Israel launches attacks in southern Lebanon
Israeli warplanes carried out two strikes on southern Lebanon five minutes apart, targeting the Ali al-Taher ridge in Nabatieh province, Lebanon’s National News Agency reported.
· Middleeasteye
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Trump pledged support for fossil fuels. Now his war in Iran is fast-tracking renewables
The "drill, baby, drill" president's Middle Eastern assault has accelerated the green energy transition — but will it be enough?
· Sbsaustralia
Indian workers in Israel demand accountability after murder of Indian caregiver
Indian workers in Israel have filed an appeal demanding justice and accountability following the murder of Indian caregiver Rajeev Acharya, who was stabbed to death by an Israeli national, India's NDTV news channel reports.
· Middleeasteye
EU's von der Leyen joins European countries to condemn Israel's West Bank plan
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Friday joined European countries to condemn plans by Israel to open up construction tenders for a settlement project called 'E1' in the occupied West Bank.
· Middleeasteye
Iran’s Ghalibaf: ‘We stay out of Iraq’s affairs’
Iran’s parliament speaker and chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said on Friday Iran does not interfere in Iraqi internal affairs and will support any agreement between the factions and the Iraqi government.
· Middleeasteye
‘Shameful’: Western allies slam Israel ending probe on aid worker killings
The United Kingdom, Australia and Canada have called Israel’s decision not to pursue a criminal investigation into its deadly strike on a World Central Kitchen aid convoy in Gaza “shameful”.
Iranians who speak to foreign press — even outside of Iran — could land prison time
See more of our coverage in your search results.
· Chris Nesi
Over 750 US servicemen have been wounded in Iran war, Pentagon numbers reveal - report
The number of wounded or killed US servicemen in the Iran war jumped to 774 after the Pentagon added a new round of injured soldiers in the last few days, the Washington Post reported on Friday.
· ARIELLA ROITMAN
AI is reshaping humanity, and Israel has a divine opportunity to light the way - opinion
“To see a world in a grain of sand / and a heaven in a wild flower…”
· JEFFREY KAHN
Disruptions at Ben-Gurion Airport continue with missing baggage, canceled flights
The chaos at Ben-Gurion Airport continued on Friday, while the Histadrut labor federation and the Airport Authority Workers' Union continued to deny responsibility for Thursday's surprise strike.
· UDI ETZION
Ukraine and Israel are fighting different wars, but face the same dangerous reality - opinion
This week, Ukrainians will mark our Independence Day. Under normal circumstances, August 24 is a day of celebration – a day to remember the moment Ukraine reclaimed its sovereignty and chose its own path as a free European nation.
· YEVGEN KORNIYCHUK
Rachel Goldberg-Polin, mother of murdered Oct. 7 hostage, represents victims of terrorism at UN
Rachel Goldberg-Polin, mother of the murdered Gaza hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin, represented Middle Eastern victims of terrorism at the United Nations on Friday in honor of the International Day of Remembrance and Tribute to the Victims of Terrorism.
· JERUSALEM POST STAFF
US elections: Aisha Wahab becomes first Afghan-American in Congress
The first Afghan-American to take a seat in the US Congress will represent California, following an election which saw a well-financed campaign led by pro-Israel voices to defeat her.
· Middleeasteye
Iran linked oil tanker falls victim to Somali piracy surge
An oil tanker under US sanctions for allegedly transporting Iranian petroleum products has become the latest victim of resurgent Somali piracy when it was boarded off the coast of Yemen and diverted toward Somalia.
· REUTERS
How Israel is expanding settlements in drive to reshape West Bank
It was during a ceremony at a settlement in the occupied West Bank last September that Israel's prime minister made his intentions clear. "We are going to fulfill our promise that there will be no Palestinian state," said Benjamin Netanyahu. "This place belongs to us."
· Bbcnews
'Shameful:' UK, Canada and Australia condemn Israel's refusal to investigate aid worker attack
Israel's decision not to launch a criminal investigation into an attack on a World Central Kitchen (WCK) convoy in Gaza is "shameful", according to the UK, Canada and Australia.
· Middleeasteye
Shameful': Australia, UK, Canada slam Israel over probe into aid killings
Zomi Frankcom was killed in a drone strike in Gaza in 2024. (Supplied: Facebook)
Turkiye accuses Israel’s Netanyahu of ‘genocide’, seeks Interpol warrant
Turkiye has sought an international arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, accusing him of “genocide” for Israel’s attack in May on activists aboard the Global Sumud Flotilla for Gaza.
