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King Charles III Shrugs off Health Scare to Begin Italy Visit

(FILES) Britain's King Charles III meets well-wishers as he arrives with Britain's Queen Camilla to visit the Roe Valley Arts and Cultural Centre, in Limavady, on March 20, 2025, during a three-day trip to Northern Ireland. Britain's King Charles III on March 27, 2025, was forced to cancel his appointments after suffering "side effects" following his cancer treatment, Buckingham Palace said in a statement. (Photo by HENRY NICHOLLS / POOL / AFP)
(FILES) Britain's King Charles III meets well-wishers as he arrives with Britain's Queen Camilla to visit the Roe Valley Arts and Cultural Centre, in Limavady, on March 20, 2025, during a three-day trip to Northern Ireland. Britain's King Charles III on March 27, 2025, was forced to cancel his appointments after suffering "side effects" following his cancer treatment, Buckingham Palace said in a statement. (Photo by HENRY NICHOLLS / POOL / AFP)
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King Charles III Shrugs off Health Scare to Begin Italy Visit

(FILES) Britain's King Charles III meets well-wishers as he arrives with Britain's Queen Camilla to visit the Roe Valley Arts and Cultural Centre, in Limavady, on March 20, 2025, during a three-day trip to Northern Ireland. Britain's King Charles III on March 27, 2025, was forced to cancel his appointments after suffering "side effects" following his cancer treatment, Buckingham Palace said in a statement. (Photo by HENRY NICHOLLS / POOL / AFP)
(FILES) Britain's King Charles III meets well-wishers as he arrives with Britain's Queen Camilla to visit the Roe Valley Arts and Cultural Centre, in Limavady, on March 20, 2025, during a three-day trip to Northern Ireland. Britain's King Charles III on March 27, 2025, was forced to cancel his appointments after suffering "side effects" following his cancer treatment, Buckingham Palace said in a statement. (Photo by HENRY NICHOLLS / POOL / AFP)

King Charles III arrives in Italy on Monday for a four-day visit where he will become the first UK monarch to address Italy's joint parliament, but will not meet Pope Francis due to the pontiff's health issues.

The trip comes 10 days after Charles, 76, had his own health scare, being admitted to hospital after experiencing temporary side effects from his cancer treatment, AFP said.

Royal sources cited by the UK media said the king was "raring to go" on the trip, during which he will also celebrate his 20th wedding anniversary with wife Camilla.

Charles, who is the head of the Church of England, was scheduled to meet Pope Francis on Tuesday.

But the 88-year-old head of the Catholic Church is recovering from life-threatening pneumonia at his Vatican home, where doctors say he will need at least two months of convalescence, forcing the king to reschedule his plans.

"Their Majesties send The Pope their best wishes for his convalescence and look forward to visiting him in The Holy See, once he has recovered," said the royal family's official X account.

Francis made a surprise appearance Sunday as he mingled with crowds at the Vatican, two weeks after leaving hospital.

Charles, who is making his first visit to Italy as king, will instead spread his Rome engagements over two days, allowing "the program to breathe a bit", according to a royal source.

The couple will visit the Colosseum Archaeological Park in Rome, where they will be met by Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli, his ministry has announced.

Charles will also meet Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and President Sergio Mattarella, and is set to become the first British monarch to address a joint sitting of the Italian parliament, according to Buckingham Palace.

'Minor bump'

The king and queen are expected to celebrate their 20th wedding anniversary on Wednesday at a state banquet in Rome.

Following a decades-long affair, the couple married on April 9, 2005, at a ceremony in Windsor, followed by a religious blessing in the grounds of Windsor Castle.

Charles announced he had cancer in February 2024.

Just six weeks after came the news that his daughter-in-law Catherine, Princess of Wales, had also been diagnosed with cancer and had begun chemotherapy.

Catherine, who is married to throne heir and Charles's eldest son, Prince William, said in January that she was now in remission.

Charles returned to work within two and a half months and gradually ramped up his duties during the rest of 2024, making several foreign trips that took him as far as Australia and Samoa.

But the Italy trip was thrown into doubt on March 27, when the palace announced Charles had been hospitalized due to side effects from his weekly treatment.

Officials said the stay of a few hours was a "minor bump" in his medical journey, and he resumed engagements last Tuesday.

