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Hong Kongers Bid Farewell to 'King of Umbrellas'

Varieties Yau Yiu-wai, 73, one of the few remaining umbrella repairmen in Hong Kong, is closing his 183-year-old family-run business at the end of the year. Tommy WANG / AFP

Hong Kongers Bid Farewell to 'King of Umbrellas'

Scores of residents flocked to a cramped shop in Hong Kong's old district to bid farewell to the city's "king of umbrellas", who is retiring after spending…

Asharq Al Awsat
Varieties  Workers clear snow from the ice rink at Bryant Park during a winter storm in New York City, US, December 26, 2025. (Reuters)

Winter Storm Bears Down on US Northeast, Disrupting Airline Travel

A winter storm packing a frosty mix of snow and ice bore down on the US Northeast early on Saturday, disrupting post-holiday weekend airline traffic and…

Varieties  A cat stands next to a table with fried lionfish at Stefanos restaurant in Larnaca, Cyprus, in the eastern Mediterranean, Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025. (AP)

Cypriot Fishermen Battle Invasive Lionfish and Turn Them into a Delicacy

Photis Gaitanos’ rough fingers adroitly untangle the venomous spikes of a lionfish from a net, throwing the exotic-looking creature into an ice-filled rubber…

Varieties  Burnt vehicles are seen after a massive crash on an expressway, in Minakami, northwest of Tokyo, Saturday, Dec. 27, 2025. (Kyodo News via AP)

Massive Crash on Highway in Japan Kills 2 People, Injures 26 as Holiday Season Starts

A massive crash involving 67 vehicles in snowy weather killed two people and injured 26 on an expressway in Japan late on Friday as the country kicked off its…

Varieties FILE - The 7-foot tall "2026" numerals are displayed at an illumination ceremony in Times Square, Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Gray, File)

Times Square to Feature Patriotic Crystal Ball for New Year's Eve, Kicking Off US's 250th Birthday

After the crystal ball drops on New Year’s Eve in New York City, it will rise again, sparkling in red, white and blue to usher in 2026 and kick off months of…

Asharq Al Awsat

Varieties This picture shows vehicles driving on a highway amid heavy air pollution conditions in Hanoi on December 11, 2025. (Photo by NHAC NGUYEN / AFP)

Vietnam's Capital Chokes Through Week of Toxic Smog

Toxic smog has blanketed Vietnam's capital for more than a week, blotting out the skyline and leaving residents wheezing as Hanoi's air quality dipped to among…

Asharq Al Awsat
Varieties This frame grab taken from undated video footage provided by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau on December 11, 2025 shows the moment a skydiver was left dangling thousands of meters in the air after their parachute caught on the plane's tail. (Photo by Handout / AUSTRALIAN TRANSPORT SAFETY BUREAU / AFP)

Skydiver Survives Plane-tail Dangling Incident in Australia

Heart-stopping footage released Thursday by Australian authorities showed the moment a skydiver was left dangling thousands of meters in the air after their…

Asharq Al Awsat
Varieties Producers harvest cocoa on a plantation in Agboville, in the Agneby-Tiassa region of Ivory Coast, on December 4, 2025. (Photo by Sia KAMBOU / AFP)

Chocolate Prices High Before Christmas Despite Cocoa Fall

After soaring for nearly two years, cocoa prices dropped sharply in 2025. However, chocolate, in demand ahead of the festive holiday season, has seen prices…

Asharq Al Awsat
Varieties This picture taken on November 10, 2025 shows Charlie Kerr from the shark monitoring program retrieving smart drumlines equipped with baited hooks that were deployed at popular coastal locations in waters up to 15 meters (50 feet) deep near Coffs Harbour, New South Wales. (Photo by Saeed KHAN / AFP)

Racing Towards Great White Sharks in Australia

Sensible people might prefer to flee at torpedo speed from a great white shark, but there's one job in Australia that pays you to race towards the predators. …

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Varieties FILE - Dr. Iain Douglas-Hamilton checks on his laptop computer the position of an elephant fitted with a Global Positioning System (GPS) beacon in the Meru National Park, Kenya, May 21, 1998. (AP Photo/Jean-Marc Bouju, File)

World Bids Farewell to Pioneering Elephant Conservationist, Fiercest Warrior of Ivory Trade

The Prince of Wales has paid tribute to pioneering elephant conservationist Dr. Iain Douglas-Hamilton, who died aged 83 at his home in Nairobi on Monday. …

Asharq Al Awsat (London)
Varieties The daring robbery at the Louvre took place in broad daylight © Dimitar DILKOFF / AFP

Louvre Thieves Escaped With 30 Seconds to Spare, Probe Reveals

The thieves who stole priceless crown jewels from the Louvre in October escaped with just 30 seconds to spare due to avoidable security failures at the Paris…

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Varieties This data will fill a critical regional knowledge gap and drive unified, cross-border conservation strategies for these globally endangered species - SPA

Prince Mohammed bin Salman Royal Reserve Launches Live Turtle Tracking Program

In a milestone for marine conservation, Prince Mohammed bin Salman Royal Reserve has launched a live satellite tracking program for hawksbill and green turtles…

Asharq Al Awsat
Varieties The projects falls in line with the objectives of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 - SPA

National Greening Program to Plant 400,000 Seedlings in North Riyadh Geopark

The National Greening Program, affiliated with the National Center for Vegetation Cover Development and Combating Desertification (NCVC), has launched its…

Asharq Al Awsat
Varieties A general view shows the Iranian capital Tehran with the snow-covered Alborz mountain range in the background on December 9, 2025, after a year of drought and water shortage in Iran. (AFP)

