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Arab World Palestinians inspect damages in the aftermath of Israeli strikes, following a Hamas surprise attack, at Beach refugee camp, in Gaza City, October 9, 2023. (Reuters)

Hamas, Two Other Palestinian Groups Say Gaza Ceasefire Deal 'Closer Than Ever'

Hamas and two other Palestinian militant groups said on Saturday that a Gaza ceasefire deal with Israel is "closer than ever", provided Israel does not impose…

Asharq Al Awsat
Arab World FILE PHOTO: A UN chemical weapons expert, wearing a gas mask, holds a plastic bag containing samples from one of the sites of an alleged chemical weapons attack in the Ain Tarma neighborhood of Damascus August 29, 2013. REUTERS/Mohamed Abdullah

Cyprus Can Help Rid Syria of Chemical Weapons, Search for its Missing, Says Top Diplomat

Cyprus stands ready to help eliminate Syria’s remaining chemical weapons stockpiles and to support a search for people whose fate remains unknown after more…

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Technology Israeli cyber firm NSO Group's exhibition stand is seen at "ISDEF 2019", an international defense and homeland security expo, in Tel Aviv, Israel June 4, 2019. REUTERS/Keren Manor/File Photo

US Judge Finds Israel's NSO Group Liable for Hacking in WhatsApp Lawsuit

A US judge ruled on Friday in favor of Meta Platforms' WhatsApp in a lawsuit accusing Israel's NSO Group of exploiting a bug in the messaging app to install…

Asharq Al Awsat
World The Iranian flag waves in front of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) headquarters, before the beginning of a board of governors meeting, in Vienna, Austria, March 1, 2021. REUTERS/Lisi Niesner The Iranian flag waves in front of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) headquarters, before the beginning of a board of governors meeting, in Vienna, Austria, March 1, 2021. REUTERS/Lisi Niesner

Iran Ministry Protests over Arrests in US of its Nationals

Iran has summoned the Swiss ambassador in Tehran, who represents US interests in the country, and a senior Italian diplomat over the arrest by the US of two…

Asharq Al Awsat

Syrian Soldiers Distance Themselves from Assad in Return for Promised Amnesty

Features Members of Bashar Assad's army, or a pro-government militia, line up to register with Syrian opposition forces as part of an "identification and reconciliation process" in Damascus, Syria, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)

Syrian Soldiers Distance Themselves from Assad in Return for Promised Amnesty

Hundreds of former Syrian soldiers on Saturday reported to the country's new rulers for the first time since Bashar Assad was ousted to answer questions about…

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Gulf The Syrian flag is flown at half-mast in Damascus on May 20, 2024 (AFP)

Albudaiwi, Pedersen Discuss Means of Preserving Syria's Unity, Security

Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Secretary General Jasem Albudaiwi held a phone call with GCC Secretary General and UN Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen. …

Asharq Al Awsat
World A general view of the three reactors making up the Flamanville nuclear power plant with the third-generation European Pressurised Water nuclear reactor (EPR) in the background in Flamanville, France, April 25, 2024. REUTERS/Stephanie Lecocq/File Photo

France Adds First Nuclear Reactor in 25 Years to Grid

France connected the Flamanville 3 nuclear reactor to its grid on Saturday morning, state-run operator EDF said, in the first addition to the country's nuclear…

Asharq Al Awsat

Thousands Greet the Winter Solstice at the Ancient Stonehenge Monument

Culture A person holds up a smart phone as they wait for sunrise during the winter Solstice celebrations at Stonehenge, England, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Anthony Upton)

Thousands Greet the Winter Solstice at the Ancient Stonehenge Monument

Thousands of tourists, pagans, druids and people simply yearning for the promise of spring marked the dawn of the shortest day of the year at the ancient…

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Culture During the four years of fighting before Assad's forces recaptured Aleppo following a devastating siege, the city was virtually emptied - AFP

Syria's Aleppo Set for Revival Despite War Scars to its Heritage

The historic Baron Hotel in Syria's Aleppo is dilapidated and damaged by years of war but still standing and ready for a revival, much like the city itself. …

Asharq Al Awsat
Culture Winter at Tantora Festival begins in AlUla. (SPA)

Winter at Tantora Festival Begins in AlUla

This year's Winter at Tantora Festival opened Thursday in AlUla, celebrating the region's unique blend of art, culture, and heritage. The festival, part of…

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Culture Saudi National Museum Celebrates World Arabic Language Day with Interactive Events

Saudi National Museum Celebrates World Arabic Language Day with Interactive Events

The Saudi National Museum, in collaboration with the King Salman Global Academy for Arabic Language (KSGAAL), will celebrate World Arabic Language Day on…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Culture The Common Ground festival began its first day with a diverse program celebrating Iraqi culture. SPA

