Breaking World News

Flooding Kills Two as Vietnam Hit by Dozens of Landslides

World Deadly flooding inundated thousands of homes in Vietnam's Lam Dong province in what authorities say is a record-breaking year of natural disasters. Quoc Nguyen / AFP

Flooding Kills Two as Vietnam Hit by Dozens of Landslides

Heavy rain in Vietnam triggered flooding that killed at least two people and caused more than a dozen landslides, state media said Friday, adding to what…

Asharq Al Awsat
World FILED - 25 June 2024, Israel, Jerusalem: Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz is pictured during an event in Jerusalem. Photo: Hannes P Albert/dpa

Israel Sets 2026 Defense Budget at $34 Billion Despite Ceasefire in Gaza

Israel's defense budget for 2026 has been set at 112 billion shekels ($34.63 billion), the defense minister's office said on Friday, up from 90 billion shekels…

Asharq Al Awsat
World In this pool photograph distributed by the Russian state agency Sputnik, Russia's President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi look out from a car prior to an informal dinner at Modi's residence. Alexander KAZAKOV / POOL/AFP

India Rolls Out Red Carpet for Russia's Putin

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi hosts Russia's President Vladimir Putin at a summit on Friday, with defense and trade ties taking center stage as New…

Asharq Al Awsat
World 03 December 2025, Iran, Teheran: View of the smog-ridden metropolis of Tehran. Photo: Aref Taherkenareh/dpa

Iran Accused of ‘Digital Apartheid’

Ordinary Iranians face up to 10 years in prison or even execution if they use X to write anything the government deems critical. But little did they know…

Asharq Al Awsat (London)
World TOPSHOT - Migrants sit onboard an inflatable boat before attempting to illegally cross the English Channel to reach Britain, off the coast of Sangatte, northern France, on July 18, 2023. (Photo by BERNARD BARRON / AFP)

Aid Workers Stand Trial in Greece on Migrant Smuggling Charges

Two dozen aid workers went on trial in Greece on Thursday on charges including migrant smuggling, in a case that rights groups have dismissed as a baseless…

Asharq Al Awsat

World US President Donald Trump looks on aboard Air Force One during travel to Palm Beach, Florida, from Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, US, November 25, 2025. (Reuters)

Trump Rages at Report That He Is Increasingly Frail

US President Donald Trump raged on Wednesday at a New York Times report that focused on his age and growing signs of fatigue, insisting that he is full of…

World Mainland Chinese tourists are seen in the Asakusa district of Tokyo, Thursday, Nov. 20, 2025. (AP)

China Again Cautions Citizens Against Japan Visits

China's embassy in Japan on Wednesday again cautioned Chinese citizens against visiting Japan in the near future, citing what it said were reports from…

World Protesters from "Palestine Action" demonstrate on the roof of Guardtech Group in Brandon, Suffolk, Britain, July 1, 2025. REUTERS/Chris Radburn

UK Ban on Pro-Palestine Group Branded 'Authoritarian' as Appeal Begins

The British government's ban on pro-Palestinian campaign group Palestine Action as a terrorist organization amounted to an authoritarian restriction on protest…

Asharq Al Awsat
World Smoke rises as flames engulf bamboo scaffolding across multiple buildings at Wang Fuk Court housing estate, in Tai Po, Hong Kong, China, November 26, 2025. (Reuters) 

At Least 13 Dead After Fire Engulfs Hong Kong High-Rise Residential Buildings

Hong Kong’s deadliest fire in years blazed late into the night on Wednesday as authorities confirmed at least 13 people, including a firefighter, had died and…

World Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi addresses a conference titled "International Law Under Assault: Aggression and Self-Defense," in Tehran, Iran, Sunday, Nov. 16, 2025. (AP) 

Iran Condemns US 'Bullying Approach' Towards Venezuela 

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi slammed what he called the United States' "bullying approach" towards Venezuela, a statement said Wednesday, as…

World The Eiffel Tower, city rooftops and chimney stacks are seen on a cloudy day in Paris, France, November 24, 2025. (Reuters)

France Arrests Four People, Including Two Russians, Suspected of Espionage 

French police have arrested four people, two of whom have Russian nationality, on suspicion of spying for a foreign power, the Paris prosecutor said on…

World Secretary-General of the United Nations Antonio Guterres arrives for the second day of the Group of Twenty (G20) Leaders' Summit at the Nasrec Expo Centre in Johannesburg, South Africa, 23 November 2025. (EPA)

Secretary-General Selection Process Begins at UN 

The search for the next Secretary-General of the United Nations launched Tuesday, as member states were invited to send nominations to replace Antonio Guterres…

World Firefighters and police officers work at the site of an apartment building which was damaged during an evening Russian drone strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine November 25, 2025. (Reuters)

Russian Drones Injure 19, Cause Extensive Damage in Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia 

Russian forces staged a mass drone attack on the southeastern Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia late on Tuesday, triggering fires, injuring 19 people and badly…

World A rescue team evacuates women and children in a rubber boat as floodwaters hit a residential area in Padang, West Sumatra on November 25, 2025. (AFP)

Landslides and Flash Floods on Indonesia’s Sumatra Leave at Least 17 Dead 

Rescuers recovered more bodies in the search for dozens of people buried under landslides or swept away after torrential rains unleashed flash floods and…

World A drone view shows rescuers navigating in their boats along a flooded street in Hat Yai district, affected by heavy rainfall which has impacted several provinces in southern of Thailand and has killed several people, in Songkhla province, Thailand, November 26, 2025. (Reuters)

Families in Southern Thailand Perch on Rooftops to Escape Flooding That Has Killed Dozens 

Severe flooding in southern Thailand has caused at least 33 deaths since the weekend, officials said, as dramatic video footage showed people whose homes were…

