Kiev and Gorki, Reuters—Russia cut off gas to Ukraine on Monday in a dispute over unpaid bills that could disrupt supplies to the rest of Europe and set back hopes for peace in the former Soviet republic. After weekend violence that included the loss of 49 troops in the downing of a Ukrainian plane,
Dammam, Asharq Al-Awsat—The current crisis in Iraq has had no direct impact on the country’s oil exports, despite a battle for control of the country’s largest oil refinery, and the city of Kirkuk—home to one of the country’s major oil fields—falling under Kurdish control, energy sector
Jeddah, Asharq Al-Awsat—Saudi Arabia on Monday said that “sectarian and exclusionary policies” in Iraq over the past three years were behind the recent unrest witnessed in the country. Crown Prince Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud chaired a cabinet session on Monday at Jeddah’s Al-Salam Palace where min
Mosul and Washington, Reuters—The United States is contemplating talks with its arch-enemy Iran to support the Iraqi government in its battle with Sunni Islamist insurgents who routed Baghdad’s army and seized the north of the country in the past week. The stunning onslaught by militants from
Riyadh, Asharq Al-Awsat—Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) fighters “liberated” prisons in Mosul after soldiers and guards abandoned their posts, a Saudi national who was among the prisoners has told Asharq Al-Awsat. Speaking on the condition of anonymity, the Saudi citizen said that prison guar
Mombasa, Reuters—At least 48 people were killed when gunmen in two minibuses sped into a town on Kenya’s coast, shooting soccer fans gathered to watch a World Cup match in a television hall and targeting hotels and a bank, police and witnesses said on Monday. Police said Somalia’s Al-Sha
Benghazi and Tripoli, Libya, Reuters—A renegade Libyan general launched a fresh offensive on Sunday against Islamist militants in the eastern city of Benghazi, sparking some of the worst fighting in weeks, with up to 12 people killed and power supplies disrupted. Libyan authorities are struggling to
São Paulo, Reuters—Lionel Messi ended an eight-year wait for a World Cup goal on Sunday as Argentina edged past debutants Bosnia at the Estádio Maracanã in Rio de Janeiro, while fellow No. 10, France’s Karim Benzema, put two past Honduras in a man-of-the-match display. The goals continued to r
Amman, Asharq Al-Awsat—The Jordanian government is set to take precautionary measures to contain the spread of Islamist insurgents from neighboring countries, as fears grow of Al-Qaeda fighters extending their influence beyond the borders of Iraq and Syria. The recent takeover of the Iraqi city of M
Controversy over the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and the Al-Nusra Front first erupted in 2012. Some denied that they were present in Syria, while many others thought the two groups had nothing to do with Al-Qaeda, and that they were really part of Syrian nationalist movements, but with an
The loss of Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri Al-Maliki’s authority over large swaths of Iraq is due to several reasons. First, there is the ideological blindness, personal greed and sectarian sentiments that took hold of the leader of the Islamic Da’wa Party and the head of the Iraqi government, Nuri Al-Ma
Amman, Asharq Al-Awsat—Prior to his assassination in downtown Beirut in 2005, the name of Rafik Hariri was synonymous with the construction projects his company undertook in Lebanon and Saudi Arabia. Perhaps the most famous was the Solidere project, widely credited with rebuilding Beirut after it wa
Beirut, Asharq Al-Awsat—Lebanese singer Aziza has become famous in her home country almost overnight. Thanks to a concert she held on Saturday, June 7, to mark the release of her upcoming debut album, and thanks to a savvy media campaign launched on several social networking websites, she has quickl
Miranshah, Pakistan, Reuters—Pakistan’s army launched a long-expected military operation in the troubled North Waziristan region on Sunday, a week after a deadly insurgent attack on one of the country’s busiest airports. The Taliban and ethnic Uzbek fighters holed up in North Waziristan—
It is deeply regretful that the former general guide of the Syrian branch of the Muslim Brotherhood, Ali Sadreddine Al-Bayanuni, has resigned from the Syrian National Coalition. Bayanuni left in protest over the letter sent by the leader of the Coalition, Ahmed Al-Jarba, to newly elected Egyptian Pr
Baghdad, Reuters—An offensive by insurgents that threatens to dismember Iraq seemed to slow on Saturday after days of lightning advances as government forces regained some territory in counterattacks, easing pressure on the Shi’ite-led government in Baghdad. As Iraqi officials spoke of wrestin
Cairo, Asharq Al-Awsat—Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood-led Anti-Coup Alliance has called for an “intifada” against newly elected President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi on the first anniversary of the ouster of former president and Brotherhood member Mohamed Mursi. The Anti-Coup Alliance, initially formed by memb
Jerusalem, Reuters—Israel said on Sunday Hamas militants had abducted three Israeli teenagers in the occupied West Bank, warning of “serious consequences” as it pressed on with a search and detained dozens of Palestinians. The two 16-year-olds and a third man aged 19 disappeared on Thurs
Manaus, AP—The heat and humidity of the jungle made its mark on the first World Cup match to be played in the Amazon rainforest, and so did Mario Balotelli. With players from both sides slowing as the game wore on, it was the man with the mohawk who headed in the deciding goal early in […]
Kiev and Novohannivka, Reuters—Ukraine’s president promised a tough response on Saturday to pro-Russian separatists who shot down an army transport plane, killing 49 servicemen and dealing a blow to a military campaign to crush their uprising. Newly installed Petro Poroshenko summoned security
