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 Mourners carry the coffin of Fathi Muhammad Saeed Qabbani, who was killed Tuesday when an explosive device detonated in a cafe near Damascus' main courthouse complex, during his funeral in the Al-Midan neighborhood of Damascus, Syria, Friday, July 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Omar Albam)

Mourners in Damascus Bury Cafe Blast Victims as Officials Promise Justice

Mourners filed through Damascus on Friday, a day after an explosive device set off in a cafe in the Syrian capital killed 10 people. The funeral procession in…

Asharq Al Awsat
Arab World Relatives of missing victims weep, as they gather at the site of destroyed buildings that were hit in an Israeli airstrike in Qannarit village, southern Lebanon, Saturday, June 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Mohammed Zaatari)

Israel Military Says Struck Hezbollah Positions in South Lebanon

Israel's military said Friday it had struck several Hezbollah sites in southern Lebanon a day earlier in response to attacks on its troops in the area. Israel…

Asharq Al Awsat
Arab World Yemeni Planning and International Cooperation Minister Afrah al-Zouba meets representatives of international organizations partnering with Yemen to discuss strengthening development cooperation (Saba).

Al-Zouba Leads Yemeni Efforts to Link Relief With Sustainable Development

The Yemeni government has intensified its diplomatic and development efforts in Germany through a series of meetings held by Minister of Planning and…

Asharq Al Awsat
Arab World Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Falih al-Zaidi (AFP)

Al-Zaidi: Government Will Continue Pursuing Corrupt Officials and Recovering Public Funds

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Falih al-Zaidi on Friday reaffirmed the government's commitment to continuing its efforts to pursue corrupt officials, bring them…

Asharq Al Awsat (Baghdad)
Arab World 02 July 2026, Syria, Damascus: A member of the Syrian security stands in front of a cafe after an explosion near the Palace of Justice. Photo: Mohammed Al Rifai/dpa

Syrian Interior Ministry Continues Investigation Into Damascus Bombing

Syria's Interior Ministry is continuing its investigation into the bombing that struck a cafe near the Palace of Justice in central Damascus on Thursday,…

Asharq Al Awsat
Arab World Women and children queue to receive free food being distributed in al-Mohayra camp for displaced people, near the city of al-Obeid in the southern Kordofan region, on June 29, 2026. (AFP)

Human Rights Catastrophe Unfolding in Sudan’s Al-Obeid, Says UN’s Turk

The United Nations human rights chief on Friday said another human rights catastrophe was unfolding in Sudan, in the city of al-Obeid in North Kordofan, and…

Arab World A view of the Christian town of Ain Ebel in southern Lebanon (Ain Ebel Municipality Facebook page)

Christian Villages in Southern Lebanon Face Occupation, Isolation as Residents Wait in Limbo

The Christian border villages in southern Lebanon, particularly Debel, Ain Ebel, and Rmeich, are experiencing difficult humanitarian and security conditions,…

Asharq Al Awsat
Arab World  An Israeli settler sits on the roof of the Palestinian Salameh family house, which was taken over by Israeli settlers in the village of Jalud in the Israeli-occupied West Bank July 2, 2026. (Reuters)

In the West Bank, Israeli Settlers Take Over Palestinian’s Dream Home

Palestinian Mohammad Salameh was building a home for his family in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, where his recently engaged son was meant to start married…

Arab World The boat was transporting equipment used to manufacture drones and explosive-laden boats (Giants Forces) 

Drone-Making Equipment Bound for Houthis Seized in Bab el-Mandeb

Yemen’s Southern Giants Brigades announced they had intercepted a boat carrying equipment allegedly intended for manufacturing Houthi drones and explosive…

Asharq Al Awsat
Arab World Military vehicles belonging to the Libyan “National Army” in the south last March. (General Staff)

What Is Behind Claims of RSF Training Camps in Libya?

Talk of ties between Libya's "National Army," led by Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, and Sudan's Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has resurfaced following fresh…

Asharq Al Awsat (Cairo)
Arab World  Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani arrives at the government palace in Beirut. (AP)

Syrian FM in Beirut to Reassure Lebanon Over Military Intervention Fears

Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani sought on Thursday to allay Lebanese fears of possible Syrian military intervention, assuring that Damascus had “no…

Asharq Al Awsat (Beirut)
Arab World  Palestinians inspect the site of a destroyed building as smoke billows following an Israeli airstrike in the Al Rimal neighborhood of Gaza City, Gaza Strip, 15 May 2026 EPA/MOHAMMED SABER

Sources Reveal to Asharq Al-Awsat How Hamas Identified Suspects in the Assassinations of Haddad and Ouda

The announcement by security bodies affiliated with Hamas in Gaza that they had executed a Palestinian convicted of "collaborating" in the killing of the late…

