What do you do when you have walked your cat the wrong way? The reasonable answer is that you walk it right back. This is what Kurdistan Regional Government President Massoud Barzani should do regarding his talk of a referendum on independence for Iraqi Kurds. Unless he does that, and does it quickl
Beirut, Asharq Al-Awsat—Lebanese authorities are considering a number of measures to regulate the employment of Syrian refugees in Lebanon on Thursday, in an attempt to address the strain caused by more than 1 million Syrians currently in Lebanon on the country’s economy. Announcing the measures, ec
Baghdad, Asharq Al-Awsat—Recent remarks by Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri Al-Maliki in which he accused Erbil of harboring fighters from the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) have provoked the ire of Kurdish politicians, who have dismissed the accusations as “unfounded.” “It is unfortunate that the
Sana’a, Asharq Al-Awsat—Yemen’s Shi’a Houthi militia has expanded its control in the northern province of Amran, storming government and military institutions in the area despite international condemnation. Yemen’s Houthi militia captured the city of Amran and its environs on Tuesday, less than a we
Beijing, Reuters—China and the United States agreed on Thursday to boost military ties and counter-terrorism cooperation during high-level annual talks in Beijing, but there was little immediate sign of progress on thorny cyber-security or maritime issues. The two-day talks, led by Secretary of Stat
Gaza and Jerusalem, Reuters—Israeli air strikes killed eight members of a family including five children in a pre-dawn raid on Gaza on Thursday, Palestinian officials said, while Hamas-led fighters launched rockets at Tel Aviv and other Israeli cities. Israel’s military had no immediate commen
Rio de Janeiro, Reuters—Argentina reached their first World Cup final in 24 years on Wednesday, beating the Netherlands 4-2 on penalties after the first scoreless semi in the tournament’s history, with old foes Germany awaiting them in Sunday’s showpiece. The match will be a repeat
London, Asharq Al-Awsat— Shafiq Al-Zaman has been chief calligrapher at the Prophet’s Mosque in Medina ever since winning a competition to renovate some of the inscriptions on the walls of Islam’s second-holiest site in 1991. For the last 23 years, the Pakistani national has been doing the job he lo
The Arab world currently feels like an arid land that has been set on fire. But it seems the arsonists responsible are yet to realize that the wind is blowing their way, and that as soon as the flames begin to spread, they will be the first victims. There are several reasons why the region […
Kiev and Donetsk, Reuters—Ukrainian government forces on Wednesday warned separatists in the eastern town of Donetsk that a plan was now in place to take back the territory they occupy, but defiant rebels reported a steady flow of new recruits who were ready to fight. The Ukrainian military pushed t
Beirut, AP/Asharq Al-Awsat—Members of Syria’s main Western-backed opposition bloc on Wednesday elected a new president, the Syrian National Coalition said in a statement. The new head of the exiled opposition, Hadi Al-Bahra, has served as chief negotiator at the failed peace talks with the gov
London, Asharq Al-Awsat—Iran’s Supreme Leader has called for the country to boost its capacity to enrich uranium, underlining the deadlock in ongoing international talks over Iran’s nuclear program. In a statement published on his website late on Monday, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei insisted that Iran nee
Erbil, Asharq Al-Awsat—The Iraqi Tribal Revolutionaries coalition—which has previously announced its rejection of the Baghdad central government and its intention to enter the capital and topple Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri Al-Maliki—has said it is prepared to support the Islamic caliphate
Jakarta, AP—The rival candidates in Indonesia’s presidential election each claimed victory Wednesday, raising uncertainty about the political and legal landscape in a nation that made the transition from dictatorship to democracy less than two decades ago. According to the three most reputable
Bangalore, Reuters—Dubai airline Emirates finalized a 56 billion US dollar order to buy 150 Boeing 777X jets on Wednesday, firming up a commitment made last year, just weeks after scrapping an order with rival plane-maker Airbus. The deal includes purchase rights for an additional 50 airplanes which
Gaza and Jerusalem, Reuters—Militants in Gaza fired more rockets at Tel Aviv on Wednesday, targeting Israel’s heartland after Israeli attacks in the enclave that Palestinian officials said have killed at least 27 people. No casualties were reported in the rocket barrages, on the second day of
Rio de Janeiro, Reuters—The nation whose attacking soccer has thrilled the world for generations was left heartbroken on Tuesday after Brazil’s humiliating 7–1 loss to Germany in the World Cup semi-finals. Brazil has hosted one of the most memorable World Cups ever but the country’
Beijing, AP—The United States and China vowed Wednesday to improve their economic and security cooperation, saying they wouldn’t let persistent differences over maritime claims, cyberhacking and currency hamper a relationship critical to global peace and prosperity. Opening this yearR
Beirut, Asharq Al-Awsat—The Syrian army continued to besiege rebel-held areas in northwestern Aleppo on Tuesday amid fears that Syria’s largest city will follow Homs and be completely recaptured by government troops. The head of Aleppo’s Provincial Council, Abdul-Rahman Dadam, held a news conference
The recent decision by the Egyptian government to cut fuel subsidies is a bitter medicine to swallow for the Egyptian people. Patients hoping for a quick recovery often have no choice but take the medicine prescribed, despite any concomitant unpleasant side effects that may follow. In this case, the
