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Portugal Closes All Schools and Non-Essential Services Ahead of a Major Atlantic Storm

Varieties Heavy machinery clears the debris from a landslide along the Marocos road in Machico municipality, on the Portuguese island of Madeira, due to severe weather caused by the passage of Storm Charles, 11 November 2026. (EPA)

Portugal Closes All Schools and Non-Essential Services Ahead of a Major Atlantic Storm

Portugal closed all schools and shuttered non-essential public services on Wednesday as a major Atlantic storm headed for the country's mainland. Streets…

Varieties The S.S. United States crossed the Atlantic more than 800 times. (Getty Images)

Once the World's Fastest, Ocean Liner Will Become Largest Artificial Reef

An ocean liner that is longer than the Titanic and was once the fastest on the seas is headed to a final home on the floor of the Gulf of Mexico as the world's…

Varieties Celine Dion. (AFP)

Medical Breakthrough for People with Same Disorder as Celine Dion

People suffering from stiff person syndrome (SPS), which affects Celine Dion, the singer, could soon benefit from a new medicine which improves symptoms. …

Varieties View of a flooded area after storm Leo passed by Alcacer do Sal, Portugal, February 5, 2026. (Reuters)

Portugal Storm Alert Closes Schools

Portugal will shut schools and non-essential public services on Wednesday, with the government urging people to shelter from winds potentially reaching 140…

Varieties British author John Harrison poses after winning the 2026 Booker Prize for his novel "The End of Everything" at the awards ceremony in London, Britain, 09 November 2026. (EPA)

British Writer John Harrison Wins 2026 Booker Prize for ‘The End of Everything’

British author ‌John Harrison has won the 2026 Booker Prize for his novel, "The End of Everything," a dystopian satire that the prize says probes the…


Varieties The planet K2-18b is 124 light years away in the Leo constellation. (ESA/Hubble, M. Kornmesser)

Doubt Cast on Claim of ‘Hints’ of Life on Faraway Planet

When astronomers announced last month they might have discovered the most promising hints of alien life yet on a distant planet, the rare good news raised…

Varieties The plush toys have surged in popularity after endorsements from celebrities such as Rihanna and Dua Lipa. Lillian SUWANRUMPHA / AFP/File

UK Retailer Suspends Labubu Toy Sales amid Safety Fears

A retailer in the UK has suspended in-store sales of Labubu toys amid rising concerns over public safety and staff threats, following reports of global thefts…

Asharq Al Awsat
Varieties An artist's impression shows a galactic merger in which the galaxy on the right hosts a quasar at its core, in this handout image released by the European Southern Observatory on May 21, 2025. ESO/M. Kornmesser/Handout via REUTERS

Astronomers Spot Galaxy Shaped Like the Milky Way But is Far More Massive

Astronomers have observed a galaxy dating to an earlier epoch in the universe's history that surprisingly is shaped much like our Milky Way - a spiral…

Asharq Al Awsat
Varieties A box of Ozempic made by Novo Nordisk is seen at a pharmacy in London, Britain March 8, 2024. (Reuters) 

Weight-Loss Drugs May Lower Cancer Risk in People with Diabetes, a Study Suggests 

Excess body weight can raise the risk of certain cancers, leading researchers to wonder whether blockbuster drugs like Wegovy, Ozempic and Zepbound could play…

Varieties Irish ornithologist Sean Ronayne is on a mission to record all of Ireland's bird songs, and says his unique audio archive can both raise alarm and bring hope. Paul Faith / AFP

In Tune with Nature: Expert Sounds Out all of Ireland's Bird Species

On a mission to record all of Ireland's bird species, many of which are dying out, Irishman Sean Ronayne calls his unique audio archive a tool to both raise…

Asharq Al Awsat
Varieties Firefighters fly a drone during the "Through Fire 2025" drill in Lavrio, about 60 kilometres (37 miles) southeast of Athens, Greece, Thursday, May 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)

Greece Deploys Record Firefighters and More Drones for Wildfire Season

Greece is deploying a record number of firefighters and nearly doubling its drone fleet this summer to address growing wildfire risks driven by climate change,…

Asharq Al Awsat
Varieties FILE - Billy, a male Asian elephant, roams in his habitat at the Elephants of Asia exhibit at the Los Angeles Zoo on Tuesday, April 18, 2017. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel, File)

Aging Elephants Moved from LA to Tulsa Zoo, but Advocates Say they Should be at a Sanctuary

Billy and Tina, the last remaining elephants at the Los Angeles Zoo, were quietly moved this week to a zoo in Oklahoma despite pending lawsuits seeking to have…

Asharq Al Awsat
Varieties FILE PHOTO: Hurricane Ernesto moves on in the Atlantic Ocean after making landfall on Bermuda in a composite satellite image August 17, 2024.     NOAA/Handout via REUTERS

US Scientists Forecast Above-normal 2025 Hurricane Season

US government scientists said on Thursday they expect an above-normal hurricane season in 2025, producing three to five major hurricanes with sustained winds…

Asharq Al Awsat
Varieties A picture shows empty tourist facilities by the Habbaniyah lake affected by severe drought in Iraq's Anbar province, on August 11, 2023. (AFP)

Summer Comes Early for Iraq as Temperatures Soar in South

Summer has come early for Iraq this year, with temperatures soaring to dangerous levels in the southern provinces on Thursday, the national weather center said…

Asharq Al Awsat
Varieties The ministry's regional branch has launched several training programs in beekeeping to raise awareness of proper practices and implement the latest technologies in hive management - SPA

Saudi Northern Borders Region Sees Honey Production Boom, Investment Potential

Honey production has emerged as a promising sector on Northern Borders Region's local production map, according to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA). Several…

