Latest World News

World Iranians walk through Tehran's Grand Bazaar on February 24, 2026. (AFP)

Iran Rejects US Claims on Missile Program as ‘Big Lies’ 

Iran's foreign ministry on Wednesday dismissed US claims about its missile program as "big lies", after President Donald Trump claimed Tehran was developing…

Arab World Palestinian Red Crescent workers load medical supplies to be transported to Gaza, at the launch of a joint logistical operation with the European Union and the Red Cross, in the West Bank city of Beitunia, Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026. (AP)

Aid Groups Petition Israel’s Top Court to Halt Ban on Gaza, West Bank Operations 

Around 17 international humanitarian organizations have petitioned Israel’s Supreme Court to block an imminent order that would force 37 NGOs to cease…

Asharq Al Awsat (Jerusalem )
Business Officials pose for a photo following the signing of the agreement between the Gulf Cooperation Council and India. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

GCC, India Launch Free Trade Agreement Negotiations  

The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and India have formally launched negotiations for a free trade agreement (FTA), in a move officials described as a new…

Asharq Al Awsat (New Delhi)
Arab World A passenger takes his belongings after inspection at the departure hall of Baghdad's International airport on March 14, 2023. (Photo by AHMAD AL-RUBAYE / AFP)

Baghdad Airport Closed Due to 'Technical Problem'

Iraq's transport ministry said Wednesday a temporary shutdown of Baghdad International Airport was caused by an "emergency technical problem,” denying reports…

Asharq Al Awsat (Baghdad)

Trump in State of the Union Address: This is the Golden Age of America

World President Donald Trump enters to deliver the State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress in the House chamber at the US Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026. (Kenny Holston/The New York Times via AP, Pool)

Trump in State of the Union Address: This is the Golden Age of America

US President Donald Trump boasted Tuesday of a "turnaround for the ages" in his State of the Union speech, saying he had ushered in a "golden age" ahead of…

Asharq Al Awsat (Washington)

Gulf Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, chairs the Cabinet meeting in Jeddah. (SPA)

Saudi Arabia Reiterates Support for Efforts to Consolidate Regional and Int’l Development

The Saudi government reiterated on Tuesday the Kingdom’s firm stances and continuous support for efforts to achieve security and peace and consolidate regional…

Asharq Al Awsat (Jeddah)
Gulf Rwanda's President Paul Kagame and Saudi Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Waleed Elkhereiji meet in Kigali on Tuesday. (SPA)

Riyadh, Kigali Discuss Regional, Int’l Developments 

Rwanda's President Paul Kagame received Saudi Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Waleed Elkhereiji in Kigali on Tuesday for talks on regional and international…

Asharq Al Awsat (Kigali)

One Million Works Catalogued in Art UK Database

Culture Osborne Henry Mavor’s “Let Eric Remember” from Aberdeen Art Gallery. (Aberdeen archives, gallery & museums/Art UK)

One Million Works Catalogued in Art UK Database

From a bronze Rodin sculpture of Eve outside a Nando’s in Harlow to more than 6,000 artworks by JMW Turner, to a crumpled-up piece of A4 paper owned by…

Asharq Al Awsat (London)

Culture Laurence des Cars, director of Le Louvre museum, poses before a hearing at the Culture commission of the Senate, three days after historic jewels were stolen in a daring daylight heist, Oct. 22, 2025 in Paris. (AP)

Louvre Museum’s Director Resigns in Wake of Jewels Heist in Paris

The director of the Louvre Museum who had been under fire since the stunning and embarrassing heist of the French Crown jewels in October has stepped down from…

Culture The celebration underscored the role of cultural houses in strengthening national identity - SPA

Riyadh Cultural House Marks Founding Day with Creative Heritage Programs

The Riyadh Cultural House celebrated the Kingdom’s Founding Day with a range of cultural programs that highlighted national values and showcased the nation’s…

Asharq Al Awsat
Culture The events included poetry evenings, dialogue sessions, cultural performances, and interactive workshops. SPA

Riyadh Cultural House Marks Founding Day with Creative Heritage Programs

The Riyadh Cultural House celebrated the Kingdom’s Founding Day with a range of cultural programs that highlighted national values and showcased the nation’s…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Culture Al-Qibli Mosque is named for its location west of Manfuha and near the Principality Palace - SPA

Prince Mohammed bin Salman Project Renovates Historic Al-Qibli Mosque in Riyadh

The Prince Mohammed bin Salman Project for the Development of Historical Mosques continues efforts to preserve the Kingdom’s authentic architectural identity. …

