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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 Whyalla steelworks, located around 400 kilometres northwest of Adelaide. Photo taken August 26, 2023 - AFP

Australia Seeks to Turn Failing Steel Plant into 'Green' Hub

A failing Australian metals plant will be transformed into a hub for making "green iron and steel", Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Thursday as the…

Asharq Al Awsat
Varieties A undated handout photo made available by the Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania (NRE Tas) on 19 February 2025 shows a person assisting a group of whales after they were stranded near Arthur River on Tasmania's west coast, Australia. EPA/DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENT

Australia Begins Euthanizing False Killer Whales after Mass Stranding

Dozens of false killer whales stranded on a remote beach in the Australian state of Tasmania will be euthanized after bad weather and the isolated location…

Asharq Al Awsat
Varieties The forum commenced with an opening speech by Minister of Media Salman bin Yousef Al-Dossary followed by a ministerial session featuring Minister of Energy Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman bin Abdulaziz. SPA

Saudi Media Forum: Ministers, Global Influencers Join 35 Panels and 11 Workshops

The Saudi Media Forum witnessed a large participation on its first day on Wednesday, with royals, ministers, and chief executives of major media companies in…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Varieties A Delta Air Lines plane that crashed at Toronto Pearson International Airport is seen on February 18, 2025 in Toronto, Canada. (Getty Images/AFP)

How Did a Jet Flip Upside Down on a Toronto Runway and Everyone Survive?

Investigators are probing the causes of an unusual plane crash at Canada's largest airport on Monday, when a regional jet flipped upside down upon landing…

Varieties People pose for selfies in front of the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence, Italy, April 13, 2024. (Reuters)

Florence Bans Check-in Keyboxes as Italy Acts against Overtourism

Florence's local government has ordered owners of holiday rental properties to remove self check-in keyboxes by February 25 in a move against over-tourism in…

Varieties Saudi Minister of Media Salman Al-Dossary at the Future of Media Exhibition (FOMEX) in Riyadh. (SPA)

Saudi Media Minister Inaugurates 4th Edition of Future of Media Exhibition

Saudi Minister of Media Salman Al-Dossary inaugurated on Wednesday the Future of Media Exhibition (FOMEX) in Riyadh, held alongside the fourth edition of the…

Varieties 18 February 2025, United Kingdom, Godstone: A view of the scene in Godstone after a sinkhole appeared on Monday night. (Jonathan Brady/PA Wire/dpa)

Large Sinkhole Appears in English Village, Forces Evacuations 

A large sinkhole has appeared in a southern English village, swallowing up at least one garden and forcing authorities to evacuate residents from around 30…

Varieties This image made available by University of Hawaii's asteroid impact alert system shows the motion of asteroid 2024 YR4 over about one hour, Dec. 27, 2024. (ATLAS / University of Hawaii / NASA via AP)

‘City Killer’ Asteroid Now Has 3.1% Chance of Hitting Earth, Says NASA 

An asteroid that could level a city now has a 3.1-percent chance of striking Earth in 2032, according to NASA data released Tuesday -- making it the most…

Varieties An undated handout photo made available by the Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania (NRE Tas) on 19 February 2025 shows a group of whales stranded near Arthur River on Tasmania's west coast, Australia. (EPA/Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania Handout)

Dozens of False Killer Whales Stranded on Remote Australian Beach

More than 150 false killer whales have been stranded on an isolated beach in the Australian state of Tasmania, with rescue crews trying to save the majority of…

Varieties Surpassing 20 million visitors, Riyadh Season continues to cement its status as one of the world’s largest and most dynamic entertainment events, reinforcing Riyadh’s position as a premier global entertainment destination. (Riyadh Season)

Riyadh Season 2025 Breaks Record with 20 Million Visitors

Saudi General Entertainment Authority (GEA) Chairman of the board of directors Advisor Turki bin Abdulmohsen Al Al-Sheikh announced that the fifth annual…

Varieties The Gulf of Mexico branded as Gulf of America is pictured through a magnifying glass on the Google Maps app on a computer in Bogota on February 11, 2025. (AFP)

Mexico Awaits New Response from Google on Dispute Over Gulf of Mexico Name Before Filing Lawsuit 

Mexico said Monday it is awaiting a new response from Google to its request that the tech company fully restore the name “Gulf of Mexico” to its Google Maps…

Varieties People walk along a street in Beijing, China, 16 February 2025. (EPA) 

China Snow Village Apologizes for Fake Cotton Snow 

A tourist village in China's southwestern province of Sichuan famed for its scenic snow landscape said it was sorry for using cotton wool and soapy water to…

Varieties  Portions of Basil Griffin Park in Bowling Green, Ky., Sunday, Feb. 16, 2025, sit submerged after heavy rainfall. (Jack Dobbs/Daily News via AP)

