Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., sent letters Wednesday to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine asking them to confirm that they wouldn't send troops to polling stations. File Pool photo by Paul Sancya/UPI | License Photo Aug. 19 (UPI) -- Sen. Elissa »»»

JJERUSALEM: Israel’s army chief said Wednesday during a visit to an Israeli-occupied security zone in southern Syria that the military would not allow threats to “establish themselves” on the border. “We are monitoring the changes on the Syrian front. We will not allow hostile forces to establish t»»»

For more than four decades, Dr. Atef Abdel Latif has built a distinctive career at the intersection of tourism, media, the arts, and film production. Throughout this remarkable journey, he has remained convinced that these fields should not be viewed as separate or competing spheres, but rather as »»»

Parkin Company PJSC, Dubai’s provider of paid public parking facilities and services, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Modon Misr for Asset & Facility Management, Mwasalat Misr, and Redcon Properties to explore the development of smart parking and mobility solutions in Egypt. The»»»

A Palestinian-American has raised the US flag on his home besieged by Israeli settlers, as the United States renewed criticism of the siege that has generated condemnation around the world. A Palestinian American whose home in the occupied West Bank has been besieged for more than a week confronted»»»

The Israeli military will open internal criminal investigations into its troops' 2024 killing of five-year-old Palestinian girl Hind Rajab alongside six of her relatives, as well as the killings of 15 medics and humanitarian workers in 2025, it announced Wednesday. Israeli rights groups have warned»»»

Dubai: For UAE residents waiting for the first real break from summer, the answer depends on which calendar you follow, and whether you mean the official end of the season or the point when the most intense heat finally begins to ease. Astronomically, summer will continue until September 23, when t»»»

Doha, Qatar: Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani received on Wednesday the Chairman of the Political Bureau of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) Dr Khalil Al-Hayya, and a number of the movement's leaders. During the meeting, th»»»

DOHA: Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani received Head of the Political Bureau of the Islamic Resistance Movement in Palestine 'Hamas' Dr Khalil Al Hayya, along with a number of the movement's leaders. During the meeting, they revie»»»

Tunis, August 19, 2026 (TAP) – Minister of Equipment and Housing and Acting Minister of Industry, Mines and Energy Salah Zouari met with Indian Ambassador to Tunisia Devyani Khobragade, accompanied by a delegation of business leaders from the...»»»

JAKARTA: Indonesia wants to join hands with countries in the Middle East to advance the global halal ecosystem, eyeing a partnership that combines its production capabilities with the region’s market and investment potential, the Ministry of Trade told Arab News recently. Southeast Asia’s biggest e»»»

AL-MUKALLA: The bodies of four sailors — three Pakistanis and one Indonesian — killed in a recent Houthi missile attack on a commercial vessel in the Red Sea were transferred from Yemen to Saudi Arabia on Wednesday ahead of repatriation, a local Yemeni official told Arab News. The four bodies, alon»»»

ALKHOBAR: From the iconic rock formations of AlUla to wildlife conservation efforts in the northwest, Saudi Arabia marked World Photography Day on Wednesday by highlighting how local lensmen are documenting the Kingdom’s natural and cultural landscape. The annual event, which is observed globally o»»»

BERLIN: Germany and France on Wednesday condemned remarks by Israel’s far-right national security minister, who declared that Israel should kill “30 or 40” people every night in the Palestinian territory of Gaza. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz “strongly condemns the inhumane appeals made by Minis»»»

Israeli informed U.S. General Joseph Clearfield of its rejection of any agreement on a new pilot zone in south Lebanon, Lebanese sources involved in the deliberations said. The sources added, in remarks to al-Liwaa newspaper, that Israel’s priorities are “expanding the occupied strip, erecting mili»»»

CAIRO: An Israeli airstrike killed nine Palestinians at a police station in Gaza on Wednesday, medics said, two days after US envoy Jared Kushner ended a trip to the region that failed to push forward Donald Trump’s plan to end the war in the enclave. Medics and police sources said several officers»»»

RIYADH: Net loans at Saudi Arabia’s 10 listed banks rose 7 percent year on year to SR3.25 trillion ($865.2 billion) by the end of the second quarter of 2026, while deposit growth outpaced lending for a second consecutive quarter, according to Al Rajhi Capital. Deposits increased 9 percent to SR3.15»»»

