Latest World News

Arab World Members of Australian families believed to be linked to ISIS leave Roj camp near Derik, Syria February 16, 2026. REUTERS/Orhan Qereman

Australia Bars Citizen Held in Syria’s Roj Camp from Returning Home

Australia has barred one of its citizens from returning home from a Syrian detention camp because of security concerns, the government said Wednesday. The…

Asharq Al Awsat
Gulf Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister. (SPA)

Saudi Leadership Provides Two Donations Worth SAR150 Mln Through Jood Eskan Platform

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, have…

Business Saudi Minister of Energy Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman bin Abdulaziz receives Kazakhstan’s Foreign Minister Yermek Kosherbayev in Riyadh. (SPA)

Saudi Arabia, Kazakhstan Agree to Establish Coordination Council

Saudi Arabia and Kazakhstan agreed to establish a Saudi-Kazakh Coordination Council, reported the Saudi Press Agency on Tuesday. Saudi Minister of Energy…

World An Iranian man holds the Iranian national flag during a memorial ceremony for those killed in anti-government protests earlier last month, at the Mosalla mosque in Tehran, Iran, 17 February 2026. (EPA)

Iranians Chant Slogans Against Supreme Leader at Memorials for Slain Protesters

Iranians shouted slogans against Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei on Tuesday as they gathered to commemorate protesters killed in a crackdown on nationwide…

Iran Foreign Minister Says Progress Made in Nuclear Talks with US in Geneva

World This photograph shows the Omani consulate general ahead of indirect nuclear talks between the United States and Iran in Geneva on February 17, 2026. (AFP)

Iran Foreign Minister Says Progress Made in Nuclear Talks with US in Geneva

Iran and the United States reached an understanding on Tuesday on main "guiding principles" in talks aimed at resolving their longstanding nuclear dispute, but…

Asharq Al Awsat

Arab World Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty speaks during a joint press conference with Kenyan Prime Cabinet Secretary/Cabinet Secretary for Foreign Diaspora Affairs Musalia Mudavadi in Nairobi, Kenya, Monday, Feb. 16, 2026. (AP)

Egypt’s Prime Minister and FM Head to Washington for Trump Peace Council Meeting

Egypt's Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly headed to Washington on Tuesday ‌to ‌participate in ‌the inaugural ⁠meeting of a "Board of Peace"…

Gulf Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud chairs the Cabinet meeting in Riyadh. (SPA)

Saudi Arabia Reiterates Its Categorical Rejection of Israel’s ‘State Land’ Decision in West Bank

The Saudi government condemned on Tuesday Israel’s decision to West Bank lands as "state lands." Reiterating its absolute rejection of these illegal measures…

Culture Ministry Continues Preparations in Historic Jeddah to Welcome Visitors during Ramadan 

Culture Historic Jeddah has emerged as a leading cultural tourism destination during Ramadan. (SPA)

Culture Ministry Continues Preparations in Historic Jeddah to Welcome Visitors during Ramadan 

The Saudi Ministry of Culture is continuing its efforts to revitalize Historic Jeddah in preparation for welcoming visitors during the holy month of Ramadan,…


Culture Skulls of several mammals before the destruction (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Thousands of Animals, Rare Specimens Stolen from Sudan Museum

“Everything is over.” With that short and painful phrase, a Sudanese government official summed up the loss of nearly a century and a half of history after war…

Asharq Al Awsat (Khartoum)
Culture An elderly spectator watches a ssireum match during a Lunar New Year Ssireum championship at the Taean Complex Indoor Gymnasium in Taean, South Korea, February 14, 2026. (Reuters)

Once a National Obsession, Traditional Korean Wrestling Fights for Survival 

As South Korea's global cultural influence expands in areas such as music, film and television, one form of entertainment struggling to attract attention even…

Culture The Kingdom’s pavilion, led by the commission, attracted strong attendance and active engagement through its cultural activities - SPA

Saudi Arabia Concludes Guest of Honor Role at Damascus International Book Fair 2026

The Literature, Publishing and Translation Commission concluded the Kingdom’s Guest of Honor participation at the Damascus International Book Fair 2026, held…

Asharq Al Awsat
Culture The Qiddiya Performing Arts Center supports the city’s positioning as a destination for creativity and cultural expression - SPA

Qiddiya City Begins Construction of Landmark Performing Arts Center

Qiddiya Investment Company has announced the commencement of construction works for the Performing Arts Center in Qiddiya City, marking an important milestone…

