Middle-east Arab News Opinion | Asharq Al-awsat

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An Afghan election commission worker carries a ballot box as workers wait to begin the audit of the presidential run-off vote in the country’s general election at a counting centre in Kabul on August 27, 2014. (AFP PHOTO/SHAH Marai)

Afghan election audit disrupted as candidate threatens to walk out

by Asharq Al-Awsat | Aug 27, 2014 | World

Kabul, Reuters—Afghan presidential candidate Abdullah Abdullah withdrew observers from a UN-supervised audit of votes on Wednesday, a member of his team said, after threatening to pull out of an agreement to resolve a deadlocked election. The audit of ballots from a...

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Palestinians wave the national flag as they gather is the streets of Gaza City on August 26, 2014, to celebrate the long-term truce agreed between Israel and the Palestinians. (AFP PHOTO / MOHAMMED ABED)

Gaza ceasefire takes hold as focus turns to longer term

by Asharq Al-Awsat | Aug 27, 2014 | Middle East

Gaza and Jerusalem, Reuters—A ceasefire between Israel and the Palestinians aimed at ending their seven-week conflict in Gaza appeared to be holding early on Wednesday as the focus shifted to securing an arrangement for the long term. No clear victor emerged from what...

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A handout picture released by the official Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) on July 16, 2014, shows Syrian President Bashar al-Assad being sworn in for a new seven-year term, during a ceremony at the Presidential Palace in Damascus. (AFP PHOTO / HO / SANA)

Opinion: Assad’s ISIS Gambit II

by Tariq Alhomayed | Aug 27, 2014 | Opinion

As was expected, and as I predicted in an article last week, the Assad regime rushed to try and exploit the war on the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) to serve its own interests. This time, it was Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Al-Mouallem who announced that...

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Lebanese parliament speaker Nabih Berri casts his vote to elect the new Lebanese president in the parliament building in downtown Beirut on Wednesday, April 23, 2014. (AP Photo/Joesph Eid, Pool)

Berri: Lebanese presidential crisis worsening by day

by Thair Abbas | Aug 27, 2014 | Middle East

Beirut, Asharq Al-Awsat—Lebanon’s Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri admitted he was holding talks with Druze leader Walid Jumblatt to break the country’s presidential deadlock on Tuesday, but refused to give details of the initiative. Jumblatt has traditionally played...

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Opinion: Is There Such a Thing as Terrorism-Lite?

by Ali Ibrahim | Aug 27, 2014 | Opinion

If we look at the classification of fizzy drinks, those that claim to be “lite” contain less sugar. But is it possible to also apply this to the classification of terrorist and extremist groups? Could there possibly be “lite” terrorist groups in addition to the...