For more than 20 years, I have tried to build bridges between Islam and Christianity and to dispel ignorance and misunderstanding between them. Islam is the second-largest faith community in the world and the second-largest in Britain, and so bridges between Islam and Christianity are something that
Cairo, Asharq Al-Awsat—Extremist Islamist group Ansar Bayt Al-Maqdis has denied reports that one of its leading figures, Shadi Al-Menei has been killed in a military operation in Sinai. The group released a statement on a jihadist website on Sunday, together with what it said were photos of Menei ta
Kiev, Reuters—Petro Poroshenko, a billionaire chocolate manufacturer, claimed the Ukrainian presidency with an emphatic election victory on Sunday, taking on a fraught mission to quell pro-Russian rebels and steer his fragile nation closer to the West. A veteran survivor of Ukraine’s feuding p
Riyadh, Asharq Al-Awsat—Saudi Arabia is set to become an electricity exporter with the implementation of a linkage agreement with Egypt and investment in renewable energy generation, the head of the Kingdom’s power regulator told Asharq Al-Awsat. Dr. Abdullah Al-Shehri, head of Saudi Arabia’s Electr
The year 2011 was one of revolutionary Arab dreams and the sanctification of squares. Tunisia’s Mohamed Bouazizi and his fruit cart became a symbol, as did the death of Egypt’s Khaled Said. The tumult of sanctification spilled over into the squares of Sana’a and Benghazi. In Bahrain and Iraq they tr
When supporters of Khalifa Haftar stormed the headquarters of the Libyan General National Congress (GNC) late last week, it was not so much a demonstration of his political power as it was a confirmation of the fundamental weakness of the central government—even though some called it a “coup.”
Bangkok, Reuters—Thailand’s military tightened its grip on power on Sunday as it moved to quell growing protests, saying anyone violating its orders would be tried in military court. It also took its first steps to revitalize a battered economy, saying nearly a million farmers owned money unde
Amman, Asharq Al-Awsat—Political turmoil in the Arab world has made Jordan a destination for foreign investment amid government efforts to invigorate the economy, according to Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour. In an interview with Asharq Al-Awsat, Ensour said that in 2013 investment grew “remarkably”
Sana’a, Asharq Al-Awsat—The Yemeni army regained control of the town of Seiyun in Hadhramaut province in southeast Yemen on Saturday, following an attack by insurgents from Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) on government and military installations there. The attack, which was led by AQAP lead
Lisbon, Reuters—Real Madrid came back from the dead to write another glorious chapter in their history when they beat Atletico Madrid 4-1 in extra time helped by goals from Gareth Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo to win a 10th European Cup on Saturday. With Atletico poised to win the trophy for the first
Baghdad, Asharq Al-Awsat—The largest of Iraq’s Sunni political blocs announced on Saturday that it will form a new coalition to negotiate the terms under which it will participate in Iraq’s next government. The Mutahidoun bloc, led by incumbent speaker of parliament Osama Al-Nujaifi, won 29 seats in
Bethlehem, Reuters—Pope Francis made a surprise stop at the hulking wall Palestinians see as a symbol of Israeli oppression on Sunday, minutes after begging both sides to end a conflict that he said was no longer acceptable. In an image set to become one of the most emblematic of his trip to the hol
Kiev/Donetsk, Reuters—Ukrainians voted on Sunday in a presidential election billed as the most important since they won their independence from Moscow 23 years ago, but armed pro-Russian separatists disrupted voting in eastern regions of the former Soviet republic. Early signs pointed to a high turn
Beirut, Asharq Al-Awsat—There have been rumors that the doors of Beirut’s Magen Avraham Synagogue are set to reopen after more than 40 years, with Lebanon’s smallest minority moving to reclaim its religious identity and heritage in a country where, since the establishment of the state of Israel and
After the P5+1 world powers met with Iran last week, the whole world was engulfed by speculation that a final deal over Iran’s controversial nuclear program wouldn’t be reached by the July 20 deadline. The disappointing rise of new issues during the Vienna meeting, over things such as Iran’s general
London, Asharq Al-Awsat—With President Michel Suleiman’s term in office coming to an end on Sunday, Lebanon is officially entering a “presidential vacuum,” with rival March 14 Alliance and March 8 Alliance lawmakers so far unable to choose the next head of state. Suleiman delivered his farewell spee
Relations between countries are far more complex than many commentators and analysts believe. They are not prisoners of power relations, as important as this factor is. Nor are they ruled by ideologies, even though ideology is a likely influence. Neither can the international order be said to contro
Mogadishu, Reuters—Al-Shabaab stormed Somalia’s parliament on Saturday, killing at least 10 security officers in a bomb and gun assault that the United Nations called “an attack against the people”. The attack—by the Al-Qaeda-linked group that killed 67 people at a Kenyan shopping
Cairo, Asharq Al-Awsat—In October 2013, the situation in Egypt—with all its political complexities, social problems and security risks—was clear to see, in the faces of everyone on the streets and the countenance of people going about their daily business. Everywhere you went, from a hum
Sana’a, Asharq Al-Awsat—Sana’a is facing an escalating security crisis, with Al-Qaeda–affiliated militants attacking government infrastructure in the south of the country and sectarian fighting between Sunni rebels and Shi’ite Houthi fighters worsening in the central governorate of Amran. Al-Q
