The United States announced new sanctions Thursday against an alleged Hezbollah financing network, while highlighting the Lebanese armed group's close ties to Iran's Revolutionary Guards. Hezbollah's legal designation as a terrorist organization has been amended to note that it operates in "service»»»

On Aug. 21, 2020, actor Lori Loughlin was sentenced to two months in federal prison and her husband, fashion designer Mossimo Giannulli, received five months for taking part in a college admissions scam. 1 of 8 | Lori Loughlin (L) and husband Mossimo Giannulli exit the John Joseph Moakley U.S. Cour»»»

Singapore, Aug. 21 (SANA) Oil prices edged lower Friday but remained on track for a second consecutive weekly gain as the U.S.-Iran war continued to disrupt Middle East supplies, Reuters reported. Brent crude futures fell 23 cents, or 0.3%, to $93.55 a barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WT»»»

US-Iran tensions are intensifying as diplomatic efforts remain stalled, with Tehran condemning President Donald Trump’s threat of “crushing economic warfare” and Washington vowing its toughest-ever sanctions to pressure Iran. China has rejected the US push for further economic measures, while the U»»»

Dubai: Etihad Airways flights to Tel Aviv have been disrupted after unplanned industrial action at Ben Gurion International Airport, with one Tel Aviv-Abu Dhabi service cancelled and other flights delayed or operating with limited passengers. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Bal»»»

PARIS: France, Italy, Britain and Germany on Thursday piled on mounting international condemnation of a major settlement project in the occupied West Bank, after Israeli authorities opened bidding for more than 1,200 homes in the area. The E1 plan was green-lit by Israel last year and would further»»»

A view of houses in the Ma'ale Adumum in the E1 area, where the Israeli government plans to build Jewish housing units in the E1 settlement project, in the eastern edge of the Judean Desert, West Bank, on Thursday, August 20, 2026. Photo by Debbie Hill/UPI | License Photo Aug. 20 (UPI) -- Foreign g»»»

Dubai: Flying from the UAE today? Emirates, Etihad, Air Arabia and flydubai are reporting a mix of cancellations, delays and operating changes on several regional and international routes, while airlines continue to monitor the wider security situation in the Middle East. Etihad has cancelled a Tel»»»

A MAJOR shift appears to be taking place in one of the world’s most strategic waterways, industry data shows. Marine Insight, citing shipping data from Brussels-based Kpler, reported on Thursday (Aug. 19) that over 80% of vessels are increasingly choosing routes closer to Omani waters, reducing the»»»

Dubai: Palestinian children who lost limbs during the Israel-Hamas war are learning to swim in Khan Younis, Gaza, finding moments of confidence and joy through the water. The swimming lessons are organised by the nonprofit Heal Palestine for children who have suffered life-changing injuries since t»»»

Paris, Berlin, London and Rome on Thursday condemned Israel's decision to open bidding for a planned settlement project in the occupied West Bank. The sprawling "E1" development, which like all Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory is illegal under international law, would furth»»»

The United States on Thursday urged allies and China to join its campaign to isolate Iran's economy, as President Donald Trump seeks to intensify pressure on Tehran amid a stalemate in the war and growing domestic criticism. The United States on Thursday warned allies and China to join President Do»»»

SACRAMENTO, California: California state Sen. Aisha Wahab will serve out the rest of former Rep. Eric Swalwell’s term after securing victory Thursday in a special election. Swalwell, a Democrat who was running for California governor, ended his campaign and resigned from Congress in April after he »»»

A Palestinian man inspct carcass of a car used by US-based aid group World Central Kitchen, that was hit by an Israeli strike the previous day in Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip, on Tuesday, April 2, 2024. File Photo by Ismael Mohamad/UPI | License Photo Aug. 20 (UPI) -- Canada and Australi»»»

Economic strength is no longer defined solely by growth, wealth or productivity. In an era shaped by geopolitical uncertainty, supply chain disruptions and technological competition, the real advantage belongs to countries that can keep their economies functioning under pressure. This is what I des»»»

Jerusalem: Israeli Ambassador to the United States Yechiel Leiter on Thursday (local time) said Israel had received clear intelligence indicating that Turkey intended to significantly expand its military presence in Syria, describing the move as crossing a "red line", The Jerusalem Post reported. "»»»

