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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 A Doordash delivery bag is seen in Brooklyn, New York City, US, May 9, 2022. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly/File Photo

Uber Accuses DoorDash of Anticompetitive Practices in Lawsuit

Uber Technologies has filed a lawsuit against DoorDash, accusing the online delivery firm of anticompetitive practices, leading to higher costs for both…

Asharq Al Awsat
Varieties Twin panda cubs, the first ever born in Hong Kong, are seen in their enclosure on February 7, 2025 ahead of their first highly anticipated public appearance on February 16. (Photo by Peter PARKS / AFP)

Hong Kong's Twin Panda Cubs to Make Public Debut

Hong Kong's baby panda twins will make their public debut on Sunday, with officials rolling out a full-scale panda marketing campaign to boost tourism. The…

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Varieties A person takes a photo of the frozen Josephine Shaw Lowell Memorial Fountain in Bryant Park on January 8, 2025 in New York City as cold weather hits the Tri-State area. (AFP)

US about to Get 10th and Chilliest Polar Vortex This Winter

The coldest burst of Arctic air this season is coming to put an icy exclamation point on America's winter of repeated polar vortex invasions, meteorologists…

Varieties A Canadian flag flies next to the entry to the border crossing at Rainbow Bridge International on February 04, 2025 in Niagara Falls, Canada. (Getty Images via AFP)

Canadian Flag Sales Surge after Trump Threats

Canadian flagmaker Flags Unlimited's sales have doubled from a year earlier, the company's owners said, as tensions with the neighboring United States fuel a…

Varieties  Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum speaks during her daily press conference at the National Palace in Mexico City, Mexico, 13 February 2025. (EPA)

Bristling at ‘Gulf of Mexico’ Name Change on Maps, Mexico Says It Might Sue Google

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said Thursday that her government wouldn't rule out filing a civil lawsuit against Google if it maintains its stance of…

Varieties A humpback whale jumps in the Uramba Bahia Malaga National Natural Park in Colombia, Aug. 12, 2018. (AFP via Getty Images)

Humpback Whale Briefly Swallows Kayaker in Chilean Patagonia

A humpback whale briefly swallowed a kayaker off Chilean Patagonia before quickly releasing him unharmed. The incident, caught on camera, quickly went viral as…

Varieties In this photo provided by MOLA, Museum of London Archaeology taken in summer 2024, a view of part of the wall of the Roman London Basilica which has been recently unearthed by a redevelopment of a City of London building in London. (MOLA via AP)

Archaeologists Unearth Remains of Roman Basilica on the Site of New London Skyscraper

Work to give 21st-century London yet another skyscraper has uncovered traces — in fact chunks — of the city’s origins almost 2,000 years ago. Archaeologists…

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Varieties This screen grab taken from video released by Ahmad Baihaqi shows a critically endangered orangutan walking in a coal mine in Borneo's East Kutai regency of East Kalimantan province on January 27, 2025. (Photo by Ahmad Baihaqi / AFP)

Concern as Orangutan Seen Roaming Indonesia Coal Site

Footage of a seemingly confused orangutan roaming the desolate site of an Indonesian coal mine, meters from excavators, has sparked renewed concern about…

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Varieties Hens for sale roam in their cage at Wabash Feed & Garden store in Houston, Texas, on February 10, 2025. AFP

Facing Egg Shortage, Americans Bring Chickens Home to Roost

A Houston poultry supply company is selling chickens like there is no tomorrow, as sky-high prices for eggs prompt some Americans to produce their own at home…

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Varieties In this photo provided by Zoos Victoria on Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025, elephants explore their new home at Werribee Open Range Zoo after a program in Australia to move a herd of Asian elephants from Melbourne Zoo to Werribee Open Range Zoo. (Jo Howell/Zoos Victoria via AP)

Elephants Trumpet, Flap their Ears after their Complex Move Across Australian City

Elephants trumpeted, touched trunks and flapped their oversized ears upon reuniting with their herd after a complex, five-day move from an urban Australian zoo…

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Varieties Residents and visitors of Santorini are forming queues with their cars towards the port of Athinios, as they leave the island due to the increased seismic activity of the last few days, Santorini island, Greece, 03 February 2025.  EPA/CHRISTOS YANTSIS

Emergency Declared on 2nd Greek Island as String of Quakes Persists

Authorities declared a state of emergency on a second Greek island Wednesday as a series of earthquakes continued to rattle the south-eastern Aegean Sea region…

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Varieties In this photo taken Nov. 17, 2011, the US and Danish flags fly at the Novozymes new enzyme plant under construction near Blair, Neb. (AP)

‘We’ll Bring Hygge to Hollywood’: Danes Petition to Buy California as Trump Seeks Greenland 