Asharq Al Awsat

Cartel Violence Fuels Doubts About FIFA World Cup Games in Mexico

Sports People walk at a parking lot of a supermarket where several vehicles were consumed by flames days after a series of blockades and attacks by organized crime following a military operation in which drug cartel leader Nemesio Oseguera, known as "El Mencho," was killed, in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, February 24, 2026. REUTERS/Daniel Becerril

Cartel Violence Fuels Doubts About FIFA World Cup Games in Mexico

Hugo Alejandro Pérez was in his house a few miles from the Mexican stadium that is slated to host FIFA World Cup games when gunfire and explosions erupted just…

Asharq Al Awsat

Sports SL Benfica's assistant coach Joao Tralhao give a press conference on the eve of their UEFA Champions League knockout round playoff second leg football match against Real Madrid CF at Santiago Bernabeu Stadium in Madrid on February 24, 2026. (AFP)

‘We Won’t Talk About That’: Benfica’s Tralhao Shuts Down Questions on Prestianni 

Benfica assistant coach Joao Tralhao said his side's identity did not depend on any individual player as he declined to comment on the suspension of winger…

Sports Football - Championship - Swansea City v Preston North End - Swansea.com Stadium, Swansea, Wales, Britain - February 24, 2026 Swansea City co-owner Snoop Dogg poses with kids before the match. (Action Images via Reuters/Peter Cziborra)

Swansea Celebrity Co-Owner Snoop Dogg Receives Grand Welcome on First Visit 

American rapper ‌and producer Snoop Dogg received a guard of honor and was greeted with twirling white towels on Tuesday on his first visit to Swansea…

Sports Borussia Dortmund's coach Niko Kovac attends a press conference at the Bergamo Stadium in Bergamo, Italy, 24 Febuary 2026. EPA/MICHELE MARAVIGLIA

Dortmund Says Some Fans Will Miss Atalanta Game Due to Police Measures

Borussia ‌Dortmund said some of their fans will not be able to attend Wednesday's Champions League match at Atalanta after being denied entry to Italy…

Asharq Al Awsat
Sports Russia's Daniil Medvedev hits a return against Greece's Stefanos Tsitsipas during their men's singles match at the Qatar Open tennis tournament in Doha on February 18, 2026. (AFP)

Medvedev Calls for Ranking System Rethink to Ease Burden on Players 

Daniil Medvedev has called for ‌a streamlined ATP calendar with only Grand Slams and Masters 1000 tournaments offering ranking points, though the Russian…


Are Expensive Shampoos Worth it? Here's what the Experts Have to Say

Varieties FILE - Shampoo sits on a shelf at a store in Pittsburgh, Jan. 26, 2023. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File)

Are Expensive Shampoos Worth it? Here's what the Experts Have to Say

Ornate packaging paired with enticing advertisements that claim expensive shampoos are elixirs to all hair woes can leave one wondering: Are the higher prices…

Asharq Al Awsat

Varieties Seagulls fly along the Hudson River while snow falls on February 22, 2026 in Jersey City, New Jersey. (Getty Images/AFP)

Player Saves Stricken Seagull Hit by Ball During Match in Türkiye

A footballer's ‌quick thinking brought a seagull back to life after the bird was struck by the ball during a match in Türkiye, Anadolu Agency reported. …

Varieties A snow plow crosses Second Avenue and heads down 19th Street to clear it after a snowstorm, Monday, Feb. 23, 2026, in New York. (AP)

Northeast US Digs Out from Brutal Snowstorm That Disrupted Flights and Canceled School 

Neighbors, government workers and a powerful railroad snow-clearing machine nicknamed “Darth Vader” scrambled to dig out much of the northeastern United States…

Varieties This photo taken on February 19, 2026 shows a seven month-old male macaque monkey named Punch, who was abandoned by his mother shortly after birth, sitting with a stuffed orangutan toy at Ichikawa City Zoo and Botanical Gardens in Chiba Prefecture. (AFP/Jiji Press)

Rights Group Slams Treatment of Viral Japanese Monkey 

The plight of a baby monkey in Japan who has become an internet sensation shows the cruelty of zoos, an animal rights group said, as sales of the plush IKEA…

Varieties Horses are prepared for sale at Skaryszew's Horse Market in Skaryszew, east-central Poland, 23 February 2026. (EPA)

A Horse’s Neigh May Be Unique in the Animal Kingdom. Now Scientists Know How They Do It 

Horses whinny to find new friends, greet old ones and celebrate happy moments like feeding time. How exactly horses produce that distinctive sound — also…