Lebanon reports 11 dead in strikes that Israel says targeted Hezbollah By AFP August 16, 2026 03:20 (EAT) Add as a Preferred Source on Google Follow us Follow on Whatsapp Follow on Google Follow on Twitter Israeli soldiers work on the belts for their tanks at a staging area in th …
… Last week, a top Iranian official laid out a laundry list of conditions for reopening the strait, including an end to the "war and aggression against Iran and its allies in Lebanon, Palestine, Yemen, and Iraq". …
Lebanon state media says Israeli strike on south kills 7 By AFP August 15, 2026 10:41 (EAT) Add as a Preferred Source on Google Follow us Follow on Whatsapp Follow on Google Follow on Twitter A photograph taken from the southern Lebanese village of Qabrikha shows smoke rising fro …
Israel defence minister vows troops to stay in Lebanon, Syria, Gaza By AFP August 13, 2026 05:53 (EAT) Add as a Preferred Source on Google Follow us Follow on Whatsapp Follow on Google Follow on Twitter Hundreds of supporters of the Iran-backed Houthi movement brandish their weap …
… "Also, with respect to the Iran negotiations, Iran should be responsible for the damages and death caused to the people of Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, and Gaza!" Trump wrote in a Truth Social post. …
… The six conditions include an end to US threats against Iran and insults to what Zolghadr described as the country’s national and religious values; a permanent end to attacks against Iran and its allies in Lebanon, Palestine, Yemen and Iraq; the lifting of the US naval blockade a …
… Netanyahu last week also ordered fresh strikes on Lebanon in response to what Israel called a ceasefire violation by Iran-backed Hezbollah, just as Israel and Lebanon were holding US-mediated talks. …
… Washington had originally designated the airline, its aircraft and owner in January 2024, alleging that it provided support to the IRGC's Quds Force and its proxy groups in Iraq, Syria and Lebanon. …
… The scant comfort for Infantino came from a handful of supporters, including 2030 World Cup co-hosts Morocco, as well as Kuwait, Qatar, where he has a house, and Lebanon, which granted him honorary citizenship in February. …
Iran's Revolutionary Guards announced a new "prohibited zone" extending miles beyond the Strait of Hormuz into the Sea of Oman and Arabian Sea, warning that vessels entering without coordination will face sanctions. The restriction is part of ongoing tensions since the start of a war with the United States on February 28, amid talks with Oman over a temporary shipping route.
Iran's Revolutionary Guards announced a new "prohibited zone" extending miles beyond the Strait of Hormuz into the Sea of Oman and Arabian Sea, warning that vessels entering without coordination will face sanctions. The restriction is part of ongoing tensions since the start of a war with the United States on February 28, amid talks with Oman over a temporary shipping route.
Volker Turk, the U.N. rights chief, warned that artificial intelligence could pose an existential threat to humanity and called for "cast-iron guarantees" to secure AI, citing risks including disruptions to services, communications, and democratic systems. He pledged to press AI firms to reduce these risks during his address to the UN human rights council.
Lebanon's health ministry reported four people killed on Sunday in Israeli strikes on south Lebanon, which Israel said it carried out after Hezbollah launched two drones at Israeli soldiers. Twenty others, including several women and three children, were wounded in the strikes across multiple locations.
US Vice President JD Vance said Thursday he would not characterize the conflict with Iran as a war, despite continuing clashes six months after it began on February 28. Vance stated there is currently no active shooting and that major combat operations lasted six weeks, though he acknowledged fresh clashes have resumed and said the US would not restart talks with Iran until it stops attacks on commercial shipping.
Israel announced the release of five civilians captured in southern Lebanon during its war with Hezbollah, with one man already handed over to the Lebanese army via the International Committee of the Red Cross. The remaining four detainees — two Lebanese and two Syrians — are scheduled for release on Friday, ahead of Lebanon-Israel talks in Rome.
The EU said Tuesday it was planning to launch a mission to train the Lebanese army in the coming months, but clarified it would not replace the UN peacekeeping force UNIFIL. The EU is investing in Lebanon's capacity to provide security for itself, according to EU top diplomat Kaja Kallas.
Georges Dib, a TikTok influencer with over eight million followers known as "Doctor Food" who owns a confectionery business, was arrested in northern Lebanon on Sunday. He had been sentenced to life in absentia for drug trafficking and faces new charges related to manufacturing and smuggling narcotics through food products.
Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said Friday the U.S. anti-Iran economic operation is doomed to fail, citing previous failed sanctions and pressure campaigns. The remarks followed President Donald Trump's announcement of "the most crushing economic operation ever" against countries providing support to Iran.
The World Bank projects Lebanon's economy will contract by 6.4 percent in 2026 due to the Israel-Hezbollah war, citing collapse in tourism, weaker consumption, disrupted supply chains, and displacement. Inflation is expected to rise to 17.5 percent this year.
The UN has warned that more than 1,000 humanitarian workers have been killed over the past three years as aid work becomes increasingly dangerous. Secretary-General António Guterres cited growing attacks in conflict zones, shrinking funding, access restrictions, and new weapons like armed drones as compounding security threats to aid personnel.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino's chief operating officer Kevin Lamour has departed after breaking ranks with senior FIFA directors and criticizing Infantino's plan to bring private investment into FIFA competitions, including World Cups. Lamour had refused to sign off on the deal and described it as "the project of one person."
