Riyadh, Asharq Al-Awsat—Saudi security officials told Asharq Al-Awsat on Monday that the security forces are intensifying operations on both land and sea borders during the Eid Al-Fitr holiday period. Speaking exclusively to Asharq Al-Awsat, Maj. Gen. Mohammad Al-Ghamdi said: “Some criminals expect
Gaza City, Asharq Al-Awsat—Civilian casualties of the latest Israeli offensive in Gaza passed the grim milestone of 1,000 fatalities last week, making this year’s Eid Al-Fitr a bleak one for the territory’s inhabitants, who continue to suffer under the assault of one of the world’s most powerful mil
Gaza/Jerusalem, Reuters—Israel’s military pounded targets in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his country should prepare for a long conflict in the Palestinian enclave, squashing any hopes of a swift end to 22 days of fighting. Gaza residents reported heav
Washington, AP—The United States and European Union plan to impose new sanctions against Russia this week, including penalties targeting key sectors of the Russian economy, the White House said Monday. The show of Western solidarity comes as the US accuses Russia of ramping up its troop presen
The Lebanese army has insisted on limiting its comments on reports about the decision by one of its soldiers to leave his post and join the Al-Nusra Front. It said only that it was “an isolated incident and the soldier is a deserter, not a defector.” Lebanese military intelligence has wo
Dubai, Asharq Al-Awsat—Last week, regional real estate giant Majid Al Futtaim Group announced that its revenues for the first half of 2014 had jumped 14 percent year-on-year, marking a successful period during which the Group’s retail arm opened 12 new hypermarkets. Earlier in July the Group opened
Tripoli, Reuters—A huge fuel depot in Libya’s capital burned out of control on Monday, set ablaze in fighting between rival militias that has driven the country to chaos three years after the NATO-backed revolt that toppled Muammar Gaddafi. Combat over control of the nearby airport forced fire
Ansan, AP—Students who survived a South Korean ferry disaster earlier this year testified on Monday that they were repeatedly ordered by loudspeaker to stay in the sinking ship, but eventually helped each other flee after their cabins flooded. The six girls spoke at a court session for 15 crew membe
Baghdad, Reuters—Iraq’s state television is working overtime to persuade Iraqis to help Prime Minister Nuri Al-Maliki confront an Al-Qaeda offshoot that has seized wide tracts of the country, but its unifying call has been blunted by his sectarian reputation. Since the humiliating loss of much
Cairo, Asharq Al-Awsat—Egypt’s parliamentary elections are to be held by the end of this year, the government announced on Sunday. A government statement said President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi had discussed plans to hold parliamentary elections by the end of the year with visiting Spanish Foreign Minis
Riyadh, Asharq Al-Awsat—Saudi King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz congratulated Muslims across the world on the end of the holy month of Ramadan and the start of Eid celebrations, warning against those who use religion to further their own ends and tarnish the image of Islam. Saudi Information Minister Abdu
London, Asharq Al-Awsat—Tribal leaders in northern Iraq said they were forming militias to fight the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) on Sunday, as reports emerged of the jihadist group seizing more territory southwest of Baghdad. The Al-Obeidi tribe, which spans the two provinces of Salah Al-
Jerusalem, AP—Israeli jets pounded three Hamas sites in Gaza on Monday after a rocket was launched at Israel, disrupting a relative lull in the war-torn territory at the start of a major Muslim holiday. The strikes followed a pause in fighting of almost 12 hours, and came as international efforts in
Geneva, AP—The downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 may be a war crime, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay said on Monday. Pillay, the UN’s top human rights official, called for a thorough investigation into the violation of international law that occurred when the flight wa
Amman, Asharq Al-Awsat—Jordan’s national carrier has canceled a further three routes this year as part of a restructuring plan it has instigated amid instability in the region, “aggressive” competition from rivals, and increased operating costs. The scrapping of Royal Jordanian’s routes to the India
London, Asharq Al-Awsat—Iran’s parliament is pushing forward with plans to boost its role in the international talks on the country’s nuclear program, say reports, in a development that may herald a more hardline Iranian position in negotiations. Iranian media said on Sunday that the speaker of the
London, Asharq Al-Awsat—The decades-long political confrontation between Iran and the United States is known to almost anyone interested in international politics. Less known, however, is the rivalry between the two in offering different visions of the seventh art, cinema. The Venice Film Festival,
The General Secretariat of the Syrian National Coalition decided to dismiss the interim government of the Syrian opposition led by Ahmad Tu’mah by a two-thirds majority in its last meeting. It also tasked the former government to act as a caretaker administration until a new cabinet is formed. The g
Donetsk, AP—Ukrainian armed forces mounted a major onslaught against pro-Russian separatist fighters on Sunday, in an attempt to gain control over the area where a Malaysia Airlines plane was downed earlier this month. Reports of the intensifying unrest prompted a postponement of a trip to the site
London, Asharq Al-Awsat—Amid all the violence that continues to plague Libya three years after the toppling of the late dictator Muammar Gaddafi, the country’s efforts to construct a functioning political system are often overlooked, perhaps understandably so. One prominent example was the election
