A fervent supporter of Jewish settlements in the West Bank, the US envoy to Israel has emerged as a central figure in the uncertainty surrounding Israel's annexation plans in the Palestinian territory. Ambassador David Friedman has, according to some experts, encouraged Israeli Prime...

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has said the US is "looking at" banning Chinese social media apps, including TikTok, over allegations Beijing is using them to spy on users. India has already barred the wildly popular TikTok app over national security and privacy concerns while other...

Australia warned its citizens Tuesday they could face "arbitrary detention" if they travel to China, the latest sign of growing tensions between the two nations. The foreign ministry issued the warning in updated travel advice, which also noted that Chinese authorities had detained...

Three members of a family in Libya suffered injuries Tuesday when a landmine planted by forces loyal to warlord Khalifa Haftar exploded.  The blast occurred in the south of the capital Tripoli, according to a statement from Health Ministry officials. Two volunteers from two...

 It's hard to say what exactly will change in the West Bank if Israel follows through on its plans to annex parts of the occupied territory, but east Jerusalem, which was annexed more than a half-century ago, may provide some answers. Israeli leaders paint Jerusalem as a model of...

On a riverbank in Syria's Hama, Mohammed Sultan tinkers away on a giant water wheel, one of a dwindling number of artisans able to restore the city's ancient wooden landmarks. Used for centuries to bring water to gardens and buildings on the shores of the Orontes River, the water wheels or...

The Israeli spy Eli Cohen was not the only agent who succeeded in penetrating Syria’s regime in 1960s. Repeatedly, Mossad operations were able to infiltrate high-profile branches of the regime including the ministry of defense and important military units and security systems, which were...

As US coronavirus cases surge and deaths topped 130,000, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo harshly criticized the White House's COVID-19 response Monday, accusing President Donald Trump of "enabling" the virus and downplaying its threat. Infections are on the rise in 39 states, according to a...

Britain on Monday identified 49 "notorious" individuals and organisations, 25 of them Russian and 20 Saudis, to be sanctioned under its first post-Brexit targeting of accused human rights violators, prompting immediate anger from Moscow. The Russians are listed for their alleged involvement...

Daesh expert Hisham al-Hashemi was shot outside his home in Baghdad Monday and died shortly thereafter at a local hospital, an official from the Iraqi interior ministry told AFP. Hashemi was an authoritative voice on Sunni extremist factions including the Daesh group, but was also...

Lebanon’s militant Hezbollah group and the Palestinian Hamas Monday said Israel’s plan to annex parts of the West Bank is an "aggression against the Palestinian people" and called for unity to confront it. Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh sent a letter to Hezbollah’s chief Hassan Nasrallah in...

The Turkish foreign minister Monday called on the European Union to be an "honest broker" in disputes between Ankara and EU member states France, Greece and Cyprus. Mevlut Cavusoglu warned that Turkey would be forced to "reciprocate" against any decisions the bloc takes against the country....

More than 200 scientists have called for the World Health Organization and others to acknowledge that the coronavirus can spread in the air - a change that could alter some of the current measures being taken to stop the pandemic. In a letter published this week in the journal Clinical...

Wall Street's major indexes climbed Monday as data showing unexpected growth in the US services sector last month and optimism over China's economic revival helped investors look past a surge in new cases of COVID-19 at home. The ISM's non-manufacturing activity index jumped to 57.1 in...

The Lebanese central bank will provide foreign currency at a fixed exchange rate of 3,900 Lebanese pounds per dollar for importers and manufacturers of essential food items, it said on Monday. The central bank “will secure the necessary amounts in foreign currency to meet the needs of...

Iran’s hardline lawmakers plan to summon the president for questioning, a move that could ultimately lead to impeachment, media reported on Monday, amid growing discontent over the government’s economic policies. Iranians’ daily struggle to make ends meet has become harder since the...

Britain’s decision to grant Huawei a limited role in building its 5G network is not “fixed in stone” and a government update on the Chinese company will be published before July 22, a government minister and official said on Monday. British relations with China have already been strained by...

Russia sent 300 mercenaries, including former members of Daesh/ISIS, from the regions under the control of the Bashar Assad regime in eastern Syria to fight alongside warlord Khalifa Haftar’s illegal forces in eastern Libya, according to local sources. Russia, supporting Syria's Assad...

Moroccan authorities have arrested a journalist for "public drunkenness and violence", authorities said Monday, days after opening an investigation into his alleged links to foreign intelligence services. Omar Radi has been at the center of a spat between Morocco and Amnesty International...

Russian officials and the Orthodox church urged caution Monday over calls in Turkey to alter the status of the Hagia Sophia, the historic former cathedral in Istanbul. Turkey's top court is debating whether one of the architectural wonders of the world can be re-designated as a mosque, a...