The news, anew
News
On April 30, 2022, Yahya Sinwar (1962–2024), then head of Hamas' political bureau in the Gaza Strip, warned of a broad “regional religious war” if Israel continued its attacks on the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound and Jerusalem. He urged representatives of Palestinian factions and their armed wings to prepare and remain ready. Yet no one imagined those preparations would be for what unfolded 18 months later, on Oct. 7, 2023.
Culture
The fourth edition of Saudi Film Confex 2026 will be held on October 28 and 29 at JAX Film Studios in Riyadh under the patronage of Minister of Culture and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Saudi Film Commission Prince Bader bin Abdullah bin Farhan. Held under the supervision of the Saudi Film Commission and organized by Benchmark, the event will take place under the theme "Industry Shapers' Edition," bringing together film sector leaders, decision-makers, professionals, and industry specialists.
Politics
The Saudi government underlined on Tuesday its absolute support for the Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council, legitimate government and people in ending the coup by the Iran-backed terrorist Houthi militia and reclaiming the state and its institutions. Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, chaired the Cabinet meeting held in Riyadh.
News
An inspiring humanitarian initiative reflecting values of social solidarity and cohesion.
News
Participants at the fourth international conference of ASEAN countries, “Khair Ummah,” condemned on Tuesday the Houthi militia’s launch of drones and missiles toward Makkah and Madinah and its targeting of civilian sites in Saudi Arabia. ASEAN rejected the Houthi’s actions saying it threaten Islamic holy sites and the safety of civilians. In the conference’s final statement, the participants denounced what they said are criminal acts targeting Muslim holy sites and civilian targets in Saudi Arabia.
News
Three Iranian men went on trial Tuesday charged with spying for Iran, allegedly laying the ground for a violent attack against at least one London-based journalist. The Iranian nationals visited addresses linked to people including two journalists working for the Farsi-language Iran International television news network, which Tehran has labelled a terror organization. Mostafa Sepahvand, 41, Farhad Manesh, 46, and Shapoor Noori, 57, who have all pleaded not guilty, appeared at Woolwich Crown Court in London accompanied by translators.
News
A teenage girl wounded eight girls at a middle school in Istanbul on Tuesday, as she reportedly stabbed pupils indiscriminately with a knife, officials said. The incident occurred around 8:40 am (0540 GMT) at a school in Basaksehir in the northwestern part of the city. The alleged attacker, said to be a 15-year-old 10th grade student from another school, has been detained by police.
News
Ukrainian drones killed two people and hit a major fuel depot overnight in one of the biggest attacks of the war on Moscow and the surrounding region, Russian military bloggers said. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said Ukraine had launched more than 650 drones towards the capital, most of which were shot down.
Science
Belgian Francis Halzen won the Nobel Prize in physics on Tuesday for his contributions to the IceCube Neutrino Observatory and his discovery of high-energy neutrinos of astrophysical origin. The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences announced the award in Stockholm. The prize money this year is 12 million Swedish kronor (about $1.2 million), whether for an individual, a small group of laureates or an organization.
Sports
Italian police have imposed supervision orders on 22 hardcore soccer fans as part of an investigation into clashes before the Torino-Juventus derby match in May. The 22 are members of "ultra" groups from Juve and Torino who clashed outside the Olimpico Grande Torino stadium in Turin on May 24, the final day of last season. They are accused of throwing bottles, stones and explosive devices as well as affray, Reuters quoted police as saying in a statement on Tuesday.
Politics
Britain is likely to expel Israeli diplomats if Israel carries out its order to shut the British consulate in East Jerusalem this week in a dispute over sanctions targeting Israeli settlements, four sources said. Israel on September 8 ordered Britain to close the East Jerusalem consulate within 30 days and remove its diplomats from the city, after Britain said it would impose a ban on trade of goods made in Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.
News
Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation said King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Jazan and Najran International Airport came under attack on Monday evening, adding that emergency teams and relevant authorities began responding immediately in line with approved procedures and plans. The authority said the attacks slightly injured three people and caused material damage. The injured were taken to hospital for medical treatment, it added.
Sports
Coco Gauff said she had received an "insane" amount of racial abuse on social media after the two-times Grand Slam champion beat local teenager Sun Xinran at the China Open on Monday in a match where a replayed point sparked an online backlash. The American won 7-5 6-1 to reach the fourth round, but was targeted after stopping play during a crucial point in the first set, raising her hand to complain about a flickering advertising board just as Sun was about to put away a winner.
Business
Saudi Arabia’s Agricultural Development Fund (ADF) is playing a central role in national efforts to bolster food security, allocating SAR 3 billion ($798 million) to finance imports of strategic commodities through direct lending and partnerships with banks. The funding is designed to cushion the impact of supply-chain disruptions and difficulties in getting goods into the Kingdom, with disbursements to beneficiaries continuing through the end of this year.
Business
A student follows a lesson in a virtual classroom, a patient receives a medical consultation from home and a beneficiary accesses an official document on a mobile phone -snapshots of how digital government services have become part of everyday life in Saudi Arabia. As access becomes easier, ensuring those services remain available is increasingly important. Education, healthcare and government transactions are daily needs that require readiness to maintain service availability and allow beneficiaries to rely on them when needed.
Politics
Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri has moved to rein in political attacks by his ally Hezbollah against Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, with sources close to Berri telling Asharq Al-Awsat that he pushed for a de-escalation between Salam and a large segment of residents in southern Lebanon.
Business
Saudi Arabia's economy is expected to stage a strong rebound in 2027 as the effects of disruptions to energy and trade flows fade. The World Bank forecasts the Kingdom's GDP to grow by 7.9 percent next year, following a projected 2 percent contraction in 2026. The crisis linked to the Strait of Hormuz closure has demonstrated that diversifying sources of economic growth is just as important as diversifying energy export routes and logistics infrastructure.
Business
The World Bank said Tuesday that if the Middle East conflict subsides by the end of this year, regional growth excluding Iran is projected to rebound to 7.8% in 2027. In a report titled “From Divide to Opportunity: AI, Jobs, and Growth,” the Bank said that regional output is projected to contract by 2.1% on average in 2026, after expanding 3.3% in 2025.
