Cairo, Asharq Al-Awsat—The Egyptian government has taken measures to ease some of the provisions from a new stock market tax law announced last week after the Egyptian Exchange (EGX) recorded its biggest daily drop in almost a year on Sunday following the announcement. The law, which imposes a 10-pe
Tripoli, AP—A group of Islamist lawmakers on Tuesday accused Libya’s outgoing prime minister of hindering the newly elected prime minister from taking office. It is the latest crisis to roil the North African country as a renegade general leads an offensive against Islamists. The lawmakersR
Warsaw, Reuters—US President Barack Obama promised on Tuesday to beef up military support for eastern European members of the NATO alliance who fear they could be next in the firing line after the Kremlin’s intervention in Ukraine. Under fire from critics at home who say his leadership on the
Baghdad, Asharq Al-Awsat—Widespread opposition has grown against Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri Al-Maliki’s plan to hold a “national unity” conference aimed at resolving the ongoing security crisis in Iraq’s restive Anbar province—even among tribes from the region that nominally support the governm
Now that Egypt has elected its president, it must confront five long-term major crises, which must be dealt with collectively, and prioritized, so the country can avoid becoming bogged down in tactical issues at the expense of pursuing a wider strategy—which would keep Egypt stuck in a state o
Beijing, AP—Beijing put additional police on the streets and detained government critics on Tuesday as part of a security crackdown on the eve of the 25th anniversary of the crushing of pro-democracy protests centered on the capital’s Tiananmen Square. Police manned checkpoints, and officers a
Damascus, Reuters—Syrians voted on Tuesday in an election expected to deliver an overwhelming victory for President Bashar Al-Assad in the midst of a devastating civil war but which his opponents have dismissed as a charade. Rebel fighters, the political opposition in exile, Western powers and Gulf
Reyhanlı, Asharq Al-Awsat—Few people, either in or outside Syria, expect the Syrian presidential election to hold any surprises. “It is a sham election,” Anthony Franks, a Middle East expert with consulting firm Mars Omega, told me a few weeks ago as we discussed the June 3 vote. Then he added in a
The voting in Syria’s presidential election by expatriates in Lebanon on May 28 saw both a contrived public spectacle at the Syrian Embassy in Beirut and a fierce torrent of abusive exchanges on social media. Outside the embassy, large crowds raised posters of Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad and sa
Kuwait, Reuters—Kuwait’s oil minister said his country was looking to sign an agreement with Iran to secure much-needed natural gas supplies. The minister’s comments to the state news agency KUNA late on Sunday came on the sidelines of a visit by Kuwait’s Emir, Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahme
Moscow, Bloomberg—Russia gave Ukraine an extra week to pay in advance for gas supplies or risk a cutoff, as the Ukrainian government said its forces killed five pro-Russian rebels in an upsurge in fighting in the eastern city of Luhansk. Russian gas export monopoly Gazprom eased tensions by moving b
Baghdad, Asharq Al-Awsat—Iraqi journalist Waleed Ibrahim believes he has one of the strangest hobbies in the Arab world. Ibrahim, known as Abu Iqlam (The Father of Pencils) to his friends and acquaintances, has been collecting commemorative pencils for more than fifty years and has the largest colle
London and Ramallah, Asharq Al-Awsat—Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas swore in a new unity government in a televised ceremony on Monday, after a dispute between Hamas and Fatah over a government ministry was resolved at the last minute. In a prepared statement broadcast after the ceremony, Abbas
Amman, Asharq Al-Awsat—The Syrian presidential election has revealed the presence of pro-Assad groups in Jordan that could form “dangerous sleeper cells that pose a threat to Jordan’s security,” a senior official claimed on Sunday. Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat on condition of anonymity, a Jordanian o
Benghazi, Reuters—Eight people were killed and 15 wounded when fighting broke out on Monday between the Libyan army and Islamist militants in the eastern city of Benghazi, medical sources said. Libya is in protracted turmoil three years after the NATO-backed war that ousted Muammar Gaddafi, with Isl
Madrid, Reuters—Spain’s King Juan Carlos is abdicating after almost 40 years on the throne and his son Prince Felipe will succeed him, Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy said on Monday in a surprise announcement. “His majesty, King Juan Carlos, has just communicated to me his will to give up t
London, Asharq Al-Awsat—The recent violence in South Sudan, the world’s youngest country, has brought a third of its 12 million citizens to the brink of starvation, according to the UN. With the country at a standstill in the wake of the fighting between the followers of President Salva Kiir and his
London, Asharq Al-Awsat—The Emir of Kuwait, Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmed Al Sabah, began a two-day official visit to Tehran on Sunday, following an invitation from Iranian President Hassan Rouhani. Prior to his arrival, Iranian news agencies said the Emir would hold meetings with both President Rouhani and
Something important is happening in Saudi Arabia—something that deserves recognition. For the fourth time, King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz is boosting education above and beyond the state’s education budget, by opening the door to foreign scholarships. The first development was to raise the number
Paris, AP—A suspected French jihadist arrested over killings at a Belgian Jewish museum had traveled to Syria and claimed responsibility for the shootings in a video, prosecutors said on Sunday. Fears have been mounting in European countries that the hundreds of European radicals who are joining the
