London, Asharq Al-Awsat—Iran still holds the world’s largest proven natural gas reserves, at 33.8 trillion cubic meters—or 18.2 percent of the world’s total proven reserves—according to a BP report published earlier this week, up from 33.6 trillion cubic meters at the end of 2012, when i
The only thing that could have further destroyed the already crumbling and turbulent mosaic of the Middle East was the return of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) to the heart of the political scene. Now, black clouds are increasingly gathering over the region. To any fair-minded observer t
Beirut, Asharq Al-Awsat—Lebanese MPs failed for the seventh time on Wednesday to elect a new president, after members of the March 8 Alliance continued their boycott of parliamentary sessions to select a new head of state. The speaker of the Lebanese parliament, Nabih Berry, postponed the vote for p
London, Asharq Al-Awsat—Saudi Arabia has denied providing moral and financial support to the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), which has secured swathes of territory across northern and central Iraq this week, following accusations by Prime Minister Nuri Al-Maliki. The Saudi embassy in London
Ankara, Reuters—General Kenan Evren, 96, who came to symbolize the “Pasha” officer class that dominated Turkish politics over decades, was sentenced to life in jail on Wednesday for leading a 1980 coup that resulted in widespread torture, arrests and deaths. Evren, who also served as pre
Baghdad and Erbil, Asharq Al-Awsat—Iraq’s Sunni Arab, Shi’ite and Kurdish political parties are exchanging accusations over the recent victories by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) in the country, amid fears of the outbreak of a sectarian civil war. The State of Law coalition, led by Iraqi
Cairo, AP—An Al-Jazeera Arabic service journalist who had been on hunger strike for more than four months to protest his prolonged detention without charges in Egypt has been released in Cairo. Abdullah El-Shamy, 26, walked free late Tuesday evening to cheers and hugs from family members, as well as
Baghdad, AP—Islamist militants laid siege to Iraq’s largest oil refinery on Wednesday, threatening a facility key to the country’s domestic supplies as part of their ongoing offensive north of the capital, a top security official said. The attack follows last week’s capture by mili
Kiev, AP—Russian news agencies say Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has proposed a unilateral ceasefire by his troops to allow pro-Russian separatists in the east of the country a chance to lay down weapons or leave the country. The agencies quoted Poroshenko as saying Wednesday that this would
Belo Horizonte and Natal, Reuters—Algeria’s coach conceded his inexperienced team were exposed by a much fitter Belgium on Tuesday but also complained a foul was missed in the run-up to the deciding goal during the Africans’ 2–1 defeat. Algeria scored their first World Cup goal in
London, Asharq Al-Awsat—Iranians have welcomed the news that Britain is set to re-open its embassy in Tehran in the coming months after a hiatus of more than two and a half years. The move underscores the diplomatic breakthrough between the West and Iran, as both sides scramble to deal with the Isla
More than eleven years have passed since the 2003 invasion of Iraq, yet the political arguments in Western capitals on whether the toppling of Saddam Hussein was right or wrong continue to endure. The reasons for these arguments can be clearly seen on the ground in Iraq today and need no further exp
Cairo, Asharq Al-Awsat—Egypt has the potential to become a regional and global digital communications hub, the chief executive of Egypt’s telecoms regulator, the National Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (NTRA), told Asharq Al-Awsat as the country prepares to offer unified telecoms licenses a
The measures taken against Maha Bahnassi were necessary. During the live coverage of the inauguration ceremony of Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi, the television anchor reacted to the news coming in of sexual harassment in Tahrir Square during the celebrations by laughing and saying: “Well,
London, Reuters—Ministers from seven European Union countries urged the bloc’s executive to propose a binding energy savings target next month, a sign of how Ukraine’s gas crisis is forcing lawmakers to find more ways of easing EU dependence on Russian gas. Environment and energy ministe
Iraq is witnessing a period of disorder and confusion similar to the state of chaos that prevailed over the country following the collapse of Saddam Hussein’s regime in 2003. Mystery continues to surround the situation, particularly regarding the Iraqi Army’s perplexing retreat in the face of militi
Erbil, Asharq Al-Awsat—A prominent Anbar tribal chief has denied that the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) is responsible for the recent unrest in Iraq, portraying the situation as a “tribal revolution” against the government of Prime Minister Nuri Al-Maliki, in comment that contradicted the p
London, Reuters—Britain plans to re-open its embassy in Iran, British Foreign Secretary William Hague said on Tuesday, saying it would soon establish a small initial presence in Tehran two and a half years after a mob ransacked its embassy there. The announcement comes after the United States, a clo
Manaus, Reuters—Germany marked their 100th World Cup game in style on Monday by thumping shambolic Portugal 4–0 in the midday sun to confirm their billing as title contenders while African champions Nigeria could only stumble to a dire goalless draw with Iran in the first really poor game spec
Erbil, Asharq Al-Awsat—The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) is seeking to win over the residents of Iraq’s second city, Mosul, by offering them greater security and cheap power and water. While many Iraqi families initially fled after the militant group and its allies took the city, reports fr
