Middle-east Arab News Opinion | Asharq Al-awsat

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New Saudi King Salman attends a ceremony with world leaders offering their condolences following the death of the late Saudi King, Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, at the Diwan royal palace in Riyadh January 24, 2015. (Reuters/Yoan Valat)

Opinion: The Future of Saudi Foreign Policy

by Abdulrahman Al-Rashed | Jan 29, 2015 | Opinion

So far, there has been no indication that Saudi Arabia intends to change the direction of its foreign policy, either partially or completely. Saudi policy is usually set in stone, though the world around the Kingdom has changed a lot. Therefore it’s not necessary for...

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Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is working to secure release of Japanese journalist held by ISIS before deadline expires on January 29, 2015. (AP Photo/Shizuo Kambayashi)

Japan says it trusts Jordan to help ISIS hostage

by Asharq Al-Awsat | Jan 29, 2015 | Middle East

Tokyo, AP—Japan said it was putting its trust in Jordan to help gain the release of a Japanese journalist held by Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) militants, after the latest message purportedly from his captors extended until sundown Thursday in the Middle East...

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Two heavily armed police officers assist a hostage away from Lindt Cafe in Martin Place in central Sydney on December 16, 2014. (Reuters/Jason Reed)

Inquest: Sydney café hostage killed by police bullet

by Asharq Al-Awsat | Jan 29, 2015 | World

Sydney, AP—A hostage who died during a siege in a downtown Sydney cafe was killed when she was struck by fragments of a bullet fired from a police officer’s gun as authorities stormed in to end the 16-hour standoff, a lawyer told an inquest on Thursday. Katrina...

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United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees António Guterres gestures during a news conference at the launch of the Global Humanitarian appeal for 2015 at the UN European headquarters in Geneva on December 8, 2014. (Reuters/Pierre Albouy)

UN refugee chief: The world doesn’t understand the extent of the refugee crisis

by Mina Al-Oraibi | Jan 29, 2015 | Interviews

Davos, Asharq Al-Awsat—António Guterres has one of the toughest jobs in the world today. As the UN high commissioner for refugees he has a mandate to help relieve the suffering of the world’s displaced peoples, at a time when there are more of them than there have...