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Two People Killed in Northeast Syria Explosion

The Hasakeh region was held by Kurdish forces before coming under central government control in February. (SANA)
The Hasakeh region was held by Kurdish forces before coming under central government control in February. (SANA)
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Two People Killed in Northeast Syria Explosion

The Hasakeh region was held by Kurdish forces before coming under central government control in February. (SANA)
The Hasakeh region was held by Kurdish forces before coming under central government control in February. (SANA)

Two people were killed by an explosion on Friday in front of the Hasakeh courthouse, in Syria's predominantly Kurdish northeast, state news agency SANA reported.

SANA quoted a security source as saying that the blast was from a hand grenade and that it killed, according to health authorities, a man and a 13-year-old child.

The Hasakeh region was held by Kurdish forces before coming under central government control in February, following an agreement to integrate Kurdish institutions into the Damascus government.

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Arab World

New Israeli Strikes Kill Three in Gaza, Authorities Say

Palestinians inspect the damage following an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City, Gaza Strip, 27 August 2026. (EPA)
Palestinians inspect the damage following an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City, Gaza Strip, 27 August 2026. (EPA)
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New Israeli Strikes Kill Three in Gaza, Authorities Say

Palestinians inspect the damage following an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City, Gaza Strip, 27 August 2026. (EPA)
Palestinians inspect the damage following an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City, Gaza Strip, 27 August 2026. (EPA)

Israeli strikes killed three people in Gaza on Friday, authorities in the Palestinian territory said, in the latest day of attacks despite international appeals to move ahead on a peace plan.

The civil defense agency, which serves as a rescue service under Hamas, said that the bodies of three people were recovered in pieces after Israeli strikes in the town of Al-Qarara, east of Khan Younis.

Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis named the three people and said they all belonged to the same family, with two aged 42 and one aged 28.

An Israeli military spokesperson, contacted by AFP, said that the military was looking into it.

Israeli strikes also killed three people on Thursday, according to the civil defense agency. The Israeli military said it had targeted two Hamas members it accused of plotting attacks against Israelis.

Israel has kept striking the Gaza Strip and its forces have made further inroads despite a US-brokered ceasefire announced in October, with Israel insisting it must eliminate threats from Hamas, which led the unprecedented October 7, 2023 attack against Israel.

Nickolay Mladenov, the high representative for Gaza under the Board of Peace established by President Donald Trump to implement the deal, said on Thursday that deadly Israeli strikes made it hard for the people of Gaza to feel the ceasefire, which he said was still holding.

"Every use of force that does not answer an immediate threat, and every incident that the deconfliction mechanism was not asked to resolve, costs this process something very hard to buy back," he told the UN Security Council.

He said that Hamas also has not fulfilled its commitments including on disarmament, although the group promised late last month to do so.

Israel has warned that it will retaliate for the flying of kites in Gaza after a number crossed into Israel, leading some parents to stop their children from kite-flying.

In previous years, kites and balloons laden with explosives have been flown from Gaza. The latest did not contain explosives although at least one reportedly had a political message written on it.

Defense Minister Israel Katz said Thursday that the deadline had passed to stop kite-flying, warning, according to Israeli media: "Any launch constitutes an act of terrorism in itself, and we will treat it as such."

Arab World

Extensive Power Cuts Hamper Life in Sudan

A blacksmith attempts to operate a welding machine at his workshop in Omdurman, Sudan, August 20, 2026. (Reuters)
A blacksmith attempts to operate a welding machine at his workshop in Omdurman, Sudan, August 20, 2026. (Reuters)
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Extensive Power Cuts Hamper Life in Sudan

A blacksmith attempts to operate a welding machine at his workshop in Omdurman, Sudan, August 20, 2026. (Reuters)
A blacksmith attempts to operate a welding machine at his workshop in Omdurman, Sudan, August 20, 2026. (Reuters)

Sudanese welder Shannan Mohammed has been building furniture for a family in Omdurman little by little as constant blackouts interrupt his work.

Pointing to half-built doors, chairs, and tables in the courtyard of a home, he says, "All this is money that has been frozen because of lack of electricity stopping the work."