Abu Dhabi: The United Arab Emirates has announced the success of new mediation efforts between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Ukraine, resulting in the release of 103 captives from each side, bringing the total number of captives exchanged between the two countries through UAE-mediated »»»

LONDON: Weeks into US-backed talks meant to trade an Israeli withdrawal for Hezbollah’s disarmament, renewed strikes and evacuation orders in southern Lebanon are raising a difficult question: Is there anything meaningful left to negotiate? The US said on Aug. 11 that the next round of Israel-Leban»»»

LONDON: In May 2024, a furious Gilad Erdan, then Israel’s ambassador to the UN, stood in front of the General Assembly in New York and proceeded to feed a facsimile of the UN Charter into a tiny electric shredder. The assembly was poised to vote to adopt a resolution urging the Security Council to »»»

El-Alamein (Egypt): A preparatory meeting of senior officials for the Qatari-Egyptian Joint Higher Committee in its seven session was held on Wednesday, in the city of El-Alamein, Egypt, in preparation for the session scheduled to be held on Thursday (August 20, 2026), with the participation of a l»»»

UAE citizens can now receive government scholarships to study academic programmes delivered entirely online, under new regulations issued by the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research (MoHESR). Under Ministerial Resolution No. 179 of 2026, scholarships may be granted for fully distanc»»»

Kyiv: Ukrainian anti-corruption agencies announced Wednesday that they are investigating senior officials in President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s office, a day after the country’s recently fired defence minister called for national elections despite the ongoing fight against Russia’s attack. The revelat»»»

A Turkish delegation had visited an air base in northern Syria the day before it was hit by Israeli airstrikes, Syrian officials said. The Israeli strikes hit the Abu Duhur base early Tuesday, hours after the delegation had left, causing damage but no casualties. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Net»»»

Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf arrived in neighboring Iraq Wednesday for a three-day visit where he will meet with Iraqi officials and leaders of an Iran-backed political coalition. Iran-backed Iraqi militias have launched and claim drone attacks targeting U.S. bases and diplomatic presence both within th»»»

Arab Finance: Palm Hills Development Company logged consolidated net profits after tax and non-controlling interest of EGP 2.264 billion in the first half (H1) of 2026, 7% year-on-year (YoY) lower than EGP 2.443 billion, according to the financial results. Revenues jumped by 25.4% to EGP 19.528 bil»»»

The United Arab Emirates suspended all trade with Iran on Wednesday after it said it had come under renewed fire from the country — a move that will further isolate the Islamic Republic, which is suffering under U.S. sanctions and a blockade. Incoming ballistic missile fire triggered nationwide war»»»

Pakistan’s former Prime Minister and cricket captain Imran Khan met his sister and wife at Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail for the first time in nine months after the apex court allowed weekly family meetings for the incarcerated leader amid concerns over his health. Khan, the founder of the Pakistan Tehr»»»

Only hours before the annual US-South Korean military exercise Ulchi Freedom Shield was due to begin, Donald Trump issued a statement that went far beyond another dispute over how much America’s allies should pay for their own security. On August 16, 2026, the US president announced that he had ins»»»

Spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry Esmaeil Baqaei categorically rejected the United Arab Emirates’ allegation that Iran launched a missile toward the Arab country, expressing regret over the accusation against the Islamic Republic. In a statement released on Tuesday night, Baqaei said th»»»

Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf arrived in neighboring Iraq Wednesday for a three-day visit where he will meet with Iraqi officials and leaders of an Iran-backed political coalition. Iran-backed Iraqi militias have launched and claim drone attacks targeting US bases and diplomatic presence both within the »»»

Dubai: Dubai will host a packed run of exhibitions, conferences and consumer events through the end of 2026, with GITEX Global, Arabian Travel Market, Beautyworld Dubai, Big 5 Global and Automechanika Dubai among the major shows scheduled between August and December. Get updated faster and for FREE»»»

EL ALAMEIN: Director of the Arab Affairs Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs HE Nayef Al Emadi and Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for Arab Affairs of the Arab Republic of Egypt HEEhab Fahmychaired in the city of El Alamein on Wednesday the preparatory meeting of senior officials fo»»»