Share: File photo of Hezbollah flag: Several Arab and Western countries designated Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed, Lebanon-based militia, as a “terrorist” organization.The designation covers the entirety of the group, both the political and military wings . The United ⁠States will ​on Thursday issue»»»

Share: The US Navy Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George Washington transits the Strait of Malacca on August 13, 2026. © US Navy via Reuters The USS George Washington aircraft carrier strike group has arrived in the Middle East, the US military announced Thursday. The aircraft carrier will repla»»»

Poland’s residential development market is showing growing signs of caution, with more projects being postponed or suspended as developers respond to financing costs, demand conditions and uncertainty over the pace of sales. Data from Kompas Inwestycji indicate that residential construction has bec»»»

CAIRO: Palestinians face inflated prices for groceries and batteries, hospitals have turned to smugglers for medicine and equipment, Israeli soldiers and other middlemen are accused of pocketing millions of dollars, and the Hamas-led government takes a cut as the smuggling of goods restricted by Is»»»

RAMALLAH: The Palestinian presidency on Thursday warned that Israel’s E1 settlement project and wider escalation in the occupied West Bank risk pushing the region “out of control.” Nabil Abu Rudeineh, spokesperson for President Mahmoud Abbas, condemned Israel’s move to open bidding for construction»»»

DUBAI: In the early evening of Jan. 24, 2026, 5-year-old Hind Rajab took her final breaths while pleading over the phone for emergency workers to rescue her. “Please come take me, I beg you. Please come. Call anyone to come and get me, please,” she said. Rajab had been traveling with her father and»»»

JERUSALEM: Israelis began moving into the occupied West Bank settlement of Kadim on Thursday, the local settler council said, the last of four communities from which Israel withdrew more than two decades ago to be repopulated. It came a week after Israel officially reopened neighboring Ganim, in a »»»

ISLAMABAD: Iran would first have to acknowledge what it had done to Syria and its people before any future Pakistan-led mediation could help restore ties between Damascus and Tehran, Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan Al-Shaibani said on Thursday. Shaibani was speaking to journalists in Islamabad»»»

KINSHASA: The ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) could be up to three times larger than the official tally, with only 30 to 40 percent of cases currently being detected, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) said Thursday. The continent»»»

Washington: The United States on Thursday warned allies and China alike to join President Donald Trump's new campaign to isolate the Iranian economy and "collapse" the government in Tehran. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent's comments underscored how Trump is shifting to economic rather than mili»»»

The USS George Washington nuclear-powered aircraft carrier docks at a naval base in Busan, South Korea, on Nov. 5. File Photo by Yonhap/EPA Aug. 20 (UPI) -- The USS George Washington reached the Arabian Sea in the U.S. Central Command's area of responsibility, following reports of poor conditions f»»»

AMMAN — Jordan's strategic location, skilled workforce and expanding digital infrastructure are strengthening its role as an important hub for Ericsson's regional operations, according to Patrick Johansson, President and Head of Europe, Middle East and Africa at Ericsson.In an interview with The Jo»»»

MOKHA: To children in the village of Al-Thoubani, north of Yemen’s western port city of Mokha, the sound of a drone overhead has become a source of fear that follows them even inside their homes. Anas Mohammed Daoud and Mahdi Mohammed Youssef were among a group children gathered together in the vil»»»

EL ALAMEIN: Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani announced that the State of Qatar and the Arab Republic of Egypt have signed four agreements in the areas of customs cooperation and regulatory work, in addition to development and heal»»»

CAIRO: Arab League Secretary-General Nabil Fahmy on Thursday condemned Israel’s move to advance the E1 settlement project in the occupied West Bank, warning that it would divide Palestinian territory and further isolate East Jerusalem from its Palestinian surroundings. Fahmy also condemned recent I»»»

WASHINGTON: The United States will impose “the toughest sanctions in history” on Iran, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Thursday as he urged Beijing ​to cooperate with Washington. Bessent said he would hold a press conference on Monday to discuss details. “It is a one-two punch. We have »»»

El Alamein: Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani announced Thursday that the State of Qatar and the Arab Republic of Egypt have signed four agreements in the areas of customs cooperation and regulatory work, in addition to development»»»

