Latest World News

Israeli soldiers operate in the Gaza Strip next to military vehicles amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in this handout image released December 7, 2023. Israel Army /Handout via REUTERS

8 Israeli Soldiers Killed in Southern Gaza

Israel's military said Saturday that eight soldiers were killed in southern Gaza in the deadliest attack on Israeli forces in months. Only one of the dead…

Asharq Al Awsat since 4 hours

World

France, Germany, Britain Condemn Iran's Steps to Expand Nuclear Program

France, Germany and Britain on Saturday condemned Iran’s latest steps, as reported by the IAEA, to further expand its nuclear program. "Iran has taken further…

Asharq Al Awsat since 4 hours

Pilgrims Converge at Mount Arafat for Daylong Worship

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15 June 2024, Saudi Arabia, Makkah: Pilgrims pray on Mount Arafat during the Hajj pilgrimage. Photo: Saudi Press Agency

Pilgrims Converge at Mount Arafat for Daylong Worship

Muslims from around the world congregated Saturday at a sacred hill in Saudi Arabia for worship and reflection. The ritual at Mount Arafat, known as the hill…

Asharq Al Awsat since 3 hours

Pilgrims Observe Tarwiyah in Mina, Pray at Mount Arafat as Hajj Reaches its Peak Saturday 15/06 - 09:37

A container ship passing through the Red Sea (EBA)

Crew Evacuated from Vessel Hit by Houthis, Search for Sailor Continues

The crew of a Greek-owned vessel damaged in an attack by Yemeni Houthi militants has been evacuated and the abandoned ship is drifting in the Red Sea, the…

Asharq Al Awsat since 4 hours

World

Hamid Noury, who is accused of involvement in the massacre of political prisoners in Iran in 1988, sits with attorney Thomas Soderqvist, during his trial, in this courtroom sketch, in Stockholm District Court, Sweden November 23, 2021. Anders Humlebo/TT News Agency via REUTERS/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights

World

Sweden, Iran Exchange Prisoners in Breakthrough Deal

Sweden and Iran carried out a prisoner exchange on Saturday, officials said, with Sweden freeing a former Iranian official convicted for his role in a mass…

Asharq Al Awsat Saturday 15/06 - 15:34

Islamic Jihad Says Only Way to Free Israeli Hostages is Gaza Withdrawal, Prisoner Deal

Palestinian women walk next to destroyed houses following Israeli military operation in Al Maghazi refugee camp, southern Gaza Strip, 17 February 2024. (EPA)

Erdogan Says Biden Faces a Test of Sincerity in Handling of the Gaza War

US President Joe Biden, right, and Turkiye’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan attend the second day of the G7 summit in Borgo Egnazia, Italy on June 14, 2024 - File/Reuters

A Usually Joyous Muslim Holiday Reminds Families in Gaza of War's Punishing Toll

Palestinian children play in Khan Younis, Gaza Strip, Monday, June 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

US Will Raise Pressure on Iran If It Does Not Cooperate with UN Watchdog

State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller (AP)

Sudanese Sovereignty Council Member: Jeddah Platform Key for Peace

Representatives of the Sudanese conflict parties during the signing of the Jeddah Agreement in May 2023 (Reuters)

Editors choice

The Royal Institute of Traditional Arts distributed special gifts to pilgrims. SPA

Saudi Royal Institute of Traditional Arts Welcomes Pilgrims with Gifts

Efforts to diversify the economy have started to bear fruit: IMF (Asharq Al-Awsat)

IMF Praises Saudi Arabia’s Unprecedented Economic Transformation

The father holds up the x-ray of Muhammad Akram, 4-years-old, who was injured by a random gunshot in his home in a village in the Yusufiya not far from Baghdad on May 20, 2024. (AFP)

Iraq Counts Cost of Stray Bullets Fired in Anger or Joy

Palestinian Swimmer Hopes to Lift Spirits of Gazans at Olympics

Jenin residents are seen during the funeral of a person who was killed during the Israeli military operation in Mat. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Israel Takes War on Gaza to West Bank Camps

Iraq’s former Prime Minister Ayad Allawi. (Getty Images)

Allawi to Asharq Al-Awsat Biden Tried to Persuade Me to Abandon Premiership in 2010

Gulf

Pilgrims Converge at Mount Arafat for Daylong Worship

Asharq Al Awsat since 3 hours

Saudi FM Arrives in Lucerne to Lead Saudi Delegation at Ukraine Peace Summit

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah attends a meeting with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine February 26, 2023. (File/Ukrainian Presidential Press Service/Handout via Reuters)

Pilgrims Observe Tarwiyah in Mina, Pray at Mount Arafat as Hajj Reaches its Peak

Hajj pilgrims from far and wide spent the Day of Tarwiyah in Mina, Saudi Arabia (SPA)

Saudi Minister: We Will Not Allow Turning the Holy Sites into an Arena for Slogans

The daily press conference held during the Hajj season (Photo by: Adnan Mahdali).

