August 23, 2026Share to FacebookShare to XArticle printing is available to subscribers onlyPrint in a simple, ad-free formatSubscribeComments: Zen reading is available to subscribers onlyAd-free and in a comfortable reading formatSubscribeAugust 23, 2026UpdatesIran executes man over January protests, judiciary-linked news site saysIran has carried out another execution in connection with the mass protests that began in January, according to Misan, a news site linked to Iran's judiciary.Human rights monitors say record numbers of people have been executed in connection with the protests.Misan reported that the man was detained in January near the city of Karaj in northern Iran. He was accused of acting on behalf of Israel, the United States and hostile groups, and of working to undermine Iran's national interests and security.The demonstrations began in response to Iran's economic crisis and quickly developed into mass protests against the country's authoritarian leadership. The government responded with a violent crackdown in which thousands of protesters were killed.Authorities said they seized a firearm when the man was arrested and alleged that he had fired it during the protests, Misan reported. The man denied the charges.Sunday's execution came just days after another man was put to death Thursday in connection with the protests.Human rights groups have long criticized Iran's use of the death penalty, accusing authorities of using executions as a tool of intimidation. Those sentenced to death often face broad charges, including espionage, endangering national security or blasphemy.At least 2,159 people were executed in Iran last year, the highest number recorded since 1981, according to Amnesty International.Syria's foreign minister sees Israel security talks resuming despite no trustSyrian Foreign Minister Asaad Al-Shaibani. Credit: AFPSyrian Foreign Minister Asaad Al-Shaibani. Credit: AFPSyria expects negotiations to resume soon with Israel over a security deal it hopes will lead to Israel's withdrawal from Syrian land, Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani said, ⁠urging Israel to seize a "historic opportunity" as the door for diplomacy is open. In a Reuters interview in Damascus on Saturday, days after Israel bombed a Syrian airbase, al-Shaibani also stressed that ⁠Damascus' priority is to halt Israeli attacks, saying confidence-building steps were needed in this direction.Washington has been seeking to forge a security deal between Israel and the government of Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, a new U.S. ally in the Middle East, for over a year. But it has proven elusive as Israel has sent troops into Syrian territory and attacked government assets, citing threats to its security. Shaibani said negotiations over the security agreement had been frozen since the start of the Iran war, but he expected them to restart. Contact between Syria ‌and Israel was cut after the airbase strike, he said."We believe there should be contact, especially with a party that constantly threatens the security of Syria. But if this contact doesn't bring results, then we ‌don't need it," Shaibani said. "We do not trust Israel currently."The Israeli prime minister's office did not respond to a request for comment."Israel has tried to maintain its security through brute force and it hasn't succeeded" anywhere, Shaibani said. "I believe negotiations will resume soon." No date has been set. "The U.S. is trying continuously to put pressure on Israel to return to the dialogue table," he added.Asked how optimistic he was, Shaibani said: "It's very hard to bet on Israel." But Syria had "very great hope" of building stable relationships with its neighbours."Syria is extending its hand for understandings, for peace, for diplomacy" and regional stability.Read the full articlePakistan army chief to visit Tehran as Islamabad seeks to strengthen regional securityPakistan's army chief, Asim Munir, is set to visit Tehran on Monday as part of Islamabad's efforts to help strengthen regional peace and security, Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman said Sunday.Pakistan's Army Chief Asim Munir during a meeting with Iran's president in Tehran. Credit: AFPPakistan's Army Chief Asim Munir during a meeting with Iran's president in Tehran. Credit: AFPIranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi spoke with Munir by phone Saturday to discuss the latest regional developments and efforts to strengthen peace and security in the region, according to a ministry statement.Pakistan has played a mediating role in efforts to broker a truce between the United States and Iran. It hosted U.S.-Iran talks in Islamabad in April and, along with Qatar, helped mediate subsequent discussions at the Lake Lucerne summit in Switzerland in June.5 hours agoIsraeli soldier exposed personal data of 170 active-duty soldiers, classified materialPersonal details of 170 Israeli soldiers on active duty, along with classified procedures and investigation material, were uploaded to the coding platform GitHub and were publicly available online, TheMarker has learned.A security analyst reported the incident to the Israeli military but did not receive a response. The military removed the material only after it was approached for comment.The information was uploaded to the coding platform by a soldier at an IDF infantry training base. The material detailed various incidents in an artillery training unit.The files included soldiers' personal details, reports of operational failures from recent months and classified military procedures related to training various forces and units.Some lists also included personal identification numbers and soldiers' full names.Israeli man moderately wounded in West Bank stabbing incident, medics say The scene of a stabbing at a shopping center in the West Bank town of al-Auja, near Jericho, Sunday. Credit: Magen David AdomThe scene of a stabbing at a shopping center in the West Bank town of al-Auja, near Jericho, Sunday. Credit: Magen David AdomAn Israeli man was moderately wounded Sunday after he was stabbed at a West Bank