Saudi Arabia Launches ‘Common Ground' Festival Celebrating Iraqi Culture

The Saudi Ministry of Culture on Wednesday launched the activities and programs of the "Common Ground" festival at Mega Studio in Boulevard City, Riyadh,…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)

Renard Confirms Saudi National Team's Readiness for the 26th Arabian Gulf Cup

Sports The Saudi team is set to face Bahrain on Sunday - SPA

Renard Confirms Saudi National Team's Readiness for the 26th Arabian Gulf Cup

French coach Hervé Renard has confirmed the Saudi national football team's readiness to compete in the 26th Arabian Gulf Cup in Kuwait, from 21 December 2024…

Asharq Al Awsat

Sports The event is organized by the Saudi Tennis Federation and the Association of Tennis Professionals - SPA

Four Players Advance to Semi-Finals of Next Generation ATP Finals

The group stage of the Next Generation ATP Finals concluded at King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah, the tournament's second edition hosted by Saudi Arabia…

Asharq Al Awsat
Sports Manchester City's Phil Foden reacts after Aston Villa's Morgan Rogers scoring his side's second goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Aston Villa and Manchester City, at Villa Park in Birmingham, England, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Rui Vieira)

Man City Loses again in 2-1 Defeat to Aston Villa

Manchester City's stunning slump continued Saturday with a 2-1 loss to Aston Villa in the Premier League. Goals from Jhon Duran and Morgan Rogers at Villa…

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Sports Bayern Munich's German midfielder #42 Jamal Musiala, Bayern Munich's German forward #10 Leroy Sane and Bayern Munich's Canadian defender #19 Alphonso Davies celebrate a goal during the German first division Bundesliga football match between FC Bayern Munich and RB Leipzig in Munich, southern Germany, on December 20, 2024. (Photo by Alexandra BEIER / AFP)

Bundesliga Sees Quickfire Scoring Record as Bayern Puts Dive Past Dismal Leipzig

Bayern Munich crushed Leipzig 5-1 and they broke a long-standing Bundesliga record for quickfire goals on Friday. Two teams had never scored in the opening two…

Asharq Al Awsat
Sports Girona's Arnaut Danjuma poses after scoring the 3-0 goal during the Spanish LaLiga soccer match between Girona FC and Real Valladolid CF, in Girona, Spain, 20 December 2024.  EPA/DAVID BORRAT

Girona Piles on Misery for Lowly Valladolid with Easy Victory

Girona beat Valladolid 3-0 and snapped an unhappy run of six games without a win in La Liga on Friday. The result lifted Girona two places to eighth while…

Asharq Al Awsat

Saudi Northern Borders Witness Return of Diplotaxis

Varieties Photo by SPA

Saudi Northern Borders Witness Return of Diplotaxis

The Saudi Northern Borders region, renowned for its diverse desert landscape, is witnessing the resurgence of the Diplotaxis, a vibrant yellow-flowered species…

Asharq Al Awsat

Varieties A clearwing butterfly (Oleria sp.) specimen, from one of the 218 species of butterflies observed during an expedition to the Peruvian region of Alto Mayo, is pictured, June 8, 2022. Conservation International/photo by Marlon Dag/Handout via REUTERS

'Amphibious Mouse' among 27 New Species Discovered in Peru's Amazon

An "amphibious mouse" with partially webbed feet that eats aquatic insects was among 27 new species discovered during a 2022 expedition to Peru's Amazon,…

Asharq Al Awsat
Varieties File Photo: Astronaut Liu Yang waves as she is out of a return capsule of the Shenzhou-14 spacecraft, following a six-month mission on China's space station, at the Dongfeng landing site in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China December 4, 2022. China Daily via REUTERS

China Says its Astronauts Complete Record-breaking Spacewalk

Two Chinese astronauts this week completed a world-record spacewalk of more than nine hours, according to a statement from China's Manned Space Agency, marking…

Asharq Al Awsat
Varieties Santa Claus arrives at the school in Yakutat, Alaska,, as part of the Alaska National Guard's Operation Santa initiative that brings Christmas to an Indigenous community that has suffered a hardship, Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Mark Thiessen).

Santa and Mrs. Claus Use Military Transports to Bring Christmas to Alaska Native Village

Forget the open-air sleigh overloaded with gifts and powered by flying reindeer. Santa and Mrs. Claus this week took supersized rides to southeast Alaska in a…

Asharq Al Awsat
Varieties In this Oct. 8, 2014 photo, a medical worker from the Infection Prevention and Control unit wearing full protective equipment carries a meal to an isolation tent housing a man being quarantined after coming into contact in Uganda with a carrier of the Marburg Virus, at the Kenyatta National Hospital in Nairobi, Kenya. (AP)

Rwanda and WHO Declare End of Marburg Outbreak after No New Cases Reported

The World Health Organization and the Rwandan government on Friday declared the outbreak in Rwanda of the Ebola-like Marburg fever over after no new cases were…