Iran has closed the strait of Hormuz – citing alleged ⁠violations of a ceasefire agreement ​by the US ‌and Israel. Tehran said the closure was the "first step" in response ​to what it described ​as breaches ​of commitments regarding the continuing clashes in Lebanon - and warned ​that further measu»»»

France issued a red alert for the heatwave across more than a third of the country for Sunday, also banning the consumption of alcohol during the annual Fete de la Musique festivities that day. The ferocious heatwave, which began earlier this week, has disrupted the country, forcing the cancellatio»»»

BEIRUT: Lebanon’s central bank on Saturday condemned a “direct and deliberate” Israeli attack on one of its branches in the southern city of Nabatieh, where Israel has intensified its strikes despite a ceasefire. “Israeli forces directly targeted a branch of the Bank of Lebanon in Nabatieh,” the ba»»»

Russian officials have welcomed Warsaw’s decision to strip Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky of the Order of the White Eagle, Poland’s highest state honor. The decision came after Kiev named a military unit after the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA), a nationalist force implicated in massacres of Poles and»»»

CALIFORNIA: Belgium’s Jérémy Doku will not play in his team’s World Cup match against Iran on Sunday due to illness. The Manchester City winger was ruled out Saturday by the Red Devils for the match at SoFi Stadium in the Los Angeles area. The speedy Doku started Belgium’s World Cup opener last Mon»»»

Aleppo, June 20 (SANA) Syria’s Civil Aviation and Air Transport Authority said Saturday that Air Arabia UAE is set to launch direct flights between Sharjah and Aleppo on July 4. The Authority said the new route will strengthen air links between Syria and the UAE and offer travelers more options, im»»»

NEW YORK CITY: The UN Security Council on Saturday demanded that Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces immediately halt its assault on the city of El Obeid, warning of an imminent risk of mass atrocities as the paramilitary group masses reinforcements around the city. Council members said they were alarmed »»»

RAMALLAH: The Palestinian Prisoners’ Society has claimed in a statement that, according to data from the Ministry of Education, 65 high-school students are currently in Israeli custody and have been unable to take this year’s secondary school examinations. The incarcerated students, the society sai»»»

DOHA: Japan and Tunisia will face off in a crucial Group F encounter at the FIFA World Cup 2026 on Sunday, with both teams eager to strengthen their chances of reaching the knockout stage after contrasting results in their opening matches. The match, scheduled for 7am (Qatar time) at Monterrey Stad»»»

Washington: US Central Command confirmed that commercial ship traffic through the Strait of Hormuz increased today as US forces continue their operations in the region to support freedom of navigation. In a statement on X, the Command said that commercial ship traffic through the Strait of Hormuz r»»»

Hungary’s government is preparing one of the most extensive legislative programmes in recent years, with 83 proposed bills scheduled for debate during the autumn parliamentary session. The plans, submitted by Minister heading the Prime Minister’s Office Bálint Ruff, outline sweeping reforms affecti»»»

The West should not have expelled Russia from the G8, US President Donald Trump has said, adding that keeping Moscow in the group could have prevented the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022. Trump made the remarks in a wide-ranging interview with Axios published on Friday, in which the US p»»»

Sharjah: The Sharjah Roads and Transport Authority (SRTA) will begin implementing temporary traffic diversions and partial closures from Sunday as work gets under way to redevelop the Imran Bin Tareem and Ahmed Bin Hadeed roundabouts into permanent signal-controlled intersections. The project is pa»»»

An Egyptian archaeological mission from the Supreme Council of Antiquities has uncovered two tombs dating back to Egypt’s Early Dynastic Period, along with several burials from the Predynastic and Late Periods, during excavation works at the Jabal Al-Tayr site in Minya. The discovery sheds new ligh»»»

ATHENS: Greek ‌authorities ordered the evacuation of two settlements on ​Evia Island on Saturday and deployed dozens of firefighters, planes and helicopters to battle a major wildfire there. In a statement, ‌the country's ‌firefighting department ​said 88 ‌firefighters ⁠and ​volunteers were ⁠workin»»»

AMMAN — A board member of Jordan Chamber of Commerce (JCC) and First Vice President of the Amman Chamber of Commerce (ACC) Nabil Khatib noted on Saturday bilateral trade grew in 2025, with Jordanian exports to Germany rising by 92.4 per cent to JD59 million, against JD718 million in imports.A deleg»»»