shopping center in the Palestinian town of al-Auja near Jericho, a security source told Haaretz. He was treated at the scene by medics before being transported to a Jerusalem hospital for further treatment, Magen David Adom, Israel's national emergency service, said.According to the security source, the suspect fled the scene and forces are in pursuit. The Israel Police said officers arrived at the scene and were investigating.The Israeli military said forces, including a special Air Force unit, were searching the area. According to the statement, soldiers blocked the entrances to al-Auja and the surrounding area.6 hours agoIsraeli settlers set fire to buildings in 2 Palestinian West Bank villages near NablusFire ravages a building in the West Bank village of Osarin after Israeli settlers set it on fire Saturday. Credit: Used in accordance with Section 27a of the Copyright LawFire ravages a building in the West Bank village of Osarin after Israeli settlers set it on fire Saturday. Credit: Used in accordance with Section 27a of the Copyright LawIsraeli settlers set fire to vehicles and a building Saturday in the Palestinian village of Osarin, south of Nablus, Palestinian reports said.According to the reports, settlers also set fire overnight to a building, property and livestock feed belonging to Palestinian shepherds on the outskirts of the village of Burqa, near Nablus.Read the full articleSouth Korean ship tests Arctic passage amid search for Hormuz alternativesThe PanStar Acro, a container ship bound for Europe via the Arctic, is anchored at a port in Busan, South Korea, Saturday. Credit: Yonhap News Agency via ReutersThe PanStar Acro, a container ship bound for Europe via the Arctic, is anchored at a port in Busan, South Korea, Saturday. Credit: Yonhap News Agency via ReutersA South Korean container ship set sail for Europe via the Arctic on Saturday evening, testing the commercial viability of the passage as the search for alternative trade routes accelerates amid the war in Iran and restrictions on shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.The PanStar Acro left the south-eastern port city of Busan and is expected to enter the Northern Sea Route around August 30 and pass through the Arctic waters around September 7, according to the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries.The ship is scheduled to call at ports in the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Poland.The voyage is expected to take about 45 days, significantly less time than the traditional route to Europe via the Indian Ocean, the Red Sea and the Suez Canal.South Korean officials will collect data on the voyage's duration, fuel consumption and operating costs as part of efforts to assess the route's commercial potential. Seoul aims to establish the Arctic passage as a new trade route and develop Busan as an international logistics hub.Environmental groups have warned that increased shipping through the Arctic could accelerate the melting of polar ice and disrupt fragile ecosystems.Report: Iran-linked hackers shut down UK power plant for 4 daysA cyberattack linked to Iran shut down a small-scale power plant in Britain for four days in July, The Telegraph reported Saturday, in what is said to be the first successful attack of its kind.British officials declined to identify the facility, citing security concerns, the report said. According to the report, the site was relatively small and was not considered critical infrastructure, and the outage had no impact on the country's wider power supply.The attack occurred around the same time as a series of cyberattacks targeting water infrastructure in the United States, affecting 12 states, The Telegraph reported.Hormuz to remain closed until U.S. fulfills commitments, Iranian top security official saysIran's Supreme National Security Council Secretary-General Moshen Rezaei said overnight into Sunday that Tehran would not yield to U.S. economic pressure, telling Iranian state-run Press TV that the Strait of Hormuz would remain closed until Washington fulfills its commitments.Mohsen Rezaei, adviser to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei and newly elected secretary-general of Iran's Supreme National Security Council. Credit: AFP/ATTA KENAREMohsen Rezaei, adviser to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei and newly elected secretary-general of Iran's Supreme National Security Council. Credit: AFP/ATTA KENARE12 hours agoPolice shoot dead two people amid feud between East Jerusalem families, Palestinian sources sayThree people were killed by gunfire in East Jerusalem's Silwan overnight into Sunday, including two who were shot dead by police, after a dispute between two families escalated into arson attacks, according to Palestinian sources.The incident began when Essam al-Awar was shot dead by a member of the Abbasi family amid a feud between the two families, according to sources in Silwan. Both families live in the East Jerusalem neighborhood.Following the shooting, members of the al-Awar family began setting fire to homes belonging to the Abbasi family, the sources said.Screenshot from a video showing homes being set on fire in Silwan, East Jerusalem, overnight into Sunday. Credit: Used in accordance with Section 27a of the Copyright LawScreenshot from a video showing homes being set on fire in Silwan, East Jerusalem, overnight into Sunday. Credit: Used in accordance with Section 27a of the Copyright LawRead the full articleIn the NewsIDF Was Warned 170 Soldiers' Details Were Online. It Did Nothing for a WeekOver 100 Former British, French Diplomats Urge Sweeping Sanctions on IsraelIDF Officials Say Giving Police West Bank Powers Requires Formal AnnexationMark Ruffalo Rejects Paramount's Antisemitism Charge Over His Israel CriticismHow Could I Move Back to Israel?Remembering and rebuilding two years laterICYMIIDF Marks Detained Palestinians With Numbers as Northern West Bank Raids ExpandThe American Jewish Establishment Is Defending an Israel That No Longer ExistsAn Israeli Startup Is Reinventing Salmon Farming. 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