Breaking World News

North Korea’s Kim Marks Completion of Pyongyang Housing Project as Key Party Congress Nears 

World This picture taken on February 16, 2026 and released by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on February 17, 2026 shows North Korean leader Kim Jong Un (C) and his daughter Ju Ae (center L) attending the inauguration ceremony of 10,000 flats of the fourth stage in Hwasong Area of Pyongyang. (KCNA via KNS / AFP)

North Korea’s Kim Marks Completion of Pyongyang Housing Project as Key Party Congress Nears 

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un marked the completion of 10,000 new houses built in Pyongyang, state media KCNA said on Tuesday, as the country prepares to…

World A spate of attacks in northwest Pakistan on Monday killed at least three civilians and 11 security personnel. Karim ULLAH / AFP

At Least 14 Killed in Spate of Attacks in Northwest Pakistan

Two bomb attacks and a gunfight between police and militants in northwest Pakistan killed at least 11 security personnel and three civilians, including a child…

Asharq Al Awsat
World This photo posted on the X account of the US Department of Defense on February 15, 2026 shows what the Department of Defense says are US military forces preparing to interdict and board an oil tanker, the Veronica III, in the Indian Ocean. (Photo by Handout / US Department of Defense / AFP)

India Seizes Three Iran-linked US-sanctioned Tankers

India has seized three US-sanctioned oil tankers linked to Iran this month and stepped up surveillance in its maritime zone to curb illicit trade, a source…

Asharq Al Awsat
World FILE PHOTO: Soldiers hold a Russian flag in Pokrovsk, Donetsk Region, Ukraine, in this screengrab from video released December 1, 2025. Russian Defense Ministry/Handout via REUTERS

Moscow, Kyiv Set for Geneva Peace Talks amid Russian Attacks

Russian and Ukrainian delegations are set for another round of talks on Tuesday in Geneva as part of the latest fraught push by the United States to end the…

Asharq Al Awsat
World US and Iranian flags are seen in this illustration taken, September 8, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration

US and Iran to Hold a Second Round of Nuclear Talks in Geneva

The US and Iran are expected to hold their second round of talks about Iran’s nuclear program Tuesday in Geneva as the United States ramps up its military…

Asharq Al Awsat

World 13 February 2026, Bavaria, Munich: German Chancellor Friedrich Merz speaks during the opening of the 62nd Munich Security Conference at the Bayerischer Hof Hotel. Photo: Marijan Murat/dpa

European Debate over Nuclear Weapons Gains Pace

European leaders, worried about threats from a nuclear-armed Russia and doubts about the future of US security commitments, are increasingly debating whether…

Asharq Al Awsat
World An Iranian woman walks past an anti-US billboard at Valiasr Square in Tehran, Iran, 14 February 2026, amid heightened regional tensions following an increased US military presence in the Middle East. (EPA)

Iran Open to Compromises to Reach Nuclear Deal with US, Says Minister

Iran is ready to consider compromises to reach a nuclear deal with the United States if Washington is willing to discuss lifting sanctions, Iran's Deputy…

World  14 February 2026, Bavaria, Munich: German Chancellor Friedrich Merz (R) shakes hands with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi for a joint meeting on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference. (Thilo Schmuelgen/Reuters/Pool/dpa)

China Wants ‘New Level’ in Germany Ties, Beijing’s FM Tells Merz

China's top diplomat Wang Yi told German Chancellor Friedrich Merz that Beijing hoped to bring bilateral ties to a "new level", as they met on the sidelines of…

World 'We don't think it's over,' Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said of US President Donald Trump's designs on Greenland. THOMAS KIENZLE / AFP

Trump's 'Desire' to Own Greenland Persists, Says Danish PM

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said Saturday she believed US President Donald Trump still desires to own Greenland despite dialling back his recent…

Asharq Al Awsat
World Slovakia's Prime Minister Robert Fico (R) and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio (L) attend a joint press conference following a meeting in Bratislava, Slovakia, 15 February 2026. (EPA)

Rubio Visits Central Europe to Bolster Ties with Pro-Trump Leaders

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio vowed to deepen cooperation with central Europe on Sunday as he kicked off a trip to Slovakia and Hungary, whose conservative…

World AFP was granted a look inside the global organization's multi-pronged cybercrime facility, where specialists pore through massive amounts of data. Roslan RAHMAN / AFP

Interpol Backroom Warriors Fight Cyber Criminals 'Weaponizing' AI

From perfectly spelled phishing emails to fake videos of government officials, artificial intelligence is changing the game for Interpol's cat-and-mouse fight…

Asharq Al Awsat
World Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy speaks during the Munich Security Conference (MSC) in Munich, Germany, February 14, 2026. REUTERS/Liesa Johannssen

Zelenskiy Says US Too often Asks Ukraine, Not Russia, for Concessions

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy voiced hope on Saturday that US-brokered peace talks next week in Geneva would be serious and substantive, but said…

Asharq Al Awsat
World A photo provided by the Narges Mohammadi Foundation on October 2, 2023 shows Iranian human rights activist Narges Mohammadi. © AFP

Nobel Winner Transferred to Prison in Northern Iran

Iranian authorities have, without prior warning, transferred Nobel Peace Prize winner Narges Mohammadi to a prison in the north of the country as concern grows…

Asharq Al Awsat
World Protesters wave flags - with a lion and a sun against horizontal green, white and red stripes, the emblem of the monarchy overthrown in 1979- during a demonstration in Munich (Reuters).

