Cairo, AP—The top Islamic authority in Egypt, revered by many Muslims worldwide, launched an Internet-based campaign on Sunday, challenging an extremist group in Syria and Iraq by saying it should not be called an “Islamic State.” The campaign by the Dar Al-Ifta, seen as one of the world
Sana’a, Asharq Al-Awsat—Talks between a committee appointed by Yemen’s President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi to mediate with the leader of the Houthi movement occupying protests sites around the capital broke down on Sunday, amid rising tensions in Sana’a. The movement, led by Abdul Malik Al-Houthi, has
London, Asharq Al-Awsat—An American journalist kidnapped by the Al-Qaeda-linked jihadist group, the Al-Nusra Front, has been freed following mediation between the organization and the Qatari government. Peter Theo Curtis was turned over to UN peacekeepers in Quneitra in the Golan Heights on Sunday a
The Gulf has not experienced times as difficult as the ones we are currently living through today. In addition to the unprecedented tensions in the region, changes in foreign policies that were previously solid and clear, and the apathy of the most powerful country in the world, there is also now th
Cairo, Asharq Al-Awsat—Libya is facing the prospect of the creation of two rival, hostile governments, a senior Libyan defense official told Asharq Al-Awsat on Sunday. Mohamed Bouyassir, a senior adviser to the Libyan army, said the situation in Libya was approaching one in which there would be “two
Beirut, AP—Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) fighters captured a major military air base in northeastern Syria on Sunday, eliminating the last government-held outpost in a province otherwise dominated by the jihadist group, activists and state media said. Tabqa airfield—home to several warplane
Paris, Reuters—French Prime Minister Manuel Valls presented his government’s resignation on Monday, a day after Economy Minister Arnaud Montebourg called for new economic policies and questioned neighbor Germany’s “obsession” with budgetary rigor. President François Hollande
Not many would disagree that the level of discourse among the Syrian opposition some three-and-a-half years after the eruption of the uprising in Syria is currently in a sorry state. In contrast to what it should be in terms of seriousness, responsibility, and the ability to identify and discuss pro
Cape Town, Reuters—Libya have been removed as hosts of the 2017 African Nations Cup finals as ongoing fighting in the country delays plans to build new stadiums for the 16-team tournament. The Confederation of African Football (CAF) is now inviting new bidders for the tournament, it said on its Twit
London, Asharq Al-Awsat—The British intelligence services have identified the killer of American freelance journalist James Foley, according to a British newspaper. London’s Sunday Times quoted “senior government sources” as saying that Foley’s killer had been identified by the UK’s Security Service
Jeddah, Asharq Al-Awsat—Two separate meetings are due to be held in the Saudi city of Jeddah on Sunday to discuss the ongoing crisis in Syria and the diplomatic dispute with Qatar. A meeting of the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the UAE will discuss the tension between Qatar and the
Cairo, Asharq Al-Awsat—Militias from the Libyan city of Misrata announced their capture of Tripoli’s international airport on Saturday, after more than a month of fierce fighting between them and rival militias from Zintan, while Asharq Al-Awsat received reports of airstrikes targeting militia stron
Baghdad, Asharq Al-Awsat—A decade-old proposal by US Vice-President Joe Biden to divide Iraq into three federal states is attracting fresh attention in the wake of sectarian attacks that have thrown the process of forming a new government into doubt. In an article published in the Washington Post on
Cairo, Asharq Al-Awsat—Towards the end of his tenure, ousted Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak resisted pressures from Washington to cede Egyptian territory in the Sinai Peninsula to help create a Palestinian state, former senior members of Mubarak’s ruling party told Asharq Al-Awsat. A former
Kiev, Reuters—Armored vehicles and soldiers paraded in Kiev on Sunday in a defiant national day display of military power that Ukrainian President Petro Poroskenko said was being mobilized for an historic war of independence from Russia. Soldiers, some due to head directly to the front where governm
Beirut, Asharq Al-Awsat—Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea stressed that he would not renounce his presidential ambitions, but added that he would not oppose parliamentary elections taking place before a new president is elected. Lebanese lawmakers have been unable to choose a successor to fo
The execution of US journalist James Foley by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) has refocused international attention on the Syrian crisis and the debate now is about the necessity of dealing with this. As for the US administration, it finds itself occupying an increasingly awkward and diff
Nuri Al-Maliki, who had described the appointment of Haider Al-Abadi as Iraq’s prime minister-designate as a “conspiracy,” is today offering advice on how to save the country from a crisis that he created. Maliki, the prime minister who was pulled out like a bad tooth, wants Iraq to continue b
Erbil, Asharq Al-Awsat—Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) spokesman Fouad Hussein informed Asharq Al-Awsat that Peshmerga forces had deployed to the Iraqi city of Kirkuk to combat the encroaching presence of Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) fighters on the basis of a request from outgoi
Cairo, AP—Egypt on Saturday called for an open-ended cease-fire in the Gaza Strip, urging Israel and Hamas to return to indirect talks after seven weeks of fighting punctuated by a number of failed truce attempts. The call from the foreign ministry came shortly after Western-backed Palestinian
