Latest World News

Arab World  Smoke billows from southern Lebanon, as seen from Nabatieh, following Israeli strikes reported by local residents, in Lebanon, June 17, 2026. (Reuters).

Hezbollah Chief Says ‘Ceiling’ of Negotiations Between Lebanon and Israel Is ‘Reciprocal Security’

Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem said on Wednesday that the "ceiling" ‌to ‌be reached ‌in ⁠negotiations between Lebanon and ⁠Israel was a situation …

World Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi speaks with the media at the UN headquarters in New York City, US, May 26, 2026. (Reuters)

China Tells Iran ‘All Parties’ Must Adhere to Deal to End War

China's top diplomat told his Iranian counterpart on Wednesday it was "key" for all sides to "genuinely implement" their commitments after Tehran and…

Arab World A boy sweeps through the rubble of a building that was destroyed following Israeli bombardment after an evacuation order, at the Maghazi camp for Palestinian refugees in the central Gaza Strip on June 12, 2026. (AFP)

More Than 1,000 People Have Been Killed in Gaza During Ceasefire, Health Ministry Says

Israeli operations in the Gaza Strip have killed 1,005 Palestinians since a ceasefire was reached between Israel and the Hamas group last October, the Gaza…

Arab World  Israeli soldiers stand by as Palestinian women look on as Israeli bulldozers demolish a Palestinian home, which the Israeli authorities say was built without permission, in Ar-Rifaiyya village, south of the Israeli-occupied Palestinian West Bank city of Hebron on June 17, 2026. (AFP)

Israel Approves Settler Building Plans in Palestinian West Bank City

Israel on Wednesday approved the expansion of a Jewish school for settlers living in the center of the Palestinian city of Hebron in the occupied West Bank, in…

Trump Says Iran Accord to Be Signed ‘Shortly’, ‘Maybe’ Thursday or Friday

World US President Donald Trump attends a press conference at the Hotel Royal during the G7 summit in Evian-les-Bains, France, 17 June 2026. (EPA)

Trump Says Iran Accord to Be Signed ‘Shortly’, ‘Maybe’ Thursday or Friday

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday said he expected the accord with Iran ending the Middle East war to be signed "shortly" but added uncertainty over the…


World German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, US President Donald Trump, French President Emmanuel Macron, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi during a working session at the G7 summit in Evian-les-Bains, France, June 16, 2026. (Reuters)

G7 Leaders Welcome Trump ‘Change’ on Ukraine

G7 leaders on Wednesday hailed a newly-found unity on increasing pressure on Russia to end its war against Ukraine, sensing a shift by President Donald Trump…

Gulf The Ibrahimi Mosque in the old city of Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank June 17, 2026. (Reuters)

OIC Warns Against Israeli Plans Targeting Hebron and its Holy Sites

The General Secretariat of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) warned on Wednesday of the “serious implications of Israeli measures aimed at altering…

Literature Commission Inaugurates Saudi Pavilion at Beijing International Book Fair 2026

Culture The participation reflects Saudi Arabia's growing presence in the global publishing industry and its efforts to strengthen cultural ties with China. (SPA)

Literature Commission Inaugurates Saudi Pavilion at Beijing International Book Fair 2026

Saudi Arabia’s Literature, Publishing and Translation Commission inaugurated on Wednesday the Kingdom’s pavilion at the Beijing International Book Fair 2026…


Culture This photograph shows visitors, seen from the Sully wing, queuing in the Cour Napoleon by the pyramid designed by Chinese-US architect Ieoh Ming Pei, to enter the Louvre Museum in Paris on November 19, 2025. (AFP)

Louvre Museum ‘Running Out of Steam’, Says New Director

The Louvre museum is struggling to find funding to upgrade its ageing facilities, its new director said Wednesday, following a litany of problems that included…

Culture  Visitors walk into the artwork "The Pont Neuf Cave" by French street artist JR on the Pont Neuf bridge, Tuesday, June 16, 2026, in Paris, open to the public from June 15 to 28. (AP)

Monumental Cave Art on Paris’ Oldest Bridge Finally Opens, as the Public Steps and Sniffs Inside

For weeks, a black mountain loomed over the Seine where Paris’ oldest bridge should have been. On Monday evening, its doors finally opened. Inside, Paris…

Culture  A first edition of Emily Bronte's "Wuthering Heights", is on display for sale at Christie's auction house in London, Monday, June 15, 2026. (AP)

A Rare First Edition of ‘Wuthering Heights’ Complete with Spelling Mistakes Is up for Auction

A rare first-edition copy of “Wuthering Heights,” complete with spelling mistakes, is up for auction for the first time in more than a century, as Emily Brontë…

