Arab World News

Atef Najib’s Fifth Closed-Door Hearing Held Amid Public Pressure on His Lawyer

Arab World  Former security official Atef Najib is questioned during a fifth closed-door hearing on Tuesday (Syrian Justice Ministry)

Atef Najib’s Fifth Closed-Door Hearing Held Amid Public Pressure on His Lawyer

Atef Najib denied all charges against him during the fifth closed-door session of his trial before Damascus’ Fourth Criminal Court, which adjourned proceedings…

Asharq Al Awsat (Damascus )
Arab World Prominent Palestinian leader Marwan Barghouti appears in court in Jerusalem. (AP file)

Barghouti’s Son to Asharq Al-Awsat: Father Shot, Denied Treatment as Incitement Continues

Arab Barghouti, the son of detained prominent Palestinian leader Marwan Barghouti, 67, said an Israeli prison guard fired a rubber bullet at his father last…

Kifah Zboun (Ramallah)
Arab World Mourners gather during the funeral of Hezbollah senior commander Fuad Shukr, who was killed in an Israeli strike, in Beirut's southern suburbs, Lebanon August 1, 2024. (Reuters)

Lebanon Arrests ‘Israeli Agent’ Whose Intel Led to Assassination of Top Hezbollah Officials

Lebanese security and judicial authorities have opened a new espionage case involving Israel after arresting a Lebanese man suspected of links to Israel’s…

Youssef Diab (Beirut)
Arab World Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich speaks at a press conference regarding settlements expansion for the long-frozen E1 settlement, that would split East Jerusalem from the occupied West Bank, near the Israeli settlement of Maale Adumim in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, August 14, 2025. (Reuters)

Israel Allocates $434 Million for 34 New West Bank Settlements

Israel's security cabinet approved ‌a budget of 1.3 billion shekels ($434 million) for establishing 34 new settlements in the occupied West Bank, right…

Arab World A Sudanese woman peels beans inside a shelter in the al-Rahmaniya camp for displaced people near the city of al-Obeid in the southern Kordofan region on July 9, 2026. (AFP)

Sudan Risks Deeper Hunger Crisis Due to War, Aid Cuts and Hormuz Disruption, Says WFP

Sudan risks sliding backwards into deeper hunger as conflict, aid funding cuts and rising agricultural costs driven by disruption linked to the Iran war…


Arab World A photograph taken from the southern city of Nabatieh shows smoke rising from the site of an Israeli airstrike on the village of Nabatieh al-Fawqa on July 5, 2026. (AFP)

Ali al-Taher: The Ridge That Stalled the First Attempt at an Israeli Withdrawal from S. Lebanon

The circulation of footage showing an Israeli flag raised Tuesday on one of the peaks of the Ali al-Taher Heights has again drawn attention to one of South…

Soubhi Amhaz (Beirut)
Arab World This picture taken from a position in the Upper Galilee in northern Israel shows destroyed buildings in a Lebanese village along the Israel-Lebanon border, on July 1, 2026. (Photo by Jack GUEZ / AFP)

Lebanon’s President: Israeli Attacks Undermine Efforts to End the War

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said Israel’s continued attacks in southern Lebanon are undermining efforts to end the war and restore stability on both sides…

Asharq Al Awsat (Beirut)
Arab World  A Boeing 787 aircraft at Boeing’s facility in Seattle, United States. (X)

Boeing to Asharq Al-Awsat: Riyadh Air Partnership Marks New Chapter in Saudi Relationship

US planemaker Boeing expects Saudi Arabia to become one of the world’s fastest-growing aviation markets in the coming years, powered by major investments in…

Mosaed al-Zayani (Riyadh)
Arab World The Coordination Framework alliance announced its support for the Iraqi prime minister’s anti-corruption measures. (X)

Iraqi Government Faces Political Resistance in Anti-Corruption Drive

Multiple sources confirmed on Tuesday that Iraq's anti-corruption campaign has begun facing "serious disputes and disagreements" between the government and…

Fadhel al-Nashmi (Baghdad )
Arab World  French President Emmanuel Macron speaks during a joint press conference with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa in Damascus, Syria, Tuesday, July 7, 2026. (AP)

France to Give Syria 50 Mn Euros Stolen by Assad Uncle, Says Macron

French President Emmanuel Macron said Tuesday on a visit to Syria that Paris will return more than 50 million euros ($57 million) stolen by the family of…

Arab World Palestinian casualties are transported by paramedics after arriving from Gaza at the Egyptian side of the Rafah border crossing (File/AFP).

Israeli Fire Kills Six People in Gaza, Medics Say

Israeli strikes and gunfire killed at least six Palestinians in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, the territory's health officials said. Medics said an Israeli…

Asharq Al Awsat
Arab World French President Emmanuel Macron and Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa (AFP)

Syria President Says Relying on French Help to Stop Israeli Escalations

Syria's President Ahmed al-Sharaa said Tuesday that he is counting on an "active French role" to halt Israeli escalations against his country. During a…

Asharq Al Awsat
Arab World An ambulance drives past the site where explosive devices blew up near a hotel where French President Emmanuel Macron was meant to be staying, in Damascus, Syria, July 7, 2026. (Reuters)

Macron Says Syria Must Not Be Destabilized After Bombs Wound 18

French President Emmanuel Macron warned on Tuesday that Syria must not be destabilized after twin bomb attacks near the Damascus hotel where he spent the night…

Arab World Bundles of cash newly seized from the Deputy Oil Minister (Iraqi News Agency) 

Iraq Seizes More Cash and Gold in Oil Ministry Corruption Probe

Iraqi authorities announced Monday the seizure of an additional 25 billion Iraqi dinars, $1 million in cash, and about five kilograms of gold in the corruption…