· Al Jazeera Staff
Israel's impunity has been virtually unaffected by collective concern
Topic:Unrest, Conflict and War
· Laura Tingle
Israeli forces kill Palestinian man in Gaza
Israeli forces shot dead 29-year-old Palestinian Ibrahim Mohammed Kawar’a in the Qizan al-Najjar area, south of Khan Younis in southern Gaza, on Friday evening, Wafa news agency reported.
· Middleeasteye
Iran president says time to end war while Tehran is in position of strength
The comments come after US Treasury chief Bessent vowed Washington would ‘collapse’ the Iranian regime with sanctions
· Agence France-Presse
Iran president says time to end war while Tehran is in position of strength
The comments come after US Treasury chief Bessent vowed Washington would ‘collapse’ the Iranian regime with sanctions
· Agence France-Presse
Por que Israel aumenta sua presença militar na Síria
Já se passaram dois anos, quatro meses, 24 dias e cinco horas, disse o sírio Ahmad Hassan al-Din quando perguntado há quanto tempo não via seu filho.
· Cathrin Schaer, Omar Albam
Pictures of the week: From rehabilitation for Gaza amputees to a robot conference in Beijing | The National
WeekendPrevious slideNext slide Swimming coaches hold a training session for Palestinian children, including amputees and orphans, at a swimming pool in Khan Younis, Gaza. ReutersShow caption: Swimming coaches hold a training session for Palestinian chi… A Lebanese nun plays with a pelican, nicknamed Sawsan, on the …
· The National
The future of Gulf security lies beyond Hormuz | The National
The most important lesson of the 2026 Hormuz crisis is not that the strait has become less important. It is that Hormuz has become so important that dependence on it is itself a strategic vulnerability.
· Ebtesam Al Ketbi
Cartoon for August 22, 2026 | The National
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· The National
One rep at a time: How Syria’s first Hyrox community is taking shape in Damascus | The National
At a small gym in Damascus, a new kind of sporting community is taking shape. Amid pounding music, gruelling workouts and a communal atmosphere, fitness coach Khaled Al Nehlawi is bringing Hyrox to Syria, one rep at a time.
· Ahmad Fallaha
The Middle Eastern journeys that inspired Agatha Christie's greatest mysteries | The National
Agatha Christie brings to mind English villages, country houses, Hercule Poirot, Miss Marple and suspects hiding in plain sight. But that’s only half the picture. Some of her finest novels were born hundreds of miles from England, amid desert excavations, Nile riverboats and rose-red stone cities.
· Teja Lele
FM Araghchi says US economic pressure campaign is doomed to fail
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said US President Donald Trump’s threat to launch the “most crushing economic operation ever” against Iran was “doomed to failure”.
· Middleeasteye
Turkey issues ‘genocide’ warrant for Israel’s Netanyahu over Gaza flotilla
Israel’s interception of the flotilla carrying some 430 activists in May sparked an international outcry
· Agence France-Presse
Turkey issues ‘genocide’ warrant for Israel’s Netanyahu over Gaza flotilla
Israel’s interception of the flotilla carrying some 430 activists in May sparked an international outcry
· Agence France-Presse
'Shameful:' UK, Canada and Australia condemn Israel's refusal to investigate aid worker attack
Israel's decision not to launch a criminal investigation into an attack on a World Central Kitchen (WCK) convoy in Gaza is "shameful", according to the UK, Canada and Australia.
· Middleeasteye
Is Israel trying to start a proxy war in Syria?
By Murad Sadygzade, President of the Middle East Studies Center, Visiting Lecturer, HSE University (Moscow).
· RT
Turkey to seek Interpol notice for Netanyahu in Gaza flotilla case
Turkey said on Friday it would seek an Interpol red notice for the arrest of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as part of a domestic criminal case linked to an attack on activists seeking to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza.
