The number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits remained relatively low in early August, offering another sign that widespread layoffs have yet to take hold even as hiring across the U.S. economy remains subdued.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) carried out a second preemptive airstrike in Gaza in two days Thursday, targeting a Hamas terror cell in Khan Yunis that Israeli military officials said was preparing an attack against Israeli forces.

The Trump administration has announced nearly $2 billion in health and humanitarian assistance for faith-based organizations, placing several major Christian ministries at the center of a reshaped U.S. foreign-aid strategy following sweeping cuts to USAID programs.

Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar has cast doubt on a controversial Russian-led expansion of Hungary’s only nuclear power plant after record-low levels of the Danube River nearly forced its existing reactors into a complete shutdown.

The United States is preparing to send the USS George Washington aircraft carrier to the Middle East, replacing the USS Abraham Lincoln after an exceptionally long deployment supporting American military operations against Iran, according to an exclusive report by The Wall Street Journal.

Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan are moving to deepen military cooperation under a new mutual-defense pact that Israeli analysts say could reshape the Middle East’s security architecture while reducing dependence on the United States and bypassing Israel.

Americans added another $21 billion in credit card debt during the second quarter of 2026, pushing outstanding balances to roughly $1.26 trillion and bringing consumer borrowing close to its record high.

Israel is moving to expand the use of autonomous strike systems across its frontline forces, awarding a new Defense Ministry contract to develop a next generation of low-cost tactical attack drones for the Israel Defense Forces.

The United States has publicly rejected Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz’s declaration that Israeli troops will remain in southern Lebanon for the long term, exposing a widening disagreement between Washington and Jerusalem over how to secure Israel’s northern border.

Millions across Europe watched Wednesday as a rare total solar eclipse swept across the northern Atlantic and portions of the continent, an extraordinary celestial event unfolding just hours before the biblical calendar entered Elul — the month traditionally associated with repentance, spiritual preparation and the approach of the King.

The State Department has launched a new task force targeting “birth tourism” networks accused of exploiting U.S. immigration laws to secure American citizenship for children born to foreign nationals visiting the United States.

More details have emerged about an extraordinary secret flight by U.S. President Donald J. Trump, who was reportedly moved between aircraft inside a catering truck amid fears of an Iranian attempt on his life.

Russian attacks across Ukraine killed at least 12 people and wounded dozens more, Ukrainian officials said Wednesday, as Kyiv accused Moscow of using North Korean ballistic missiles in its escalating air campaign.

Switzerland’s government has rejected a campaign to enshrine a stricter interpretation of the Alpine nation’s centuries-old neutrality in the constitution, ahead of a nationwide referendum next month.

An Indonesian and three Pakistani crew members were among six people killed in an attack by Iran-backed Houthi forces on a cargo ship in the strategic Bab el-Mandeb Strait near Yemen, officials said Wednesday.

Wim de Goeij, a former Jehovah’s Witness who became a prominent Dutch publisher of Bible-teaching materials and outspoken critic of the Watch Tower Society, has died. He was 64.

Hungary’s Parliament elected former Supreme Court President András Baka as the nation’s new president Tuesday, marking a dramatic political comeback for a judge removed from office under former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.

Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey has signed legislation removing the state’s previous statutory restrictions governing abortions after 24 weeks of pregnancy, prompting pro-life leaders to warn that the new standard effectively permits abortions throughout pregnancy based on a physician’s professional judgment.

The United States has successfully conducted two closely guarded tests of President Donald Trump’s ambitious Golden Dome missile defense system, marking significant progress toward building a nationwide shield capable of defending the American homeland against ballistic, hypersonic, cruise missile and other advanced aerial threats.

Five years after the Taliban returned to power, an estimated 2.4 million Afghan girls remain barred from secondary education, marking one of the most sweeping reversals of women’s rights anywhere in the world.