Latest World News

World The body of Pope Francis is placed in an open casket during the rite of the declaration of death in Santa Marta residence at the Vatican, April 22, 2025. Vatican Media/­Handout via REUTERS

Pope Francis’s Funeral to Be Held on Saturday, Many World Leaders Expected 

Pope Francis' funeral will be held on Saturday in St. Peter's Square, Roman Catholic cardinals decided on Tuesday, setting the stage for a solemn ceremony that…

Asharq Al Awsat
Arab World Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan during a meeting with Hamas leaders on Sunday (Turkish Foreign Ministry)

Hamas Seeks to Convey Gaza Ceasefire Plan to Trump via Türkiye

Hamas is pushing to promote a new ceasefire initiative for the Gaza Strip and is seeking Türkiye’s support to convey its vision to the administration of US…

Asharq Al Awsat (Gaza)
World Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi attends a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Moscow, Russia, 18 April 2025. EPA/TATYANA MAKEYEVA / POOL

China Says Iran's Foreign Minister Will Visit on Wednesday

Iran's Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi will visit China on April 23 at the invitation of China, the Chinese foreign ministry announced on Tuesday. The…

Asharq Al Awsat
Arab World Meeting in Busra al-Sham, Daraa Countryside, attended by Col. Binyan al-Hariri (Daraa News Network)

Syrian Defense Ministry Begins Reshaping Military Affairs in Daraa

The Syrian Ministry of Defense has begun reorganizing military affairs in the southern province of Daraa, days after the Eighth Brigade — a former opposition…

Asharq Al Awsat

Gaza Rescuers Say Seven Killed in Israeli Air Strikes 

Arab World 21 April 2025, Palestinian Territories, Gaza City: Palestinians hose down hotspots as they clean up the residue of tents destroyed in an Israeli attack on Gaza City. (Omar Ashtawy/APA Images via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa)

Gaza Rescuers Say Seven Killed in Israeli Air Strikes 

Gaza's civil defense agency said Tuesday that seven people were killed in fresh Israeli air strikes across the Hamas-run territory. "The occupation launched…


World A man stands amid debris in the aftermath of a mass overnight drone attack by Russian forces, at a location given as Odesa, Ukraine, April 21, 2025, in this still image taken from video. (Mayor of Odesa Hennadiy Trukhanov via Telegram/Handout via Reuters)

Russian Drone Attack Injures Three People in Ukraine’s Odesa, Governor Says 

Russian forces launched a mass overnight drone attack on Ukraine's Black Sea port city of Odesa, wounding three people and damaging many apartments, local…

World Two Omani security officers monitor a motorcade believed to be carrying US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff in Muscat on April 12. (AP)

Iran: No Deal Without Tangible Sanctions Relief, Guarantees

Iran has accused Israel of actively working to undermine ongoing negotiations between Tehran and Washington over its nuclear program. The talks, mediated by…

Asharq Al Awsat (London) Asharq Al Awsat (Tehran)

Culture Ministry Partners with TikTok to Boost Saudi Cultural Sector

Culture Officials sign the agreement during a ceremony at the Ministry of Culture in Riyadh. (SPA)

Culture Ministry Partners with TikTok to Boost Saudi Cultural Sector

The Saudi Ministry of Culture signed on Monday a cooperation agreement with TikTok to strengthen collaboration across various fields, aiming to support and…


Culture The festival helps to keep their heritage alive and celebrate the city's Afro-Brazilian history. TOYIN ADEDOKUN / AFP

Afro-Brazilian Carnival Celebrates Cultural Kinship in Lagos

Thousands of young and old descendants of formerly enslaved people donned elaborate costumes Sunday to bring the rhythm, vibrancy and colors of Brazil's Rio…

Asharq Al Awsat
Culture Riyadh Named Guest of Honor at Buenos Aires International Book Fair

Riyadh Named Guest of Honor at Buenos Aires International Book Fair

The Saudi Literature, Publishing, and Translation Commission is set to spearhead Riyadh's designation as the guest of honor at the Buenos Aires International…

Culture Misk Art Institute to Launch 3rd Edition of Prince Faisal Bin Fahd Arts Hall Exhibition: Summer 2025

Misk Art Institute to Launch 3rd Edition of Prince Faisal Bin Fahd Arts Hall Exhibition: Summer 2025

The Misk Art Institute, part of the Mohammed bin Salman Foundation, announced preparations for the third edition of the Prince Faisal Bin Fahd Art Exhibition:…