Culture Red Sea Film Foundation Extends 48-Hour Film Challenge Deadline to July 4

Red Sea Film Foundation Extends 48-Hour Film Challenge Deadline to July 4

The Red Sea Film Foundation has extended the application deadline for the sixth edition of the 48-Hour Film Challenge to July 4, 2026, allowing more young…

Asharq Al Awsat

Ballon d'Or Winner Dembele Still Searching for a Home in France Team

Sports Football - FIFA World Cup 2026 - Group I - France v Senegal - New York/New Jersey Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey, US - June 16, 2026 France's Ousmane Dembele in action. (Reuters)

Ballon d'Or Winner Dembele Still Searching for a Home in France Team

If Ousmane Dembele arrived at the World Cup hoping his last two club seasons would finally establish him as one of the cornerstones of Didier Deschamps' France…


Sports Football - FIFA World Cup 2026 - Group J - Austria v Jordan - San Francisco Bay Area Stadium, Santa Clara, California, US - June 16, 2026 Austria coach Ralf Rangnick speaks to players during a hydration break. (Reuters)

FIFA Hydration Breaks Spark Backlash, Blamed for Killing Momentum at the World Cup

Curaçao fans went wild. The Germans were in shock. Livano Comenencia had scored a goal for the smallest nation by population to ever qualify for the World…

Sports Manchester City's Bernardo Silva speaks during a farewell ceremony after his last match for the club after a Premier League soccer match between Manchester City and Aston Villa in Manchester, England, Sunday, May 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

Bernardo Silva Joins Real Madrid on 2-year Deal Following Manchester City Exit

Manchester City great Bernardo Silva has joined Real Madrid on a two-year contract, the Spanish club said on Wednesday. The Portugal international is one…

Asharq Al Awsat
Sports  Jordan's head coach Jamal Sellami speaks during a news conference, Monday, June 15, 2026, in Santa Clara, Calif., ahead of the World Cup Group J match between Austria and Jordan. (AP)

Jordan Can Hold Heads High Despite Debut Defeat to Austria, Coach Says

Jordan ‌can hold their heads up high after delivering an "honorable performance" on their World Cup debut, coach Jamal Sellami said following his side's 3…

Sports  Portugal's Spanish head coach Roberto Martinez smiles as he gives an MD-1 press conference at the Houston Stadium in Houston on June 16, 2026, on the eve of the 2026 World Cup Group K football match between Portugal and Congo DR. (AFP)

Ronaldo as Excited for Sixth World Cup as His First, Says Martinez

Cristiano Ronaldo is preparing for his sixth World Cup as if it was his first, said Portugal coach Roberto Martinez as he hailed the 41-year-old as "an example…


Kaaba Kiswa Changing Ceremony Completed in Three Hours

Varieties This year's ceremony reflected the accumulation of national expertise and the year-over-year development of operational efficiency. (SPA)

Kaaba Kiswa Changing Ceremony Completed in Three Hours

The General Authority for the Care of the Affairs of the Grand Mosque and the Prophet's Mosque completed on Wednesday the Kaaba Kiswa changing ceremony for the…


Varieties  Merlin, a duck, wearing a Mexico national football team ('El Tri') jersey that shot to fame after a chance encounter on Reforma Avenue went viral following the FIFA 2026 match between Mexico and South Africa, walks in Alameda Central in Mexico City, Mexico, June 16, 2026. (Reuters)

Merlin the Duck: From Mexico City Streets to World Cup Stardom

A domesticated ‌duck named Merlin, sporting a miniature Mexico shirt and custom duck socks, has waddled his way into the hearts of football fans, becoming…

Varieties This picture taken on May 14, 2026 shows a volunteer preparing carriers to transport stray cats from a park in Jakarta to be vaccinated and neutered. (AFP)

Trap, Neuter, Release: Jakarta Battles Cat-Astrophic Stray Numbers

Three flea-riddled kittens frolic under the feet of a food vendor at a bustling train station in Jakarta, home to one of the biggest urban stray cat…

Varieties People explore the basalt columns of the Giant’s Causeway on Northern Ireland’s north coast on March 20, 2025. (AFP via Getty Images)

Scientists Make New Discovery about Northern Ireland’s Giant’s Causeway

The geological timeline for Northern Ireland's iconic Giant’s Causeway has been dramatically revised following new scientific research, according to The…

Asharq Al Awsat (London)
Varieties This illustrative picture shows ice cream in a convenience store in Tokyo on June 17, 2026. (Photo by Philip FONG / AFP)

Japan Puts the Heat on Suspected Ice Cream Cartel

Summer is coming, a boom time for ice cream makers, but Japanese authorities have raided six major firms on suspicion of colluding to raise prices. Among…

Asharq Al Awsat