About 200,000 Join Iran Demonstration in Munich

About 200,000 people joined a demonstration against the Iranian government in Munich on Saturday, police said, as world leaders gathered nearby for a security…

Asharq Al Awsat
World Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny - AFP

5 European Nations Say Russian Opposition Leader Navalny was Poisoned and Blame Kremlin

Five European nations say Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was poisoned with a lethal toxin, and are blaming the Russian state for the attack. The…

Asharq Al Awsat
World Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali delivers a speech during the second Italy-Africa Summit in Addis Ababa on Saturday, Feb. Dec. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Amanuel Sileshi)

Italy Pledges Deeper Cooperation at Second Italy-Africa Summit

Italy pledged Friday to deepen cooperation with African countries during its second Italy-Africa summit, the first on African soil, aimed at reviewing projects…

Asharq Al Awsat
World US Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks during the Munich Security Conference in Munich, Germany, Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Michael Probst)

Rubio's Speech to European Allies Takes Softer Tone but Sticks to Trump's Stance

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio offered a reassuring message to America’s allies on Saturday, striking a less aggressive but still firm tone about the…

Asharq Al Awsat (Munich)
World China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi speaks during the Munich Security Conference (MSC) in Munich, Germany, February 14, 2026. REUTERS/Liesa Johannssen

China Warns US 'Plotting' on Taiwan Could Lead to 'Confrontation'

Beijing's top diplomat Wang Yi warned the United States on Saturday against "plotting" on Taiwan, saying it could lead to a "confrontation" with China. …

Asharq Al Awsat (Munich)
World Ukrainian people survey the site of the overnight Russian attack on the residential area in Odesa, Ukraine, 13 February 2026. EPA/IGOR MASLOV

Drone Strikes Kill 2 in Ukraine, Russia Ahead of Geneva Talks

Drone strikes killed one person in Ukraine and another in Russia, officials said Saturday, ahead of fresh talks next week aimed at ending the war. An…

Asharq Al Awsat
World WEST PALM BEACH, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 13: US President Donald Trump gestures to members of the media after exiting Air Force One at Palm Beach International Airport on February 13, 2026 in West Palm Beach, Florida. Nathan Howard/Getty Images/AFP

Trump Says Iran Regime Change Could Be 'Best Thing'

US President Donald Trump on Friday embraced potential regime change in Iran and declared that "tremendous power" will soon be in the Middle East, as the…

Asharq Al Awsat (Washington)
World Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi speaks during a joint press conference with the Hungarian Foreign and Trade Minister in Budapest, Hungary, on February 11, 2026. (Photo by Attila KISBENEDEK / AFP)

China FM Tells EU Diplomats Not to Blame Beijing for Bloc's Problems

China's foreign minister told his French and German counterparts that Beijing was not to blame for Europe's economic and security problems as he pushed for…

World A boat floats off the coast of Venezuela in this screen grab taken from a video released October 14, 2025, before what US President Donald Trump said on a post on Truth Social was a US strike on a suspected drug-trafficking boat. Donald Trump via Truth Social/via REUTERS

US Strikes Another Alleged Drug Boat in Caribbean, 3 Dead

The US military said Friday that it has carried out another deadly strike on a vessel accused of trafficking drugs in the Caribbean Sea. US Southern…

Asharq Al Awsat (Washington)
World This picture taken on February 13, 2026 and released by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on February 14, 2026 shows North Korean leader Kim Jong Un inspecting the under-construction Memorial Museum of Combat Feats in Pyongyang. (Photo by KCNA VIA KNS / AFP)

NKorea's Kim Praises Bravery of Soldiers Fighting for Russia

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un paid tribute to the "matchless bravery" of his country's soldiers fighting in Russia's war with Ukraine as he visited a…

Asharq Al Awsat
World An Iranian woman walk past anti-US mural depicting Iran and US negotiation table, painted on the outer walls of the former US embassy, in Tehran on February 6, 2026. (AFP)

UN Nuclear Watchdog Chief Says Iran Inspection Accord ‘Terribly Difficult’

The head of the UN nuclear watchdog Rafael Grossi said Friday that reaching an accord with Iran on inspections of its processing facilities was possible but …

World Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak speaks at the Halifax International Security Forum, Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025. (The Canadian Press via AP, File)

Israel’s Barak Says He Regrets Knowing Epstein After Documents Detail Their Long Friendship

Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak has apologized for his yearslong friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein that included regular…

World  German Chancellor Friedrich Merz speaks during the Munich Security Conference (MSC) in Munich, Germany, February 13, 2026. (Reuters)

Merz Eyes European Nuclear Shield in Call for Reset with US

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Friday that Berlin had begun confidential talks with France about a European nuclear deterrent, saying the region had…

World An Iranian man speaks on his mobile phone as he walks past a huge national flag hanging above shops, in Tehran on February 6, 2026. (AFP)

Iran Releases on Bail Senior Reformists Arrested After Protests

Iranian authorities released the leader of the country's reformist coalition on bail Friday, days after she was arrested following anti-government protests,…