Islamist State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) into Iraqi Kurdistan on Saturday. Activists warned that Iraqis
Hong Kong, Reuters—Fearing a police crackdown, Hong Kong pro-democracy protesters bowed to government pressure and said they would lift a blockade of key government buildings, but student leaders braced for a showdown in the heart of the Asian financial center. Tens of thousands of protesters have s
Washington, Asharq Al-Awsat—IMF managing director Christine Lagarde warned of the fragile recovery of the global economy and the effects of the turmoil in the Middle East, especially the war against ISIS and the instability of Iraq and Syria, which could trigger higher global oil prices. The annual
London, Asharq Al-Awsat—“Maha Al-Lozi, or ‘Lozi,’ is the late journalist Salim Al-Lozi your relative?” “Yes, he is my father,” Maha answers, with a lump in her throat. She quickly looks over to one of the jewelry pieces that are displayed innovatively on a carpet of grass, as though she would prefer
Reuters news agency recently published two significant reports: one about what it described as the bold foreign policy of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the UAE; the other dealt with Turkey’s frustration with the West and its regional isolation. The foreign policy of Saudi Arabia and the UAE should
The Gulf Cooperation Council’s (GCC) foreign ministers made very precise statements to send out a warning that “the GCC states will not stand idly by in the face of factional foreign intervention in Yemen.” They had previously stressed that the security of Yemen is one of the council’s main concerns
Dallas, AP—After days of scrutiny about their treatment, a family that was living in the Texas apartment where an Ebola patient was staying when he got sick was moved to a private residence in a gated community. Meanwhile, a hazardous-materials crew on Friday decontaminated the Dallas apartment, and
Sana’a, Asharq Al-Awsat—Yemen’s rebel militias are closing in on the oil-rich Marib province, a source told Asharq Al-Awsat, as uncertainty continues to shroud the country’s political scene. Houthi militants launched on Friday a military campaign to seize control of oil and electricity facilities in
Ankara, AP—President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday demanded an apology from US Vice President Joe Biden and warned he would become “history for me” over comments in which he said the Turkish leader had admitted that Turkey had made mistakes by allowing foreign fighters to cross into S
