Palestinian residents of the West Bank village of Qusra have been ordered to leave their homes after a days-long siege and repeated attacks by Israeli settlers, with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) declaring the area a closed military zone in what it claims is a move to protect civilians. In an int»»»

Two U.S. Army pilots were killed when an Apache attack helicopter from Fort Hood crashed in Texas. They were identified as Chief Warrant Officer 2 Deontre T. Huey (right) and Warrant Officer Seth L. Olmstead (left). Photo courtesy of the U.S. Army Aug. 14 (UPI) -- The U.S. Army on Friday identified»»»

SIBUT, Central African Republic: The Islamic call to prayer echoes once again across Sibut’s rooftops — a sign that peaceful coexistence has returned to the town in the mostly Christian Central African Republic (CAR) after years of civil war. The conflict emptied the thriving market town around thr»»»

NEW YORK: Ask a teen what they want to be when they grow up, and there’s a fair chance being an influencer is on their list. Digital media and the people who star in it have been cultural mainstays for teens’ entire lives, so creating social media, video or podcast content seems a natural, albeit n»»»

JAKARTA: An ​earthquake of magnitude 6.9 ‌struck ‌off the ​coast ‌of ⁠Indonesia ​on Saturday, ⁠the European-Mediterranean Seismological Center (EMSC) ⁠said. The ‌quake ‌was ​at ‌a ‌depth of ‌10 km (6.21 miles), EMSC ⁠said.»»»

Aug. 14 (UPI) -- An American missionary who was kidnapped in Niger last fall has been released, officials said Thursday. Kevin Rideout, 50, was abducted by three men from outside his home in the capital of Niamey on Oct. 21. The details of his release are unclear, but he was in FBI custody and in g»»»

The levels of violent crime decreased by a record amount during 2025, the FBI announced Friday. File Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo Aug. 14 (UPI) -- Violent crime, including the estimated rate for murders and certain manslaughters, showed record year-to-year decreases in the United States»»»

Share: A satellite image shows Qeshm Island following suspected oil spills at sea, off the coast of Iran, August 10, 2026. European Union/Copernicus Sentinel-2/Handout via REUTERS Two slicks have appeared in Iranian waters, satellite imagery and video verified by Reuters show, as tit-for-tat attack»»»

Israeli settlers are carrying out a campaign of violence and intimidation against the Palestinian village of Qusra in the occupied West Bank, where families have had their electricity and water supplies cut off, in what residents say is an attempt to force them from their homes. France 24 Senior Re»»»

For nearly a week, Israeli settlers have been surrounding homes in the West bank village of Qusra in a coordinated offensive to force Palestinian residents from their homes in order to seize new land. Palestinian Amin Rahal and his three brothers haven't gone to work in weeks, instead taking turns »»»

The only nuclear power plant in Romania has been completely shut down due to record-low Danube River levels, state-owned energy company Nuclearelectrica announced on Thursday. River water is essential for cooling many European nuclear plants, making low levels an increasing constraint on power gene»»»

CAIRO: Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said early Saturday ‌that Tehran ‌would ​not ‌be intimidated ⁠by ​threats or ⁠a show of force by Washington after US President Donald ⁠Trump said ‌he ‌would ​declare ‌the Strait ‌of Hormuz a US territory. Commenting on Trump’s statements, Ghar»»»

An F-35C Lightning II prepares to launch from the flight deck of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln in 2018. Naval officials announced Friday the warship is ending its record-breaking deployment following reports of the deteriorating mental health of its crew. U.S. Navy File Phot»»»

Cairo, Aug. 15 (SANA) Syria’s Permanent Representative to the Arab League and head of the Syrian mission in Cairo, Yahya Diab, met Egyptian Assistant Foreign Minister for Arab Affairs Ehab Fahmy. During the meeting, the two sides stressed the importance of Syria’s unity and stability.They also disc»»»

Bordeaux: Bordeaux, once one of France's leading football clubs and the team where the country's new head coach Zinedine Zidane made his name, lurched further into trouble on Friday. After years of crippling financial problems, the spectre of judicial liquidation is looming over the Girondins after»»»

JEDDAH: As India celebrates its 80th Independence Day, we remember with gratitude the countless men and women whose courage and sacrifice secured our freedom. We also pay tribute to the generations of Indians who have, since 1947, strengthened our democracy, built our institutions and contributed t»»»

