Beirut and Ankara, Asharq Al-Awsat—Turkish President Abdullah Gül informed his Iranian counterpart that Tehran must respect national sovereignty and refrain from interfering in the internal affairs of regional states, a senior Turkish official said. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani began a state vis
London, Washington DC, Tunis and Beirut, Asharq Al-Awsat—Ten days after the resignation of Lakhdar Brahimi as UN and Arab League envoy to Syria, the search for a successor continues in the corridors of the UN in New York. Informed Arab diplomatic sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Ash
Karachi, Reuters—Pakistan’s Taliban insurgents claimed responsibility for an attack on a security academy at Karachi’s airport on Tuesday, less than 48 hours after an all-night siege by Taliban gunmen at Pakistan’s busiest airport that killed more than 30 people. “We accept r
With the region engulfed by turmoil, torn by crises of varying natures and magnitudes, and undergoing an important process of transformation, the time has come to consider the necessity of establishing a conference on security and cooperation in the Middle East. Such a conference would bring togethe
London, Bloomberg—OPEC ministers say they will almost certainly leave their oil-production ceiling unchanged when the group meets this week. What really matters for markets is whether Saudi Arabia will respond to global supply shortfalls by pumping a record amount of crude. Just six months ago, ener
Baghdad, Asharq Al-Awsat—Television soap operas and variety programs have become a staple of the post-sunset diet during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan in Arab countries in recent years. Traditionally, the main exporters of TV shows during the month have been Egypt, Syria and, more recently, Turke
São Paulo, Reuters—Brazilian police used tear gas on Monday to disperse metro workers on strike in São Paulo in defiance of a court order to return to work, causing major traffic congestion just three days before the city hosts the opening match of the World Cup soccer tournament. The partial subway
Beirut, Asharq Al-Awsat—Lebanese politicians are preparing for a parliamentary session on Tuesday to consider demands by public-sector workers for better pay and conditions, despite continued wrangling among Lebanese parties over the failure to elect a new president. Despite reports in local press t
Ankara, Reuters—President Hassan Rouhani, whose country’s relations with Turkey have been strained by the Syrian civil war, said in Ankara on Monday Iran would make tackling extremism, sectarian conflicts and terrorism its chief objective. Pragmatist Rouhani, whose foreign policy of “pru
Baghdad and Erbil, Asharq Al-Awsat—Iraq’s Oil Ministry accused the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) on Sunday of illegally exporting 34 billion US dollars’ worth of oil since 2010, in the latest round of a long-running feud between Baghdad and Erbil. A press release posted by the ministry on its
Baghdad, Asharq Al-Awsat—Iraqi politicians have called on Baghdad to change tactics in its attempts to recapture districts of the city of Mosul from the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). Iraqi parliamentary speaker Osama Al-Nujaifi, the leader of the Sunni Arab Muthidoun bloc in parliament, is
Tripoli, Libya, AP—Libya’s top court on Monday rejected the Islamist-led parliament’s appointment of a new prime minister in a contested vote, ending one power struggle as a renegade general’s offensive against Islamist militias in the east continues to rage. The Supreme Constituti
Over the past few days, Thai protesters have added a symbolic contribution to the world of protests and collective opposition. A stream of pictures and reports show men and women from various backgrounds demonstrating, and raising their three middle fingers of one hand up in the air. Thai protesters
Islamabad, Reuters—Taliban militants disguised as security forces stormed Pakistan’s busiest airport on Sunday and at least 27 people were killed in a night-long battle at one of the country’s most high-profile targets. The assault on Jinnah International Airport in Karachi, PakistanR
Tunis, Asharq Al-Awsat—Beginning his political career as a lawyer and pro-independence activist, Beiji Caid El-Sebsi became an advisor to Tunisia’s first president, Habib Bourguiba, after the country won its independence from France in 1956. He would go on to hold a number of senior government jobs,
Beirut, Asharq Al-Awsat—For the third consecutive year, Beirut Design Week will bring a host of talks, exhibitions, films and workshops to the Lebanese capital this week, showcasing the work of both local and international designers, and encompassing various fields such as interior design, architect
Ankara and Dubai, Reuters—Iranian, US and European Union officials will start two days of talks about Tehran’s nuclear program on Monday, Iran said, giving its first word about what appears to be a bid to rescue faltering wider negotiations on ending a decade-old dispute. Iranian Deputy Foreig
London, Asharq Al-Awsat—Saudi Arabia’s Shura Council is to discuss proposals for the Kingdom to form a new sovereign wealth fund to invest its budget surplus, Asharq Al-Awsat has learned. The proposals will be discussed in two sessions on Monday and Tuesday, after the council’s Finance Committee put
Bangkok, Reuters—Thailand’s junta kept many of the thousands of troops and police it readied to deal with protests in Bangkok on Sunday off the streets as the number of people making a public show of dissent to the May 22 coup dwindled. The military has cracked down hard on pro-democracy dissi
Baghdad, Asharq Al-Awsat—Iraqi security forces have freed thousands of students and staff from Anbar University, following an attack on its campus in Ramadi by Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) fighters on Saturday. Reports said armed men blew up the university security center and the bridge wh