Lebanon said Israeli strikes on the south killed 11 people including three children on Saturday, the deadliest raids since June deals eased hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah. Israel's military said the strikes were in retaliation for an attack by the Iran-backed militant group on its troops in south Lebanon.
Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister said the Strait of Hormuz "will remain Iranian" after President Trump claimed he would declare it US territory following a US defeat of Iran. A White House official later said Trump was joking.
Lebanon state media reports an Israeli airstrike on a home on the outskirts of the village of Ansar killed seven people and wounded three on Saturday, the highest toll since a June ceasefire framework between Israel and Hezbollah. The strike was part of what the National News Agency described as an escalation of Israeli attacks in the south, including airstrikes on the Ali al-Taher ridge and shelling in the Nabatieh area.
Israel's Defence Minister Israel Katz visited southern Lebanon on Wednesday, vowing to destroy infrastructure and keep troops in a so-called "security zone" in Lebanon as well as in Syria and Gaza. The comments came nearly two months after Israel and Lebanon agreed to a US-sponsored framework deal involving Hezbollah's disarmament and a gradual Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon's south.
U.S. President Trump responded to Iran's peace deal conditions by demanding compensation for deaths in wars, attacks, and protests over a 50-year period, a new proposal that threatens efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Oil prices rose 5% as the reparations demand dimmed prospects for a deal.
Iran's Supreme National Security Council has set out six conditions the United States must meet before the Strait of Hormuz fully reopens, including an end to US threats, lifting of sanctions, withdrawal of US military forces from around Iran, and unconditional release of frozen Iranian assets. The conditions broaden terms Iran previously set out in a June memorandum.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday rejected a US-led Gaza plan endorsed by Hamas, putting distance between himself and President Donald Trump as he shores up his political base ahead of close elections. Netanyahu said Israel will not carry out any withdrawal from Gaza until Hamas is genuinely disarmed, despite receiving assurances that Israel would not need to withdraw immediately.
The United States has lifted sanctions on Iraq's Fly Baghdad airline and two of its aircraft, which it had previously designated for alleged support to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The airline was removed after demonstrating major operational changes through the Treasury Department's administrative reconsideration process, though sanctions remain on a man previously identified as the company's owner.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino came under fire from within the governing body and externally over his since-abandoned proposal to open the World Cup to private investment. Former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, appointed by Infantino as FIFA's chief of global football development, said the withdrawal of the project was "absolutely necessary," while FIFA secretary-general Mattias Grafstrom distanced himself from Infantino in an internal email, describing the plan as "a sad and reproachable series of events."
President Donald Trump said the United States and Israel had agreed to hold off on new strikes on Iran, provided a deal to end the months-long conflict is reached rapidly. Trump said he made the decision after speaking with Saudi Arabia's crown prince and after Tehran spoke with Riyadh, Pakistan, and Turkey.
An 80-year-old grandmother from Ndenderu-Kianjogu in Kiambu County is appealing for KSh675,000 to bring home the body of her granddaughter, Lucy Wanjiru Nduta, who died in a hit-and-run accident in Lebanon on May 17 while working there. The grandmother has raised Lucy and two other orphaned grandchildren for more than two decades following their mother's death in 2005.
Franco Baresi, AC Milan captain during the 1980s and 1990s when the club won three European Cups and six Italian league titles, has died at age 66, the club announced on Friday.
Franco Baresi, who captained AC Milan in the 1980s and 1990s when they won three European Cups and six Italian league titles, has died at the age of 66, the club announced on July 31, 2026.
The United States and Saudi Arabia struck positions belonging to the Hashed al-Shaabi (Popular Mobilisation Forces), a network of Shia-majority armed factions established in 2014 to fight the Islamic State group, which includes powerful pro-Iran groups that have long threatened Washington.
President Donald Trump promised to "hit back hard" at Iran after it attacked US bases in Jordan on Wednesday, reigniting Middle East conflict and prompting oil prices to jump five percent amid fears of supply disruptions. Saudi Arabia and the US announced strikes on militant bases in Iraq, while Israel accused Iran-backed Hezbollah of violating a ceasefire.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the White House Tuesday for his first in-person talks with President Donald Trump since the Iran war began in late February. The closed-door meeting, described by the White House as "positive and productive," lasted about an hour and a half and was dominated by discussion of the conflict, which is currently paused as Washington seeks to give negotiations a chance.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will meet US President Donald Trump at the White House on Tuesday for the first time since the Iran war began in late February, with the war expected to dominate discussions despite public disagreements between the two leaders.
Iran and the United States have halted missile strikes after fighting over the Strait of Hormuz. Trump's UN envoy said the president is giving negotiations "a little bit of room" while forces remain ready, and Iran's army spokesman confirmed Tehran has halted retaliatory operations.
A white minivan struck people near Berlin's Christopher Street Day Pride event on Saturday evening, killing one woman and injuring 29 others. Police identified the chief suspect as 21-year-old Abdul Ballout, a German citizen of Lebanese origin and alleged Islamic State supporter with a May criminal conviction.