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Food Industry Pushes Back on WHO Guidance for Products with Added Color, Sweeteners

Varieties Around 11 million deaths a year are linked to unhealthy diets, according to the agency, based on data from a global study. (Getty Images)

Food Industry Pushes Back on WHO Guidance for Products with Added Color, Sweeteners

Governments should consider regulating foods that include added colors, flavors or sweeteners designed to make the product more appealing to consumers,…

Varieties Dozens of Pakistani farmers are suing German firms RWE and Heidelberg Materials in a rare bid to make big polluters pay damages for climate impacts. Aamir QURESHI / AFP

Pakistan Farmers in Long Fight to Make German Firms Pay for Flood Damage

In a Pakistani village nestled in rice fields, Abdul Hafeez Khoso remembers the vast industrial zones he saw in Germany when he visited to file a pioneering…

Asharq Al Awsat
Varieties A tourist holds an umbrella to shelter from the sun while walking on a hot day in Tokyo on July 15, 2026. (AFP)

This Year Set to Be One of Four Hottest on Record, UN Report Says

This year is ‌on track to be one of the four hottest on record, driven by a powerful El Niño and perpetuating a warming streak of more than a decade, a UN…

Varieties A white-tailed eagle over the Isle of Mull in Scotland. (Natural Resources Wales)

Reintroduction of White-Tailed Eagles Puts Seabird Colonies at Risk of Wipeout

White-tailed eagles reintroduced into England and Wales imperil endangered seabird populations and risk wiping out some colonies, The Guardian reported quoting…

Varieties Residents extend a supply hose to fill a barrel with clean water from a tanker truck in Kavling Bakau Serip, amid local water shortages linked to data center developments in Batam. ANDARU / AFP

Can't Cook or Shower: Indonesians Take Aim at Data Centers

Cooking and bathing became difficult when taps ran dry in Batam, an Indonesian island where residents are protesting as data centers spring up to power the…

Asharq Al Awsat

Varieties Fingers play what cages cannot (EPA)

In Vietnam… A Piano Concert to 150 Rescued Moon Bears

Rick Wakeman has played to all kinds of people around the globe, but he has now performed to an audience he had never encountered before – an enclosure of 150…

Asharq Al Awsat
Varieties Hungry but determined South Africans gathered in the capital, Pretoria, on Thursday to fire up their grills and attempt to break a Guinness World Record for the most people barbecuing at the same time. (AP)

South Africans Fire Up 500 Grills for World Record Barbecue Attempt

Armed with their tongs and sausages, thousands of determined — and hungry — South Africans gathered on a national holiday Thursday to attempt to break the…

Asharq Al Awsat (Pretoria)
Varieties Participants reviewed national strategies for resilience, sustainable funding mechanisms, and scalable cross-border partnerships - SPA

Saudi Arabia Emphasizes Collective Action to Enhance Global Water Security at UN Session

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia emphasized the need for collective international action to advance global water security and translate multilateral commitments…

Asharq Al Awsat
Varieties Scientists suspect a bacterial infection to be behind the mystery deaths of hundreds of southern right whale calves washed up on beaches in Argentina's Patagonia region. MAXI JONAS / AFP

Bacteria Suspected in Deaths of Hundreds of Baby Whales off Argentina

A bacterial infection is suspected of killing hundreds of baby whales in the southern Argentine region of Patagonia, a marine mammal expert told AFP on…

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Varieties Locals on the island of Principe are paid a financial dividend to preserve its natural beauty. Daniel BELOUMOU OLOMO / AFP

Cash for Nature Protection: Hotelier's Offer to Principe Islanders

On the paradise island of Principe, a lush jungle haven in the turquoise waters of the Gulf of Guinea, a South African multimillionaire is offering locals a…

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Varieties FILE PHOTO: An Indian flying fox or fruit bat flies over trees at Kodiyathur village in Kozhikode district in the southern state of Kerala, India, February 2, 2022.REUTERS/Sivaram V/File Photo

Bats Originated and Took First Flight in Europe 65 Million Years Ago

Scientists have long struggled to establish where bats first originated, with previous hypotheses proposing Africa, Asia and North America. A new research…

Asharq Al Awsat (Cairo)
Varieties In this photo taken on August 25, 2026 sheep herder Ganchimeg stands with goats she rounded up in Bayantal, Mongolia's Govisumber province.  (Photo by Hector RETAMAL / AFP)

Mongolian Herders Enlist New Tech Against Harsher, Drier Climate

When Mongolian herder Ganchimeg's sheep strayed dangerously near a salty lake this summer, driven by hunger as nearby vegetation was poor, she was in a "total…

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Varieties Jin Xi, one of the only two giant pandas in Spain, eats on its sixth birthday at Madrid Zoo Aquarium in Madrid, Spain, September 19, 2026. REUTERS/Juan Barbosa



Xi: 2 Giant Pandas from China Will Arrive in Coming Days at Atlanta's Zoo

Chinese President Xi Jinping said Thursday that two giant pandas from China will arrive at Zoo Atlanta in the coming days, bolstering a loan program that at…

Asharq Al Awsat (Washington)
Varieties This picture taken on September 4, 2026, shows an aerial view of the small islands off the coast of Koror, the capital of Palau, scattered across the turquoise waters of the Pacific Ocean. (AFP)

UN Approves Resolution on Dealing with Rising Sea Levels

The United Nations on Thursday passed a unanimous resolution demanding stronger action on rising sea levels, an existential threat for low-lying island nations…

Varieties  Directors Yuval Abraham, left, and Rachel Szor pose for photographers at the photo call for the film "NAZA" during the 83rd edition of the Venice Film Festival in Venice, Italy, on Thursday, Sept. 10, 2026. (AP)

