Riyadh, Asharq Al-Awsat—Saudi oil exports to the US will not be affected by the latter’s recent push to increase domestic oil production, the official spokesman for the US Embassy in Riyadh told Asharq Al-Awsat. W. Johann Schmonsees denied that the recent boom in the US production of shale oil would
Sana’a, Asharq Al-Awsat—In the latest development in the escalating dispute between the Yemeni government and the Houthi movement occupying sites across Sana’a, Yemeni President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi responded to the movement’s demands with some of his own on Tuesday. In response to a list of
Riyadh, Asharq Al-Awsat—Saudi authorities announced on Tuesday the arrest of eight people on suspicion of recruiting young people to join terrorist groups in Syria and Iraq. The eight Saudis were arrested in the city of Tameer, about 90 miles (150 kilometers) north of the capital Riyadh, following c
Amman, Asharq Al-Awsat—Jordanian authorities have launched a crackdown on alleged supporters of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and the Al-Nusra Front, arresting more than 40 suspects on Monday and Tuesday. The arrests are thought to be a precautionary measure, and come in response to rec
Kabul, Reuters—Afghan presidential candidate Abdullah Abdullah withdrew observers from a UN-supervised audit of votes on Wednesday, a member of his team said, after threatening to pull out of an agreement to resolve a deadlocked election. The audit of ballots from a June run-off vote is part of a US
Gaza and Jerusalem, Reuters—A ceasefire between Israel and the Palestinians aimed at ending their seven-week conflict in Gaza appeared to be holding early on Wednesday as the focus shifted to securing an arrangement for the long term. No clear victor emerged from what had become a war of attrition b
As was expected, and as I predicted in an article last week, the Assad regime rushed to try and exploit the war on the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) to serve its own interests. This time, it was Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Al-Mouallem who announced that Damascus was ready to cooperate wit
Beirut, Asharq Al-Awsat—Lebanon’s Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri admitted he was holding talks with Druze leader Walid Jumblatt to break the country’s presidential deadlock on Tuesday, but refused to give details of the initiative. Jumblatt has traditionally played the role of kingmaker in
If we look at the classification of fizzy drinks, those that claim to be “lite” contain less sugar. But is it possible to also apply this to the classification of terrorist and extremist groups? Could there possibly be “lite” terrorist groups in addition to the original full-fat variety? And would t
Gaza and Jerusalem, Reuters—A ceasefire agreement between Israel and the Palestinians aimed at ending their seven-week conflict in Gaza went into effect on Tuesday and joyous Palestinians streamed into the streets of the battered enclave to celebrate. Minutes before the Egyptian-brokered truce
London, Asharq Al-Awsat—Victorious Islamist militias declared they were reinstating the country’s previous parliament and forming a cabinet on Monday, in defiance of the country’s new interim government. A spokesman for the General National Congress, which was superseded following elections earlier
Algiers, AP—An Algerian football club has been banned from using its home stadium and could be thrown out of national and international competitions after one of its players was hit and killed by an object thrown by fans. The Confederation of African Football (CAF) on Tuesday backed a decision
Dammam, Asharq Al-Awsat—A number of Saudi ministries and official bodies are cooperating to produce new legislation to regulate e-commerce activities in the Kingdom, following a growth in online fraud and money laundering. An official within the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, who spoke on condit
Sana’a, Asharq Al-Awsat—The Houthi rebels occupying sites around the Yemeni capital in their thousands have announced the conditions for ending their protests on Monday. In a letter to Yemeni President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi, the movement, which has been protesting around Sana’a for a week, issued s
Erbil, Asharq Al-Awsat—Iran will replace the military officer leading its response to the crisis in Iraq, a leading figure in Iraq’s biggest political bloc told Asharq Al-Awsat on Monday. A senior member of the Shi’ite-led National Alliance, which includes parties with close links to Tehran, said th
Kiev, AP—Ukraine on Tuesday said its forces had captured 10 Russian soldiers in an eastern region where the Ukrainian troops are fighting pro-Russia separatists. The Facebook page for the anti-rebel operation—which includes the military, the national guard and Interior Ministry forces
Many Arab and Islamic voices condemned the barbaric murder of American journalist James Foley at the hands of the murderers of what is known as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). However, some of this condemnation was tinged with bitterness, indignation and criticism of the global uproar wh
Negligence and a lack of attention allowed Al-Qaeda to flourish and attack US soil on September 11, 2001. That event marked the beginning of the “War on Terror.” A new era of that war is about to begin, following the news of the execution of American journalist James Foley by the Islamic State of Ir
Jeddah and Kuwait City, Asharq Al-Awsat—Diplomatic tensions between Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the UAE on one side, and Qatar on the other, have increased despite attempts by Kuwait and Oman to mediate between the two sides, sources say. Gulf sources told Asharq Al-Awsat there were still differences
Riyadh, Asharq Al-Awsat—Saudi Arabia’s stock market, the Tadawul, continued its recent string of gains on Monday, surpassing the 11,000-point mark to reach its highest levels since the collapse of Lehman Brothers in September 2008. Just after the start of trading on Monday, the main index, the Tadaw