Army-controlled areas of Sudan have been plagued by blackouts that have worsened recently due to a combination of targeting of the power grid by the ‌rival Rapid Support ‌Forces (RSF) and meager government funding to carry out ‌repairs.

The ⁠blackouts have impeded ⁠the lives of hundreds of thousands who have returned to Khartoum since the army retook it last year and have undermined attempts to rebuild the devastated economy.

"They give you five hours [of power], and then it cuts. It comes back the next day. And it has no benefit for a working person because it comes at night," ⁠Mohammed said.

Even household tasks have become impossible, Mohammed's sister ‌Awatef told Reuters.

"Every time I ‌do the laundry, I don't get to finish it because the power cuts ‌off," she said. "We only eat take-out from the street, so ‌that nothing is left over for us to put in the refrigerator."

High gas prices put generators out of reach for many. Earlier this month, Sudan's prime minister exempted solar panels for personal use from customs and fees.

The conflict ‌in Sudan has increasingly turned into a drone war, with both sides targeting key civilian infrastructure ⁠in addition to ⁠military targets. The war has devastated livelihoods and spread famine in multiple parts of the country.

"The targeting of the electricity sector in particular was very significant," said a spokesperson for the Khartoum state government, Altayeb Saadeldin, listing looting of copper wires and fuel and other components, as well as drone attacks, as reasons for the outages.

Sudan's main power source, the Merowe dam, had been among targets hit, he said, adding that the delay of annual rains had also impacted power generation in other dams.

Asked for comment, an RSF source said allegations that the RSF had targeted the power grid were "incorrect and army propaganda".

Arab World

US Ambassador: Hezbollah Ties to Iran Affect Lebanon and the Course of Talks

President Joseph Aoun presiding over a ceremony marking the 81st anniversary of General Security (Lebanese Presidency)
President Joseph Aoun presiding over a ceremony marking the 81st anniversary of General Security (Lebanese Presidency)
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US Ambassador: Hezbollah Ties to Iran Affect Lebanon and the Course of Talks

President Joseph Aoun presiding over a ceremony marking the 81st anniversary of General Security (Lebanese Presidency)
President Joseph Aoun presiding over a ceremony marking the 81st anniversary of General Security (Lebanese Presidency)

The stalled US-Iranian negotiations remain uncertain, and their direct or indirect impact on Lebanon continues to loom over efforts to achieve tangible results in talks with Israel, meanwhile President Joseph Aoun reaffirmed the state's commitment to its institutions and role.

US Ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa made notable remarks, linking developments in southern Lebanon to events unfolding between Washington and Tehran. He also stressed that any engagement with Hezbollah would take place only through the Lebanese state.

Aoun: State moving forward

Aoun said the state was continuing to strengthen its presence and institutions, alongside the negotiations.

"We are engaged in an internal struggle between people who do not want state institutions, who are the antithesis of the state and live at its expense in its absence, and between us and you, who want the state and its institutions," Aoun said during a ceremony marking the 81st anniversary of the General Security.

He added: “We here tell them, whatever you do, we will continue. Not for your sake, but for the sake of citizens to whom we owe a duty."

Issa: Southern Lebanon talks tied to Washington-Tehran Tension

US Ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa said negotiations over southern Lebanon cannot be separated from regional developments, particularly talks between Washington and Tehran.

He said Hezbollah must surrender its weapons to the state, adding that continued links between the group and Iranian decision-making are affecting Lebanon and the course of negotiations.

Ministerial sources said US-Lebanese-Israeli talks would continue, with a new round expected in Rome in September, but acknowledged that progress hinges partly on the outcome of US-Iranian negotiations and Tehran’s ties with Hezbollah.

Issa clarifies US position: Any Contact with Hezbollah to Go Through the State

US Ambassador Michel Issa clarified that any US engagement with Hezbollah would take place through the Lebanese state, saying Washington could help bridge differences through negotiations. He reiterated that Hezbollah must surrender its weapons and accused the group of taking orders from Iran.

Issa also said talks with Israel are between the Lebanese and Israeli states, with Washington seeking to narrow differences while pressing Israel to reduce strikes in southern Lebanon. He added that Hezbollah’s future would depend partly on whether Iran maintains its support for the group.