BEIRUT: Human Rights Watch has called on the United Nations to keep an international force in Lebanon after its peacekeepers’ mandate ends this year. The peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon, UNIFIL, has roughly 7,500 personnel from nearly 50 countries, and has been in place since 1978. Its prese»»»

RIYADH: It was fitting that the 2026/27 Saudi Pro League season opened with a video showcasing Diriyah's storied history. The club, which has made it to the Kingdom's top tier for the first time since its founding in 1976, represents more than just a football team. It is directly tied to the First »»»

LONDON: US Central Command is establishing what it described as the first multinational task force in the Middle East region dedicated to the use of attack drones across the air, land and sea domains. The new unit, “Task Force Falcon Strike,” will use unmanned, one-way attack drones, which detonate»»»

WASHINGTON: The Utah ‌man on trial for the murder of conservative activist Charlie Kirk should not face the death penalty because he hit his “intended target” and did not endanger anyone else, defense lawyers said this week. Attorneys for Tyler Robinson, 23, laid out their argument against the deat»»»

LONDON: The UN human rights office on Thursday urged Israeli authorities to protect Palestinian families trapped in their homes for days by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank, amid what it described as an intensifying campaign to seize Palestinian land. Three families, comprising about 15 p»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Ministry of Interior (MoI) has announced a temporary traffic closure at Al Qalaa Intersection on Al Wakrah Main Road on Friday, August 14, 2026. According to the Ministry, the closure will be in effect from 2am to 10am. The accompanying map shows the affected section of the interse»»»

SANTO DOMINGO: The Dominican Republic has asked Cuba to withdraw nine embassy staff, giving them seven days to leave, the foreign ministry announced Thursday. The ministry did not explain this decision but insisted it complies with international law, namely an agreement on diplomatic relations call»»»

CAIRO: Egypt on Thursday called for Sudan’s political future to be determined by its own people, backing a Sudanese-led process, as Cairo reiterated its opposition to any attempt to partition its war-torn southern neighbor. Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said that any political process fo»»»

BAMAKO: Mali’s junta chief on Thursday pardoned a French intelligence agent serving a 20 year jail term, a rare conciliatory gesture following years of tension between the west African nation and its former colonial ruler. The decision came as Mali’s military authorities have been weakened by a mas»»»

CASABLANCA: Ghana came from behind to beat Ivory Coast 2-1 Thursday and earn one of Africa’s last two chances to qualify for the Women’s World Cup. Nigeria were to play South Africa for the other later as the four beaten quarterfinalists at the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations were pitted against each»»»

BEIRUT: Syrian and Lebanese officials have agreed to strengthen coordination along their shared border, including measures to combat smuggling, while easing the movement of travelers and goods through official crossings, Syria’s state news agency SANA reported on Thursday. Delegations from the two »»»

The aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln in the Middle East on Jan. 26. Senate Democrats want details about the status of the ship's operations following reports of attempted suicides by sailors. File Photo by Will Tyndall/U.S. Navy/UPI | License Photo Aug. 13 (UPI) -- Senate Democrats are pressing»»»

A passenger train derailed in southern England Thursday, injuring nine people. File Image courtesy of UPI Aug. 13 (UPI) -- A passenger train derailed in southern England Thursday, seriously injuring two people. Police and emergency services are on the scene outside of Lewes, England, in East Sussex»»»

Doha, Qatar: Civil Defence teams have brought a minor fire at a hotel in the West Bay area under control, the Ministry of Interior (MoI) said. In a post on social media, the Ministry said the premises were evacuated as a precautionary measure. No injuries were reported in the incident, the Ministry»»»

Hungary enjoyed a spectacular evening at the European Aquatics Championships in Paris on Thursday, with Kristóf Milák setting a European record in the men’s 100m butterfly before helping the Hungarian men’s 4x100m freestyle relay claim a historic gold medal with a national record. The two victories»»»

ROME: Italy’s Sara Curtis broke her own 50m women’s backstroke world record on Thursday when she won gold in 26.56 seconds at the European Championships in Paris, a day after she had set the previous record. Curtis, 19, had smashed five-time Olympic champion Kaylee McKeown’s ‌2023 record ‌on Wednes»»»

A federal judge dismissed a lawsuit filed by the Department of Justice against Harvard University for allegedly allowing anti-Semitism. File Photo by CJ Gunther/EPA Aug. 13 (UPI) -- A federal judge dismissed the anti-Semitism lawsuit against Harvard University filed by the Department of Justice ear»»»

Dubai: Under the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister, and Ruler of Dubai, Dubai Humanitarian (DXBH) has facilitated the dispatch of critical humanitarian relief supplies to Gaza. The shipments are part of a new air bridge launched this we»»»

Damascus, Aug.13 (SANA) Syria’s trajectory toward full economic openness is accelerating at an unprecedented pace. Backed by expanding Western, Arab, and international partnerships in energy, logistics, ports, and industrial technology, Syria is successfully overhauling its legislative framework, l»»»

London: Two people sustained "serious injuries" and nine more were hurt as a busy commuter train from London derailed on Thursday near the southeast English town of Lewes, emergency services said. "At this stage, we can confirm that two patients have sustained serious injuries and a further nine pa»»»

ROME: Italy’s Sara Curtis broke her own 50m women’s backstroke world record on Thursday when she won gold in 26.56 seconds at the European Championships in Paris, a day after she had set the previous record. Curtis, 19, had smashed five-time Olympic champion Kaylee McKeown’s ‌2023 record ‌on Wednes»»»

MOSCOW: President Vladimir Putin visited Russia’s far-eastern Kuril islands for the first time on Thursday, prompting protests by Japan which also claims the territory. Russian-Japanese relations have long been dogged by the contested islands, known in Japan as the Northern Territories and seized b»»»

BEIRUT: A British company said Thursday it has been hired to salvage a grounded Russian shadow fleet tanker off Oman’s coast and stop an oil spill that is threatening wildlife as it reaches the country’s shoreline following its dramatic spread in recent weeks. Satellite images have shown that oil f»»»

Aug. 13 (UPI) -- Ecuadorian authorities seized a half-ton of cocaine hidden in a truck near the border with Colombia whose packages were marked with the names of soccer stars Erling Haaland and Lionel Messi. The Attorney General's Office said agents found 370 blocks of cocaine inside a modified com»»»

Doha, Qatar: Consumers in Qatar should verify that weight-loss medicines and other therapeutic products are registered in the country and obtain them only from licensed healthcare facilities and pharmacies, a Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) official has said, amid growing interest in slimming prod»»»