Fadhel al-Nashmi (Baghdad)
Arab World Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi meets with US Envoy Tom Barrack in Baghdad on June 16, 2026. (Iraqi government press office)

US Keen to Form Alliance with Iraq, Syria Away from Iran’s Influence

Three Syrian, Western, and Iraqi sources said Monday that Iraq and Syria are preparing to sign an economic agreement under US sponsorship during Iraqi Prime…

Ali Saray (London)
Arab World Chairman of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council Dr. Rashad Al-Alimi meets with the ambassadors on Monday. (SABA)

Al-Alimi: Iran Guards’ Flight out of Sanaa Is a Violation of Yemen’s Sovereignty

Chairman of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council Dr. Rashad Al-Alimi slammed on Monday Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) for operating a flight out…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Arab World Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif receives Saddam Haftar in Pakistan in February last year (General Command)

Pakistan Mediating Libya Unity with US-led Push

Pakistan has quietly begun mediating between Libya's rival eastern and western power centers, two Pakistani sources said, in a previously unreported Pakistani…

Asharq Al Awsat
Arab World France's President Emmanuel Macron (L) is welcomed by Syria's Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani (R) as he arrives fo a state visit at the Damascus International Airport in Damascus on July 6, 2026. (AFP)

Macron Arrives in Syria as First Major Western Leader to Visit Country Under New Leadership

French President Emmanuel Macron arrived Monday in Syria, making him the first major western leader to visit the war-torn country since the ouster of Bashar al…

Arab World Workers break rocks at a gold mine near Abu Delelq in Gadarif State, Sudan. (Reuters)

Sudan Gold Mine Collapse Kills 15 Miners

A partial collapse in a decommissioned gold mine in northern Sudan has killed 15 miners, a state company said on Monday. The miners had snuck into the shut…

Arab World A woman holds a sign that reads "Free Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, Free Gaza" during a protest in front of the Shin Bet offices, calling for his release, in Tel Aviv, Israel, on Jan. 1, 2025. (AP)

Israel’s Detention of Prominent Gazan Doctor Is Arbitrary, UN Body Says

A UN human rights body on Monday called Israel's detention of Gazan doctor Hussam Abu Safiya arbitrary and sought his immediate release as rights groups and…

Arab World File photo of a police officer standing near a Moroccan national flag near the main stadium during preparations for the FIFA Club World Cup in Agadir, December 10, 2013. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh

Morocco Says Arrested 10 People over Thwarted Terror Plots

Moroccan authorities said on Monday they had arrested 10 people, including a minor, involved in foiled "terrorist plots" across several cities. The kingdom's…

Asharq Al Awsat
Arab World The FLN secured 90 of the parliament's 407 seats in the July 2 poll (File photo/AFP)

Algeria's FLN Gets Most Seats in Parliament with Record Low Turnout

Algeria's legislative elections saw a record low turnout, with just 21 percent of the 25-million electorate casting ballots, as the incumbent National…

Asharq Al Awsat
Arab World FILE PHOTO: Palestinian Hamas militants stand guard on the day of the handover of hostages held in Gaza since the deadly October 7 2023 attack, as part of a ceasefire and a hostages-prisoners swap deal between Hamas and Israel, in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, February 22, 2025. REUTERS/Hatem Khaled/File Photo

Palestinian Technocratic Committee Says Ready to Govern Gaza

The Palestinian technocratic committee set up by the Board of Peace established by US President Donald Trump said Monday it was ready to govern the Gaza Strip…

Asharq Al Awsat
Arab World This picture taken from a position in the Upper Galilee in northern Israel shows an Israeli army tank being positioned along the Israel-Lebanon border, on July 1, 2026. (Photo by Jack GUEZ / AFP) /

Lebanese President: Israeli Occupation Prevents Army Deployment in the South

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said on Monday that the continued Israeli "occupation" of southern Lebanon is preventing the deployment of the Lebanese army, as…

Asharq Al Awsat
Arab World First responders inspect the wreckage of a car targeted by an Israeli strike in Nabatieh on July 6, 2026. (AFP)

Israel Kills 4, Including School Principal, in South Lebanon, Health Ministry Says

Four people, including a school principal, were killed in an Israeli strike on a vehicle in southern Lebanon on Monday, Lebanon's health ministry said, in one…

Asharq Al Awsat (Beirut)
Arab World Palestinians walk along a road in Gaza City on July 3, 2026. (AFP)

Hamas Dissolves Gaza Government, Israel Dismisses Move as ‘Stunt’

Hamas said on Monday it had dissolved its de facto government in Gaza and was ready to hand over to a group of Palestinian technocrats — a move it described as…

Arab World A Sudanese girl reacts while carrying a plastic canister in al-Rahmaniyah camp for displaced people, near the city of El-Obeid in the southern Kordofan region, on June 25, 2026. (Photo by AFP)

UN Rights Council Orders 'Urgent Inquiry' in Sudan's El-Obeid

The UN rights council on Monday ordered an "urgent inquiry" into violations and abuses in the Sudanese city of El-Obeid, warning of the looming risk of "large…

Asharq Al Awsat
Arab World Participants at the international conference on Syria in Paris with French President Emmanuel Macron (Reuters)

Macron Becomes First Western Leader to Visit Damascus

Since the fall of President Bashar al-Assad‘s regime and the assumption of power by interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa, Paris has led Western efforts to engage…

Michel Abou Najm (Paris)
Arab World An Israeli soldier works on a tank on the Israeli side of the Israel-Lebanon border (Reuters)

Implementation of Deal on Pilot Zones in Southern Lebanon Runs into Israeli, Hezbollah Resistance

Lebanon is awaiting the launch of the first phase of Israel’s withdrawal from two pilot areas in the south, although no date has yet been set. The move remains…

Asharq Al Awsat (Beirut)