Federal authorities charged Melissa L. Farris, 41 of Kentucky, with felony vandalism for allegedly spray painting the National Mall's World War II Memorial. Photo courtesy of U.S. Attorney's Office in Washington, D.C. Aug. 14 (UPI) -- A Kentucky woman was arrested for allegedly vandalizing the Nati»»»

Geneva: The Ebola virus in the Democratic Republic of Congo is now killing a victim every 30 minutes, a top UN humanitarian official said Friday, calling for greater international action. "The outbreak is the fastest growing on record," Tom Fletcher, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs»»»

CAIRO: An attack on the Sudanese town of Umm Arda killed at least 14 people and wounded dozens more, a local NGO said, attributing the bloodshed to the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces. Earlier in the day, the RSF had claimed to have taken control of the town in the flashpoint Kordofan region, cal»»»

CAIRO: Egypt and Pakistan discussed regional security arrangements and expanding defence cooperation on Friday, as Cairo steps up consultations with key regional powers amid efforts to de-escalate tensions and reshape security coordination in the region. On a phone call, Egyptian Foreign Minister B»»»

ABUJA: Muslim World League Secretary-General and Chairman of the Association of Muslim Scholars Sheikh Dr. Mohammed bin Abdulkarim Al-Issa delivered the Friday sermon at the National Mosque in Nigeria’s capital Abuja, where he also led a large congregation in prayer attended by senior Nigerian Musl»»»

LONDON: Black British academic Jason Arday, who resigned from the University of Cambridge last week amid a high-profile plagiarism storm that featured racism claims, was found dead Friday, UK media outlets reported. Arday, 41, died after being found unresponsive at an address in south London on Fri»»»

Farm workers harvest romaine lettuce in Salinas, Calif., on April 28, 2020. The Food and Drug Administration announced it is inspecting the Mexican processing facility of Taylor Farms as part of its probe into the ongoing outbreak of Cyclospora infections. File Photo by Terry Schmitt/UPI | License »»»

Extreme heat has killed more than 25,000 people across Europe this year, on data compiled by Insurance Journal from government agencies and research institutions in Germany, Spain, France, the UK, Switzerland and the Netherlands. Germany alone accounts for an estimated 11,900 excess heat deaths sin»»»

The escalation of US armed action against Iran, coupled with the sharp weakening of pro-Iranian groups across the region under parallel Israeli operations, has pushed Tehran to abandon its policy of strategic patience. In its place, according to a former ambassador to Tehran, Aleksandr Maryasov, Ir»»»

1 of 3 | Judges for the Peace Innovation Challenge pose during the 2026 One Korea Youth Forum in Seoul on Aug. 12. From left are Hyo-geon Kim, manager at Gain Consulting Group; Namsik Yoo, co-representative of Alliance for Korea United USA; Joo-hyuk Kim, producer at New Korea Foundation; Geon-dong »»»

PARIS: A 23-year-old Belgian woman was charged in France Friday for allegedly being part of an attempted March 28 bomb attack on a Bank of America branch in Paris that officials said might be tied to a pro-Iran group. That attack — thwarted when police stopped and arrested four people about to set »»»

LONDON: Tottenham ‌Hotspur captain Cristian Romero bid farewell to the club on Friday ahead of his expected move to Atletico Madrid. The Argentina defender, who joined Spurs in 2021 and was appointed captain last ‌year, posted ‌a message on ‌Instagram ⁠thanking the club ⁠and fans after five seasons»»»

GARDEN CITY, United States: President Donald Trump on Friday said he would "soon" declare the Strait of Hormuz waterway part of US territory, claiming that Iran was being heavily defeated. "Pretty soon I'll be declaring the Hormuz Strait a territory of the United States. It's true," he said with a »»»

NEW YORK CITY: Olga Cherevko has spent the past several months crisscrossing Afghanistan, from Bamiyan and Herat to Paktika, Khost and, most recently, Nuristan, where flash flooding recently tore through villages, leaving families with nothing. Across different landscapes and provinces, the stories»»»

More than 500 people have been evacuated in the southwestern French department of Landes as wildfires continue to spread and threaten nearby communities. Prefect Gilles Clavreul ordered an expansion of the evacuation zone after the blaze grew to cover around 1,100 hectares, or roughly 2,700 acres, »»»

United Nations: Violence continues to take a heavy toll on civilians and displace people across Sudan, UN humanitarians warned on Wednesday. In Blue Nile state, more than 20 civilians were killed and many others injured on Tuesday in clashes in Geisan town in the southeast of the country, the UN Of»»»

