The Latest Breaking News from Asharq Al-Awsat

The Iranian militias have given the green light to activate the air defense system composed of four batteries in Damascus to intercept any upcoming Israeli strikes, reliable sources in Syria said. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) revealed that the militias’ leaders were ordered to limit their movement in…

Iran's supreme leader said on Monday that poisoning of Iranian schoolgirls in recent months is an "unforgivable" crime amid spread of suspected poisoning across the country with hundreds of girls hospitalized. "Authorities should seriously pursue the issue of students' poisoning. This is an unforgivable crime...

China believes full and effective compliance is the right way forward for the Iranian nuclear issue, the Chinese foreign ministry said at a regular news briefing on Monday. "The US should make a political decision as soon as possible to work for outcomes from the talks," said spokesperson Mao Ning…

A delegation from the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) Enquiry Mission arrived in Riyadh on Sunday on a 5-day visit to start the evaluation process of the Kingdon's Candidacy for World Expo 2030. The Enquiry Mission is headed by Patrick Specht, president of the BIE Administration and Budget Committee, accompanied…

The head of Russia's Wagner mercenary force warned that Russia's position around the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut was in peril unless his troops got ammunition, the latest sign of tension between the Kremlin and the private militia chief. Ukrainian military officials and analysts also reported leaders of Russia's 155th…

A suicide bomber riding on a motorcycle rammed into a police truck in Pakistan's restive southwest, killing at least nine policemen and wounding seven, officials said. No one immediately claimed responsibility for the bombing, which took place on a bridge in the district of Sibi in Baluchistan province, but Baluch…

Rabih, a father of three, lamented that the economic crisis in Lebanon now means that he can no longer feed his children enough. He also has to support his sick mother, saying providing her with medical care is his top priority. “We can no longer afford hospital treatment. We can…

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi has stressed Egypt’s sturdy commitment to backing Iraq and providing full support to the Iraqi people at all levels, particularly in the areas of counter-terrorism and consolidating security and stability. Sisi's statements came during his meeting on Monday with Iraqi Prime Minister Muhammad Shia Al-Sudani…

A cargo vessel ran aground in the Suez Canal on Sunday, but traffic through the global waterway was not impacted, Egyptian authorities said. The Liberia-flagged MSC Istanbul, heading to Portugal from Malaysia, got stuck in a two-lane part of the Suez Canal, said Adm. Ossama Rabei, head of the Suez…