· Middleeasteye
La voz de Hind Rajab conmovió al mundo. Ahora, su madre rechaza la pesquisa del ejército israelí
Wesam Hamada, madre de Hind Rajab, una niña palestina asesinada en Ciudad de Gaza en enero de 2024 cuando el auto en el que viajaba con familiares fue atacado por fuego israelí, mira por una ventana de un edificio de oficinas en una ubicación no revelada, el viernes 21 de agosto de 2026. (AP Foto/Giannis Papanikos) …
· Sam Metz
Why Iran is threatening Europe’s ‘strategically important’ southeast
London, United Kingdom – The United States and Israel’s war on Iran was largely unexpected, given the repeated warnings from most US allies, as well as their lack of enthusiasm for a potential conflict.
· Hameed Hakimi
Inside Israel's homelessness crisis: A system struggling to keep up
Homelessness has become all too prevalent in Israel over the years, and the Israeli government’s system to combat it has not been entirely successful.
· HADAR KATSMAN
International contention continues as eight more countries condemn Israel's E1 settlement plan
Foreign ministers from Jordan, the UAE, Indonesia, Pakistan, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Egypt condemned Israel’s E1 West Bank settlement plan in a joint statement on Friday.
· ARIELLA ROITMAN
Syrian FM says Damascus mulling Mecca Joint Defense pact, but rejects strengthening Iran ties
Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani said on Thursday that Syria, like other countries, is closely reviewing the trilateral defense agreement between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey, but has not yet decided whether to join the pact.
· ARSHAD MEHMOOD/THE MEDIA LINE
Israeli army, settlers kill 2 Palestinians in separate West Bank incidents
A Palestinian teenager in Hebron and a former colonel in Jenin have been shot and killed in separate incidents involving Israeli settlers and soldiers, as escalating attacks and the rapid expansion of illegal settlements drive a wave of forced displacement in the occupied West Bank.
· Al Jazeera Staff
D-Day for Iran, Meta on trial, Russia takes on the UK: RT stories that shaped the week
Escalation was the name of the game this week, as the full extent of British involvement in Ukraine’s long-range strikes on Russia was revealed, and as US President Donald Trump laid claim to the Strait of Hormuz and shifted to a policy of subjecting Iran to long-term economic strangulation.
· RT
Colonos matan a un adolescente palestino en Cisjordania y otros sucesos en Oriente Medio
Un grupo de niños palestinos en la costa de Jan Yunis en la Franja de Gaza el 21 de agosto del 2026. (AP foto/Abdel Kareem Hana)
Iran, Oman discuss resuming talks, Strait of Hormuz navigation
The Omani and Iranian foreign ministers discussed in a phone call ways to create suitable conditions for resuming dialogue and negotiations, and developments affecting navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, Oman's state news agency said on Friday.
· Middleeasteye
Iran vows ‘devastating’ response as US threatens crushing sanctions designed to ‘collapse’ regime
See more of our coverage in your search results.
· Reuters
World Bank projects Lebanon's GDP to contract by 6.4 per cent in 2026 | The National
Lebanon's economy is projected to contract by 6.4 per cent in 2026 due to the Israel-Hezbollah war, the World Bank said on Friday.
· The National
US tells allies, China: Join economic war against Iran
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The United States on Thursday warned allies and China to join President Donald Trump’s new campaign to isolate Iran’s economy, vowing that Washington would “collapse this regime” in Tehran.
· Agence France-Presse
Middle Eastern powers condemn Israeli settlement policies, reject 'E1' West Bank plan
The foreign ministers of Turkey, Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE condemned Israel's settlement policies in Palestinian territories and said they categorically rejected the Israeli construction called "E1" in the occupied West Bank.
· Middleeasteye
Over 20 victims in minor sexual harassment case discovered by police, suspect arrested
Over 20 victims of a case involving sexual harassment and assault of minors were identified by the Israel Police on Friday, a spokesperson said through the organization’s Telegram channel.
· ARIELLA ROITMAN
Netanyahu denies request that annual Elul prayer be held in Gaza Strip, Minister Strock says
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu denied a request by National Missions Minister Orit Strock that the annual Elul rabbinical prayers be held inside the Gaza Strip, the minister said on Friday.
· JERUSALEM POST STAFF
Turquia pede alerta vermelho da Interpol contra Netanyahu
A Turquia solicitou a emissão de um alerta vermelho da Interpol contra o primeiro-ministro de Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, no âmbito de uma investigação sobre a interceptação de uma flotilha de ativistas que seguia para a Faixa de Gaza. O anúncio foi feito nesta sexta-feira (21/08) pelo ministro da Justiça turco, Aki…
· Redação DW