Tunis, Asharq Al-Awsat—Tunisia’s Ennahda Movement may have stepped down from government following months of political instability and a wide-ranging national dialogue, but that isn’t stopping leader Rachid Ghannouchi from preparing for upcoming presidential and parliamentary elections expected by th
Tikrit, Reuters— Iraqi helicopters bombed the city of Samarra after insurgents overran parts of it early on Thursday, bringing them within striking distance of a Shi’ite shrine whose destruction in a 2006 attack unleashed a bitter sectarian war. The offensive is part of an escalating conflict
Kabul, AP—Two blasts struck the convoy of Afghan presidential candidate Abdullah Abdullah as it left a campaign event at a wedding hall in the capital, Kabul, on Friday, killing four civilians but leaving the candidate himself unharmed, the Interior Ministry said. Ministry spokesman Sediq Sediqqi sa
Just hours after the recent Soma mine disaster, the Israeli embassy in Ankara cancelled an Israeli Independence Day ceremony out of respect for Turkey’s tragedy. Tel Aviv also announced that it was ready to provide any technical or medical support Ankara needed to speed the rescue operations. This w
Tunis, Asharq Al-Awsat—King Mohammed VI of Morocco’s state visit to Tunisia last weekend came as part of his efforts to renew the Arab Maghreb Union and strengthen ties with Tunisia, said Moroccan Foreign Minister Salaheddine Mezouar, dismissing rumors that the trip came in response to Algerian̵
And so the turmoil has at last come to an end. Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi is the new president of Egypt. He comes to office on the back of a massive wave of popularity, securing almost double the number of votes that brought Muslim Brotherhood president Mohamed Mursi to power. Egypt is now truly turning a
Ever since the study of international politics began, commentators have compared the world order at any given time to an architectural structure designed by a leading power that acts as guarantor of its stability. Throughout history, different leading powers have played that role: Assyrians, Babylon
Niamey, Niger—Authorities in Niger have destroyed safe houses owned by human trafficking networks for sheltering illegal migrants and forcibly turned back anyone without a valid identity document in towns near its northern border, a government minister said on Thursday. The government has promised t
Reuters–Algeria proved they are capable of beating top teams at the World Cup in Brazil with a 2-1 win over Romania in their final warm-up game, coach Vahid Halilhodzic said. He declared the 2-1 victory in Geneva one of the side’s best performances since he took over three year ago. “The
In the shadow of Dubai’s glittering skyscrapers, creaking, colorful wooden dhows line the historic Creek waterway, groaning with Korean television sets, Indian basmati rice, Iranian pistachios and Chinese-made T-shirts and shoes. Many of the sailors aboard those dhows hail from Gujarat, the home sta
Tikrit, Reuters—Sunni insurgents overran parts of the city of Samarra in northern Iraq early on Thursday, bringing them within striking distance of a Shi’ite shrine that was previously the trigger for sectarian war. The offensive is part of an escalating war between Iraq’s Shi’ite-
Sana’a, Asharq Al-Awsat—Yemeni forces and Shi’ite Houthi rebels agreed a ceasefire deal in the northern province of Amran on Wednesday, following recent clashes between the two sides. The deal took effect on Wednesday and stipulated an end to all military reinforcements from both sides, the deployme
Manama, Asharq Al-Awsat—Bahrain’s national carrier, Gulf Air, is looking to enter into strategic alliances with a number of other companies within the aviation sector in order to provide a more comprehensive roster of commercial aviation services going beyond passenger and cargo travel, according to
Baghdad, Asharq Al-Awsat—Rival Shi’ite political blocs have reiterated their strong opposition to Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri Al-Maliki’s bid for a third term in office, amid claims by each side that they secured the majority required to form a government. The National Alliance—comprised o
Brussels, Reuters—The world’s leading industrialized nations threatened on Wednesday to impose harder-hitting sanctions on Russia if it does not help restore stability to eastern Ukraine, where pro-Russian militias continue to operate at will. While Ukraine was able to hold a largely peaceful
Beirut, Asharq Al-Awsat—The presidential vacuum that has endured in Lebanon since former president Michel Suleiman left office on May 25 is being met with general “apathy” by lawmakers tasked with electing a new president, according to deputy parliamentary speaker Farid Makari. In a broad-ranging in
Erbil, Asharq Al-Awsat—As tensions rise between the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and Baghdad over Erbil’s decision to export oil independently of the Iraqi government, the Kurdistan region and its residents are feeling the full brunt of the dispute. The Iraqi government considers the export o
Egyptian president-elect Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi dedicated most of his electoral campaign to addressing domestic issues and Egyptian citizens’ concerns. He did not say much about international affairs, such as Libya’s stability or defending the Gulf. Some websites affiliated with the Syrian regim
In an atmosphere of illusions, hopes and the calculations of defeat and victory, the presidency of Lebanon remains vacant. The vacancy at the presidential palace can be attributed to a host of factors. First, there are Lebanese who still believe—whether wrongly or rightly—that they are f
London, Asharq Al-Awsat—British journalist Alan Philps had had a storied career in the British and international media, starting out as a Reuters correspondent before joining the Daily Telegraph as a Middle East correspondent. He is currently editor of The World Today, published by Chatham House. He