Saudi Health Ministry Urges Hajj Pilgrims to Use Umbrellas to Avoid Sunstroke

Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Health emphasized on Friday the importance of using sun umbrellas to prevent sunstroke during the Hajj. (SPA)

Egyptian President Arrives in Jeddah to Perform Hajj

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi arrives in Jeddah on Friday. (SPA)

Arab World

8 Israeli Soldiers Killed in Southern Gaza

Asharq Al Awsat Saturday 15/06 - 16:42

Crew Evacuated from Vessel Hit by Houthis, Search for Sailor Continues

Islamic Jihad Says Only Way to Free Israeli Hostages is Gaza Withdrawal, Prisoner Deal

A Usually Joyous Muslim Holiday Reminds Families in Gaza of War's Punishing Toll

Sudanese Sovereignty Council Member: Jeddah Platform Key for Peace

US Military Targets Houthi Radar Sites in Yemen

In this photo provided by the Ministry of Defense (MoD), a Sea Viper missile is launched from HMS Diamond to shoot down a missile fired by the Iranian-backed Houthis from Yemen, Wednesday, April 24, 2024. (AP)

World

NKorea Building Roads, Walls Inside Demilitarized Zone

Asharq Al Awsat since 1 hour

Dutch Tourist Found Dead on Greek Island, 4 Other Foreign Tourists Are Missing

Tourist walk next a mist machine in Monastiraki district of Athens as at the background is seen the ancient Acropolis Hill on Thursday, June 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)

France, Germany, Britain Condemn Iran's Steps to Expand Nuclear Program

Erdogan Says Biden Faces a Test of Sincerity in Handling of the Gaza War

Sweden, Iran Exchange Prisoners in Breakthrough Deal

German Police Shoot to Death an Afghan Man Who Killed a Compatriot, Then Attacked Soccer Fans

Police officers walk on a side walk next to an apartment building in Wolmirstedt, Germany, Saturday, June 15, 2024. German police say they shot to death an Afghan man after he fatally attacked a compatriot and later wounded three people watching the televised opening game of the Euro 2024 soccer tournament in a town in the east of the country. The 27-year-old man attacked another Afghan with a “knife-like object” in Wolmirstedt, a small town about 130 kilometers west of Berlin, on Friday evening, police said. (Thomas Schulz/dpa via AP)

Business

IMF Praises Saudi Arabia’s Unprecedented Economic Transformation

Asharq Al Awsat (Washington) Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh) Saturday 15/06 - 09:07

IMF Board Approves Argentina Payout of Almost $800 Mn

Argentina's president Javier Milei has vowed to get inflation back down - AFP

Euro 2024 Tourism to Bring 1$ Billion to Germany, Study Shows

The words "Welcome to Berlin" can be read shortly before sunrise on a display in the fan zone (Platz der Republik) against the backdrop of the Reichstag and the TV tower in Berlin on Friday, June 14, 2024. (dpa/AP)

Gold Eyes First Weekly Gain in Four on Cooling US Inflation

Gold bars from the vault of a bank are seen in this illustration picture taken in Zurich November 20, 2014. REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann/File Photo

Bank of Japan to Trim Bond Buying, Keeps Rates Steady

An aerial view of Tokyo, Japan. (Reuters)

Oil Prices Set for Best Week in Over 2 Months on Solid Demand Outlook

FILE PHOTO: Petrochemical storage tanks are seen at the Suncor Energy chemical plant near Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, October 7, 2021. REUTERS/Todd Korol/File Photo

Culture

Saudi Royal Institute of Traditional Arts Welcomes Pilgrims with Gifts

Saudi Royal Institute of Traditional Arts Welcomes Pilgrims with Gifts

The Royal Institute of Traditional Arts has played a key role in this year's Hajj season, continuing its mission to promote Saudi Arabia's rich artistic…

Asharq Al Awsat since 3 hours

A bronze statue is tested with the center particle accelerator. JULIEN DE ROSA / AFP

The High-Tech Art Lab Hidden Underneath Paris

It looks like the lair of a Bond villain: behind armored doors, buried underground below the Louvre in Paris, lies one of the most high-tech art labs in the…

Asharq Al Awsat Friday 14/06 - 10:29

People gather to fish during the Sanké mon collective fishing rite in San, Sego Region on June 6, 2024. (AFP)

A Pond in Warming Mali Is Disappearing, and a UNESCO-Listed Fishing Tradition Is in Danger

Thousands of fishermen holding cone-shaped nets stood side by side, cheering and chanting as they waited for the signal. Suddenly, they rushed to a large muddy…

Friday 14/06 - 09:53

Tourists visit the Acropolis hill archaeological site, before it closes due to a heatwave hitting Athens, Greece, June 13, 2024. REUTERS/Louiza Vradi

Greek Culture Ministry: Acropolis Closed During Afternoon Hours Due to Heat

Authorities in Greece have closed down the Acropolis in Athens during the afternoon on Thursday for a second day as the country swelters under unseasonably…

