The Latest Breaking News from Asharq Al-Awsat

The Kremlin said on Friday it had followed "important talks" between Chinese President Xi Jinping, French President Emmanuel Macron and EU Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen, but said it doubted China would change its position on the Ukraine conflict under external pressure. China has proposed its own "peace plan"…

The Lebanese judiciary has received a French judicial writ summoning Central Bank Governor Riad Salameh to appear before French judge Aude Buresi in Paris, an informed judicial source told Asharq Al-Awsat. The source said the French questioning is separate from the investigations that Paris is running in Beirut with other…

Türkiye’s foreign minister said on Friday he agreed with Russia's request to lift obstacles to Russian fertilizer and grain exports, and that this needed to be addressed to extend the overall Black Sea grain deal involving Ukraine. Mevlut Cavusoglu told a news conference in Ankara, alongside Russian Foreign Minister Sergei…

The Lebanese army found on Friday a deserted rocket launcher in the southern town of Marjayoun that contained several unlaunched rockets. The army leadership said in a statement that efforts are underway to dismantle it. The encounter came following a flare-up in violence and major salvoes of rockets that were…

Israel unleashed rare airstrikes on Lebanon and bombarded the Gaza Strip on Friday, an escalation that sparked fears of a broader conflict after days of violence over Jerusalem’s most sensitive holy site. Later in the day, there were signs that both sides were trying to keep the hostilities in check.…

The Egyptian government seeks to benefit from its former headquarters following the transfer of ministries into the New Administrative Capital. Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly stressed the government’s keenness on continuous follow-up of the state assets and on taking necessary steps to optimize them. The PM noted that there are…

Two people were killed during a shooting attack in the occupied West Bank on Friday, Israeli authorities said. Israel's military said a shooting attack was carried out on a vehicle near the Hamra settlement, Reuters reported. The Magen David Adom ambulance service said two women were killed and a third…

A dispute between Sudan’s military and a paramilitary group again forced the delay of signing a deal with politicians to restore the country’s democratic transition, which was derailed by a 2021 coup, a pro-democracy bloc said Wednesday. The bloc, known as the Forces for the Declaration of Freedom and Change,…

Russian forces have very likely seized the center of the fiercely contested city of Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine and are threatening a key supply route for Ukrainian forces to the west, British intelligence said on Friday. Asked to comment on the report, a Ukrainian military command spokesman told Reuters the…

Saudi Arabia ranked second globally for societal awareness of artificial intelligence, according to the 2023 Artificial Intelligence Index Report by Stanford University. The report is a comprehensive resource for policymakers, researchers, and industry professionals to understand better the current situation regarding artificial intelligence and possible future trends. The report indicated…

Throughout her career, Ellie Goulding has been candid about the drawbacks of fame. Although she remembers being a self-conscious teenager, Goulding said her struggles with panic attacks, anxiety and insecurity about how she looks were exacerbated in the early stages of her stardom. “I was kind of thrust into this…