The second trial of disgraced South Carolina attorney Alex Murdaugh, convicted of killing his wife and son, will take place outside of his home county, a judge ruled Friday. File Photo via South Carolina Department of Corrections/UPI | License Photo Aug. 14 (UPI) -- The second trial of disgraced So»»»

RIYADH: The Saudi Standards Team won three international awards at the 21st International Standards Olympiad in Korea this week. The event, which began on Wednesday and concluded on Friday, is an annual global competition that challenges middle and high school students to solve real-world problems »»»

WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump dismissed concerns Friday over living conditions and the mental health of service members on a US aircraft carrier deployed against Iran, while confirming the ship would soon rotate out. Asked by reporters whether family members were worried about the situation on»»»

ADEN: Yemen’s internationally recognized government said the Houthis fired six ballistic missiles at the Red Sea port of Mocha on Friday, killing ​four civilians, amid an escalation in hostilities between the Iran-aligned group and the government. The armed forces aligned with the Yemeni government»»»

BAGHDAD: Iraq’s average daily oil exports since the beginning of August are the highest since the outbreak of the Middle East war between Iran and the United States choked off the Strait of Hormuz, the oil ministry said Friday. Iraqi Oil Minister Bassem Mohammed Khudair told a press conference that»»»

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Affairs Vice Minister Waleed Elkhereiji recently received Ambassador of China to the Kingdom Chang Hua for talks. The officials reviewed relations and discussed regional and international developments, the Kingdom’s Foreign Ministry said on X on Thursday. Earlier, the»»»

George Orwell’s 1946 essay “Politics and the English Language” is frequently read as a style guide. It is better understood as a warning about how public language can be used to weaken public judgment. Orwell’s central claim is that careless prose not only reflects unclear thinking; it can actively»»»

BEIRUT: For decades, the Gulf served as the center of gravity for much of Lebanon’s creative talent, with swaths of designers and marketing executives flocking to its cities to find clients or ​relying on its foundations and cultural centers for funding. But with regional economies now under pressu»»»

DAMASCUS: Rail freight shipments in Syria rose by nearly 59 percent during the first seven months of 2026 as maintenance crews repaired key routes and restored specialized equipment using locally available expertise and parts, the country’s railway authority said. The General Establishment of Syria»»»

GENEVA: The World Health Organization said Friday that more than 10,000 attacks on healthcare had been recorded since 2018 — but nobody has ever been brought to justice. These attacks, reported across 29 countries and territories, have resulted in approximately 5,700 deaths and 8,500 injuries, the »»»

NEW YORK CITY: Five years after the Taliban seized control of Kabul for the second time, Afghan women and girls are trapped in what the UN’s top official responsible for the issue described as an unparalleled crisis of rights, which has been worsened by a collapse in international funding that is s»»»

HAVANA: Every night, when summer heat and blackouts make sleep impossible at home, Cubans head for rooftops, porches and public spaces where they can catch a breeze. Alexis Milan waits with his blind 17-year-old son for the sun to disappear behind the horizon of Central Havana, so they can head to »»»

"Le Luxe II" by Henri Matisse is on display at Museum of Modern Art on April 27, 2022, in New York City. Police in Brazil and Italy announced Friday they have recovered stolen Matisse artworks, as well as works by Paul Cezanne and Pierre-August Renoir. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Pho»»»

New York: Luigi Mangione spoke slowly and deliberately as he admitted to shooting US health care executive Brian Thompson, in a stunning confession befitting a crime that has gripped the United States. "I shot Mr Thompson in Manhattan and he died," Mangione, wearing a yellow prison jumpsuit, told a»»»

BEIRUT: Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem on Friday accused Lebanese authorities of subjecting the country’s armed forces to undue pressure by implementing a framework deal agreed with Israel to end hostilities. The June trilateral framework, to which the United States is also a party, involves the disar»»»

KYIV: ‌Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Friday he had discussed with his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah El-Sisi the threat to food supplies caused by Russian strikes on cargo vessels in the Black Sea. “Ukraine ‌is one ‌of the ‌largest food ⁠suppliers to Egypt ⁠and to a significant »»»

LISBON: British cyclist Finlay Tarling, 19, died Friday in a crash during the eighth stage of the Tour of Portugal, race organizers and police said. Tarling, a rider with the NSN Development Team, died following a “serious accident” during the stage between Melgaço and Fafe, organizers said. The po»»»

LONDON: Pakistan captain Babar Azam suffered an injury during the second day of a warm-up match ahead of next week’s first Test against England. Babar was forced to retire hurt on five during Friday’s second day of three against a Professional County Club Select XI after being hit on the right hand»»»