Middle East
Who is Nasrallah?
Slain Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah, whose death was confirmed yesterday by his Iran-backed movement, wielded great power in Lebanon but led a life in hiding to avoid assassination by his group’s arch-enemy, Israel.
Khamenei moved to a secure location
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has been transferred to a secure location inside the country with heightened security measures in place, two regional officials briefed by Tehran told Reuters.
12 dead in air strikes on pro-Iranian fighters in Syria
Twelve pro-Iranian fighters have been killed in air strikes of unknown origin in eastern Syria, a war monitor said yesterday, adding that a large number of people were wounded.
Tens of thousands protest against Lebanon 'bloodbath' in Iran, Yemen
Tens of thousands protested in Iranian cities and in the rebel-held Yemeni capital on Friday to condemn Israeli attacks on Lebanon and Gaza, AFP journalists and state media reported
Israel hits Hezbollah HQ in Beirut with heavy airstrikes
The Israeli military said it had targeted Hezbollah’s central headquarters in Beirut’s southern suburbs yesterday in an attack that shook the Lebanese capital and sent thick clouds of smoke over the city.
Over 30,000 crossed into Syria from Lebanon
Well over 30,000 people, mainly Syrians, have crossed into Syria from Lebanon in the past 72 hours, the UN refugee agency said yesterday, amid an escalating conflict between Israeli forces and Hezbollah that has killed hundreds of people in Lebanon.
Israeli strikes kill 92 in Lebanon in past 24 hours: ministry
Israeli strikes have killed 92 people in Lebanon over the past 24 hours, the country's health ministry said late Thursday
Israel rejects truce proposal from US
Israel yesterday rejected global calls for a ceasefire with Lebanon’s Hezbollah movement, defying its biggest ally the US and pressing ahead with strikes that have killed hundreds in Lebanon and heightened fears of an all-out regional war.
Israeli Strikes: ‘We feel the need to raise the alarm’
UN rights chief Volker Turk said yesterday that he was "horrified" by the destruction of the Nasser and Al Shifa hospitals in Gaza and reports of mass graves containing hundreds of bodies there, according to a spokesperson.
Hezbollah launches deepest strike into Israel
Lebanon’s Iran-backed Hezbollah group said yesterday it had launched a drone attack against Israeli military bases north of the city of Acre, in its deepest strike into Israeli territory since the Gaza offensive began.
Drone, rocket attacks targeted US forces in Iraq
US forces in Iraq and Syria faced two separate rocket and explosive drone attacks in less than 24 hours, Iraqi security sources and US officials told Reuters yesterday, the first reported after a near three-month pause.
Hezbollah downs Israeli drone
Iran-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah said on Sunday it downed an Israeli drone that was on a combat mission in southern Lebanon.
Israel carries out heavy shelling in Gaza
Gaza was hit by heavy Israeli shelling yesterday, with strikes reported in several areas in the centre and south of the besieged territory, as Prime Minister Netanyahu vowed “painful blows” on Hamas to free hostages.
Egypt reclaims 3,400-yr-old stolen statue of Ramses II
Egypt welcomed home a 3,400-year-old statue depicting the head of King Ramses II after it was stolen and smuggled out of the country more than three decades ago, the country’s antiquities ministry said on Sunday.
Israel bombards Rafah after US ‘green light’
Israel carried out deadly strikes in Gaza’s southernmost city of Rafah, first responders in the Palestinian territory said yesterday, as violence flared in the occupied West Bank.
Iran’s Khamenei praises ‘success’ of military
Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei praised the country’s armed forces for their “success” in his first public comments since Tehran launched an unprecedented direct attack on Israel last week.
Israel holds Palestinian economy captive: analysts
The Gaza offensive is speeding up Israel’s “annexation” of the Palestinian economy, say analysts, who argue it has been hobbled for decades by agreements that followed the Oslo peace accords.
Iran, Israel ‘pull back’ from brink of war
Iran has dismissed as akin to child’s play Israel’s reported retaliation for an unprecedented Iranian strike, as both sides yesterday appeared to step back from wider conflict stemming from the war in Gaza.