Middle-east Arab News Opinion | Asharq Al-awsat

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Hundreds of migrants are seen on board the decks of the Moldovan-flagged Blue Sky M cargo ship after it docked at the Italian port of Gallipoli in the early hours of December 31, 2014. (EPA/Biagio Claudio Longo)

Four migrants found dead on packed cargo ship brought to Italy

by Asharq Al-Awsat | Dec 31, 2014 | World

Rome, Reuters—Four migrants were found dead on a cargo ship that was taken to Italy after apparently being abandoned by its crew in Greek waters, the Italian Red Cross said on Wednesday. The Blue Sky M was carrying an estimated 900 migrants when it was spotted...

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UN Security Council meets to vote on Palestinian resolution demanding an end to Israeli occupation within three years, in New York, on December 30, 2014. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Palestinians plan next steps after failed UN bid

by Asharq Al-Awsat | Dec 31, 2014 | Middle East

Ramallah, AP—The Palestinian leadership is meeting Wednesday to plan its next steps after a resolution to end Israel’s occupation was rejected by the UN Security Council, and could set a date for applying to join the International Criminal Court, Palestinian...

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Masked Sunni protesters wave Islamist flags while others chant slogans at an anti-government rally in Fallujah on April 26, 2013.
(AP Photo)

Humanitarian crisis grips ISIS-held Anbar territory: medical sources

by Manaf Al-Obaidi | Dec 31, 2014 | Middle East

Anbar, Asharq Al-Awsat—Anbar residents trapped in territory under the control of Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) fighters are facing an escalating medical and humanitarian crisis due to a shortage of medicine and medical assistance and persistent power and...

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Firefighters work to put out the fire of a storage oil tank at the port of Sidra in Ras Lanuf, Libya, on December 29, 2014. (Reuters/Stringer)

Opinion: Who is Setting Libya’s Oil on Fire?

by Ali Ibrahim | Dec 31, 2014 | Opinion

Those worried about the slump in the oil market—which has seen prices of crude oil fall to their lowest levels in years—may owe a debt of gratitude to the armed militias in Libya. These groups are now setting ablaze storage tanks in the country, reducing the oil...

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File photo of the Riyadh skyline. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Opinion: The Paradigm Shift in Saudi Economic Policy

by Hussein Shobokshi | Dec 31, 2014 | Opinion

So, Saudi Arabia has announced its projected budget for 2015, setting a record for the largest budget in the Kingdom’s history. Following the announcement, Saudi Finance Minister Ibrahim Al-Assaf confirmed that Riyadh is committed to its policy of spending on...