During a visit to a weapons manufacturing facility in Belarus's Minsk region on August 18, Belarusian leader Aleksandr Lukashenko was presented with a VSK-100B, an assault rifle described by its makers as being made entirely in Belarus.
Tokyo [Japan], August 20 (ANI): Japan on Thursday said North Korea had launched a suspected ballistic missile, issuing an emergency alert and directing authorities to gather and analyse information on the launch and ensure the safety of aircraft, vessels and other assets, amid US moves to scale back its upcoming joint military exercises with South Korea on the Korean Peninsula targeted at Pyongyang.
Israeli strikes hit southern Lebanon Israeli air strikes targeted in al-Tayri in Lebanon’s Bint Jbeil district, according to the National News Agency. Meanwhile, al-Mansouri in Tyre district has also been targeted with artillery shelling, The agency said.
Turkey, Egypt, Qatar condemn Israeli attacks on Gaza 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 intensification of Israeli attacks undermines regional and international efforts at a critical juncture, as intensive efforts are under way to implement the Comprehensive Plan to End the Gaza Conflict, including the meeting between the Board of Peace and Israeli officials, and constructive steps are being taken in the negotiation process," they said.
Gaza death toll rises as 10 Palestinians killed in last 24 hours At least 10 Palestinians have been killed and another 25 wounded in Israeli attacks on Gaza in the last 24 hours, the enclave's health ministry is reporting. The ministry said in a statement that Gaza hospitals had received the casualties, but did not outline the circumstances surrounding them. It added that further victims remain trapped under rubble, with emergency crews unable to reach them.
Tanker off Yemen boarded by armed people, diverted towards Somalia, UKMTO says A tanker was boarded by six armed people who took control of the vessel and diverted it towards Somalia, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said on Thursday. UKMTO earlier said it had received a report of an incident 136 nautical miles east of Yemen's Mukalla, where the tanker, travelling west in the Gulf of Aden, reported being approached by an unauthorised vessel. UKMTO provided no further details and did not say whether the tanker or its crew were safe.
Lebanon handed over former General Adel Issa, as Syria steps up its pursuit of wanted members of the former regime.
Ninety-four cent of Gaza’s 2. 1 million residents need shelter as Israeli gunfire and strikes continue inside the enclave, UN agencies and peacekeepers warned on Thursday.
Israel issues veiled threat to Turkey following airbase strikes in Syria Submitted by Ragip Soylu on Thu, 08/20/2026 - 09:56 Katz warns Turkey over its involvement in Syria, but Ankara and Damascus reject claims of military build-up at airbase The flags of (L to R) Israel and Turkey fly behind battle tanks on display at the Yad La-Shiryon Tank Museum in Latrun, west of Jerusalem, on 18 August 2022 (Gil Cohen-Magen/AFP) Off Israel issued a veiled threat against Turkey on Thursday, following Israeli strikes on the Abu al-Duhur military airbase in northern Syria , about 70km from the Turkish border. “Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is dragging Turkey into dangerous adventures in Syria,” Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said in a social media post. Katz said Israel would not “allow any entity to threaten its security”.
UK to lay out 'measures' against Israel over West Bank settlements Submitted by MEE staff on Thu, 08/20/2026 - 09:37 Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband says London will not allow 'destruction' of two-state solution British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband speaks as he meets his Spanish counterpart at the Palacio de Viana in Madrid on 29 July 2026 (Leon Neal/AFP) Off The UK government has said it will announce "measures" against Israel over new settlement construction east of Jerusalem that would effectively cut the occupied West Bank in two. In a statement on Wednesday, Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband warned that the project – tenders for which were opened this week – poses a threat to a two-state solution in the region. Miliband indicated that he made it clear to the Israeli foreign minister, Gideon Sa'ar, that the "Israeli government must halt E1 plans immediately, retract the tender and stop all settlement expansion".
Israeli shelling targets southern Lebanese towns Lebanese media is reporting heavy Israeli artillery shelling targeting a number of towns in the country's south. According to the National News Agency, the towns of Wadi al-Salouqi, al-Hujair, and the valleys of Qabrikha, Toulene and Hula were struck.
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps warned that any new war against Iran would be confronted with the use of more advanced and destructive weapons than those used previously.
Explainer: Have European countries been involved in the US-Israeli war on Iran? Submitted by Daniel Tester on Wed, 08/19/2026 - 09:51 From the UK's Diego Garcia to Bulgaria's airfields, dozens of European bases have supported US operations against Iran, even as some leaders publicly kept their distance from the war French President Emmanuel Macron and US President Donald Trump leave after a family photograph during the G7 summit in Evian on 16 June (AFP) Off “This is not Europe’s war,” declared EU chief diplomat Kaja Kallas on 16 March, just over two weeks after the US and Israel began their assault on Iran in late February. The conflict, which has now lasted nearly six months, is unpopular across the continent, where it has caused fuel prices to surge and received criticism over its attacks on Iranian civilians.
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Yemeni sources warned Saudi Arabia that the next phase of military escalation will be more painful, outlining three military equations that they say have been implemented against the kingdom.
Israeli opposition leader and former prime minister criticise Netanyahu over Syria attacks Israeli opposition leader Yair Golan said that the attack on a Syrian air base was a "provocative and dangerous" move that deepens the rift Tel Aviv's allies and brings it closer to a "confrontation" with Turkey. "Once again, military force is being employed for political considerations, and once again Israel pays the price in security," he said in a post on X. "[Benjamin] Netanyahu proves once more that he is an extremist and unreliable figure, one we cannot rely on and certainly not build a stable regional strategy with.
Israeli defence minister warns Turkey against 'threatening its security' Israel's defence minister said that president Recep Tayyip Erdogan is "dragging Turkey into dangerous adventures in Syria," indicating that Ankara risks consequences for its ties with Damascus. "Israel will not allow any actor to threaten its security," Israel Katz said in a post on X. "It would be better for Erdogan to continue his detached-from-reality, fanciful rhetoric against Israel in the Turkish Grand National Assembly than to attempt to test Israel's determination to defend itself.
Washington, DC [US], August 20 (ANI): Following the scale of destruction inflicted on American installations during the conflict with Iran, the Pentagon is evaluating options to scale down the United States' long-standing military presence across the Persian Gulf, according to a report by The Washington Post. The extensive damage has compelled Washington to re-evaluate its decades-old regional security posture.
Mossad chief called Syria over Turkish army presence before airbase strike: Report Mossad had phone call with Syria’s foreign minister on 14 August to discuss Turkey’s military presence in Syria, according to Reuters citing several sources. The call, made just days before Israel struck a military airbase in Irbil, is one of the highest-level contacts to date between Tel Aviv and the administration led by President Ahmed al-Sharaa. The majority of the call surrounded Turkey’s military role in Syria, with Roman Gofman raising concerns to Asaad al-Shaibani over Ankara’s increasing military presence, arms sales and drone deliveries to the Syrian army.
Tom Barrack says the attack undermines regional security and constitutes an unnecessary escalation US Ambassador to Türkiye Tom Barrack has condemned Israeli airstrikes on an airbase in northwestern Syria as a dangerous escalation. On Tuesday, Israeli forces struck the Abu al-Duhur base in Idlib province, near the Turkish border.
Blast heard in Syria's Daraa An explosion was heard in Daraa's countryside, located in south west Syria, according to state television.
