Arab World News

Hundreds in Somalia’s Capital Protest Israel’s Recognition of Breakaway Territory of Somaliland

Arab World People protest against Israel’s recognition of the self-declared Republic of Somaliland in Mogadishu, Somalia, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026. (AP)

Hundreds in Somalia’s Capital Protest Israel’s Recognition of Breakaway Territory of Somaliland

Hundreds of demonstrators gathered in Somalia’s capital to protest Israel’s recognition of the self-declared Republic of Somaliland, waving Somali flags and…

Arab World A French peacekeeper of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) stands by munitions formerly used by Iran-backed Hezbollah at a position that was held by the group in the Khraibeh Valley in el-Meri in south Lebanon on August 27, 2025. (AFP)

Israel Casts Doubt on Hezbollah Disarmament South of the Litani

Israel on Thursday voiced skepticism over the Lebanese Army’s announcement that its plan to seize weapons from southern Lebanon has reached an advanced stage,…

Asharq Al Awsat (Beirut)
Arab World Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar speaks during a meeting with Hungary's Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto (not pictured), in Budapest, Hungary, October 27, 2025. (Reuters)

Chinese Envoy Visited Israel and Ramallah This Week, Ministry Says

A Chinese envoy visited Israel and Ramallah ​this week and met senior officials from both sides, China's foreign ministry said in statements on ‌Friday. …

Arab World Syrian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Asaad Al-Shaibani (R) receives European Council President Antonio Costa (C) and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, during an official visit to the People's Palace in the Syrian capital Damascus on January 9, 2026. (AFP)

Syrian President Sharaa Meets with EU Chief von der Leyen

Syria's President Ahmed al-Sharaa met with European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen on Friday, state media said, as she became the highest ranking EU…

Arab World Thick smoke rises from areas of fighting between the Syrian army and the SDF in Aleppo (EPA) 

Türkiye Calls on SDF to ‘Renounce Terrorism’, Abandon Separatism

Türkiye has urged the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) to renounce terrorism and abandon what it described as separatist ambitions that threaten Syria’s unity,…

Saeed Abdulrazek (Ankara)

Arab World Rubble lies at the site of Thursday's Israeli strike on a house, in the central Gaza Strip, January 9, 2026. (Reuters)

Gaza Civil Defense Says Israeli Attacks Kill 13 Including 5 Children

Gaza's civil defense agency said Israeli attacks in the Palestinian territory on Thursday killed at least 13 people, including five children, despite a…

Arab World Vice President of Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council Abdul Rahman Al-Mahrami and United Nations Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg meet in Riyadh. (State media)

UN Envoy to Yemen Invited to Southern Yemen Conference

Vice President of Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council Abdul Rahman Al-Mahrami, also known as Abou Zaraa, held talks in Riyadh on Thursday with United…

Arab World Amer Bisat, the Lebanese minister of Economy and Trade, speaks during an interview with Associated Press, in Beirut, Lebanon, Thursday, Jan.8, 2026. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

Lebanon’s Economy Minister: Financial Recovery Will Rest on Security and Political Reforms

Lebanon's moves to remove weapons from all non-state groups and assert full state control are as important as financial reforms if the economy is to recover…

Asharq Al Awsat
Arab World Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council Chairman Rashad al-Alimi receives UN envoy Hans Grundberg in Riyadh (Saba News Agency)

Al-Alimi Urges Civilian Protection, Warns Against Militarizing Politics

Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council Chairman Rashad al-Alimi met the United Nations special envoy to Yemen, Hans Grundberg, in Riyadh on Thursday, as the…

Asharq Al Awsat (Aden)
Arab World Palestinians walk past destroyed buildings in a neighborhood heavily damaged during the war, in Gaza City, January 5, 2026. (Reuters)

Senior Hamas Official to Asharq Al-Awsat: Committed to Handing Gaza Governance to Palestinian Body

