Latest World News

World  US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent speaks during an interview with The Associated Press in Asheville, NC, Sunday, Aug. 30, 2026. (AP)

Bessent Expects New US Secondary Sanctions Weekly, Aiming to Increase Pressure on Iran

The US Treasury Department is likely to unveil weekly new secondary sanctions aimed at increasing economic pressure on Iran, with an initial focus on banks, US…

Business A night view of the Gran Mosque in the holy city of Makkah, Saudi Arabia. (SPA)

Hotels Reshape the Real Estate Investment Landscape in Makkah

The real estate market in Makkah is witnessing an accelerating shift toward investment in hospitality assets, fueled by the growing numbers of Hajj and Umrah…

Sara bin Shamran (Riyadh)
Arab World A member of Syria's internal security forces in Tartus city. (SANA)

Syrian Authorities Say Killed Assad-Era Officer After Clash

Syrian security forces said on Sunday that they killed an army commander who served under ousted ruler Bashar al-Assad, after he opened fire on them as they…

World An oil tanker sails off the coast of Maracaibo, Venezuela, 29 August 2026. (EPA)

Trump Says US Will Refill Strategic Petroleum Reserve Using Venezuelan Oil

US President Donald Trump said on Sunday that oil from a recently struck deal with Venezuela will be used to replenish the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, which…

Iran Retaliates after First US Strikes in a Month

World A man drives next to a billboard of Iranian supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei in a street in Tehran, Iran, 09 July 2026. EPA/ABEDIN TAHERKENAREH

Iran Retaliates after First US Strikes in a Month

Iran vowed on Monday a "decisive response" to the first American strikes on its territory in a month, in a fresh flare-up in the Middle East war. Tehran's…

Asharq Al Awsat

Arab World People wave Libyan flags during a demonstration in Benghazi February 7, 2014. (Reuters)

Libya Rivals Agree Roadmap for Elections Within 24 Months at UN-Led Talks

Representatives of ‌Libya's rival political parties on Sunday signed an agreement on holding long-delayed national elections within two years to resolve…

Arab World The sun sets behind apartment buildings in Baghdad, Iraq, Friday, Aug. 28, 2026. (AP)

Iraq Sentences US-Sanctioned Oil Official to Prison

Iraq sentenced a US-sanctioned oil official to seven years in prison after he was arrested as part of a government-led anti-corruption campaign, the country's…

Lebanon Archaeological Finds Showcase Rich Heritage Despite War Woes

Culture An archaeologist displays an artifact found from an archaeological site in the northern coastal Lebanese town of Batroun on August 14, 2026. (AFP)

Lebanon Archaeological Finds Showcase Rich Heritage Despite War Woes

From a Roman temple to ancient olive presses, Lebanon keeps turning up archaeological treasures even as the latest Israel-Hezbollah war has caused excavations…


Culture Photo by SPA

Sakaka Cultural House, Cinema Association Screen Five Short Films

The Sakaka Cultural House, in cooperation with the Cinema Association, hosted a cultural event featuring the screening of five independent short films to…

Asharq Al Awsat
Culture Austrian media said the Van Cleef and Arpels necklace, with 673 precious stones, was worth several million dollars. (Getty Images)

Thieves Buy Tickets Before Plundering Necklace from Vienna Museum

Two men bought tickets to enter Vienna's Museum of Applied Arts (MAK) before smashing a display case, grabbing a 200-carat platinum and diamond necklace and…

Culture  Japanese avant-garde artist Yayoi Kusama, wearing a bright red wig and a Louis Vuitton polka dot scarf, speaks during an interview at her studio in Tokyo, on Aug. 1, 2012. (AP)

Yayoi Kusama, Who Splashed Polka Dots Across the Art World, Dies at 97 in Tokyo

Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama, who splashed her signature polka dots on paintings, sculptures and museum installations around the world, has died, her studio…

Culture The program includes a series of in-person workshops in Riyadh - SPA

Fashion Commission Launches Third Edition of Saudi Heritage Revival Program

The Fashion Commission has announced the launch of the third edition of the Saudi Heritage Revival program, titled “Jewelry and Handcrafted Heritage”, in…

