http://www.aawsat.com/english Asharq Alawsat English Edition is your insight into the Middle East en-us © 2005 Saudi Research and Publishing Sat, 27 Jan 2012 17:50:23 GMT 1 http://www.aawsat.com/english http://www.aawsat.com/english/images/aaaeng.gif 144 33 Asharq-e delivers up-to-the-minute news and information on the latest stories, weather, entertainment, politics in the Middle East http://www.aawsat.com/english/news.asp?section=2&id=28254 The reactions to the latest Arab initiative suggest that the Syrian crisis is now approaching difficult months and a further escalation in the cycle of violence, murder and repression. The regime has Sat, 27 Jan 2012 17:50:23 GMT http://www.aawsat.com/english/news.asp?section=2&id=28248 Ever since the mullahs seized power 32 years ago, Washington and its allies have looked for a “silver bullet” to compel Tehran to modify aspects of its behaviour. The list of sanctions against Iran Sat, 27 Jan 2012 17:50:23 GMT http://www.aawsat.com/english/news.asp?section=1&id=28260 GENEVA, (AFP) — At least 384 children have been killed during 10 months of violence in Syria and almost the same number detained, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) said on Friday. "As of Sat, 27 Jan 2012 17:50:23 GMT http://www.aawsat.com/english/news.asp?section=1&id=28257 DAVOS, (AFP)— The head of the UN's atomic watchdog urged Iran Friday to engage constructively with a team of inspectors heading to Tehran, after a damning report on Iran's nuclear programme. Speaking Sat, 27 Jan 2012 17:50:23 GMT http://www.aawsat.com/english/news.asp?section=1&id=28256 CAIRO, (AFP) — Protesters marched to Cairo's Tahrir Square on Friday to join thousands there demanding democratic change, a year after the uprising that toppled veteran president Hosni Mubarak. After Sat, 27 Jan 2012 17:50:23 GMT http://www.aawsat.com/english/news.asp?section=1&id=28255 Beirut/London, Asharq Al-Awsat – At a time when the Free Syrian Army [FSA] is in control of the town of Zabadani, close to the Lebanese border, and other areas of the country, and rumors abound about Sat, 27 Jan 2012 17:50:23 GMT http://www.aawsat.com/english/news.asp?section=1&id=28249 AMMAN, (Reuters) - Security forces killed 37 people in Syria on Friday, activists and residents said, as people in Homs mourned 14 members of a family they said were slain by militiamen in one of the Sat, 27 Jan 2012 17:50:23 GMT http://www.aawsat.com/english/news.asp?section=1&id=28251 KABUL, (Reuters) - Senior Afghan peace negotiators believe the Taliban are willing to significantly soften past hardline ideologies, with its leaders already laying the ground for possible peace talks Sat, 27 Jan 2012 17:50:23 GMT http://www.aawsat.com/english/news.asp?section=1&id=28252 BAGHDAD, (Reuters) - At least 29 people were killed when a suicide bomber detonated his explosives near a Baghdad marketplace on Friday, the latest attack on a mainly Shi'ite neighborhood since a political Sat, 27 Jan 2012 17:50:23 GMT http://www.aawsat.com/english/news.asp?section=7&id=28245 London, Asharq Al-Awsat – Following years of hard work and preparation, the “Hajj: Journey to the Heart of Islam” exhibition was unveiled at the British Museum in London yesterday. This represents Fri, 26 Jan 2012 17:50:23 GMT http://www.aawsat.com/english/news.asp?section=3&id=28243 London, Asharq Al-Awsat- Threatened with impeachment before departing his country and with arrest on his return, General Pervez Musharraf is not one to shy away from controversy. His rule of Pakistan Fri, 26 Jan 2012 17:50:23 GMT http://www.aawsat.com/english/news.asp?section=2&id=28242 On the 17th July 2011, following the visit of the Arab League Secretary General, Nabil el-Araby, to Syria, and his meeting with Bashar al-Assad, and the comments that followed, I wrote an article that Fri, 26 Jan 2012 17:50:23 GMT http://www.aawsat.com/english/news.asp?section=2&id=28239 In the summer of 1989, my family decided to spend the summer holidays in Syria. The plan was for the family to spend some time in Damascus, then move on to stay in one of the country houses overlooking Fri, 26 Jan 2012 17:50:23 GMT http://www.aawsat.com/english/news.asp?section=1&id=28244 DAVOS, Switzerland (AP) — An influential member of the Saudi royal family warned Wednesday that unless the Middle East becomes a nuclear weapon-free zone, a nuclear arms race is inevitable and could Fri, 26 Jan 2012 17:50:23 GMT http://www.aawsat.com/english/news.asp?section=1&id=28246 CAIRO, (AFP) — The Muslim Brotherhood, the big winners of Egypt's parliamentary