A senior source in Hamas cast doubt on Israel’s intentions to sustain the ceasefire in Gaza and move to its second phase, which provides for withdrawal from…

Asharq Al Awsat (Gaza)
Arab World From the civil protest movement in Aleppo’s Ashrafieh district in 2013, which brought together Arabs and Kurds (Aqil Hussein archive)

From ‘Jabal al-Sayyida’ to ‘Sheikh Maqsoud,’ Ashrafieh’s Syriac Roots

Aqil Hussein, a Syrian activist and journalist from Aleppo, reflects on his ties to the neighborhoods of Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh, now the scene of…

Asharq Al Awsat (Aleppo)
Arab World Aden Adde International Airport in Mogadishu. (SONNA)

Somalia Probes Use of Its Airspace, Territory in Al-Zubaidi’s Escape

Somalia opened an urgent investigation on Thursday into reports that its airspace and airports were used without authorization to facilitate the movement of…

Asharq Al Awsat (Mogadishu)
Arab World FILE - Workers distribute food aid from the World Food Program at a refugee camp in Dolo, Somalia on July 18. 2012. (AP Photo/Jason Straziuso, file)

US Pauses Some Aid to Somalia, South Sudan over 'Theft'

The United States paused aid in Somalia and South Sudan on Thursday over reports of theft and government interference, declaring a "zero-tolerance policy" for…

Asharq Al Awsat
Arab World Security forces affiliated with the Ministry of the Interior stand guard in the Ashrafieh neighborhood, which they have taken control of, according to the Ministry of the Interior, following battles with the Syrian Democratic Forces, in Aleppo, Syria, January 9, 2026. (Reuters)

Syrian Government Announces Ceasefire in Aleppo After Deadly Clashes

Syria's defense ministry announced a ceasefire in Aleppo on Friday after days of deadly clashes between the army and Kurdish fighters forced thousands of…

Arab World Sacked Defense Minister and commander of the armed forces Mohsen al-Daeri. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Al-Alimi Sacks Yemen Defense Minister

Chairman of Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council Dr. Rashad al-Alimi sacked on Thursday Defense Minister and commander of the armed forces Mohsen al-Daeri,…

Asharq Al Awsat (Aden)
Arab World Civilians carry their bags and belongings as they flee following renewed clashes between the Syrian army and the Syrian Democratic Forces, in Aleppo, Syria, January 8, 2026. REUTERS/Mahmoud Hassano

Syrian Army Orders Evacuations as Heavy Fighting Grips Aleppo's Kurdish Areas

The Syrian army clashed with fighters from the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) ​in parts of Aleppo on Thursday and ordered residents to evacuate,…

Asharq Al Awsat
Arab World Lebanese soldiers stand in front of a building targeted by an Israeli airstrike in the village of Deir Kifa in south Lebanon last month. (AFP file)

Lebanese Military Moves to New Phase of Disarming Non-state Groups like Hezbollah

The Lebanese military said Thursday it had concluded the first phase of their plan to fully deploy across southern Lebanon and disarm non-state groups, notably…

Asharq Al Awsat

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Arab World Rockets are fired by Palestinian militants into Israel, amid Israeli-Palestinian fighting, in Gaza City August 5, 2022. REUTERS/Mohammed Salem

Israel Strikes Gaza Rocket Launch Site, Ceasefire Deal under Strain

Israel's military said on Thursday it had carried out a targeted strike on a rocket launch site near Gaza City after identifying a failed launch, as questions…

Asharq Al Awsat
Arab World Menfi during the adoption of the National Reconciliation Charter in Tripoli (Presidential Council)

Libya’s Presidential Council Adopts National Reconciliation Charter Amid Rising Divisions

Libya’s Presidential Council Chairman Mohamed al-Menfi on Wednesday adopted the National Reconciliation Charter, describing it as “the beginning of a new phase…

Khaled Mahmoud (Cairo)
Arab World Israeli soldiers stand outside UNRWA’s headquarters in the Gaza Strip (AFP)

