Cairo, Asharq Al-Awsat—The mausoleum’s windswept courtyard lies empty and its large gate, leading into the tomb of the celebrated Egyptian songstress, is chained shut. There are no fans bringing flowers to the grave or sharing memories. The final resting place of Umm Kalthoum, Egypt and the Arab wor
The other day, when Syrian president Bashar Al-Assad announced his candidacy for a third term as president, I was reminded of a passage in Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot, a classic of the theatre of the absurd. In that passage Estragon, one of the two tramps who form the cast of the play, assert
Jeddah, Asharq Al-Awsat—The value of commercial contracts in Saudi Arabia containing arbitration clauses has reached 200 billion Saudi riyals (53.3 billion US dollars), according to an official from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Commercial Arbitration Center, who called for a greater arbitratio
Cairo, Asharq Al-Awsat—Egyptian presidential hopeful Hamdeen Sabahy officially unveiled his election platform on Wednesday, pledging to repeal a controversial anti-protest law, pardon “non-criminal” offenders and crack down on terrorism. Speaking during a press conference in Cairo, Sabahy announced
Jeddah, Asharq Al-Awsat—The Saudi Royal Court has launched a new website to allow citizens to issue complaints about government services directly to Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz. Set up on the directive of the King, the website will also allow Saudi citizens to apply
London, Asharq Al-Awsat—A man in a balaclava and fatigues gives a virtual tour of his brigade’s living quarters in Syria. He says he fights for a group called Rayat Al-Tawhid (Banner of God), which is affiliated with the extremist militant group the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). In his thi
Some Arabs boast about being more advanced and adhering to the standards of citizenship and good governance more closely than their fellow Arabs. These people either come from countries that have always boasted about their long record of enlightenment, education and democratic experience, or whose c
Baghdad, Erbil and London, Asharq Al-Awsat—The UN Security Council called for the Iraqi leadership “to engage as quickly as possible, to form a government that represents the will and sovereignty of the Iraqi people,” after the polls closed in Wednesday’s legislative elections. But there have been f
Istanbul, Reuters—Turkish police fired tear gas, water cannon and rubber pellets on Thursday to try to stop thousands of people, some armed with firebombs and fireworks, from defying a ban on May Day rallies and reaching Istanbul’s central Taksim square. Citing security fears, authorities shut
Kiev, Reuters—Ukraine said on Thursday it had detained Russia’s military attaché to Kiev on suspicion of spying and ordered him to leave, as the former Soviet republic wrestles with an armed uprising it says is orchestrated by Moscow. In a statement, Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry said the u
London, Reuters— Atlético Madrid enjoyed one of the most glorious nights in their 111-year history when they knocked Chelsea out of the Champions League on Wednesday to set up a final against mighty neighbours Real. The Spanish sides will cross the border into Portugal for the final in Lisbon on May
I don’t know whether to laugh or cry when I hear the edicts, ideas and vision of the civilized doctor, eminent linguist and Syrian president, Bashar Al-Assad. Let us take a look at what this genius said this week. Assad gave a long speech to religious scholars, the transcript of which was published
Benghazi, Asharq Al-Awsat—Commercial activity in Benghazi has hit new highs since Libya’s revolution, with shopping malls and other smaller commercial outlets opening throughout the Mediterranean city that was the beating heart of Libya’s uprising against the decades-long rule of Muammar Gaddafi. Be
Jeddah, Asharq Al-Awsat—Since his re-election in January as president of the main western-backed Syrian National Coalition, Ahmed Al-Jarba has become increasingly vocal about the need to arm rebel groups in Syria. With the revolution well into its fourth year and Bashar Al-Assad certain to secure an
[inset_left]The Second Arab Awakening and the Battle for Pluralismby Marwan MuasherYale University Press, 232 pagesNew Haven, CT, 2014[/inset_left] London, Asharq Al-Awsat—For a couple of decades, the societies of the Middle East and North Africa seemed relatively stable, if not necessarily open and
London, Asharq Al-Awsat—Lebanon’s parliament on Wednesday once again failed to elect a new president, with MPs affiliated to the Hezbollah-led March 8 Alliance boycotting a second round of voting over a lack of agreement with the March 14 Alliance. A quorum of two-thirds of Lebanon’s 128 Membe
London and Sana’a, Asharq Al-Awsat—The Friends of Yemen group urged Sana’a on Tuesday to set out a clear timetable for a referendum on a new constitution and subsequent elections as the military continued a major offensive against Al-Qaeda militants in the south of the country. In a meeting jo
London, Asharq Al-Awsat—Egyptian journalist, blogger and pro-democracy activist Bassem Sabry has died at the age of 32, reportedly falling from a balcony on Monday, according to security officials. A prominent young voice during the revolution that toppled former president Hosni Mubarak in 2011, Sab
Cairo, Asharq Al-Awsat—Unidentified gunmen stormed the Libyan parliament on Tuesday during an evening session held to elect a new prime minister, resulting in the evacuation of the building and a delay in the vote. Parliament spokesman Omar Humeidan told Asharq Al-Awsat that the armed men “forced MP
Beijing, Reuters—An explosion hit a railway station in the capital of China’s far western region of Xinjiang on Wednesday injuring some people, in what is likely to be seen as an embarrassing security lapse for the government. The blast happened at Urumqi’s south railway station, said a
