Interim Egyptian President Adly Mansour, who presently holds the highest constitutional power in the country, went to vote in the presidential elections on Monday as if he were any other Egyptian citizen. Elsewhere, many are calling for Egyptians to boycott the presidential polls which have been ext
Beirut, Asharq Al-Awsat—The Syrian opposition has responded to accusations from Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah that it has cooperated with Israeli forces, denouncing the claims as “absolutely incorrect.” In a speech on Sunday commemorating the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Lebanon in 2000, Na
Bangkok, Reuters—Thailand’s junta has appointed as advisers two retired generals with palace connections, putting powerful establishment figures hostile towards former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra firmly in the ascendant in the country’s long-running power struggle. Hoping to show t
London, Asharq Al-Awsat—Sudan-born Zeinab Badawi is a familiar face to viewers of BBC World as one of the primary presenters of its flagship World News Today program, as well as its HARDtalk interview program. A veteran broadcast journalist with a career stretching back to the mid-1980s, She spoke t
London, Asharq Al-Awsat—In a wide-ranging report published last week, Bahrain’s Interior Ministry criticized a US State Department report about the general situation in the country as “lacking neutrality and objectivity,” refuting a total of 42 US claims in detail. Bahrain witnessed a series of publ
The Syrian government’s capture of Homs, the so-called ‘capital of the revolution,’ and Bashar Al-Assad’s inevitable victory in the upcoming presidential “election” appear to put the regime in a stronger position than ever before—but have these short-term victories come at a long-term cost? Events i
Khartoum, Asharq Al-Awsat—The leader of Sudan’s Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) threatened a repeat of its May 2008 attack on Khartoum and Omdurman, saying that the central government is facing “the final chapter of the collapse of the regime.” In a rare statement to the press, JEM leader Jibril
New Delhi, Bloomberg—Indian Finance Minister Arun Jaitley pledged to restore investor confidence in Asia’s third-larggest economy on his first day in office after Narendra Modi unveiled the nation’s smallest cabinet in 16 years. Jaitley, who will also head the defense and corporate affai
Gaza, Reuters—Rival Palestinian factions Fatah and Hamas agreed on the make-up of a national unity government on Tuesday in the most significant step yet toward healing their seven-year rift. The two groups said they had decided on a list of independent, technocrat ministers who will run the governm
Characterizing the challenges that will face Egypt’s Third Republic, which will begin with the announcement of a new president following the end of voting today, Reuters issued a report last week quoting the deputy chairman of the Federation of Egyptian Industries, Tarek Zakaria Tawfiq. In the repor
London, Asharq Al-Awsat—The Syrian National Coalition hailed on Monday afternoon the expulsion of the Syrian ambassador to Jordan as a “great victory” for the opposition. The envoy, Bahjat Suleiman, was declared “persona non grata” by the Jordanian authorities and given 24 hours to leave, in a move
Cairo, Asharq Al-Awsat—Egyptian voters returned to the polls on Tuesday, the final day of the presidential elections, as the government extended voting hours and declared a national holiday to encourage a higher turnout. Most observers expect popular former defense minister Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi to w
London, Asharq Al-Awsat—The president of Iraq’s Kurdistan Region, Massoud Barzani, threatened on Monday to hold a referendum on renegotiating the autonomous region’s relationship with Baghdad if incumbent Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri Al-Maliki wins a third term in office. During a visit to Paris on Mon
Donetsk, Reuters—Ukrainian forces fought with separatists in the city of Donetsk for a second day on Tuesday after inflicting heavy losses on the rebels while the government vowed to press on with a military offensive “until not a single terrorist” was left. A representative for the pro-
London, Asharq Al-Awsat—The controversial Syrian-born preacher Omar Bakri was arrested by the Lebanese authorities in the early hours of Sunday, after going into hiding last month following a crackdown on sectarian violence in the city of Tripoli. He was arrested in the town of Aley, southwest of Be
New Delhi, Reuters—Narendra Modi was sworn in as India’s prime minister in an elaborate ceremony at New Delhi’s resplendent presidential palace on Monday, after a sweeping election victory that ended two terms of rule by the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty. Millions of Indians watched the inaugurat
Baghdad, Asharq Al-Awsat—Iraqi security forces clashed with members of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) in the province of Babil on Sunday, as part of an effort to reassert control of the nearby city of Fallujah. A police spokesman said army and police units were searching for members of I
Brussels, AP—Far-right and Euroskeptic parties made sweeping gains in European Parliament elections Sunday—triggering what one prime minister called a political “earthquake” by those who want to slash the powers of the European Union or abolish it altogether. Voters in 21 of the EU’
Beirut, AP—Al-Qaeda’s main affiliate in Syria claimed responsibility on Monday for two deadly car bombings in a pro-government neighborhood of the central city of Homs. The Sunday attacks, in which at least 10 people died, undermined the semblance of peace that had returned to the shattered Sy
Cairo, Asharq Al-Awsat—Egyptian voters will head to polling stations on Monday to elect a new president amid tight security measures, in a race between former army chief Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and leftist politician Hamdeen Sabahy. More than 180,000 army personnel have been deployed, in coordination w
