Maronite Patriarch Bechara Al-Rahi is tireless and unwavering in his calls for the election of a “strong” Lebanese president, who under Lebanon’s constitution must be a Maronite. The term “strong president” has many different possible connotations. The most prominent is that the president should enj
Cairo, Asharq Al-Awsat—Despite being designated as a terrorist organization in December 2013, members of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood are seeking to retain a voice in post-Mursi Egyptian politics and even participate in the forthcoming parliamentary elections, say opponents of the movement. Egypt
Kabul, Asharq Al-Awsat— Despite worries that action by the Taliban would prove to be an insurmountable obstacle, Afghanistan’s election on April 5 saw a turnout of around 60 percent. There has since been some evidence of fraud, presented by the head of the country’s election complaints commission on
Last week was an eventful one in Turkey: the Syrian conflict continued to threaten stability and security along the southern border, the disgraceful Twitter ban was lifted, and of course there were the local elections. As these words were being written, the ban on YouTube was also lifted. Yet people
London and Athens, Reuters—Greece, at risk of crashing out of the euro zone just two years ago, will issue its first sovereign bond in almost four years on Thursday, seeking to send a strong political and economic signal it is on the way out of its debt crisis. International banks have been mandated
Jeddah and London, Asharq Al-Awsat—As two more people were reported dead on Wednesday in Jeddah from the MERS coronavirus, as a high-level source in the Saudi Health Ministry reported that the average age of people being infected is dropping. The Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) was first rep
Cairo and London, Asharq Al-Awsat—Egyptian security forces claim to have defused a number of explosive devices on the campuses of Al-Azhar and Ain Shams universities in Cairo on Tuesday. The latest incident comes after a series of bombs hidden in palm trees exploded at Cairo University last week, ki
London, Reuters—Chelsea reached the Champions League semi-finals with a late Demba Ba goal that secured a dramatic away-goals win over Paris St Germain on Tuesday, while Real Madrid held off a spirited Borussia Dortmund fightback. Chelsea secure dramatic victory Chelsea snatched a dramatic late goal
It is impossible to count the number of times I have heard someone say that we live in a “global village,” one that has become so interconnected due to the information technology revolution, international trade networks, the movement of people and goods, and the interweaving of different cultures an
Islamadad, AP—A bomb ripped through a fruit and vegetable market on the outskirts of the Pakistani capital of Islamabad on Wednesday morning, killing at least 21 people and leaving dozens more wounded, officials said. The massive blast was the latest attack to shake Pakistan even as government negot
Tripoli, Reuters—Libya’s parliament asked Prime Minister Abdullah Al-Thinni on Tuesday to form a new government within a week after the cabinet demanded more powers to tackle the disorder crippling the OPEC country. The weak central government, which must be reconfirmed by parliament every two
Baghdad, Asharq Al-Awsat—A pro-government Iraqi militia leader said on Tuesday that government forces had thwarted attempts by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) to sabotage the country’s water distribution system. The Leader of the Sons of Iraq Council, Mohammad Al-Hayis, said government tr
Riyadh, Asharq Al-Awsat—Saudi cellular phone operator Mobily and Taiwanese smartphone maker HTC have entered into a strategic partnership in a bid to book a larger slice of the rapidly growing Saudi smartphone market from rivals Apple and Samsung. Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat at a press conference on
Beirut, Asharq Al-Awsat—Despite being mooted as a presidential candidate many times, the leader of the Lebanese Forces Party Dr. Samir Geagea has, until now, never officially put himself forward as a potential head of state. All that changed last week, when the Lebanese Forces, the second-largest Ch
Iranian president Hassan Rouhani’s apparently firm determination to convince at least a third of Iranians to voluntarily decline the monthly cash payouts that replaced certain subsidies from March 20—the first day of the new Persian year—clearly stems from economic necessity. Both the de
Because the situation is constantly changing, no one knows for certain how long it will take before everything settles down following the wave of political change that has affected some Arab regimes since the protests of 2011. The consequences continue to unfold, and some of them have been very bloo
London, AP—Ireland’s president was welcomed with regal pomp to Queen Elizabeth II’s Windsor Castle home on Tuesday, opening a state visit heavy with symbolism for two countries with a tangled and troubled history. President Michael D. Higgins’ visit is the first by an Irish head of
Last December, Egyptian academic Mariz Tadros wrote that women’s human security was not on anyone’s agenda. According to her research, the security breakdown since the Arab uprisings has led to a dramatic rise in incidents of sexual harassment due to the sense among perpetrators that, in the absence
Beirut, Asharq Al-Awsat—At least eight people were killed and 10 injured in clashes between two Palestinian factions at the Mieh Mieh Palestinian refugee camp near the Lebanese city of Sidon on Monday. The leader of Fatah’s Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades in Lebanon, Brig. Gen. Munir Al-Maqdah, said the cl
Baghdad, Asharq Al-Awsat—Opponents of Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri Al-Maliki broadened the coalition of groups seeking to prevent him winning a third term in office on Monday, as the campaign for the parliamentary elections at the end of this month reaches its peak. Moqtada Al-Sadr, the leader of the S