World US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff speaks to members of the media, in Kiryat Gat, Israel, October 21, 2025. (Reuters)

Kremlin Confirms US Envoy’s Visit as Russia-Ukraine Peace Talks Gain Momentum 

A senior Kremlin official confirmed Wednesday that US special envoy Steve Witkoff is set to visit Moscow next week as efforts to find a consensus on ending the…

World Taiwan President Lai Ching-te speaks at a press conference on defense spending in Taipei, Taiwan November 26, 2025. (Reuters)

Taiwan Plans Extra $40 Billion in Defense Spending to Counter China 

Taiwan will introduce a $40-billion supplementary defense budget to underscore its determination to defend itself in the face of a rising threat from China,…

World US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House (File/AFP)

Ukraine Backs 'Essence' of Peace Deal with Russia but Sensitive Issues Linger

Ukraine on Tuesday signalled support for the framework of a peace deal with Russia but stressed that sensitive issues needed to be fixed at a meeting between…

World Swedish Defense Minister Pal Jonson attends a press conference in Berlin, Germany, September 23, 2025. REUTERS/Lisi Niesner

Sweden Wants Long-range Weapon Systems Able to Strike Inside Russia

Sweden's military wants long-range cruise missiles able to strike targets deep inside other countries, a deterrent which the defense minister said on Tuesday…

Asharq Al Awsat
World People walk past a sign at Brussels Airport, in Zaventem, Belgium, November 5, 2025. REUTERS/Yves Herman

Brussels Airport Says 110 Extra Flights Cancelled on Wednesday Due to Strike

Brussels Airport will cancel 110 of the 203 incoming flights on Wednesday, in addition to the departing flights already scrapped due to a nationwide strike, a…

Asharq Al Awsat
World Pope Leo XIV greets the faithful during his weekly General Audience in St. Peter's Square, in Vatican City, 06 August 2025. (EPA)

Pope Leo to Take Peace Message to Türkiye, Lebanon on First Overseas Trip

Pope Leo will embark on his first trip outside Italy as the leader of the Catholic Church on Thursday, travelling to Türkiye and Lebanon, where he is expected…

Asharq Al Awsat
World Japan's Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi meets with Yonaguni town mayor Tsuneo Uechi (not in picture) at Yonaguni town hall, on Yonaguni island, Japan's westernmost inhabited island in Okinawa prefecture, Japan November 23, 2025, in this photo taken by Kyodo. (Kyodo/via Reuters) 

Japan Scrambles Aircraft Over Suspected China Drone Near Taiwan 

Japan said Tuesday it scrambled aircraft after detecting a suspected Chinese drone off an island near Taiwan that has been drawn into a weeks-long diplomatic…

World The site of a Russian strike on a nine-story residential building in Kyiv, Ukraine, 25 November 2025, amid the Russian invasion.EPA/SERGEY KOZLOV

Attacks Kill at Least 6 in Ukraine, US Army Secretary Meets Russian Officials in Abu Dhabi

Russia launched a wave of attacks on Ukraine on Tuesday, killing at least six people in overnight strikes that hit city buildings and energy infrastructure,…

Asharq Al Awsat
World This aerial photo taken on November 25, 2025 shows vehicles parked on an elevated road to keep them out of flood waters in Hat Yai in Thailand's southern Songkhla province, as severe flooding affected thousands of people in the country's south following days of heavy rain. (AFP)

Thailand to Send Aircraft Carrier for Flood Relief as Rains Intensify 

Thailand was preparing on Tuesday to send an aircraft carrier with relief supplies and medical teams to its south, where more heavy rain intensified the worst…

World French President Emmanuel Macron. (AFP file)

French President Macron Says Trump’s Ukraine Peace Plan Needs Improvement 

US President Donald Trump's peace plan goes in the right direction but there are aspects that need improvement to make it acceptable for Ukraine and Europe,…

World Mohsen Rezaei gives a speech to mourners in the Iranian city of Kerman. Photo: Iran TV

Mohsen Rezaei Urges Hezbollah to Reconsider its Policy of ‘Strategic Patience’

Iran on Monday slammed the assassination of Hezbollah’s chief of staff Haytham Tabtabai in an Israeli attack in Beirut’s southern suburbs. “No option…

Asharq Al Awsat (Tehran) Asharq Al Awsat (London)
World (FILES) A Taliban security personnel stands guard along a road near the Ghulam Khan zero-point border crossing between Afghanistan and Pakistan in Gurbuz district in the southeast of Khost province on October 20, 2025. (Photo by AFP)

Afghanistan: Pakistani Airstrikes Have Killed 10 People, Mostly Children

Afghanistan’s Taliban government on Tuesday accused Pakistan of launching overnight airstrikes in three eastern provinces, killing 10 civilians, including nine…

Asharq Al Awsat
World  French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot speaks with the media as he arrives for a EU general affairs meeting at the European Council building in Brussels, Thursday, Nov. 20, 2025. (AP)

Iran’s Foreign Minister to Hold Talks in Paris on Nov. 26

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi will hold talks with his French counterpart Jean-Noel Barrot in Paris this week, France's foreign ministry said Monday. …

World This combination of pictures created on November 24, 2025 shows, L/R, China's President Xi Jinping in Beijing on November 12, 2025 and US President Donald Trump in Washington, DC, on November 22, 2025. (Photo by Maxim Shemetov and Alex Wroblewski/ various sources / AFP)

Trump Says He Will Visit Beijing in April and Host China’s Xi for a State Visit Later Next Year

President Donald Trump said he has accepted an invitation from Chinese leader Xi Jinping to visit Beijing in April and that he reciprocated by inviting Xi for…