By Jason Lange

WASHINGTON, Aug 24 (Reuters) - U.S. public approval of the war with Iran fell to its lowest level since the conflict's early days, helping to hold President Donald Trump's popularity at a record low, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll that closed on Monday.

The United States on Monday removed Syria from its list of state sponsors of terrorism, rescinding a decades-old designation that came with severe economic restrictions and marking another step in warming ties between the countries.

The US Department of State also revoked its designation of al-Nusra Front -- latterly known as Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) -- as a global terrorist organization. The Treasury Department announced corresponding sanctions relief. 

TEL AVIV, Aug 24 (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday that Iran had tried to kill one of his sons, but gave no details about when the alleged plot took place, which son was targeted or how close it came to being carried out.

Netanyahu's allegation underscores the heightened tensions since the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran began in February, during which Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other senior Iranian leaders were killed.

SEOUL, Aug 24 (Reuters) - The United States cancelled a joint amphibious landing drill scheduled for next month with South Korea, Seoul's Marine Corps said on Monday, after Washington cited constraints on the availability of U.S. forces due to the war in Iran.

The U.S. Marine Corps formally notified its South Korean counterpart in June that force availability would be constrained for the division-level exercise, known as Ssangyong, a South Korean Marine Corps spokesperson told a press briefing.

Aug 24 (Reuters) - The State Department on Monday removed Syria from its list of State Sponsors of Terrorism, according to a notification from the U.S. Treasury, in a move that was first announced earlier this year pending a review by Congress.

The designation as a state sponsor of terrorism carries restrictions on U.S. foreign assistance, defense exports and certain financial transactions.

Monday's announcement also removed the designation of the Nusrah Front as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist organization.

By Tarek Amara

TUNIS, Aug 24 (Reuters) - A hospital in the southern Tunisian city of Ben Guerdane has received at least 19 bodies of migrants recovered from the sea over the past two days, the head of a migrant rights group said on Monday, following the sinking of a boat at the weekend.

The sinking of the migrant boat, which carried seven members of the same family, sparked a wave of grief and anger triggering violent protests in the city on Sunday night.

Protesters burned tyres and blocked roads, while police responded by firing tear gas to disperse the crowds.

PARIS, Aug 24 (Reuters) - France and Saudi Arabia have agreed to build a €6 billion ($7 billion) manga-themed amusement park near Paris, the Elysee Palace said on Monday during a visit by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to the French capital.

The project, inspired by the world of the hit Japanese manga and anime franchise Dragon Ball Z, will be built near Cergy-Pontoise, northwest of Paris, and is expected to create around 22,000 jobs, the Elysee said.

France and Saudi Arabia on Monday signed a memorandum of understanding for a six-billion-euro ($7-billion) Saudi investment to create three theme parks near Paris, including one expected to be manga-themed, the office of the French president said.

The agreement for the "colossal" project was signed during a two-day visit to France by Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, said President Emmanuel Macron's office.

By Nidhi Verma and Florence Tan

Aug 24 (Reuters) - Iran said it had blacklisted 45 tankers that had broken its rules for crossing the Strait of Hormuz, and would take action against any vessels transferring loads with them, escalating its threats over the key waterway six months into the war.

The named vessels could be fined, detained and have their cargoes confiscated, according to an X post late on Sunday from the Persian Gulf Strait Authority, a new body set up by Iran to manage the strait.

By Saurabh Sharma and Aftab Ahmed

NEW DELHI, Aug 24 (Reuters) - Chinese President Xi Jinping is likely to attend next month's BRICS summit in New Delhi with a large delegation, three sources said, in what would be his first visit in seven years and a fresh sign of a thaw between the rivals.

India is hosting the September 12 to 13 summit, where Xi's presence would be watched less for the BRICS agenda than for what it signals about Beijing and New Delhi's efforts to stabilise relations after deadly border clashes in 2020.