ALKHOBAR: For Anan Al-Mahanna, the distance between years of hard work and a place in Saudi Arabia’s Women’s Premier League once came down to a single match. The Saudi footballer had founded Al-Taqadom’s women’s team in the summer of 2023 and only months later had taken the club to the semifinals o»»»

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russian President Vladimir Putin and Malian transitional president Assimi Goita held phone talks and agreed to coordinate efforts to ensure stability in Mali and the Sahel‑Saharan region as a whole, the Kremlin said on Wednesday. "It was agreed to continue coordinating efforts to»»»

Iran’s foreign minister said the Iran war had changed the region’s security thinking, convincing Arab states that security must be collective and regional, not dependent on foreign bases that had become sources of insecurity. In a wide-ranging interview with the president’s communications office, A»»»

Arab Finance: Dubai-based paid public parking provider Parkin Company has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Modon Misr for Asset and Facility Management, Mwasalat Misr, and Redcon Properties to explore the development of smart parking and mobility solutions in Egypt, as per a press re»»»

Jordan is preparing to mark the 2,000-year anniversary of Jesus Christ’s baptism in the Jordan River, with the Muslim nation investing more than $100 million to draw Christian pilgrims to one of the world’s holiest sites. Jordanian Prime Minister Jafar Hassan met with Christian leaders this month a»»»

London, Dubai, New York City, Washington, DC, and Amsterdam top the rankings of the world’s most intelligent cities, according to new research from Boston Consulting Group (BCG). However, no city leads across every area assessed, with different combinations of strengths shaping intelligent city lea»»»

Dubai: Oman’s Public Prosecution has warned content creators against exploiting children under 15 or domestic workers in social media content, saying offenders could face up to three years in prison and a fine of OMR5,000. The warning is part of an awareness campaign urging creators to consider the»»»

Russia and Ukraine exchanged prisoners of war in a 103-for-103 swap, the Russian Defense Ministry said. “On August 19, 103 Russian servicemen were returned from territory controlled by the Kiev regime. In exchange, 103 Ukrainian Armed Forces prisoners of war were handed over,” the ministry said.The»»»

Ukraine has been using UK-made jet drones for deep strikes inside Russia for the past six months, The Sunday Times reported on August 16, citing Ukrainian military sources. The use of UK-made weapons to hit targets deep inside Russia has lead to fears that Russia will retaliate by targetting those »»»

FINANCIAL TIMES: IRAN EYES TARGETING US MILITARY ASSETS IN EUROPE IF TENSIONS ESCALATE Denevnik.bg and 24 Chasa reproduce a Financial Times report, citing people close to the Iranian regime, according to which Iranian officials and military planners have examined potential targets at American milit»»»

More than 400 school principals from across Bulgaria are enhancing their professional skills through a summer online academy, educational platform Prepodavame.bg said on Wednesday. The Summer Academy for School Principals is a free online program featuring 11 practical workshops for leaders of scho»»»

U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to bomb Oman because he is unhappy the country is close to a deal with Iran to manage ship traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, two regional officials said on Tuesday, a day after Trump leveled the threat. The officials said the Trump administration has told »»»

Dubai: The Dubai International Holy Quran Award has received 20,500 applications from 135 countries for its 29th edition, marking the largest international participation in the award's history. Registration for the 29th edition, corresponding to 1448H–2027, will close on Wednesday, with application»»»

Oman has suspended all powered paragliding activities across the country until further notice following a fatal accident in Salalah, according to the Oman Air Sports Committee. The decision covers all types of powered paragliding and applies to all locations licensed for the activity in the Sultana»»»

Cairo, Egypt: The Arab League has condemned the Israeli strike on the Abu Al-Duhur airbase in Syria's Idlib province on Tuesday, describing it as a blatant violation of Syrian sovereignty and international law and another escalation in Israel's repeated attacks on Syria and other countries in the r»»»

Dubai: Spanish authorities temporarily closed Granada’s historic Alhambra Palace as a precaution after a 4.8-magnitude earthquake caused minor damage to the UNESCO World Heritage site and injured three people. The earthquake struck at 10.38am on Tuesday. local time, with its epicentre in the town o»»»

Islamabad, Aug. 19 (SANA) Pakistan strongly condemned Israeli attacks on Abu al-Duhur military airport in Syria’s Idlib governorate, saying they violated international law and risked further undermining regional peace and stability.In a statement posted on X, Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry described t»»»