Asharq Al Awsat (Gaza)
Arab World A police vehicle near the site of what Syrian state media reported was a blast at a cafe in central Damascus, Syria, July 2, 2026. REUTERS/Yamaam Al Shaar

Bomb Blast at Damascus Cafe Kills Nine

A bomb blast rocked a cafe in Syria's capital Damascus on Thursday, killing nine people and wounding 20, authorities said, in the latest challenge for the…

Asharq Al Awsat
Arab World Sudanese army soldiers parade in the streets of eastern Sudan's city of Gedaref on August 14, 2025 to mark the 71st anniversary of the formation of the Sudanese army. war. (Photo by AFP)

Sudanese Army Says It Shot Down Hostile Strategic Drone in White Nile State

The Sudanese army announced on Thursday that it had shot down a hostile Chinese-made FH-95 strategic drone over the town of Tendelti in White Nile State,…

Mohamed Amin Yassin (Nairobi)
Arab World File photo: In this photo released by the Lebanese Presidency press office, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, right, shakes hands with Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani before their meeting at the presidential palace in Baabda, east of Beirut, Lebanon, Friday, Oct. 10, 2025. (Lebanese Presidency press office via AP)

Syrian Foreign Minister Visits Beirut after Trump Comments about Taking on Hezbollah

Syria's foreign minister travelled to Beirut ‌on Thursday to meet Lebanese government leaders, in his first visit there since US President Donald Trump…

Asharq Al Awsat
Arab World Palestinians make their way past the rubble of residential buildings destroyed during the Israeli offensive as displaced people shelter in tents, in Gaza City, June 15, 2026. REUTERS/Dawoud Abu Alkas

Palestinians Face Uncertain Future as Gaza Marks 1,000 Days of War

It's the 1,000th day of war since a Hamas-led attack on Israel that sparked the war in Gaza. Other conflicts have emerged in the region, and fragile ceasefires…

Asharq Al Awsat
Arab World Smuggled Yemeni antiquities offered for sale abroad (local media)

Looting of Yemen’s Antiquities Surges in Houthi-Controlled Areas

The looting of Yemen’s antiquities is surging in areas under Houthi control, as illegal excavations increasingly target historic sites rich in archaeological…

Mohammed Nasser (Aden)
Arab World A photo published by the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan website showing Bafel Talabani meeting Masrour Barzani. 

Government Delay Revives Specter of ‘Two Administrations’ in Iraq’s Kurdistan Region

Nearly two years after elections for Iraq’s Kurdistan Region parliament, the winning Kurdish parties have yet to convene the legislature, elect a speaker, or…

Fadhel al-Nashmi (Baghdad)
Arab World An Israeli poses for a photograph beside Lebanese and Israeli flags displayed on a monument in the border town of Metula, near the Lebanese frontier (AP). 

Lebanon: Aoun Urges Opponents of ‘Framework Agreement’ to Present an Alternative

Lebanon has stepped up contacts with US officials to press Israel to proceed with the withdrawals stipulated under the framework agreement signed by both sides…

Asharq Al Awsat (Beirut)
Arab World Members of the army-backed Popular Resistance march in Omdurman in support of the military’s campaign in Darfur, Kordofan, and Blue Nile State (AFP). 

Sudanese Army Shifts Battle Back to Darfur

Fighting has intensified once again between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) across several fronts in the western Darfur…

Wajdan Talha (Khartoum )
Arab World Cholera epidemic affects children and displaced people in Nigeria (Reuters - Archival)

WHO: 120 Dead in Latest Sudan Cholera Outbreak

A cholera outbreak in Sudan has killed 120 people, with another 1,102 suspected cases since May in isolated war zones, the World Health Organization said…

Asharq Al Awsat
Arab World More than 200 high-achieving students have enrolled at the complex since its official opening in 2024 (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Gifted Students Complex in Marib: From the Heart of War to Building the Future

In a city more familiar with rockets than school bells, a different morning begins at the Model Complex for Gifted Students in Marib. Built and fully funded…

Abdulhadi Habtor (Marib)
Arab World Mourners attend the funeral of three Palestinians who were killed in an Israeli strike in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip on Wednesday. (Reuters)

Sources to Asharq Al-Awsat: Hamas Submits Response to Mladenov Amendments, Expects Rejection

Asharq Al-Awsat has learned that the Hamas delegation that arrived in Cairo on Tuesday handed mediators its response to amendments submitted to the movement on…

Asharq Al Awsat (Gaza)
Arab World  Israeli soldiers drive in southern Lebanon as seen from northern Israel, Wednesday, July 1, 2026. (AP)

Israel Defense Minister Says Troops to Stay ‘Indefinitely’ in Lebanon, Syria, Gaza

Israel's defense minister said Wednesday that Israeli forces would remain in self-proclaimed "security zones" established in Lebanon, Syria and Gaza, without…