Pay Cuts and Layoffs: UNRWA Faces Sudden Crisis with Palestinian Institutions

A crisis has erupted between the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) and several Palestinian institutions following a…

Asharq Al Awsat (Gaza)
Arab World Retired Lebanese General Security officer Ahmad Shukr, who was abducted in eastern Lebanon (Family file photo / Asharq Al-Awsat)

Lebanese Expat Admits to Working with Israel in Abduction of Former Officer

Lebanese authorities have concluded their investigation into the abduction and disappearance of retired General Security captain Ahmed Shukr, reaching what…

Youssef Diab (Beirut)
Arab World FILE - Lebanese army soldiers walk through a tunnel dug into a mountain that was used by Hezbollah fighters as a clinic and storage facility near the Lebanese-Israeli border in the Zibqin Valley, southern Lebanon, Nov. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein, File)

Lebanon: Army Says Achieved State Monopoly on Arms in the South in 'Effective’ Way

The Lebanese army said on Thursday that it had achieved the goal of a state monopoly on arms in the country’s south in an "effective and tangible way", but…

Asharq Al Awsat (Beirut)
Arab World Abdel Fattah el-Sisi during the reception of Abdel Fattah al-Burhan in Cairo last month (Egyptian Presidency)

Egypt Calls for Safe Shelter, Humanitarian Access to Sudanese

Cairo on Wednesday affirmed the need to provide safe shelter and unimpeded humanitarian access to Sudanese, condemning the massacres and serious violations…

Asharq Al Awsat (Cairo)
Arab World Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council (PLC) Chairman Dr. Rashad Al-Alimi. saba

Yemen’s Al-Alimi Removes Several Officials from their Positions

Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council (PLC) Chairman Dr. Rashad Al-Alimi has issued a series of decisions, including dismissals, referrals for investigation,…

Asharq Al Awsat (Aden)
Arab World  Yemeni National Shield forces during the recapture of military camps in Hadhramaut and Al-Mahrah (Reuters)

Yemen Minister Says Efforts Underway to Bring Capital Back to Hadhramaut

At a critical moment when the Yemeni government is seeking to rebuild confidence in the national economy, official indicators suggest a tangible improvement in…

Said Al-Abiad (Jeddah)
Arab World Smoke billows in the distance, in Aleppo, northern Syria, 07 January 2026. (EPA)

Deadly Clashes in Syria’s Aleppo Deepen Rift Between Govt, Kurdish Forces

Fierce fighting in Syria's northern city of Aleppo between government forces and Kurdish fighters killed at least four people on Wednesday and drove thousands…

Arab World Presidential Leadership Council member Abdul Rahman Al-Mahrami Abou Zaraa during a previous meeting with the Hadhramaut governor, attended by adviser Jaber Mohammed. (Photo courtesy of Abu Zaraa’s office)

Presidential Adviser to Asharq Al-Awsat: Security Stable in Yemen’s Aden

Security in Yemen’s interim capital, Aden, was stable on Wednesday, a senior official said, after security forces moved swiftly to deploy across the city and…

Abdulhadi Habtor (Riyadh) Aziz Mathari (Riyadh)
Arab World Palestinians walk through the ruins of destroyed buildings in Gaza City, Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026. (AP)

Cairo to Host Hamas Delegation Next Week to Advance Gaza Ceasefire Deal

A Palestinian source told Asharq Al-Awsat on Tuesday that Cairo will host a delegation from Hamas next week for talks aimed at advancing a ceasefire agreement…

Mohamed Mahmoud (Cairo)
Arab World 16 March 2018, Austria, Vienna: Abbas Araqchi, then Deputy Foreign Minister of Iran, gives an interview in Vienna. (dpa)

Report: Iran’s Foreign Minister to Visit Lebanon on Thursday

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi told the Mehr news ​agency he will visit Lebanon on Thursday with an economic delegation. A US-backed ceasefire agreed…