Asharq Al Awsat

Watkins Joins Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal from Villa

Sports 27 June 2026, US, East Rutherford: England's Ollie Watkins thanks the fans after the FIFA 2026 World Cup group L match between Panama and England at New York-New Jersey Stadium.(dpa)

Watkins Joins Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal from Villa

England forward Ollie Watkins has left Aston Villa to join Al Hilal, his new Saudi club announced on Sunday. The deal follows Villa's signing of Senegal…


Sports Football - LaLiga - FC Barcelona v Athletic Club - Spotify Camp Nou, Barcelona, Spain - August 27, 2026 FC Barcelona's Lamine Yamal in action with Athletic Club's Adama Boiro. (Reuters)

Barcelona’s Yamal Getting Back to ‘Top Level’, Says Flick

Football - LaLiga - FC Barcelona v Athletic Club - Spotify Camp Nou, Barcelona, Spain - August 27, 2026 FC Barcelona's Lamine Yamal in action with Athletic…

Sports Tottenham Hotspur's manager Roberto De Zerbi gestures during the English Premier League match of Tottenham Hotspur against Newcastle United, in London, Britain, 29 August 2026. (EPA)

Spurs’ Second-Half Collapse Shows Size of De Zerbi’s Task

Tottenham Hotspur's initially improved ‌performance against Newcastle United gave way once again to familiar failings in Saturday's limp 2-0 loss, leaving…

Sports Novak Djokovic of Serbia practices against Denis Shapovalov of Canada during Fan Week as part of the 2026 US Open at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on August 27, 2026 in New York City. (Getty Images/AFP)

Djokovic Says Early Exit in Cincinnati Helped Him Prepare for US Open

Novak Djokovic said he ‌is never satisfied with early losses but that his second-round exit at the Cincinnati Open gave him extra time to prepare for the…

Sports Inductee Roger Federer poses for a photo with his golden racquet following the International Tennis Hall of Fame 2026 Induction Ceremony on August 29, 2026 in Newport, Rhode Island. (Getty Images/AFP)

Emotional Federer Full of Love and Gratitude at Hall of Fame Induction

An emotional Roger Federer said he was still writing his ‌love letter to the sport that "meant the world" to him on Saturday as the 20-time Grand Slam…


Saudi Space Agency Launches Guide to Key Astronomical Events, Phenomena Visible in Saudi Skies Through 2030

Varieties The guide is part of the agency’s efforts to raise awareness of space and astronomy. (SPA)

Saudi Space Agency Launches Guide to Key Astronomical Events, Phenomena Visible in Saudi Skies Through 2030

The Saudi Space Agency has launched an informational guide highlighting key astronomical events and phenomena expected to be visible in the skies over the…


Varieties A SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket is prepared for launch with NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope aboard at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, US, August 29, 2026. (Reuters)

NASA's Newest Space Telescope Launches on a Quest to Explore the Hidden Universe

NASA’s newest crown jewel blasted off Sunday to hunt for planets around other stars, explore secret dark energy and survey the cosmos like never before. …

Varieties This initiative falls under efforts to advance national food data systems. (SPA)

Saudi Food and Drug Authority Launches Kingdom’s First Food Composition Database

The Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA), represented by the National Nutrition Committee, has officially launched the Saudi Food Composition Database, the…

Varieties This photo released by the Mono County Search and Rescue shows volunteers conducting an operation to rescue a man stranded on a ledge in the Sierra Nevada, Calif., on Aug. 22, 2026. (Mono County Sheriff Search and Rescue via AP)

Volunteers Rescue Climber Stranded on Small Ledge in California’s Sierra Nevada

Volunteers carried out a more than 15-hour operation to rescue a man who got off route in the Sierra Nevada and was stranded on a small ledge, the Mono County…

Varieties This photograph taken on August 15, 2026 shows Ngo Thi Minh Trinh inspecting durians at a farm in Ea Knuec commune, Vietnam's Dak Lak province. (AFP)

Vietnamese Coffee Farmers Ride China’s Durian Wave

Vietnam's Central Highlands produces around one sixth of the world's coffee, but farmers are switching their traditional crop for durian to cash in on surging…