Charles and Camilla will also visit Rome and Ravenna in northern Italy to celebrate "the strong bilateral relationship between Italy and the United Kingdom", the palace said.

While there, they will attend a reception marking the 80th anniversary of the region's liberation from Nazi occupation by Allied forces on April 10, 1945.

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Varieties

Saudi Media Forum Discusses State of Arab Media, Global Ambitions

Diplomats and media industry experts highlighted the key dimensions of “soft power.” (SPA)
Diplomats and media industry experts highlighted the key dimensions of “soft power.” (SPA)
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Saudi Media Forum Discusses State of Arab Media, Global Ambitions

Diplomats and media industry experts highlighted the key dimensions of “soft power.” (SPA)
Diplomats and media industry experts highlighted the key dimensions of “soft power.” (SPA)

Diplomats and media industry experts shed light on “soft power” and how it can be leveraged to build national reputations and shape public awareness of contemporary international issues, as the Saudi Media Forum hosted candid discussions on the reality of the Arab media sector and the requirements for elevating its global impact.

During the second day of the forum, held in Riyadh, participants offered frank assessments of the challenges facing Arab media and the steps needed for it to meet the demands of the current phase and extend its influence internationally.

Panels and workshops explored a wide range of topics, including the role of citizen journalism in shaping the news agenda, the challenges of keeping pace with digital infrastructure amid rapid content industry transformations, and the craft of producing high-quality journalistic storytelling in an era of technological abundance and fragmented content trends.

Confronting Fake News and Disinformation

A session titled “Diplomacy of Influence: Media and Image-Making” examined the role of media in shaping perceptions and enhancing states’ soft power, with the participation of several ambassadors accredited to Saudi Arabia.

Diaa Al-Din Bamakhrama, Djibouti’s Ambassador and Dean of the Diplomatic Corps in the Kingdom, said Saudi Arabia offers a prominent model of influence diplomacy through its hosting of international forums and its investment in culture and sports, particularly football, which has helped project Saudi presence across the globe.

“In an increasingly interconnected world that has become a small village, false and fabricated narratives fall quickly and cannot withstand the flow of information and facts,” Bamakhrama said, noting that digital media has made exposing falsehoods faster, and that only truthful narratives can build lasting trust with public opinion.

Spain’s Ambassador to the Kingdom Javier Carbajosa Sánchez stressed that the relationship between media and diplomacy is historic and has grown more complex and influential in the age of modern communications and social media.

Media, he said, has never been merely a transmitter, but an active and influential force, adding that political work cannot be separated from managing media presence.

For his part, Dr. Suhel Ajaz Khan, the Indian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, said that image-building and perception management lie at the heart of public and cultural diplomacy.

He explained that delivering the right message to the right audience is the key to influence, with art and national cuisine among the most effective soft-power tools.

He added that cultural diplomacy relies on activating soft-power instruments such as arts, music, cinema, and cuisine to enhance human connection and build bridges between peoples.

In Saudi Arabia, he noted, the Indian community, alongside Indian cinema and food culture, plays a major role in shaping perceptions and strengthening partnerships—sometimes with an impact exceeding that of formal diplomatic efforts.

In confronting fake news and digital disinformation, Khan stressed the need for swift, honest, and direct diplomacy to present facts before rumors spread.

South African Ambassador Mogobo David Magabe highlighted mutual respect and dialogue as fundamental pillars of diplomacy, pointing out that the main challenges today are the spread of disinformation and the accelerated pace of modern media, which contrasts with diplomacy’s traditionally gradual, long-term relationship-building approach.

A Candid Look at Arab Media

In a separate dialogue session on the realities of Arab media and the requirements for expanding its global reach, Saudi journalist Jameel Altheyabi said local Arab media is largely inward-looking, driven by a mindset focused on domestic audiences with limited consideration for the global sphere.

He described Arab media as often emotional, with varying approaches to content and engagement across the region.

Writer and journalist Mamoun Fandy said that stories produced in the Arab world are viewed internationally through the lens of their origin and nature, as global audiences apply their own standards of credibility, accuracy, and sourcing.

He added that the Arab world can generate distinctive journalistic stories capable of shaping global discourse through exclusivity and originality, expressing regret that many official Arab institutions still prefer foreign outlets to convey their narratives to the world.

