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Demonstrators hold flags in support of Palestinians during a national protest, ahead of the two year anniversary of the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel by…
Israeli attacks on southern Lebanon continued overnight, with warplanes carrying out a series of strikes on Nabatieh Al-Fawqa, the outskirts of Kfar Tebnit and the town of Mayfadoun, where a house was completely destroyed.Lebanon’s National News Agency reported concentrated artillery shelling in Kfar Rumman. The shelling also struck Wadi Zebqin, the outskirts of Mazraat Al Shoumerieh, and the town of Al Qusayr. The Israeli entity also conducted heavy machine gunfire targeting the towns of Beit Yahoun and Sebrine, as well as Wadi Zebqin.An Israeli Merkava tank shelled the town of Hadatha with four rounds before Israeli forces moved toward the town center, where they set fire to the area .Lebanon and Israel signed a US-mediated framework agreement last June setting out security arrangements, including the gradual deployment of the Lebanese army and the withdrawal of Israeli forces, as well as measures for reconstruction and economic recovery. Implementation of its provisions, however, continues to face obstacles. Related Story Source link
Ethiopia's Tigst Assefa narrowly missed out on breaking the women's world record at the Berlin Marathon on Sunday, battling through injury to cross the finish line after being on record pace for much of the race.Assefa was on track to break the record and accelerated in the final 10 kilometres, but faded in the closing stages, visibly limping across the finish line before collapsing on the road. She finished in a time of 2hr 11min 04min, the third best in history and breaking her personal best and course record of 2:11:53, set in 2023. Assefa's late fade means the women's world record of 2:09:56 remains in the possession of Ruth Chepngetich, a mark clouded by the Kenyan's three-year doping ban handed down in 2025.It was an all-Ethiopian podium as Bedatu Hirpa finished second in 2:16:53 and Dera Dida came third in 2:16:55.Ethiopia's Guye Adola won the men's race in 2:02:50. Adola's time was off world record pace and outside the course record of 2:01:09, set in 2022 by five-time Berlin winner Eliud Kipchoge.Gemechu Dida took second in 2:03:19, continuing an impressive event for the Ethiopians, with Gabriel Geay of Tanzania came third in 2:03:59. Held in temperate September, the Berlin marathon is considered the fastest of the major courses. The world record has been broken 13 times in Berlin, more than anywhere else. The late withdrawal of men's world record holder Sabastian Sawe, the 2025 Berlin winner who became the first man to crack the two-hour barrier earlier this year, meant hopes of another world mark shifted to Assefa.Paris Olympics silver medallist Assefa, now a three-time winner in Berlin, pledged to run ‘better than my best’ before Sunday's race. Assefa began strongly and had already opened up a lead of 25 seconds by the 5km mark which grew to a minute at 15km. Assefa largely stayed on world record pace throughout, only dropping below around the 25km mark at the flat course's only incline, before returning to record speed. The Ethiopian was still on track for the record at 35km, but began to limp in the final stages as she gradually dropped off the pace required. Source link
Two giant pandas sent by China arrived in the United States on Sunday, Beijing’s state media said, after a leaders’ summit that was heavy on symbolism and light on major breakthroughs.The pandas’ transfer had already been agreed but the departure was announced Thursday during Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to Washington. The black-and-white mammals are immensely popular around the world, and China loans them out as part of a “panda diplomacy” programme to foster foreign ties.Ping Ping and Fu Shuang departed from Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport on a chartered flight at around 3:00 am (1900 GMT on Saturday), state news agency Xinhua reported. After a 16-hour flight that crossed the international date line, the bears touched down in Atlanta, Georgia shortly before 7:00 am local time (1100 GMT on Sunday), Xinhua said later.Steamed corn buns, bamboo shoots and carrots were prepared to keep the pandas nourished during their flight, Chinese state-run media the Global Times reported. The Boeing 777 operated by FedEx was the top-tracked aircraft on aviation information platform FlightRadar24 as it neared Alaska, roughly halfway into its journey. The pandas will be hosted by Zoo Atlanta for the next 10 years.A farewell ceremony was held for the pair before their departure by the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding.Experienced keepers were dispatched by the US side to accompany the duo on their flight, the Global Times reported. In preparation for their arrival, Zoo Atlanta has renovated its panda facilities and assembled a team of animal caretakers. It has also ensured a stable and long-term supply of bamboo, grown locally in Atlanta, which has a climate that is very similar to Chengdu.Zoo Atlanta previously hosted pandas on loan from China for a quarter of a century starting in 1999, but it has not had any since 2024. Both arrivals were born in 2020. Ping Ping, a male, is now six years old while Fu Shuang, a female, will turn six next month.Pandas in captivity typically live for around 30 years.Beijing has sent the furry creatures across the globe for decades as soft-power ambassadors of its diplomatic goodwill. In 1972, China gifted a pair of pandas to Washington, following US president Richard Nixon’s historic visit to the Communist nation.Beijing recalled two of its pandas from Japan early this year, following a diplomatic spat that began when Japan’s prime minister hinted that Tokyo could intervene militarily in the event of any attack on Taiwan. Source link