vote, will not field a candidate for the Egyptian presidency, its leader Mohammed Badie said on Thursday. "The Muslim Brotherhood Fri, 26 Jan 2012 17:50:23 GMT http://www.aawsat.com/english/news.asp?section=1&id=28247 TEHRAN, (AFP) - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Thursday that Tehran is ready to sit down with world powers for talks on its nuclear drive as he downplayed the harmful effects of newly imposed Fri, 26 Jan 2012 17:50:23 GMT http://www.aawsat.com/english/news.asp?section=1&id=28234 UNITED NATIONS, (Reuters) - The U.N. Security Council could vote as early as next week on a Western-Arab draft resolution endorsing the Arab League's call for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to transfer Fri, 26 Jan 2012 17:50:23 GMT http://www.aawsat.com/english/news.asp?section=1&id=28235 AMMAN, (AFP) — Former Jordanian intelligence chief Mohammed Dahabi was barred from leaving the country and had his assets frozen late on Wednesday by order of Jordan's general prosecutor, a judicial Fri, 26 Jan 2012 17:50:23 GMT http://www.aawsat.com/english/news.asp?section=1&id=28236 CAIRO (AP) — Hundreds of thousands thronged major squares across Egypt on Wednesday, marking the first anniversary of the uprising that toppled Hosni Mubarak with rallies that laid bare the divisions Fri, 26 Jan 2012 17:50:23 GMT http://www.aawsat.com/english/news.asp?section=1&id=28237 UNITED NATIONS, (Reuters) - Detainees from Libya's civil war held by revolutionary brigades continue to be subjected to torture despite efforts by the provisional government to address the issue, the Fri, 26 Jan 2012 17:50:23 GMT http://www.aawsat.com/english/news.asp?section=1&id=28238 RAMALLAH, Palestinian Territories, (AFP) — The Palestinians ruled out any more talks about a resumption of Middle East peace negotiations Wednesday after a fifth meeting in Jordan produced "not one Fri, 26 Jan 2012 17:50:23 GMT http://www.aawsat.com/english/news.asp?section=1&id=28240 NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. Muslim civil rights groups demanded the resignation of New York Police Commissioner Ray Kelly on Wednesday amid a controversy over the repeated screening of an offensive Fri, 26 Jan 2012 17:50:23 GMT http://www.aawsat.com/english/news.asp?section=2&id=28228 According to a news piece carried by the official [Syrian] news agency, an official source reported that the Syrian regime has rejected the new Arab initiative, which had drawn up a roadmap similar Thu, 25 Jan 2012 17:50:23 GMT http://www.aawsat.com/english/news.asp?section=2&id=28232 The Egyptian people yesterday witnessed the birth of a new parliament; this is the first parliament that truly represents the people since the 1952 military coup which consecrated the rule of dictatorship Thu, 25 Jan 2012 17:50:23 GMT http://www.aawsat.com/english/news.asp?section=2&id=28229 Our region has witnessed, and is witnessing, a series of events that show that Tehran is now receiving blow after blow, rather than receiving any kind of deal! Here we see Baghdad and Beirut moving Thu, 25 Jan 2012 17:50:23 GMT http://www.aawsat.com/english/news.asp?section=1&id=28225 Cairo/Beirut, Asharq Al-Awsat – The Arab League and Qatar have formally requested a meeting with United Nations [UN] Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon to ask for the Security Council’s “support” in dealing Thu, 25 Jan 2012 17:50:23 GMT http://www.aawsat.com/english/news.asp?section=1&id=28226 CAIRO (AP) — Thousands of Egyptians rallied Wednesday to mark the first anniversary of the country's 2011 uprising, with liberals and Islamists gathering on different sides of Cairo's Tahrir Square Thu, 25 Jan 2012 17:50:23 GMT http://www.aawsat.com/english/news.asp?section=1&id=28227 SANAA (Reuters) - Militants are leaving a Yemeni town they seized last week in exchange for the formation of a council to govern it and the release of several jailed comrades, a tribesman involved in Thu, 25 Jan 2012 17:50:23 GMT http://www.aawsat.com/english/news.asp?section=1&id=28233 Cairo, Asharq Al-Awsat – Muslim Brotherhood spokesman Mahmoud Ghazlan informed Asharq Al-Awsat that his group categorically rejects the principle of dialogue with Israel. He stressed that the Thu, 25 Jan 2012 17:50:24 GMT http://www.aawsat.com/english/news.asp?section=7&id=28223 Complete list of 84th Annual Academy Award nominations announced Tuesday: 1. Best Picture: "The Artist," ''The Descendants," ''Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close," ''The Help," ''Hugo," ''Midnight Wed, 24 Jan 2012 17:50:24 GMT