Varieties

Iran Formally Allows Women to Ride Motorcycles

Women walk past a mural depicting children as future scientists in Tehran on February 3, 2026. (Photo by ATTA KENARE / AFP)
Women walk past a mural depicting children as future scientists in Tehran on February 3, 2026. (Photo by ATTA KENARE / AFP)
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Iran Formally Allows Women to Ride Motorcycles

Women walk past a mural depicting children as future scientists in Tehran on February 3, 2026. (Photo by ATTA KENARE / AFP)
Women walk past a mural depicting children as future scientists in Tehran on February 3, 2026. (Photo by ATTA KENARE / AFP)

Women in Iran can now formally obtain a license to ride a motorcycle, local media reported Wednesday, ending years of legal ambiguity surrounding two-wheelers.

The law previously did not explicitly prohibit women from riding motorbikes and scooters, but in practice authorities refused to issue licenses, AFP reported.

Due to the legal grey area, women have been held legally responsible for accidents even when victims.

Iran's First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref signed a resolution on Tuesday aimed at clarifying the traffic code, which was approved by Iran's cabinet in late January, the country's Ilna news agency reported.

The resolution obliges traffic police to "provide practical training to female applicants, organize an exam under the direct supervision of the police, and issue motorcycle driver's licenses to women", Ilna said.

The change follows a wave of protests across Iran that were initially sparked by economic grievances but which grew last month into nationwide anti-government demonstrations.

Varieties

Storm Leo Pounds Iberian Peninsula with Torrential Rains

A police car patrols an empty shopping area amid rain as storm Leonardo hits parts of Spain, in Ronda, Spain, February 4, 2026. (Reuters)
A police car patrols an empty shopping area amid rain as storm Leonardo hits parts of Spain, in Ronda, Spain, February 4, 2026. (Reuters)
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Storm Leo Pounds Iberian Peninsula with Torrential Rains

A police car patrols an empty shopping area amid rain as storm Leonardo hits parts of Spain, in Ronda, Spain, February 4, 2026. (Reuters)
A police car patrols an empty shopping area amid rain as storm Leonardo hits parts of Spain, in Ronda, Spain, February 4, 2026. (Reuters)

Spanish and Portuguese authorities braced on ​Wednesday for the impact of Storm Leo, suspending classes in some areas and warning against travel, just one week after deadly Storm Kristin wreaked havoc across the Iberian Peninsula.

Spain's state meteorological agency AEMET forecast that some parts of the southern Sierra Grazalema may see rainfall equivalent to a full year of precipitation from the storm.

Authorities are concerned about the heightened risk ‌of flooding as ‌the ground remains saturated from the ‌preceding storm ⁠and ​heavy rains ‌last month.

Spain recorded 119.3 mm of rainfall in January, 85% above the 1992-2020 average, making it the second-wettest January of the 21st century, the Environment Ministry said.

The regional government in Spain's southern Andalusia region urged residents to avoid non-essential travel, warning that public safety alerts could quickly escalate to the highest red-alert level as the ⁠storm evolves, regional leader Juanma Moreno said.

In-person classes were suspended across the region, ‌apart from in Almeria province, while Spain's ‍Military Emergency Unit was on alert ‍to provide a rapid response, including flood rescue, the stabilization ‍of landslide-prone areas and the monitoring of mining tailings ponds at risk of overflow.

Day centers for the elderly and disabled have been closed, and local governments in affected areas were advised to cancel outdoor sports ​activities, while about 3,000 people have been evacuated from areas most at risk of flooding.

High-risk regions include ⁠Grazalema, Campo de Gibraltar, Ronda and parts of Jaen, where residents received mobile alerts warning of the potential for heavy rainfall.

Emergency personnel, along with two aircraft and two helicopters, have been deployed to monitor flood-prone zones and provide real-time updates, Moreno said.

In Portugal, the national Civil Protection Service raised its preparedness to the highest level as its commander warned of a "very complex" meteorological situation ahead.

The Portuguese armed forces deployed up to 3,000 personnel and 42 inflatable boats with marine teams along flood-prone sections of the country's major rivers ‌as weather conditions were forecast to worsen throughout the week.