Trump rejects Iran’s proposal for reopening HormuzIran says reopening Hormuz hinges on conditions being met and negotiated solutionSenior Iranian official says Tehran shows no flexibility on nuclear programmeSeven killed in strike on market in Yemen, say Houthi authorities Iran insisted on Sunday that only diplomacy can solve its conflict with the United States and Israel after US President Donald Trump said he rejected an Iranian proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and end fighting. “Our conditions are clear, and any move toward reopening the Strait of Hormuz is contingent on these conditions being met,” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi posted on social media. “Only a negotiated solution can get them out of this deadlock.” Iran announced a peace proposal last week at the UN General Assembly in New York, saying it had been transmitted to the Americans via Qatari mediators. Trump said on Saturday he rejected the plan and argued that desperation was driving the Iranians’ push for an agreement on the key waterway. “They want to make a deal to open the Hormuz Strait immediately because they’re losing so badly,” Trump told reporters at the White House.Despite Trump’s public statements, mediators facilitating Tehran’s talks with Washington have not officially relayed a US rejection of the plan, Araqchi said. “We are waiting for the mediators to convey the definitive views to us, and we will make a decision based on them,” Araqchi posted. The US has imposed an economic blockade on Iran to put pressure on Tehran to stop Iranian attacks on vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, which have drastically reduced shipping through the area even as Trump repeatedly asserts that the US controls the waterway. The Wall Street Journal first reported that Trump had rejected the Iranian proposal, citing unnamed US officials. It said Trump was privately sceptical that Iran would meet his demands and had told his staff that he sees a renewed bombing campaign as likely after the November US midterm elections.A US official had said earlier that discussions with Iran through mediators were “positive and constructive”. The commander-in-chief of Iran’s army, Amir Hatam, said the war was at a critical and decisive stage, adding that Tehran would not accept a situation in which it was unable to trade while foreign powers used the region’s strategic waterways. “If Iran cannot trade, if Iran cannot live, no one will be able to trade or live,” he said, in comments reported by state media. CONFLICT HAS DISRUPTED OIL FLOWS, HARMED GLOBAL ECONOMY The Iranians also engaged their Saudi rivals regarding the Strait of Hormuz, underscoring the stakes of a seven-month-old conflict that has disrupted oil flows through a critical shipping lane and taken a toll on the global economy. Araqchi told reporters at the UN on Friday the proposed deal would trigger a seven-day countdown to reopening the strait and a pause in regional fighting.”If there is seriousness on the US side to come to a deal and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, everything is now prepared,” Araqchi said. If the US were to agree, the warring parties could start wider talks “on mutually agreed subjects.” That could potentially include discussions of Iran’s nuclear programme. Trump cited preventing Tehran from ever acquiring a nuclear bomb as a key goal when launching the war, along with ending its ability to attack its neighbours and creating conditions for Iranians to topple their leadership. A senior Iranian official told Reuters that Iran would show no flexibility over its nuclear programme even if the US accepted its peace deal.Iran would grant no concessions over its rights, including enriching uranium or shipping its highly enriched uranium out of the country, the official said. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, in an interview with the CBS show “Face the Nation”, said Tehran was ready for talks on its nuclear programme and other issues, but would not accept “bullying or coercion”. “Iran is not seeking war, but will defend itself against pressure, threats and attacks,” Pezeshkian said, adding that it had already agreed that “we’re not supposed to develop nuclear weapons”. SEVEN KILLED IN AIRSTRIKE IN YEMEN Previous attempts at diplomacy have failed to end the war, which began on February 28 with US and Israeli attacks on Iran.Since then it has alternated between pauses and renewed strikes, killing thousands while degrading the conventional forces of Iran and damaging its already ailing economy. Iran and its allies have responded by extending the conflict throughout the region. Iran has struck US allies in the Gulf with drones and missiles while its Houthi allies in Yemen have hit Saudi interests. Yemen’s Houthi-run health ministry said seven people were killed and 40 wounded, including children, in a strike on shops at a market at the Mawiya junction in Taiz province, in the southwest, on Sunday.Later, Yemen’s internationally recognised government said its forces had targeted a Houthi military camp and vehicles at the same junction. Source link
President Donald Trump predicted yesterday that the US and Cuba will reach an agreement and that he does not think military action will be necessary.“I would say that Cuba and us will make a deal. I don’t think we’ll need the military,” Trump told reporters at the White House. The Trump administration has openly stated that its goal is to change Cuba’s government. A US-imposed oil blockade implemented earlier this year has put the country under severe strain as it contends with fuel shortages and blackouts exacerbated by failing infrastructure. “We want to help Cuba,” Trump said before departing for Tennessee. “We want to open Cuba up to our people.”In an address to the UN General Assembly on Tuesday, Trump called Cuba a failed state and said “freedom will be coming” to the island nation. The Cuban delegation walked out of the hall during that speech. Cuban foreign minister Bruno Rodriguez said at the UN later on Saturday that Cuba will always be open for dialogue with the United States. He did not reference Trump’s comments specifically. “We are open to commercial and business relationships with US companies, just as we are with any other country,” said Rodriguez, while also strongly condemning a US trade embargo on Cuba. The US has maintained the embargo on Cuba for more than 60 years and the Trump administration has been stepping up pressure. Source link