AMMAN — The Social Security Investment Fund (SSIF) has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Arab Mining Company (AMC) under which SSIF will explore the potential acquisition of a stake in the Arab Phosphate Mining Company, AMC's wholly owned subsidiary developing a phosphate fertiliser man»»»

Rome: Former Ballon d'Or and World Cup winner Ronaldinho is set to come out of retirement aged 46 to play for Ravenna in the Italian third tier, according to reports in Italian daily Gazzetta dello Sport. The sports daily said that Ronaldinho was scheduled to sign a deal in Miami on Tuesday and tha»»»

TOKYO: CEO of the Saudi Food and Drug Authority Dr. Hisham S. Aljadhey conducted a series of site visits to specialized medical and research centers in the US last week. The visits aimed to leverage global expertise in the latest technologies, as well as developments within advanced therapies and b»»»

Abu Dhabi: Abu Dhabi Police has urged motorists and members of the public to avoid leaving potentially hazardous items inside vehicles during the summer months, warning that extreme temperatures can increase the risk of fires and other safety incidents. The warning comes as part of the force's Safe»»»

Tunis, June 20 (TAP/Interview by Wided Medfai) - Tunisia holds an advanced position at both the Arab and African levels in the conservation and management of genetic resources, thanks to the expertise and specialised programmes it has developed...»»»

Here is another Japanese "healing fiction" title to add to your bookshelf: Takuya Asakura’s ‘The Vanishing Cherry Blossom Bookshop’ (2025), translated from the Japanese by Yuka Maeno. The first sentence sets the stage: "The shop was tucked away in a place beyond anyone’s understanding." The premise»»»

CALIFORNIA, USA: Awer Mabil’s face quickly turned to pure joy. He beamed and fought his emotions, a reaction Australia’s veteran forward hardly could have seen coming. It had nothing to do with a soccer result, either. But rather a reflection that took him back to his tumultuous youth as a refugee »»»

WASHINGTON: Days after scoring ‌in Norway’s 4-1 win over Iraq, Norway defender Leo Ostigard has become a father, following the birth of his first child over FaceTime as he continues his World Cup campaign with the squad. Ostigard, who has been receiving parenting tips from teammate Erling Haaland, »»»

Secretary's SpeechLebanon PalestineZionist EntityRegional and International International More Video Language Ar En Fr EsSubscribe for Weekly Updates Subscribe Israeli news site Walla: Once again, the Israeli army is being constrained by Iranian pressure; this is the new equation 20-06-2026 19:47 P»»»

Hungarian President Tamás Sulyok has pledged to use every available legal avenue to remain in office as tensions with Prime Minister Péter Magyar’s government continue to intensify. In an interview with Brussels-based news outlet Politico, Sulyok accused the new administration of attempting an unpr»»»

Baku, June 20 (SANA) Syria has called on the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) to prioritize post-conflict countries in access to its new concessional financing fund, as well as to provide greater flexibility in financing tools to support recovery and reconstruction efforts. Syrian Finance Minister M»»»

Share: File- Vehicles drive past a giant billboard reading “The Strait of Hormuz remains closed” at the Revolution Square in Tehran on Tuesday. (Atta Kenare / AFP via Getty Images) Iran’s military command blamed the U.S., saying it failed to prevent Israel from violating the cease-fire in Lebanon. »»»

Egypt is moving forward with plans to establish specialised Water Technology Schools aimed at training technical professionals for the country’s water resources and irrigation sector, Water Resources Minister Hani Sewilam announced. Sewilam chaired a meeting to review the implementation of a cooper»»»

AMMAN — A delegation led by Head of Primary Markets for the Middle East and Africa at LSEG (London Stock Exchange Group), Abi Ajayi, discussed on Saturday ways to strengthen cooperation and exchange expertise between the London Stock Exchange (LSE) and the Amman Stock Exchange (ASE).They also explo»»»

Share: Smoke rises to the sky following an Israeli military strike in southern Lebanon as seen from northern Israel, Friday, June 19, 2026. Israeli strikes on southern Lebanon on Saturday killed at least seven people, including two children, hours after reports emerged of a ceasefire agreement. The»»»

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has been fighting with President Donald Trump over social media. File Photo via G7/UPI | License Photo June 20 (UPI) -- After a day of jabs on social media, President Donald Trump and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni are continuing to duke it out online. O»»»

Sharjah: Sharjah has reinforced its position as one of the safest cities in the region, recording a 99.7 per cent sense of safety in 2025, according to the latest Quality of Life Indicators issued by the Sharjah Department of Statistics and Community Development. The achievement was highlighted dur»»»