First Rain of Autumn Falls in Iran’s Capital, but the Drought-Ravaged Nation Needs Far More 

Rain fell for the first time in months in Iran's capital Wednesday, providing a brief respite for the parched country as it suffers through the driest autumn…

Varieties A lone Arsenal fan sits in the stands ahead of the English Premier League football match between Arsenal and Brentford at the Emirates Stadium in London on December 3, 2025. (AFP)

UK Stadiums Swap Beef Burgers for Wild Venison to Cut Carbon Emissions 

The humble beef burger is disappearing from menus at stadiums across Britain, as venues such as Brentford’s Gtech Stadium switch to wild venison in a bid to…

Varieties It remains unclear whether Nobel Peace Prize laureate Maria Corina Machado will be able to attend the ceremony in person. Odd ANDERSEN / AFP

Questions over Machado's Whereabouts as Nobel Event Postponed

Nobel officials delayed a press conference with Peace Prize laureate Maria Corina Machado in Oslo Tuesday, but said they remained confident Venezuela's elusive…

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Varieties Greater coffee consumption could lead to higher pain (AFP) 

Beware: Your Morning Coffee Could Lead to Chronic Pain

A new research has suggested that while starting the morning with a cup of coffee is essential to help kickstart your day, it could also be worsening chronic…

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Varieties Last year was the planet's hottest on record. (AFP)

2025 Will Be World’s Second or Third-Hottest Year on Record, EU Scientists Say

This year is set to be the world's second or third-warmest on record, potentially surpassed only by 2024's record-breaking heat, the European Union's…

Varieties This photograph taken on November 9, 2025 shows a lioness resting after a kill in Gir National Park in India's western state of Gujarat. (AFP)

Indian Pride as Asiatic Lions Roar Back 

A powerful roar rocked the forest before the silhouette of a lioness appeared at an Indian reserve, a potent image of how conservation efforts have brought the…

Varieties Park ranger José Vallejos stands next to petrified dinosaurs footprints in Carreras Pampa in Toro Toro National Park, north of Potosi, Bolivia, Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025. (AP) 

16,000 Fossil Footprints in Central Bolivia Reveal Dinosaur Behavior 

Legend once had it that the huge, three-toed footprints scattered across the central highlands of Bolivia came from supernaturally strong monsters — capable of…

Varieties A figure depicting the rotation of neutral hydrogen in galaxies residing in an extended filament, where the galaxies exhibit a coherent bulk rotational motion tracing the large-scale cosmic web, is seen in this undated illustration obtained by Reuters on December 4, 2025. (Lyla Jung/Handout via Reuters)

Huge Rotating Structure of Galaxies and Dark Matter Is Detected

Scientists have observed the largest-known rotating structure in the cosmos - a gargantuan thread-like assemblage of hundreds of galaxies, gas and dark matter…

Varieties The release included six mountain ibex, 20 sand gazelles (reem), six idmi gazelles, and five ostriches - SPA

NCW Releases 37 Wildlife Species in Hegra Reserve in AlUla

The National Center for Wildlife (NCW), in cooperation with the Royal Commission for AlUla, has released 37 wildlife species into Hegra Reserve as part of…

Asharq Al Awsat
Varieties Ruins of buildings and a car smolder after a wildfire destroyed houses in Koolewong, Australia, Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025. (Dan Himbrechts/AAP Image via AP)

Australian Bushfires Raze Homes in Two States; Firefighter Dies 

An Australian firefighter was killed overnight after he was struck by a tree while trying to control a bushfire that had destroyed homes and burnt large…

Varieties Queen Elizabeth II gold coins (Shutterstock) 

Queen Elizabeth II to Appear on New Commemorative Coin

Many British know Queen Elizabeth II’s profile better than the back of their own hands. After all, her image has stared back at us from the hundreds of coins…

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Varieties The Nobel medal in physiology or medicine presented to Charles M. Rice is displayed, Tuesday, Dec. 8, 2020, during a ceremony in New York. (AP)

Nobel Laureates Arrive for a Week of Events and Awards in Stockholm and Oslo

Nobel week was underway in Stockholm and Oslo with laureates holding news conferences and lectures before they will be awarded the prestigious prizes. …

Varieties People gather during the lighting of the Christmas tree ceremony at the Manger Square, next to the Church of Nativity in the background, in the West Bank city of Bethlehem, 06 December 2025. (EPA)

Bethlehem Lights up Christmas Tree for First Time Since Gaza War

Christmas cheer returned to the traditional birthplace of Jesus Christ on Saturday as Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank lit up a tree for the first time…

Varieties Calculators are more affordable than phones, and run on batteries and solar power. Lillian SUWANRUMPHA / AFP

Number's Up: Calculators Hold Out against AI

The humble pocket calculator may not be able to keep up with the mathematical capabilities of new technology, but it will never hallucinate. The device's…

Asharq Al Awsat
Varieties File photo of the Saudi flag/AAWSAT

Saudi Arabia Ranks 5th Globally, 1st in Arab World for AI Sector Growth on Global AI Index

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia ranked fifth globally and first in the Arab world in artificial intelligence sector growth, according to the Global AI Index, the…

Asharq Al Awsat
Varieties Located at the heart of Qiddiya City, PlayMaker Studios sits just 40 minutes from Riyadh

Saudi Arabia: Newest State-of-the-Art Film Production Hub Launched in Qiddiya City

Qiddiya Investment Company has announced the official opening of PlayMaker Studios at Qiddiya City, marking the launch of Saudi Arabia’s newest state-of-the…

Asharq Al Awsat (Riyadh)