A Palestinian was martyred and another wounded on Sunday in an Israeli airstrike on the southern Gaza Strip.Palestinian medical sources said an Israeli drone struck a gathering of residents in Al Mawasi area of Khan Younis, killing one person and wounding another.Several Palestinians were also injured in Israeli strikes on the Sheikh Radwan neighbourhood and Al Shati refugee camp in western Gaza City earlier today.The death toll from the Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip since October 7, 2023, has risen to 74,016, with 175,068 people injured, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.A ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel came into effect last October, but Israeli forces have continued to violate it with further airstrikes, artillery shelling and heavy gunfire across the Gaza Strip. Related Story Source link
Qatar captain Hassan al-Haydos (left) congratulates Bualem Khoukhi after he scored the first goal during the opening Gulf Cup match against defending champions Bahrain at Prince…
China’s Vice President, Han Zheng, addresses the 81st United Nations General Assembly at UN headquarters in New York City, yesterday. (Reuters) China pushed back against the United States in its speech at the UN General Assembly yesterday, saying sovereignty of countries in the Gulf should be respected and urging the “relevant country” to stop threatening Cuba and lift its blockade on it. Vice-President Han Zheng did not mention the US by name in his remarks. The US has launched a pressure campaign on Cuba that has largely blocked oil from reaching the island. The US war on Iran started with US-Israeli strikes in February. The comments stood in sharp contrast to the bonhomie on display earlier this week at the White House, where President Donald Trump feted Chinese leader Xi Jinping with military flyovers and at a lavish state dinner. “Major countries should have special responsibilities for safeguarding international peace and security, and they should take the lead in complying with the rules, upholding rule of law, and doing what’s right,” Han said.“China holds that the sovereignty and security of countries in the Middle East, including the Gulf, should be respected.” Trump warned Xi against providing support to Iran during the Washington talks and received assurances that China would not do so, the US ambassador to China said on Friday.The warning followed reports that Beijing had supplied Iran with shoulder-fired air-defence missile launchers and that Tehran had found ways to evade sanctions on its oil sales with Chinese help. On Cuba, Han said: “China urges the relevant country to immediately stop using threat of force against Cuba and immediately and completely lift the blockade and sanctions against Cuba.”Cuba’s electrical grid suffered a total collapse earlier this month, plunging the nation into darkness and leaving millions without power as the US presses its blockade. Speaking hours later at the UN hall, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov echoed the Chinese remarks, calling on Washington to lift the ‘siege’ of Cuba and restrictions on trade with the largest island in the Caribbean. Lavrov also said the US should strike Cuba off the list of state sponsors of terrorism. Cuba’s ageing power generation system has been under severe strain from fuel shortages and decrepit infrastructure for years, but a US-imposed oil blockade that began in January has worsened blackouts and led to frequent grid collapses.Han also used the speech to portray China as a reliable partner on the global stage and a steadfast defender of developing nations.“China holds that all countries, big or small, are equal members of the international community, and that world affairs should be handled by all through consultation,” said Han. Source link
Several Palestinians were wounded Sunday by Israeli occupation fire as the occupation continued to violate the ceasefire agreement by launching further raids and shelling operations across the Gaza Strip.Medical sources reported that several Palestinians sustained injuries from a strike by an Israeli drone targeting a gathering of civilians near the Al-Shati Camp market, west of Gaza city.Another Palestinian was wounded by an Israeli drone strike near the tents of displaced persons close to the Sheikh Radwan neighborhood market, northwest of the city.The Israeli occupation army continued its shelling and gunfire operations, and attack helicopters opened fire east of Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip, coinciding with heavy tank fire, launched from positions east of the city, directed straight at the city center. Additionally, an Israeli drone carried out a strike near the Tabariya station in the Al-Mawasi area of the city.The Al-Mawasi area of Rafah was subjected to artillery shelling and heavy gunfire from Israeli military vehicles.Northwestern areas of Gaza city witnessed heavy gunfire from Israeli gunboats, while Israeli vehicles and gunboats fired heavily west of Beit Lahia in the northern Strip.The death toll from the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip since October 7, 2023, has risen to 74,016 killed and 175,068 injured, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.A ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel had come into effect in October 2025, however, occupation forces continue to violate it by launching further airstrikes and artillery shelling, as well as engaging in heavy gunfire across various areas of the Strip. Related Story Source link