A lighthearted Danish petition to buy the state of California and “bring hygge to Hollywood” comes in response to President Donald Trump's talk about taking…

Varieties This photo illustration shows the Gulf of Mexico branded as Gulf of America displayed on the Google Maps application on a tablet on February 11, 2025, in Bogota, Colombia. (AFP)

Apple Changes Gulf of Mexico to Gulf of America on Maps 

Apple renamed the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America on its maps Tuesday after an order by President Donald Trump was made official by the US Geographic…

Varieties A volunteer stabilizes family photos from photo albums recovered during the devastating flash floods last year in Valencia, Spain, as part of a restoration process conducted by students and professors from the Conservation and Restoration program at a field laboratory at the Universitat Politecnica de Valencia, eastern Spain, Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025. (AP)

For Flood Survivors in Spain, a Photo Project Helps Recover Memories 

Months after devastating flash floods carved a muddy scar through Valencia, an effort to save some of what was lost continues apace. More than 220 people…

Varieties A view shows the city amid air pollution in Hanoi, Vietnam, February 12, 2025. (Reuters)

Nearly Everyone in the World Breathes Bad Air. This Is What You Can Do to Lower Your Risk 

Everyone loves a breath of fresh air. Unfortunately, too often our air is anything but fresh. While air quality varies dramatically from place to place and…

Varieties Giant Schnauzer dog, Monty, poses for pictures with its handler after winning Best In Show during the 149th Annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show at Madison Square Garden in New York, New York, USA, 11 February 2025. (EPA)

Giant Schnauzer Wins Top Prize at Westminster Kennel Club

After coming close in the last two years, Monty the giant schnauzer won the top prize at the Westminster Kennel Club dog show Tuesday night, leaving handler…

Varieties In this photo provided by Janice Wei, a fountain of lava spews from an eruption of Kilauea volcano in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park on the Big Island of Hawaii, on Monday, Feb. 3, 2025. (Janice Wei/NPS via AP) 

Hawaii’s Kilauea Is Spewing Lava Again in an On-And-off Eruption 

Kilauea volcano began shooting lava into the air once again Tuesday on the Big Island of Hawaii. Kilauea, one of the world's most active volcanoes, has been…

Varieties  Members of Greece’s military geographical team proceed to conduct measurements to evaluate potential structural changes due to the ongoing seismic activity on the volcanic island of Nea Kameni, Greece February 10, 2025. (Reuters)

Scientists Say Several Thousand Earthquakes Detected Near Greece’s Island of Santorini

Scientists have detected several thousand earthquakes, the vast majority of them with small magnitudes, in just over two weeks near Greece's volcanic island of…

Varieties Milk jugs are repurposed as mini greenhouses for winter seed sowing in Westchester County, New York. (AP/Julia Rubin)

Winter Sowing in Upcycled Containers Creates Stronger Seedlings in Spring

It’s either time -- or nearly time -- to start seeds indoors for the upcoming growing season, depending on where you live. But what about starting them…

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Varieties Children play in the snow after a snowstorm in New York City, US, February 9, 2025. (Reuters)

Virginia Governor Declares Storm Emergency as Snow and Ice Bear Down on Mid-Atlantic States 

A wintry mess was bearing down on mid-Atlantic states Tuesday with forecasts of significant snow and ice accumulations prompting warnings of potential power…

Varieties FILE - Wrapped plastic straws are seen at a bubble tea cafe in San Francisco, July 17, 2018. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu, File)

'Won't Affect a Shark': Trump Signs Order Against Paper Straws

US President Donald Trump signed an executive order Monday pushing for a return to plastic drinking straws, saying their impact on marine life was limited and…

Asharq Al Awsat (Washington )
Varieties RCU's Arabian Leopard Conservation Breeding Center, accredited by the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA), has doubled its leopard population to 32. (SPA)

International Day of the Arabian Leopard Highlights Saudi Conservation Efforts

The Arabian leopard is a symbol of biodiversity in Saudi Arabia and a vital component of the Arabian Peninsula's ecosystem. February 10 was declared…

Varieties This photo provided by the European Space Agency shows a ring of light surrounding the center of the galaxy NGC 6505, captured by European Space Agency's Euclid telescope, an example of an Einstein ring. (European Space Agency via AP)

Space Telescope Spots Rare ‘Einstein Ring’ of Light around Galaxy in Our Cosmic Neighborhood

Europe’s Euclid space telescope has detected a rare halo of bright light around a nearby galaxy, astronomers reported Monday. The halo, known as an Einstein…

Varieties The Safety Index Publication is a key output of the 2023 Household Socio-Economic Survey. (SPA)

GASTAT: Saudi Arabia Tops G20 Countries in Safety Index 2023

Saudi Arabia ranked first among G20 countries, according to data from the Global SDG Indicators Database and the Safety Index Publication for 2023 issued by…