Asharq Al Awsat

PSG’s Mental Strength Hailed as they Come from Behind to Win at Monaco

Sports Soccer Football - UEFA Champions League - Play Off - First Leg - AS Monaco v Paris St Germain - Stade Louis II, Monaco - February 17, 2026 Paris St Germain coach Luis Enrique reacts REUTERS/Manon Cruz

PSG’s Mental Strength Hailed as they Come from Behind to Win at Monaco

Paris Saint-Germain coach Luis ‌Enrique hailed the mental strength of his side in coming from two goals down to win 3-2 away at Monaco in the Champions…

Asharq Al Awsat

Sports TOPSHOT - Real Madrid's French forward #10 Kylian Mbappe talks with SL Benfica's Portuguese head coach Jose Mourinho during the UEFA Champions League knockout round play-off first leg football match between SL Benfica and Real Madrid CF at Estadio da Luz in Lisbon on February 17, 2026. (Photo by PATRICIA DE MELO MOREIRA / AFP)

Mbappe Calls for Prestianni Ban over Alleged Racist Slur at Vinicius

Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappe said Benfica's Gianluca Prestianni should be banned from the Champions League after the Argentine was accused of directing a…

Asharq Al Awsat
Sports The second season of the Kings League-Middle East will kick off in Riyadh on March 27. (Kings League-Middle East on X)

Second Season of ‘Kings League–Middle East' to Kick off in March in Riyadh 

The Kings League-Middle East announced that its second season will kick off in Riyadh on March 27. The season will feature 10 teams, compared to eight in the…

Sports Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy holds helmet as he meets with a Ukrainian skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych , who was disqualified from the Olympic skeleton competition over his "helmet of remembrance" depicting athletes killed since Russia's invasion and his father and coach, Mykhailo Heraskevych, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Munich, Germany February 13, 2026. (Ukrainian Presidential Press Service/Handout via Reuters)

Shakhtar Boss Pays Ukrainian Racer $200,000 After Games Disqualification

The owner of ‌Ukrainian football club Shakhtar Donetsk has donated more than $200,000 to skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych after the athlete was…

Sports  Team Italy with Davide Ghiotto, Andrea Giovannini, Michele Malfatti, celebrate winning the gold medal on the podium of the men's team pursuit speed skating race at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026. (AP)

Speed Skating-Italy Clinch Shock Men’s Team Pursuit Gold, Canada Successfully Defend Women’s Title

An inspired Italy delighted the home crowd with a stunning victory in the Olympic men's team pursuit final as Canada's Ivanie Blondin, Valerie Maltais and…


Surprise Shark Caught on Camera for 1st Time in Antarctica’s Near-freezing Deep

Varieties In this image made from video and released by the University of Western Australia, a sleeper shark swims into the spotlight of a video camera in Antarctica in January 2025. (Minderoo-UWA Deep-Sea Research Centre, Inkfish, Kelpie Geoscience via AP)

Surprise Shark Caught on Camera for 1st Time in Antarctica’s Near-freezing Deep

An ungainly barrel of a shark cruising languidly over a barren seabed far too deep for the sun’s rays to illuminate was an unexpected sight. Many experts had…

Asharq Al Awsat

Varieties The remains of a 17th century shipwreck is pictured after resurfacing in Stockholm, Sweden, on February 17, 2026. (Photo by Jonathan NACKSTRAND / AFP)

17th Century Wreck Reappears from Stockholm Deep

A 17th century Swedish Navy shipwreck buried underwater in central Stockholm for 400 years has suddenly become visible due to unusually low Baltic Sea levels. …

Asharq Al Awsat
Varieties This picture taken on February 11, 2026 shows pedestrians walking along an overpass as traffic snarls in Beijing. (AFP)

China Has Slashed Air Pollution, but the ‘War’ Isn’t Over 

Fifteen years ago, Beijing's Liangma riverbanks would have been smog-choked and deserted in winter, but these days they are dotted with families and exercising…

Varieties Investigators recovered 101 Australian reptiles from parcels destined for Hong Kong, South Korea, Sri Lanka and Romania. (AFP file)

Sydney Man Jailed for Mailing Reptiles in Popcorn Bags 

A Sydney man who tried to post native lizards, dragons and other reptiles out of Australia in bags of popcorn and biscuit tins has been sentenced to eight…

Varieties A member of the CRS Alpes Grenoble mountain rescue team operates as he searches for potential buried victims during an avalanche emergency response rescue mission in an off-piste area of the Ecrins massif, French Alps on January 29, 2026. (Photo by JEFF PACHOUD / AFP)

Two Snowboarders Dead after Austrian Avalanche

Two snowboarders have been confirmed dead after their bodies were recovered following an avalanche in western Austria over the weekend, police said Monday. …