Asharq Al Awsat Thursday 13/06 - 17:35

Saudi Arabia Set to Captivate Seoul International Book Fair as Guest of Honor

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is gearing up for a grand showcase at the upcoming 66th Seoul International Book Fair (SIBF) 2024. Held under the Korean Publishers…

Asharq Al Awsat Thursday 13/06 - 15:14

Sports

Mbappé Wants to Erase Bad Memory of Decisive Penalty Miss

Sports

France's Kylian Mbappe waves for his fans during a training session in Paderborn, Germany, Thursday, June 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Mbappé Wants to Erase Bad Memory of Decisive Penalty Miss

The last time Kylian Mbappé kicked a ball at the European Championship, it sent France out of the competition. He was the only player to miss in a penalty…

Asharq Al Awsat since 2 hours

Sports

Spain's forward #19 Lamine Yamal runs with the ball during the UEFA Euro 2024 Group B football match between Spain and Croatia at the Olympiastadion in Berlin on June 15, 2024. (Photo by Odd ANDERSEN / AFP)

Spain's Yamal Becomes Youngest Player to Appear in European Championship

Lamine Yamal became the youngest player ever to appear at a European Championship on Saturday when he started for Spain in its tournament-opening game against…

Asharq Al Awsat since 3 hours

Sports

The Olympic ring seen on Eiffel Tower, June 7 2024 - AP

IOC Approves 14 Athletes From Russia, 11 Belarusians with Neutral Status for Paris Olympics

The IOC approved 14 athletes from Russia and 11 Belarusians with neutral status to compete at the Paris Olympics in a first list from some sports published…

Asharq Al Awsat Saturday 15/06 - 15:49

Sports

Ariarne Titmus reacts after winning the final of the Women’s 200m Freestyle during the 2024 Australian Swimming Trials at the Brisbane Aquatic Centre in Brisbane, Wednesday, June 12, 2024. Titmus set a world record in the women’s 200-meter freestyle on Wednesday at Australia’s Olympic swimming trials on Wednesday.(Jono Searle/AAP Image via AP)

Aussie Swimmers Cameron McEvoy, Bronte Campbell Reach 4th Olympics, Singer Cody Simpson Misses Out

The Australian Olympic Committee has selected a 41-member swim team to represent Australia in the pool at the Paris Olympics, including Cameron McEvoy and…

Asharq Al Awsat Saturday 15/06 - 15:36

Sports

Matija Sarkic playing for Montenegro in a World Cup qualifier in Norway in 2021. Hakon Mosvold Larsen / NTB/AFP

Montenegro and Millwall Goalkeeper Sarkic Dies Aged 26

Montenegro and Millwall goalkeeper Matija Sarkic has died at the age of 26, his club and national football association announced on Saturday. The Montenegro…

Asharq Al Awsat Saturday 15/06 - 10:57

Varieties

Restored Imam Turki bin Abdullah Royal Reserve Thrives with Wildlife

Covering a vast 91,500 square kilometers, the Imam Turki bin Abdullah Royal Reserve is a treasure trove of biodiversity. SPA

Restored Imam Turki bin Abdullah Royal Reserve Thrives with Wildlife

The Imam Turki bin Abdullah Royal Reserve is breathing new life into northeastern Saudi Arabia. In line with Vision 2030 and the Saudi Green Initiative, the…

Asharq Al Awsat since 3 hours

Britain's Catherine, Princess of Wales attends the Trooping the Colour parade to honour Britain's King Charles on his official birthday in London, Britain, June 15, 2024. REUTERS/Hollie Adams Purchase Licensing Rights

Kate, Princess of Wales, Waves to Crowds in First Public Appearance Since Cancer Diagnosis

Kate, Britain's Princess of Wales, waved to crowds and smiled broadly from the balcony of Buckingham Palace after watching a military parade on Saturday,…

Asharq Al Awsat since 4 hours

Workers clean up the beach following an oil slick, at Tanjong Beach in Sentosa, Singapore June 15, 2024. REUTERS/Edgar Su

Singapore's Sentosa Island Beaches Closed Due to Oil Spill

Beaches on Singapore's Sentosa island were closed on Saturday after an oil spill spread from a nearby shipping terminal to the tourist haven south of the city…

Asharq Al Awsat Saturday 15/06 - 10:14

Crews rescue dozen of people trapped upside down high on Oregon amusement park ride - The AP

Crews Rescue 30 People Trapped Upside Down High on Amusement Park Ride

Emergency crews in Oregon rescued around 30 people Friday after they were stuck for about half an hour dangling upside down high on a ride at a century-old…

Asharq Al Awsat Saturday 15/06 - 03:51

This still image from video provided by the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office shows two hikers lying on the ground as Riverside County Sheriff’s Aviation Unit’s Rescue 9 was dispatched to the Ladder Canyon Trail in Mecca, Calif., to assist the hikers, who were requesting medical aid, June 9, 2024. The couple, hiking in the desert south of Joshua Tree National Park in Southern California, was rescued after running out of water. The Riverside County Sheriff’s Office says a man called 911 and reported that his girlfriend was dehydrated and weak. (Riverside County Sheriff’s Office via AP)