Latest World News

Arab World Direct Jeddah-Socotra flights aim to revive Yemen archipelago economy (X)

Saudi Support Puts Yemen’s Socotra Back on Global Tourism Map

Saudi Arabia has taken a new step to restore Yemen’s Socotra Archipelago to international air traffic by launching a direct flight linking the island with…

Mohammed Nasser (Aden)
Arab World Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, with Nouri al-Maliki to his left in the picture (AFP)

Maliki Nears Exit From Race to Form Iraqi Gov’t

Former Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is seeing his bid for a third term unravel, undermined by rising US pressure and deepening splits within the Shiite…

Hamza Mustafa (Baghdad ) Fadhel al-Nashmi
Features Seif al-Islam al-Gadhafi speaks during a news conference in Tripoli on Aug. 4, 2010 (EPA)

Seif al-Islam al-Gadhafi: Why Shouldn’t I Trust Them?

“Why shouldn’t I trust them?” That was Seif al-Islam al-Gadhafi’s blunt reply when asked why he had placed his confidence in Islamist prisoners held in his…

Camille Tawil (London)
Gulf Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan meet in Jeddah. (SPA file)

Erdoğan to Asharq Al-Awsat: Our Ties with Saudi Arabia Are Strategic for Regional Peace, Stability, Prosperity

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan stressed on Tuesday that his country was prepared to mediate between Iran and the United States to ease tensions between…

Fatehelrahman Yousif (Riyadh)

Trump Says Khamenei 'Should be Very Worried'

World US President Donald Trump speaks to reporters at the White House in Washington (Reuters)

Trump Says Khamenei 'Should be Very Worried'

US President Donald Trump said Wednesday that Iran's supreme leader Ali Khamenei should be "very worried," as Washington builds up its military forces in the…

Asharq Al Awsat

Features 11 February 2008, Berlin: Seif al-Islam Gadhafi, son of then Libya's leader Moammar Gadhafi, arrives at the charity gala "Cinema for Peace" at the Konzerthaus am Gendarmenmarkt. (dpa)

Who Is Behind the Killing of Seif al-Islam Gadhafi, and Why Now?

Seif al-Islam, the son of Libya's slain longtime ruler Moammar al-Gadhafi and once seen by some as his likely heir, has been killed. Targeted by a warrant…

Arab World  Rubble from destroyed buildings lies in the north of Gaza, as seen from the Israeli side of the Israel-Gaza border in Israel, February 4, 2026. (Reuters)

Red Cross ‘Outraged’ as On-Duty Paramedic Killed in Gaza

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said it was "outraged" by the killing of an on-duty colleague on Wednesday in Gaza, where…

AlUla Consolidates Its Position as a Premier Global Cultural and Arts Destination

Culture AlUla boasts a rich, diverse cultural and artistic landscape - SPA

AlUla Consolidates Its Position as a Premier Global Cultural and Arts Destination

AlUla Governorate continues to strengthen its standing as one of the world’s prominent cultural and arts destinations, drawing on a deep-rooted civilizational…

Asharq Al Awsat

Culture This picture taken on January 8, 2026 shows miniature art carved on the wall of Jami Masjid, also known as the Great Mosque of Herat in Herat. (AFP)

UNESCO Recognition Inspires Hope in Afghan Artist’s City

Hundreds of years after the celebrated painter Kamal ud-Din Behzad roamed the streets of Herat, artists in the Afghan city are finding joy and hope in his…

Culture The manuscript measures 312 by 220 centimeters and comprises 700 pages. SPA

Saudi Arabia: Hira Cultural District's Museum Displays World's Largest Quran Copy

The Holy Quran Museum at the Hira Cultural District is showcasing a monumental handwritten copy of the Holy Quran, recognized as the largest Quran of its kind…

Asharq Al Awsat (Makkah)
Culture The fifth annual iRead Marathon is taking place from February 5 to 7. (SPA)

Saudi Arabia's Ithra Launches iRead Marathon with Participation from 13 Arab Countries

Saudi Arabia's King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture (Ithra) announced the launch of the fifth annual iRead Marathon, in collaboration with the Arab…

Culture 02 February 2026, Italy, Rome: First day of paid admission to the Trevi Fountain basin for tourists and non-residents of Rome. (dpa)

