Amman, Asharq Al-Awsat—Iraqi oppositions forces met Wednesday in the Jordanian capital to debate solutions to Iraq’s growing political and security crises, according to sources who attended the conference. Delegates at the meeting in Amman called for “the unification of efforts and positions towards
Dubai, AP—The United Arab Emirates, already home to the world’s tallest tower, is now reaching for the stars. The energy-rich country on the eastern tip of the Arabian Peninsula announced plans Wednesday to establish a space program to send the first Arab spaceship to Mars in 2021. The ruler o
The Palestinians have faced many tough situations over the years, but in most cases they have succeeded in winning the sympathy of their Arab brothers and most of the international community. They have a just cause, and the injustice done to them since 1948 is unquestionable. Only skeptics with thei
The Hague, Reuters—The Netherlands is liable for about 300 of the more than 8,000 deaths in the 1995 Srebrenica massacre, a Dutch court ruled on Wednesday, pinning some of the blame for Europe’s worst massacre since World War Two on the Dutch state. A district court in The Hague said Dutch pea
Sana’a, Asharq Al-Awsat—Clashes between Shi’ite insurgents and Sunni tribesmen in northern Yemen have left dozens on both sides dead over Monday and Tuesday, according to reports. AP reported that 35 people had been killed in the violence, which local sources said flared when Sunni Salafist tribesme
Iran continues to place great pressure on the member blocs of Iraq’s National Alliance, particularly the Al-Ahrar bloc led by Moqtada Al-Sadr and the Citizens’ bloc of Ammar Al-Hakim, to push them into withdrawing their opposition to Prime Minister Nuri Al-Maliki, who is pushing strongly for a third
Beirut and London, Asharq Al-Awsat—A proposal by the head of the Lebanese parliament’s Democratic Gathering bloc, Walid Jumblatt, to end Lebanon’s presidential deadlock failed on Tuesday. Jumblatt said he was willing to withdraw his party’s presidential candidate if the other parties agreed to do th
Gaza/Jerusalem, Reuters—Israel urged the evacuation on Wednesday of several Gaza Strip areas where more than 100,000 people live, threatening ground operations after briefly holding fire under an Egyptian truce proposal that failed to stop Palestinian rocket salvos. Authorized by Prime Minister Benj
Fortaleza, Reuters—Leaders of the BRICS emerging market nations launched a 100-billion-US-dollar development bank and a currency reserve pool on Tuesday in their first concrete step toward reshaping the Western-dominated international financial system. The bank aimed at funding infrastructure projec
There is no greater evidence of chaos enveloping the Middle East than the Libyan foreign minister’s inability to attend a meeting of the country’s neighbors in Tunis. The meeting went ahead in his absence, and he was represented by the Libyan chargé d’affaires in Tunisia. It was like holding a
Beijing, AP—For months, Chinese state television has publicized a steady drumbeat of accusations of bribery and other abuses by a string of officials. Now, the state-run broadcaster faces allegations of graft in its own ranks. Since late May, at least six people at China Central TelevisionR
Manila, Reuters—A typhoon killed at least 10 people as it churned across the Philippines and shut down the capital, cutting power and prompting the evacuation of more than 370,000 people, rescue officials said on Wednesday. The eye of Typhoon Rammasun, the strongest storm to hit the country th
Benghazi, Asharq Al-Awsat— Libyan jihadists fighting in Syria and Iraq are returning home to fight the breakaway militia led by Khalifa Haftar, who has recently emerged as a serious threat to the country’s Islamists, security and military sources told Asharq Al-Awsat. The revelation came after forme
Mumbai, Reuters—China’s Xiaomi said it intends to invest heavily in India as the budget smartphone maker launched on Tuesday its flagship Mi phone and other products in the world’s third-largest smartphone market, currently dominated by Samsung Electronics Co Ltd. Xiaomi’s Internat
Riyadh, Asharq Al-Awsat—Saudi Arabia is close to finalizing a number of joint electricity projects with other countries in the MENA region as it seeks to boost sources for its domestic electricity consumption, one of the country’s top energy officials told Asharq Al-Awsat. Nasser Al-Qahtani, deputy
Ma’an, Asharq Al-Awsat—Driving into Ma’an on the international highway, which has grown shabby due to lack of maintenance, a visitor might think they are about to arrive in a quiet city where security and peace prevail. There are no pedestrians on the streets, and little traffic. But this impression
Baghdad, Asharq Al-Awsat—Iraqi lawmakers elected a new speaker of parliament on Tuesday, as Shi’a political parties prepared to nominate candidates to replace Nuri Al-Maliki as prime minister. Iraqi state TV showed footage of MPs congratulating Sunni MP Salim Al-Jabouri, after he was elected speaker
Strasbourg, Reuters—Jean-Claude Juncker won broad endorsement from the European Parliament on Tuesday to be the next head of the executive European Commission after setting out a “grand coalition” investment program to help revive Europe’s economy. Belying his reputation as a grey
London, Asharq Al-Awsat—A British parliamentary committee recommended that world powers accept Iran’s possession of a limited capacity to enrich uranium on Monday. The publication of the report by the British parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee comes as negotiators from Iran and six world powers,
Gaza and Jerusalem, Reuters—Palestinian militants fired rockets at Israel on Tuesday after it agreed to an Egyptian proposal to end the week-old Gaza conflict, and a Hamas leader said the Islamist group was still undecided on whether to accept the ceasefire. Under the terms of the blueprint announce
