Breaking World News

France Criticizes ‘Demagogic’ Move by Israel to Ban Hard-Left Leader Melenchon

World  09 November 2026, France, Paris: France's Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot, speaks during a G7 foreign ministers' meeting in Paris. (dpa)

France Criticizes ‘Demagogic’ Move by Israel to Ban Hard-Left Leader Melenchon

France has ‌criticized as "demagogic" a decision by Israel to ban French hard-left presidential candidate Jean-Luc Melenchonand another leading figure in…

World Congolese workers wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) walk outside the Ebola Treatment Center at the Bunia General Referral Hospital following a resurgence of Ebola involving the Bundibugyo strain, in Bunia, Ituri province, the Democratic Republic of Congo, November 2, 2026. (Reuters)

UN Hails Progress in Ebola Response, Cites Insecurity as Biggest Challenge

UN health officials on Friday hailed progress in the Ebola response six months after the outbreak first prompted global concerns, but cautioned that the…

World Workers install signage for the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) China 2026 summit on the wall of a building in Shenzhen, China's Guangdong province on November 12, 2026. (AFP)

Five Facts About APEC with Trump, Putin and Xi Set to Attend

Attention will focus next week ‌on a summit of US, Chinese and Russian leaders set for the 21-member gathering of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation …

World Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi attends a ceremony for the exchange of signed documents at the Akasaka State Guest House in Tokyo, Japan, 09 November 2026. (EPA)

Takaichi to Attend APEC in First China Trip as PM

Japan said Friday that Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi would visit China next week for the first time since she took office last year, attending an Asia-Pacific…

World  A police officer inspects the site of a residential house damaged by a Russian military strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine November 13, 2026. (Reuters)

Europe Pushes for Seat at Ukraine Peace Talks ‌but Lacks Unified Voice

European nations are seeking an envoy to represent them in talks on ending the Russia-Ukraine war, concerned that a US-backed process will leave them sidelined…


World Iranians walk past shops selling food ahead of Iftar, the Ramadan fast-breaking meal, in northern Tehran on February 23, 2026. (AFP)

Risk of ‘Escalation’ if Iran Attacked, Warns Deputy Foreign Minister

Iran's deputy foreign minister Kazem Gharibabadi warned of a wider escalation if his country was attacked, after US President Donald Trump raised the threat of…

World Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivers a speech during a plenary session of the Knesset, the Israeli parliament, in Jerusalem, 23 February 2026. (EPA)

Netanyahu Says Israel Facing ‘Challenging Days’ with Iran-US Tensions

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday that Israel was facing "complex and challenging days" as tensions escalate between the United States and Iran…

World Iranians drive along a street in Tehran, Iran, 23 February 2026. (EPA)

Iranian Students Protest for Third Day as US Pressure Mounts

Iranian students ‌defied authorities with protests for a third day on Monday, weeks after security forces crushed mass unrest with thousands killed and as…

World Iran International was labelled a 'terrorist' organisation by Tehran in 2022 © CARLOS JASSO / AFP

UK-based Persian TV Halts Live Broadcasts amid Iran Tensions

A London-based Persian language channel on Monday said it had been forced to suspend live broadcasts after UK counter-terror police alerted its landlord to a…

Asharq Al Awsat
World A demonstrator waves a Peruvian flag during a protest against the government of President Pedro Castillo, in Lima, Peru October 8, 2021. REUTERS/Angela Ponce

15 Dead in Peru Military Helicopter Crash

Fifteen people died when a military helicopter crashed in the Arequipa region of Peru, the air force said Monday. The Mi-17 helicopter lost radio contact…

Asharq Al Awsat
World US Secretary of State Marco Rubio waves as he departs at the Liszt Ferenc International Airport in Budapest, Hungary, Monday, Feb. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, Pool)

Rubio Trip to Israel on Iran Tensions 'Subject to Change'

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio may push back a trip to Israel in which he is expected to speak to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about potential strikes…

Asharq Al Awsat
World A resident walks at the site of the Russian drone strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, near the city of Chornomorsk, Odesa region, Ukraine February 23, 2026. (Reuters)

4 Years into Russia’s Full-Scale Invasion of Ukraine, a Look at the War by the Numbers 

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine four years ago launched Europe’s biggest conflict since World War II, causing immense suffering for civilians and harrowing…

World Vehicles move along a highway near Tehran's landmark Azadi (Freedom) Tower in Tehran on February 23, 2026. (Photo by ATTA KENARE / AFP)

Iran: Any US Attack Including Limited Strikes Would be 'Act of Aggression'

Iran said Monday that any US attack, including limited strikes, would be an "act of aggression" that would precipitate a response, after President Donald Trump…

Asharq Al Awsat (Tehran)
World An elderly Iranian man rides a bicycle next to an anti-US mural in Tehran, Iran, 23 February 2026. EPA/ABEDIN TAHERKENAREH

India Tells Citizens to Leave Iran

India's foreign ministry urged its citizens Monday to leave Iran, against a backdrop of fears of a possible US strike on Tehran. "In view of the evolving…

Asharq Al Awsat
World Protestors, rallying in support of the detention of former Philippine's president Rodrigo Duterte, hold a placard which reads as "hold Duterte accountable now" outside of the International Criminal Court (ICC), in The Hague on February 23, 2026. (Photo by Simon Wohlfahrt / AFP)

ICC Opens Hearings Into Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte

The International Criminal Court began pre-trial hearings on Monday for former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, who is facing three counts of crimes…