Damascus, June 20 (SANA) Syrian and Turkish officials and business representatives discussed ways to strengthen agricultural, trade and investment cooperation during talks held on Saturday in Damascus. The meeting, at the Damascus and Damascus Countryside Agriculture Chamber, brought together Moham»»»

Switzerland could exclude Ukrainian men of military age from protections granted to refugees, the Alpine nation’s government has said. The Swiss Federal Council announced in a statement on Friday that it has started consultations with cantons on prolonging beyond March 2027 the S Status for some 66»»»

The Hungarian government has postponed the parliamentary submission of legislation establishing the new Asset Recovery Office, a key institution promised by Prime Minister Péter Magyar to investigate corruption and recover allegedly misappropriated public assets, including potentially stolen EU fun»»»

PARIS/BERLIN/ROME: A punishing heatwave sweeping across much of Europe prompted emergency meetings in France, nationwide warnings in Germany and strains on tourists and residents in Italy, as temperatures climbed toward record levels. French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu was due to hold a crisis»»»

DOHA: If it was the luck of the draw that sent Japan and Tunisia to Monterrey, Mexico, to contest the 1,000th match in FIFA World Cup history, then it was luck that was enhanced significantly by football’s rapid and relatively recent spread across the globe. That evolution into a universally belove»»»

LA PAZ: Bolivian President Rodrigo Paz declared a state of emergency across the Latin American country on Saturday after more than six weeks of road blockades and protests demanding his resignation, saying he had exhausted “all avenues of dialogue.” The decision came hours after Paz signed an agree»»»

A Hezbollah supporter waves a Hezbollah flag and a poster of Iran’s founder Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini at Qasmiyeh Bridge, southern Lebanon, Friday. Fighting between Israel and Hezbollah continues, angering Iran. Photo by Wael Hamzeh/EPA June 20 (UPI) -- Iran said it has closed the Strait of Hormu»»»

Activists and campaign groups on Saturday paid tribute to Lebanese environmentalist Mona Khalil who died from injuries sustained in an Israeli strike in the country's south, where she dedicated her life to turtle conservation for decades. A medical source had previously told AFP that Khalil, aged i»»»

Abu Dhabi: The UAE recorded its highest temperature of the day at 49.4°C in Sweihan, Al Ain, on Saturday, as the country prepared for the start of astronomical summer amid forecasts of continued intense heat and the possibility of temperatures exceeding 50°C in the coming weeks. According to the Na»»»

Israeli strikes in Lebanon killed at least 16 people on Saturday, Lebanese Civil Defencesaid, hours after a ceasefire with Hezbollah suposedly took effect. ​Israel says it ‌was responding to projectiles fired by the Iran-backed group. Details by FRANCE 24 correspondant in Jerusalem, Noga Tarnopolsk»»»

US President Donald Trump turned up the heat on a diplomatic row with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Saturday, accusing her of repeatedly seeking a photograph with him at the G7 summit and blaming the clash between the two heads of state on tensions over Iran and NATO. US President Donald»»»

Miami The International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) has announced partnering with the American Heart Association (AHA) to educate FIFA Fan Festivals show visitors on how to recognize cardiac arrest and practice Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR). According to FIFA's statement, fans a»»»

An Italian woman is dead and nine people were injured in a resort fire in the Dominican Republic Friday. Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo June 20 (UPI) -- An Italian woman was killed, nine injured and more than 1,700 evacuated from a massive fire at a beachfront resort in the Dominican Repu»»»

MANILA: Filipino hoteliers and businesses gathered on Saturday for the Philippines’ first halal and Muslim-friendly tourism forum in Manila, as they seek to capture the growing Muslim travel market. Tourism is a key sector for the Philippines, contributing more than 8 percent to its gross domestic »»»

Miami: The International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) has announced partnering with the American Heart Association (AHA) to educate FIFA Fan Festivals show visitors on how to recognize cardiac arrest and practice Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR). According to FIFA's statement, fans »»»

Iran said it was once again closing the vital Strait of Hormuz shipping lane on Saturday over Israel's attacks in Lebanon, calling them a violation of its deal with the United States to end the Middle East war. Israeli troops battled Hezbollah fighters while its warplanes conducted deadly strikes i»»»

BEIRUT: Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam met with Saudi Arabia’s newly accredited ambassador to Lebanon, Fahd bin Abdulrahman Al-Dossari, in Beirut on Saturday. During the meeting, Al-Dossari conveyed the greetings of King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to the Lebanese premier, the »»»