Gaza Documentary 'NAZA' to be Available Online Free

Israeli director Yuval Abraham said Thursday that his documentary "NAZA", which won an award at the Venice Film Festival and has faced fierce backlash at home,…

Asharq Al Awsat
Varieties Flying the flag at such a height underscores its national significance and the values of monotheism - SPA

Saudi Flag Flies High in Makkah for National Day

The Saudi flag was raised high in Makkah to celebrate the National Day, reflecting dignity, pride, and honor, and serving as a symbol of the Saudi state's…

Asharq Al Awsat
Varieties A schoolchild inside a grocery shop in Cuttack, Odisha, India, September 18, 2026. REUTERS/Priyanshu Singh

India Takes Battle Against Junk Food to Shops Near Schools

India is moving closer to new regulations to restrict the sale of foods high in fat and sugar within a 50-meter radius of schools, the latest proposal to cut…

Asharq Al Awsat
Varieties This photo released by Hiroyuki Okada shows a free-style Ikenobo ikebana arrangement in Tokyo on March 11, 2026. (Hiroyuki Okada via AP)

Centuries-old Japanese Art of Ikebana Draws Those Seeking Calm

Ikebana, the Japanese art of arranging flowers, is a form of expression that dates back more than 500 years. It continues to blossom, quietly, not only with…

Asharq Al Awsat
Varieties Marine Tondelier, National Secretary of Les Ecologistes (the Ecologists - EELV - French Green Party) party arrives for a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron about the situation in the Middle East and Ukraine and their consequences for France's security and energy supplies, at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, September 18, 2026. REUTERS/Sarah Meyssonnier

In First, French Presidential Candidate Gives Birth During Campaign

French Greens leader and candidate in the 2027 presidential election Marine Tondelier said Wednesday she had given birth to a son, emphasizing that she would…

Asharq Al Awsat (Paris)
Varieties A brown bear eats his catch while fishing for salmon in Brooks Falls, Alaska on August 12, 2023. (Photo by JOHN MOORE / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / AFP)

Voting Opens in Alaska's Annual Fat Bear Week

Polls opened Tuesday in the only American election that really matters: Fat Bear Week. While the United States might be gearing up for midterm ballots that…

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Varieties This photo provided by Shedd Aquarium shows a beluga whale named Osiris at Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, Aug. 20, 2026. (Rachel Mittelstaedt/Shedd Aquarium via AP)

Another Beluga Whale Dies at Chicago Aquarium after Rescue Mission from Canada Park

A third beluga has died at a Chicago aquarium after being rescued this summer from a shuttered Canadian marine park in a complex international operation that…

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Varieties Tourists pose for a picture in downtown Tunis, Tunisia, August 4, 2017. REUTERS/Zoubeir Souissi

Tunisia Says 2026 Summer Hottest on Record

Tunisia's summer this year was its hottest on record, the country's weather authority said Tuesday, following multiple heatwaves, water shortages and power…

Asharq Al Awsat
Varieties Erno Rubik, the creator of the puzzle, solves a Rubik's cube as he poses during the world's largest Rubik's Cube championship in Aubervilliers, near Paris, France, July 15, 2017. REUTERS/Stephane Mahe/File Photo

Six-year-old Chinese Girl Sets World Record with Rubik's Cube

A six-year-old Chinese girl has set a new women's world record for solving a 3x3 Rubik's Cube in just over four seconds, state media reported. Young…

Asharq Al Awsat
Varieties The frames, brood and bees stolen from 41 hives. (Tom Bidner for ABC Network)

800,000 Bees stolen Across Australia in ‘Sophisticated’ Operation

An estimated 800,000 bees, worth tens of thousands of dollars, have been stolen from properties in far north Queensland. The industry is already reeling from…

Asharq Al Awsat (Canberra)
Varieties A worker feeds a dromedary (Camelus dromedarius) at the National Zoo of Havana on September 15, 2026. (Photo by YAMIL LAGE / AFP)

A Cuban Zoo, and its Animals, in Epic Battle for Survival

Every day, veterinarians and zookeepers make their way to Cuba's National Zoo by whatever means they can, determined to not abandon the nearly 1,000 animals in…

Asharq Al Awsat
Varieties An indri sits in a tree in Madagascar's Maromizaha Forest in this photograph taken on September 29, 2018, and released on September 21, 2026. (Filippo Carugati/Handout via Reuters)

Singing Lemurs May Use a Soprano-Like Trick to Project Songs

When an opera singer reaches for a high note, a subtle shift in the shape of the mouth and throat can make the sound carry farther. New research shows that one…

Varieties This photograph shows a family ring belonging to Brigitte Bardot a preview exhibition of personal belongings once owned by late French actress Brigitte Bardot at Hotel Drouot in Paris on September 15, 2026, ahead of an auction of her memorabilia and clothing. (AFP)

Bardot Auction in Paris Fetches Nearly One Million Euros

An auction of French screen legend Brigitte Bardot's personal items fetched nearly one million euros in Paris on Monday, almost 20 times the estimate, the…

Varieties The governorate is also hosting a diverse array of national, cultural, and artistic events - SPA

Turaif Governorate Adorned in Green in Preparation for Saudi National Day

Turaif Governorate in Northern Borders Region has been adorned in green in preparation for Saudi National Day. The municipality showcased its preparations…

Asharq Al Awsat
Varieties File photo of the Saudi capital Riyadh - File/AAWSAT

Green Riyadh Launches Tree-Planting and Cleanup Campaign

Green Riyadh, one of the programs overseen by the Royal Commission for Riyadh City, has launched a tree-planting and cleanup campaign at Shuaib Umm Qasr to…

Asharq Al Awsat