‘Life-Threatening Cold’ Expected as Polar Vortex Stretches across US After Deadly Weekend Flooding

Harsh weather moved west on Monday as a polar vortex was expected to grip the Rockies and the northern Plains after winter storms pummeled the eastern US over…

Varieties FILE PHOTO: People board a ferry to Piraeus, during an increased seismic activity on the island of Santorini, Greece, February 4, 2025. REUTERS/Alkis Konstantinidis/File Photo

Greece to Build Escape Port on Santorini as Quakes Continue

Greece will soon set up an evacuation port on the island of Santorini to facilitate the safe escape of people in case a bigger quake hits the popular tourist…

Asharq Al Awsat
Varieties This photograph taken on January 26, 2025 shows passengers riding Hindustan Ambassador yellow taxis along the Howrah bridge in Kolkata. (AFP)

End of the Road for Kolkata’s Beloved Yellow Taxis 

Kolkata locals cherish their city's past, which is why many in the one-time Indian capital are mourning a vanishing emblem of its faded grandeur: a hulking and…

Varieties This photo taken on February 10, 2025 shows bound iguanas captured by hunters on the ground in Pingtung. (Photo by I-Hwa Cheng / AFP)

Taiwan Bounty Hunters Kill Invading Iguanas as Numbers Soar

Armed with a slingshot, Taiwanese bounty hunter Wu Cheng-hua bends sideways and aims his lethal weapon up at a green iguana, one of tens of thousands in the…

Asharq Al Awsat
Varieties The membership supports the commission’s efforts to develop Saudi Arabia’s film archiving sector

Saudi Film Commission Joins FIAT/IFTA to Preserve Audiovisual Heritage

The Saudi Film Commission has joined the International Federation of Television Archives (FIAT/IFTA), a global network of more than 200 members dedicated to…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)
Varieties The site is equipped with advanced astronomical telescopes, allowing visitors to observe stars and galaxies in an ideal atmosphere free from light pollution. (SPA)

Stargazing Event Launched in Umm Al-'Asafir in Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia’s Imam Turki bin Abdullah Royal Reserve Development Authority launched a 10-day stargazing event on Sunday in Umm al-'Asafir valley, located 50…

Varieties  In this photo provided by Donnie Smith, a kayaker navigates floodwaters Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025, in rural Knox County, Ky. (Donnie Smith via AP)

Dangerous Flooding Hits US Southeast as Snow and Frigid Cold Forecast for Northeast and Plains

Heavy rains and dangerous flooding struck the Southeast US as much of the East endured a renewed round of harsh, soggy weather Saturday, with at least one…

Varieties  A panda cub plays during a debut ceremony for the 6-month-old panda twin cubs at the Ocean Park in Hong Kong, China, February 15, 2025. Picture taken through glass. (Reuters)

Hong Kong Residents Compete to Name Twin Panda Cubs Who Just Turned 6 Months Old

Panda craze has once again gripped Hong Kong as residents compete to name the territory’s first locally-born giant panda cubs who just turned six months old. …

Varieties Properties damaged by the Palisades Fire are seen from a coastline perspective Friday, Jan. 17, 2025 in Malibu, Calif. (AP)

Scientists Are Racing to Discover the Depth of Ocean Damage Sparked by the LA Wildfires

On a recent Sunday, Tracy Quinn drove down the Pacific Coast Highway to assess damage wrought upon the coastline by the Palisades Fire. The water line was…

Varieties Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket lifts off from Launch Complex 36 at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Jan. 16, 2025, in Cape Canaveral, Fla. - AP Photo

Jeff Bezos’ Rocket Company is Slashing Workforce after Debut Orbital Launch

Jeff Bezos’ rocket company Blue Origin is cutting 10% of its workforce, The AP reported. This week’s move comes a month after the debut of Blue Origin’s New…

Asharq Al Awsat
Varieties A panoramic view of Earth taken by astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS), showing east-central Texas on September 6, 2011 REUTERS/Nasa Earth Observatory/Handout/File Photo

Was the Emergence of Intelligent Life on Earth Just a Fluke? Some Scientists Think Not

Roughly 300,000 years ago, our species first appeared on the African landscape before spreading globally and coming to dominate the planet. All this happened…

Asharq Al Awsat
Varieties Test tube is seen labelled "Bird Flu" in front of the US flag in this illustration taken, June 10, 2024. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo

Bird Flu Confirmed in Older Wyoming Woman Who Likely Had Contact with Infected Flock at Home

An older woman in southeast Wyoming is hospitalized with bird flu, state health department officials said Friday. It's the state's first human case of Type A…

Asharq Al Awsat