Asharq Al Awsat
Varieties Photo by SPA

KFSHRC Implants Region’s First Smart Brain Device to Improve Neurological Disease Management

The King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center (KFSHRC) in Riyadh has performed a one of a kind procedure in the Middle East, implanting an innovative…

Asharq Al Awsat
Varieties The new wax figure of Princess Catherine of Wales (Madame Tussauds)

Princess Kate's New Wax Figure Revealed at Madame Tussauds

London's Madame Tussauds museum unveiled on Wednesday a new wax figure of Princess Catherine of Wales, wife of Crown Prince William. The new figure stands…

Asharq Al Awsat (London)
Varieties An actor performs in 'When I Saw the Sea', a play by Lebanese director Ali Chahrour, at a theater in Beirut. Joseph EID / AFP

War Takes Center Stage as Lebanon's Theatres are Back

As Lebanon suffered a war last year, Ali Chahrour was determined to keep making art, creating a performance inspired by the plight of migrant workers caught up…

Asharq Al Awsat
Varieties A view of the Saudi-Chinese Forum for Product Exports and Agricultural Sustainability. (SPA)

Saudi Arabia, China to Cooperate on Parks, Reforestation and Anti-Desertification

A recent Saudi delegation’s visit to China marked a significant step toward deepening environmental cooperation between the two countries, with a focus on…

Ghazi al-Harthi (Riyadh)
Varieties This still image from video provided by the Durango Police Department shows Irwin the pet kangaroo is seen on the loose Monday, March 19, 2025, in Durango, Colo. (Durango Police Department via AP)

Loose Pet Kangaroo Keeps Police Hopping — Again — in Colorado 

Chasing a loose kangaroo is getting to be part of the job for police in a southwestern Colorado city. Irwin, the pet kangaroo, wasn't difficult to nab when…

Varieties This photograph taken on May 16, 2025 shows Ali Baloch, a mahout, feeding a medicated meal to Malika, an elephant who is diagnosed with tuberculosis, at the Safari Park in Karachi. (Photo by Rizwan TABASSUM / AFP)

Jumbo Task: 400 Pills a Day for Elephants with TB in Pakistan

A team of doctors and vets in Pakistan has developed a novel treatment for a pair of elephants suffering from tuberculosis that involves feeding them at least…

Asharq Al Awsat
Varieties This image obtained December 2, 2015 from NASA shows the Sun’s light reflected off a body of water as the International Space Station orbits Earth. (NASA/AFP)

Mystery Space Object Sends ‘Inexplicable’ Signal to Earth  

A mysterious object in space has been sending an “unexpected” pulsing signal to Earth that is “unlike anything ever seen before.” The object, which is…

Asharq Al Awsat (London)
Varieties Knife Crime Awareness Week runs from 19 to 25 May and is an annual campaign by the Ben Kinsella Trust. (University of Bristol)

School Shirts Art Exhibition Highlights Problem of Knife Crime in Bristol

An art exhibition showcasing school shirts emblazoned with anti-knife crime messages will go on display as part of Knife Crime Awareness Week, a BBC report…

Asharq Al Awsat (London)
Varieties This 2024 photo released by the US Fish and Wildlife Service shows a Fish Lake Valley tui chub. (Nathan Hurner/US Fish and Wildlife Service via AP)

Rare Olive-colored Fish in Nevada Nears Key Step Toward Endangered Species Listing

US wildlife officials want to extend federal protections to a rare Nevada fish that environmentalists say is “barely clinging to existence" because of rapid…

Asharq Al Awsat
Varieties A firefighter sets the forest ablaze as part of a controlled plan to prevent wildfires in the Cerrado region, at a national park in Brasilia, Brazil, Tuesday, May 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres)

Report: Amazon Fires Drive Unprecedented Global Forest Loss in 2024

Massive fires fueled by climate change led global forest loss to smash records in 2024, according to a report issued on Wednesday. Loss of tropical…

Asharq Al Awsat
Varieties Asian elephant "Trompita" is pictured at Aurora Zoo in Guatemala City on May 15, 2025. (Photo by JOHAN ORDONEZ / AFP)

Sri Lanka Train Kills Elephant Despite New Safety Moves

A Sri Lankan express train killed an elephant and was derailed on Tuesday, despite safety measures introduced after the country's worst wildlife railway…

Asharq Al Awsat
Varieties Dinosaur exhibit at the Royal Ontario Museum, Canada (Getty)

Mystery of Dinosaur Mass Grave at Canada’s 'River of Death'

Hidden beneath the slopes of a lush forest in Alberta, Canada, is a mass grave on a monumental scale. Thousands of dinosaurs were buried there, killed in…

Asharq Al Awsat (Alberta)
Varieties FILE PHOTO: A driverless car by Apollo Go, Baidu's robotaxi service, drives past another Apollo Go robotaxi parked on the side of a road, in Wuhan, Hubei province, China July 19, 2024. REUTERS/Ethan Wang/File Photo

Uber Ready to Put Robotaxis on UK Roads by 2027

Uber has said it is “ready to go” now with driverless taxis in the UK but the government has put back the date it expects to approve fully self-driving…

Asharq Al Awsat (London)
Varieties Britain's King Charles, patron of the Royal Horticultural Society, and Queen Camilla speak with businessman and retired football player David Beckham as they visit the RHS Chelsea Flower Show in London, Britain, May 19, 2025. (Reuters)

Charles and Camilla Tour Chelsea Flower Show

The Chelsea Flower Show bloomed with royals, celebrities and a pup or two at the gardening showcase highlight resilient landscapes and natural planting. King…