Trevi Fountain Fee Takes Effect as Rome Seeks to Manage Tourist Crowds

Tourists hoping to get close to the Trevi Fountain had to pay 2 euros ($2.35) starting Monday as the city of Rome inaugurated a new fee structure to help raise…

Italy Foils Russian Cyberattacks Targeting Olympics

Sports  Milano Cortina 2026 Olympics - Figure Skating Training - Milano Ice Skating Arena, Milan, Italy - February 04, 2026. Ruiyang Zhang of China during training. (Reuters)

Italy Foils Russian Cyberattacks Targeting Olympics

Italy has thwarted "a series of cyberattacks" of "Russian origin" targeting the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, the foreign minister said Wednesday, as security…


Sports Soccer Football - World Cup Playoff Tournament and European Playoff draws - FIFA Headquarters, Zurich, Switzerland- November 20, 2025 The original FIFA World Cup trophy is kept on display during the draws REUTERS/Denis Balibouse

Germany Rejects Calls for World Cup Boycott

Germany's government on Wednesday rejected calls for a boycott of the football World Cup co-hosted by the United States, after President Donald Trump retreated…

Sports FILE - France's N'golo Kante fights for the ball against Ukraine's Yehor Nazaryna during a World Cup 2026 group D qualifying soccer match between France and Ukraine in Paris, Thursday, Nov. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena, file)

Fenerbahce Thanks Erdogan for Backing Kante Deal

France midfielder Ngolo Kante has signed for Fenerbahce thanks to "support" from President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Turkish club said on Wednesday. The…

Asharq Al Awsat
Sports Illuminated pictograms representing various disciplines are displayed in front of the Milan Cathedral in Milan, Italy, 03 February 2026, three days ahead of the 06 to 22 February Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics. (EPA)

ICE Agents Have No Operational Police Role in Olympics, Says Italian Minister

Agents from the divisive US immigration enforcement agency ICE will have no operational role in the Winter Olympics, Italy's interior minister said Wednesday,…

Sports Arsenal's Spanish manager Mikel Arteta (R) clashes with the fourth official Thomas Bramall (L) during the English League Cup semi-final second leg football match between Arsenal and Chelsea at the Emirates Stadium, in London on February 3, 2026. (AFP)

Arteta Says League Cup Final Will Give Arsenal Boost for Run-in

Arsenal coach Mikel Arteta said reaching Wembley for the first time since 2020 - thanks to a 4-2 aggregate League Cup semi-final win over Chelsea - would give…


NASA's Juno finds Jupiter is a tiny bit smaller than previously thought

Varieties An enhanced-color image, using raw data from the JunoCam instrument aboard NASA's Juno spacecraft, shows the planet Jupiter, with a shadow of its moon Ganymede on the left, released by NASA on April 21, 2022. NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS/Image processing by Thomas Thomopoulos/Handout via REUTERS

NASA's Juno finds Jupiter is a tiny bit smaller than previously thought

Jupiter, without a doubt, is the biggest planet in our solar system. But it turns out that it is not quite as large - by ever so small an amount - as…

Asharq Al Awsat

Varieties Diplomats and media industry experts highlighted the key dimensions of “soft power.” (SPA)

Saudi Media Forum Discusses State of Arab Media, Global Ambitions

Diplomats and media industry experts shed light on “soft power” and how it can be leveraged to build national reputations and shape public awareness of…

Omar al-Badwi (Riyadh)
Varieties Women walk past a mural depicting children as future scientists in Tehran on February 3, 2026. (Photo by ATTA KENARE / AFP)

Iran Formally Allows Women to Ride Motorcycles

Women in Iran can now formally obtain a license to ride a motorcycle, local media reported Wednesday, ending years of legal ambiguity surrounding two-wheelers…

Asharq Al Awsat
Varieties A police car patrols an empty shopping area amid rain as storm Leonardo hits parts of Spain, in Ronda, Spain, February 4, 2026. (Reuters)

Storm Leo Pounds Iberian Peninsula with Torrential Rains

Spanish and Portuguese authorities braced on ​Wednesday for the impact of Storm Leo, suspending classes in some areas and warning against travel, just one week…

Varieties  People clear snow near a building in Aomori, northern Japan, Monday, Feb. 2, 2026. (Kyodo News via AP)

Northern Japan Hit by Deadly Snowfall, as Warnings Issued on More Heavy Snow

Heavy snow battering northern Japan in the last two weeks has been blamed in 35 deaths nationwide so far, including people suffering sudden heart attacks or…