Moscow, Reuters—Russian natural gas producer Gazprom announced a more than 40 percent increase in the price of gas for Ukraine on Tuesday, stepping up economic pressure on Kiev in its crisis in relations with Moscow. Price rows have in the past led to cuts in Russian gas supplies to Ukraine and decr
Kuala Lumpur and Perth, Reuters—The last words from the cockpit of a missing Malaysian jet were a standard “Good night Malaysian three seven zero,” Malaysian authorities said, changing their account of the critical last communication from a more casual “All right, good night.”
London, Asharq Al-Awsat—Libyan authorities released three men on Monday who were arrested aboard the rogue Morning Glory oil tanker. The men were detained aboard the tanker when it was seized by US Navy SEALs two weeks ago at the request of the Libyan government, after it had taken on oil from the r
Baghdad, Asharq Al-Awsat—The Iraqi security forces’ Joint Operations Command has stepped up operations against insurgents in Iraq’s restive Anbar Province in a pre-emptive step to prevent them from moving on Baghdad, Asharq Al-Awsat has learned. Following their seizure of the Anbar and Diyala provin
Tripoli, Reuters—Libya is burning through central bank reserves and scrapping infrastructure projects to overcome its worst budget crisis in decades after the seizure of oil installations by armed groups has reduced the government’s income almost to zero. Oil exports—Libya’s lifeline—fel
Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) has incurred every assault imaginable in the lead up to Sunday’s municipal elections. Now those who voted against the AKP in Sunday’s polls are in shock, wondering what it will take to harm the ruling party after it won around 45 percent of the vot
Islamabad, Reuters—Former Pakistani president Pervez Musharraf pleaded not guilty to five counts of treason on Monday in the latest chapter of a long-running drama between the increasingly assertive judiciary and its former military ruler. Musharraf faces the death penalty if he is convicted of char
Cairo, Asharq Al-Awsat—A former aide of ousted Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi leaked classified intelligence and security documents to a foreign country and to Al Jazeera, Egypt’s Interior Minister Ibrahim Mohamed said on Sunday. Speaking at a news conference, Mohamed said: “National security inve
Tunis, Asharq Al-Awsat—Taïeb Baccouche, Secretary-General of the Tunisian Call Movement, confirmed on Sunday that a number of parties are seeking to join the secularist Union pour la Tunisie electoral alliance ahead of presidential and parliamentary elections planned for later this year. In comments
Ankara, Asharq Al-Awsat—The recent turmoil that has rocked Turkish politics has focused the spotlight back on the country, after three years of the fallout from the Arab Spring monopolizing the world’s attention. The Gezi Park protests that broke out in Istanbul in May last year have been followed b
Paris, Reuters—US Secretary of State John Kerry broke from his travel schedule for the second time in a week to rush back to the Middle East on Monday to try to salvage Israeli-Palestinian peace talks. The US-brokered negotiations faced a crisis at the weekend when Israel, saying it was seeking a Pa
Yokohama, Reuters—Global warming poses a growing threat to the health, economic prospects and food and water sources of billions of people, top scientists said in a UN report on Monday that urged swift action to counter the effects of carbon emissions. The UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Chang
Nine minutes. No blood, no tears, no screams and no speeches. These nine minutes of footage from a refugee camp in Syria were far more expressive than other countless videos I have seen from Syria, which may have now unintentionally transformed the Syrian tragedy into a monotonous tale boring the pu
Kuwait, Reuters—Kuwait Projects Company (KIPCO), the Gulf state’s largest listed investment company, plans to start the process for an initial public offering (IPO) of shares for its pay-television unit, Orbit Showtime Network (OSN), within weeks, it said on Monday Deputy Chairman Faisal Al-Ay
Ankara and Istanbul, Reuters—Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan declared victory in local polls that had become a referendum on his rule and said he would “enter the lair” of enemies who have accused him of corruption and leaked state secrets. “They will pay for this,̶
Following the fragmentation and infighting that ravaged Arab societies in the aftermath of the so-called Arab Spring, Arabs appear to be back at square one. With its wars, armed gangs and jihadist and Islamist groups, Libya serves as the best example of post-Arab Spring chaos, even before we conside
Baghdad, Asharq Al-Awsat—Local politics in Iraq’s restive Anbar province resulted in the failure of an initiative to find a political solution to end the ongoing conflict in the region, an Anbar provincial council member told Asharq Al-Awsat on Saturday. Anbar Provincial Council member Adhal Al-Fahd
Cairo, AP—Egypt’s presidential election will be held in late May, the electoral commission announced on Sunday, finally setting dates for the crucial vote widely expected to be won by the country’s former military chief who ousted an elected president last year. The election commission s
The Syrian crisis was one of the most prominent topics discussed at the 35th Arab summit in Kuwait, which ended earlier this week. This importance does not only stem from the effects the conflict has on inter-Arab relations, but also from the latest Syrian and Arab movements which took place in the
Beirut, AP—A suicide bomber in an explosives-laden car targeted a Lebanese army checkpoint near the Syrian border on Saturday evening, killing three soldiers, the Lebanese military said. The attack near the eastern border town of Arsal came after forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad rout