Culture Renowned composer and head of the department of musicology and composition at the Kyrgyz National Conservatory, Balasaguyn Musayev, who participates in a competition to create a new national anthem for Kyrgyzstan, observes the orchestra of the Kyrgyz National Conservatory performing his composition for the contest in Bishkek on April 4, 2025. (AFP)

Less Soviet, More Inspiring: Kyrgyzstan Seeks New Anthem

Kyrgyzstan is getting rid of its Soviet-inspired national anthem and has launched an unprecedented public contest to find an alternative. The mountainous…

Ostapenko on Upward Trajectory as Clay Season Gains Momentum 

Sports Latvia's Jelena Ostapenko holds the winner's trophy following the women's singles final tennis match of the WTA tour, in Stuttgart, Germany, Monday, April 21, 2025. (Marijan Murat/dpa via AP)

Ostapenko on Upward Trajectory as Clay Season Gains Momentum 

Jelena Ostapenko is starting to show shades of the form that saw her crowned French Open champion eight years ago with the Latvian knocking over the top two…


Sports Francis met his fellow Argentine Maradona twice as pope. (AFP via Getty Images)

Pope Francis Was a Card-Carrying Football Fan and Promoter of Values in Sports

From meetings with Diego Maradona to the passion for his beloved Buenos Aires club, San Lorenzo, Pope Francis was an avid football fan. And a promoter of…

Sports The flag of Saudi Arabia (Asharq Al-Awsat)

AFC President Hails Saudi Organization of AFC U17 Asian Cup

President of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and First Vice President of the International Federation of Football Associations (FIFA) Shaikh Salman bin…

Asharq Al Awsat
Sports Tennis - ATP 500 - Barcelona Open - Real Club de Tenis Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain - April 20, 2025 Spain's Carlos Alcaraz in action during the final against Denmark's Holger Rune. (Reuters)

Alcaraz’s Respect for Nadal Grows after Clay Swing Takes Its Toll

Carlos Alcaraz believes fatigue contributed to the leg issue that troubled him in his Barcelona Open final defeat and the Spaniard said the grueling nature of…

Sports French referee Mehdi Rahmoun (C) looks on during the French L1 football match between AS Saint-Etienne and Olympique Lyonnais (OL) after the match was suspended at the Geoffroy-Guichard Stadium in Saint-Etienne, central France on April 20, 2025. (AFP)

Fan Arrested after Official Hit with Object in Ligue 1 Game

A man has been arrested after an assistant referee was hit by an object thrown from the stands during Saint-Etienne's 2-1 win over Olympique Lyonnais in Ligue…


China to Launch New Crewed Mission into Space This Week 

Varieties The combination of the Shenzhou-20 crewed spaceship and a Long March-2F carrier rocket is vertically transferred to the launching area in Jiuquan, China, 16 April 2025 (issued 17 April 2025). (EPA/Xinhua / Liu Fang)

China to Launch New Crewed Mission into Space This Week 

China is expected to launch a new crewed mission into space this week, as Beijing takes steady steps towards its goal of putting astronauts on the Moon. The…


Varieties The Saudi government, through the National Center for Wildlife (NCW), is implementing specialized programs aimed at safeguarding the species from the threat of extinction. (SPA)

Saudi Arabia’s Dugong Protection Efforts Take Center Stage at Environment Week 2025 

The dugong (Dugong dugon) continues to be a vital symbol of biodiversity in Saudi Arabia. The vulnerable mammal serves as a sensitive environmental indicator…

Varieties Snowfall in the Hindu Kush-Himalayan mountain range has reached a 23-year low, threatening nearly two billion people dependent on snowmelt for water - AFP

Himalayan Snow at 23-year Low, Threatening 2 Billion People

Snowfall in Asia's Hindu Kush-Himalayan mountain range has reached a 23-year low, threatening nearly two billion people dependent on snowmelt for water,…

Asharq Al Awsat
Varieties Saudi Reef Highlights 750 Million Taif Roses Produced in 2024

Saudi Reef Highlights 750 Million Taif Roses Produced in 2024

The Sustainable Agricultural Rural Development Program (Saudi Reef) has launched a week-long media campaign highlighting Taif roses as one of the Kingdom's…

Asharq Al Awsat
Varieties Merci who participates in the "Enabling Through the Horse," therapy program outside Windhoek, Namibia, pets a horse on Feb. 18, 2025. (AP)

Horse Therapy Program in Namibia Brings Joy to Children with Learning Disabilities

Susan de Meyer's horses have different effects on different children. Hyperactive kids learn to be a little quieter around them while nonverbal children are…