Beirut port's capacity to handle wheat and other bulk cereal imports has collapsed to about a fifth or less of its level before a massive blast smashed its grain silos and other facilities, a senior UN official said Thursday. But Abdallah Alwardat, the country director for the World Food...

Facebook Inc said Thursday it would stop accepting new political ads in the week before the US presidential election in November, bowing to concern that its loose approach to free speech could once again be exploited to interfere with the vote. The world's biggest social network also said...

El Al Israel Airlines said Thursday it would operate the first cargo flight to Dubai by an Israeli carrier Sept. 16. The first flight, using a Boeing 747 jet, will travel to Belgium and from there to Dubai, carrying agricultural and high tech products. It will later become a weekly flight,...

A fire that broke out on a fully loaded supertanker off the east coast of Sri Lanka has been brought under control, spokesmen for the navy of the Indian Ocean nation said on Thursday, adding that one of its 23 crew was missing and another injured. The New Diamond, a very large crude carrier...

Oil prices extended losses on Thursday, falling by more than 2% to their lowest point since early August, as worries about weaker U.S. gasoline demand and a sluggish economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic dented sentiment. Brent crude LCOc1 fell $1, or 2.25%, to $43.43 a barrel by...

India Thursday witnessed another single day spike of 83,883 in new COVID-19 cases, sparking fear that the South Asian nation may soon become the worst-hit country in the world. According to an update issued by the country’s Health Ministry, the nation has now a total of 3.85 million...

Dubai is seeking to attract wealthy foreign retirees as the economy of the Middle East trade and tourism hub reels from the coronavirus pandemic and low oil prices, prompting many expatriates to leave. It will grant visas renewable every five years to resident expatriates and foreigners...

The United Arab Emirates’ move to pursue normalisation with Israel has prompted a backlash from Arab artists and intellectuals, who are boycotting Emirati-backed cultural awards and events to support the Palestinian cause. “I announce that I am withdrawing from your exhibition,” Palestinian...

Oil rose on Monday, with Brent touching the highest in five months, underpinned by a 30% cut in Abu Dhabi crude supplies and encouraging Chinese data even as global demand struggles to return to pre-COVID levels in a well supplied market. Brent crude futures for November LCOc1 advanced to...

 Top aides to U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu fly to the United Arab Emirates on Monday to put final touches on a pact establishing open relations between the Gulf power and Israel. Even before discussions start in Abu Dhabi, the delegates will...

Lebanon’s ambassador to Germany Mustapha Adib is set to be designated prime minister on Monday ahead of a visit to Beirut by the French president who will press for long-delayed reforms to steer the Middle East nation out of its deep crisis. Emmanuel Macron has taken centre stage in...

 Democrats Sunday accused President Donald Trump of trying to inflame racial tensions and incite violence to benefit his campaign as he praised supporters who clashed with protesters in Portland, Oregon, where one man died overnight, and announced he will travel to Kenosha, Wisconsin, amid...

The Saudi-Led coalition fighting in Yemen intercepted and destroyed an explosive-laden drone launched by Iran-aligned Houthis at Saudi Arabia’s Abha international airport on Sunday, Saudi state news agency (SPA) reported. As a result of intercepting the drone, some splinters fell on the...

Lebanon's President Michel Aoun called Sunday for the proclamation of a "secular state" during a televised address to mark the upcoming centenary of the Lebanese state. "I call for the proclamation of Lebanon as a secular state," Aoun said during a speech after an enormous explosion at...

The Future Movement led by Lebanon’s main Sunni politician Saad al-Hariri will nominate Lebanese ambassador to Germany Mustapha Adib to be prime minister in formal consultations on Monday, senior Future Movement member Fouad Siniora said on Sunday. The announcement makes Adib the clear...

U.S. President Donald Trump should not visit Kenosha, Wisconsin, the city where protests erupted last week after a Black man was shot in the back by a white police officer, the state’s Democratic lieutenant governor said on Sunday. The Republican president, who has taken a hard stand...

Tens of thousands of Belarusians chanting “Happy Birthday, you rat” and flying red-and-white opposition flags gathered near President Alexander Lukashenko’s residence on Sunday as protesters kept up pressure on the veteran leader to resign. Lukashenko, who turned 66 on Sunday, is struggling...

Turkey on Sunday celebrated the 98th anniversary of Victory Day, which commemorates the resounding defeat of the Greek forces at the hands of the Turks in the Battle of Dumlupinar in 1922. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, senior government and high-ranking military officials, and opposition...

Lewis Hamilton stretched his lead in the drivers' world championship and closed to within two wins of Michael Schumacher's Formula One record of 91 Sunday with a majestic, if ultimately tense, Belgian Grand Prix victory. The series leader and six-time champion registered his 89th career win...

France's Benoit Paire has tested positive for COVID-19 and will have to pull out of the U.S. Open starting Monday, French sports daily L'Equipe reported Sunday. Paire, seeded 17th at the Grand Slam event, was scheduled to play Poland's Kamil Majchrzak in the first round at Flushing Meadows...