The Latest Breaking News from Asharq Al-Awsat

Hussein Mankawi has little hope he will ever rebuild his home and food distribution businesses in the northwest Syrian city of Jandaris after they were reduced to rubble by last month's deadly earthquake, wiping out his life's work. "What can we do? We'll put up a tent instead. There is…

Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei on Tuesday blamed the US and its European allies for stoking popular protests that rocked Iran for months. In his Nowruz New Year message to the nation, Khamenei shut down calls for change at home, stressing that the economy is the most important issue facing…

Türkiye's pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) and its allies will not field a presidential candidate in May, its co-leader said on Wednesday, raising the prospect of the opposition uniting against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's re-election bid. Speaking at a news conference, Pervin Buldan did not openly say whether her alliance…

The Turkish Central Bank's net international reserves rose by $6 billion last week to $25 billion after a $5 billion deposit from Saudi Arabia entered its accounts. The central Bank's gross reserves rose $6.5 billion to $126.5 billion in the same period, Reuters quoted three bankers as saying. The Bank…

Umrah security forces in Saudi Arabia have introduced the Interior Ministry's plan for the Umrah season in 2023. The program tackles security, managing and organizing crowds, managing traffic, providing humanitarian services, and empowering squads implementing the plan. “The Umrah security plan for (this) year included managing and organizing crowds and…

The General Entertainment Authority has nominated 22 startups for the first Entertainment Business Accelerator, which aims to provide support for entrepreneurs interested in the sector. The authority launched the business accelerator on Feb.

The UN Special Envoy to Sudan, who heads the mission of the UN Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan (UNITAMS), Volker Perthes, expressed his optimism about the chances of achieving progress in the political process, stressing that Sudan is "closer than ever" to reaching a solution, despite the continuing challenges.

Three people were killed in an overnight Russian drone strike on civilian infrastructure in the Kyiv region, Ukrainian officials said on Wednesday morning. The State Emergency Service said on the Telegram messaging app that two dormitories and an educational facility in the city of Rzhyshchiv had been partially destroyed in…

South Korean and US forces will hold their largest-ever live-fire exercises in June in a show of force to North Korea, which has ratcheted up tension with numerous missile launches, South Korea's defence ministry said on Wednesday. The exercises are part of a series of events marking the 70th anniversary…

The Lebanese culture ministry launched an initiative in May last year to turn the ancient Beirut house, where Fairuz lived during her childhood, into a museum. However, neglect is still obvious in the house’s walls and features, according to the Arab News Agency (ANA). The legendary singer lived her childhood…

The Russian-backed administration in Sevastopol said on Wednesday that it had suspended ferry routes around the port city, shortly after the city's governor said a Ukrainian drone attack had been repelled by air defenses. Writing on Telegram, Sevastopol Governor Mikhail Razvozhaev said that three "objects" had been destroyed, and that…