Asharq Al Awsat
World This handout photograph taken and released by the State Emergency Service of Ukraine on February 23, 2026, shows a Ukrainian firefighter working to extinguish a fire at the site of a Russian attack in Odesa. (Handout / State Emergency Service of Ukraine / AFP)

Russian Attack on Ukraine’s Odesa Region Killed Two People, Injured Three 

A Russian attack on Ukraine's southern Odesa region killed two people and injured three overnight, Ukraine's emergency service and a government official said…

World UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres (L) stands next to UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk at the opening of the 61st session of the UN Human Rights Council at the United Nations office in Geneva on February 23, 2026. (AFP)

UN Chief Decries Global Rise of ‘Rule of Force’ 

The United Nations leader warned Monday that "the rule of force" was spreading, as the powerful trample on international law and wield artificial intelligence…

World Jared Kushner, US President Donald Trump, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff attend the inaugural meeting of the Board of Peace at the Donald J. Trump Institute of Peace on February 19, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Getty Images/AFP)

Report: Trump Considers Targeted Strike Against Iran, Followed by Larger Attack 

US President Donald Trump has told advisers that if diplomacy or any initial targeted US attack does not lead Iran to give in to his demands that it give up…

Asharq Al Awsat (New York)
World Iranians walk past a huge billboard carrying a poem interpretation in Persian 'Human will defeat the evils' at Valiasr Square in Tehran, Iran, 21 February 2026. EPA/ABEDIN TAHERKENAREH

South Korea Tells Nationals to Leave Iran

South Korea on Monday advised its nationals in Iran to leave when flights are available as tensions are growing over a possible US military strike on the…

Asharq Al Awsat
World Nepalese police officers prepare to depart for duty in various regions ahead of the upcoming election in Kathmandu, Nepal, Monday, Feb. 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha)

Packed Bus Plunges Off Nepal Highway, Killing and Injuring Scores

A packed bus on its way to Nepal's capital drove off a mountain highway in Nepal early Monday, killing 19 people including a British national and leaving…

Asharq Al Awsat
World European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas speaks with the media as she arrives for a meeting of EU foreign ministers at the European Council building in Brussels, Monday, Feb. 23, 2026. (AP)

EU Foreign Policy Chief Calls for ‘Diplomatic Solution’ on Iran 

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas urged a "diplomatic solution" on Iran on Monday ahead of expected talks between Tehran and Washington, as US President…

World North Korean leader Kim Jong Un applauds as he attends the Ninth Congress of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) where he was re-elected as general secretary, in Pyongyang, North Korea, February 22, 2026, in this picture released February 23, 2026 by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency. (KCNA via Reuters)

North Korea Touts Nuclear Advances as Kim Re-Chosen to Lead Ruling Party 

North Korea's ruling party touted nuclear advances as it re-elected Kim Jong Un to the top post of general secretary, state media said Monday, during a rare…

World FILE PHOTO: Members of Australian families believed to be linked to ISIS militants leave Roj camp near Derik, Syria February 16, 2026. REUTERS/Orhan Qereman/File Photo

Australia Rejects Report it is Repatriating Families of ISIS Militants from Syrian Camp

Australia's center-left government ‌on Sunday rejected a local media report that said it was working to repatriate Australians in a Syrian camp holding…

Asharq Al Awsat (Sydney )
World US fighter jets prepare to take off from the aircraft carrier "USS Abraham Lincoln" in the Arabian Sea last week (US Navy)

US, Iran to Meet in Geneva Thursday for Crucial Talks

Oman’s Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi said talks between the United States and Iran would resume on Thursday in Geneva "with a positive push to go the extra…

Asharq Al Awsat (London) Asharq Al Awsat (Washington) Asharq Al Awsat (Tehran)
World A vehicle sits charred after being set on fire, on a road in Guadalajara, Jalisco state, Mexico, Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026, after the death of the leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, "El Mencho." (AP Photo/Alejandra Leyva)

Mexican Army Kills Leader of Jalisco New Generation Cartel

The Mexican army killed the leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, “El Mencho,” in an operation Sunday, a federal…

Asharq Al Awsat
World A Palm Beach County Sheriff Office vehicle patrols a road block near the Mar-a-Lago club in West Palm Beach, Florida, USA, 22 February 2026. EPA/CRISTOBAL HERRERA-ULASHKEVICH

Secret Service Kills Armed Man Trying to Access Trump Florida Estate

US Secret Service agents fatally shot a man armed with a shotgun who breached the security perimeter of President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm…

Asharq Al Awsat
World A Russian soldier holds a "Verba" launch unit. Photo: A grab from a Russian army video

Iran Reportedly Agreed Secret Shoulder-fired Missile Deal with Russia

Iran agreed a secret 500 million euro ($589 million) arms deal with Russia to acquire thousands of advanced shoulder-fired missiles, the Financial Times…

Asharq Al Awsat
World Indian PM Narendra Modi shakes hands with Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu during an exchange of cooperation agreements in a ceremony in Jerusalem July 5, 2017. (Reuters)

Netanyahu Says India's Modi to Visit Israel Wednesday

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Israel on Wednesday, his counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu announced, saying the trip will help forge a new…

Asharq Al Awsat
World People walk near a mural featuring images of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and leader of Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, on a street in Tehran, Iran, February 17, 2026. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS

Iranian Students Rally for Second Day as Fears of War with US Mount

Iranian students gathered for fresh pro- and anti-government rallies Sunday commemorating those killed in recent protests, as fears loomed of renewed conflict…

Asharq Al Awsat