Central bankers do not usually forecast the weather. The European Central Bank's chief economist has just put one into his. The Climate Crisis has gone beyond a fringe obsession of hippie tree-hugers and entered the studies of central bankers, who have been forced to sit up and take notice of the u»»»

LONDON: Israel said on Thursday reconstruction in Gaza cannot begin until Hamas is fully disarmed, as Turkiye, Egypt and Qatar condemned renewed Israeli strikes in the enclave and warned that further escalation could undermine efforts to implement a US-backed peace plan. Israeli Prime Minister Benj»»»

Ankara, Aug. 20 (SANA) Türkiye’s Ministry of Defense denied on Thursday the presence of any Turkish military delegation at Abu al‑Duhur Airbase in northern Syria, whether before or during the Israeli airstrikes on the facility, stressing that Israel must halt its attacks and comply with internation»»»

Zandvoort, Netherlands: Four-time Formula One world champion Max Verstappen has signed a new contract with Red Bull until the end of 2030, the team announced Thursday, ending speculation over his future in the sport. "I have always said it: The team is like a second family for me and I feel very at»»»

US President Donald Trump has vowed to target any country helping Iran’s economy, shifting from his previous focus on military threats. Trump made the remarks after a 60-day window to negotiate a peace deal with Tehran expired on Monday without breakthroughs. “I am announcing the MOST CRUSHING ECON»»»

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun met with Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican on Thursday, thanking him for his continued efforts to support Lebanon and urging the Holy See to maintain diplomatic pressure on the Israeli occupation forces to end their attacks and withdraw from occupied Lebanese territory. Pre»»»

The Financial Times reported this week, citing two people described as close to the Iranian leadership and specifically to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, that Tehran has been assessing options for striking American military sites outside the Middle East should Donald Trump order a fresh esc»»»

Israelis began moving into the occupied West Bank settlement of Kadim on Thursday, the local settler council said, the last of four communities from which Israel withdrew more than two decades ago to be repopulated. It came a week after Israel officially reopened neighboring Ganim, in a move emblem»»»

Israel's foreign minister on Thursday slammed a demand by the UK government to halt a major settlement project in the occupied West Bank, after Israeli authorities opened bidding for more than 1,200 homes in the area. Britain said it had summoned Israel's charge d'affairs over the E1 plan, which wa»»»

NEW DELHI: India has signed a memorandum of understanding with Palestinian authorities to build a specialty hospital in the West Bank, following an international appeal for urgent healthcare assistance made by the Palestinian Embassy in New Delhi. On Wednesday, Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad M»»»

Central bankers do not usually forecast the weather. The European Central Bank's chief economist has just put one into his. The Climate Crisis has gone beyond a fringe obsession of hippie tree-hugers and entered the studies of central bankers, who have been forced to sit up and take notice of the u»»»

Turkey on Thursday denied having any military presence at an air base in north Syria struck by Israel earlier this week, and vowed to continue "resolutely" supporting Syrian sovereignty. The denial came two days after Syria accused Israel of hitting a disused military air base near the northwestern»»»

DOHA: The State of Qatar, the Republic of Türkiye, and the Arab Republic of Egypt, in their capacity as mediating countries, strongly condemned the recent Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip, which have resulted in the loss of civilian lives, including women and children, and express their deep conce»»»

Turkey, Egypt and Qatar on Thursday strongly condemned ​recent Israeli strikes in ‌Gaza, saying in a joint statement that ‘Israel’ must comply with ​its obligations under a ceasefire ​agreement and refrain from steps ⁠that could escalate tensions. “The ​mediating countries underline that the intens»»»

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - The total number of US military personnel injured during the conflict with Iran has increased to 757, Sputnik found out on Thursday after analyzing recent Pentagon data. As of August 19, 418 soldiers were injured during Operation Epic Fury that finalized on May 5, another 339»»»

If Lebanon and Israel fail to agree on a new pilot zone in south Lebanon, Washington will designate the aforementioned zone, U.S. General Joseph Clearfield told Lebanese officials during his latest visit to Beirut, according to a senior Lebanese official. The Lebanese official spoke to al-Joumhouri»»»

Doha, Qatar: The State of Qatar, the Republic of Türkiye, and the Arab Republic of Egypt, in their capacity as mediating countries, strongly condemn the recent Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip, which have resulted in the loss of civilian lives, including women and children, and express their deep »»»