Israeli artillery and airstrikes hit southern Lebanon after Israel said
it had intercepted rockets fired from across the border, endangering a
shaky truce that ended a year-long war between Israel and Hezbollah. The
Lebanese armed group denied responsibility and said it had 'no link' to
the rocket launches. The UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon, known as
Unifil, said in a written statement that it was 'alarmed' by the border
violence and that a further escalation could have 'serious consequences
for the region'.
Israel strikes Lebanon after first rocket attack since ceasefire
Hugo Bachega
BBC Middle East correspondent
Reporting fromBeirut
Jaroslav Lukiv
BBC News
Reporting fromLondon
Israel says it has hit dozens of Hezbollah rocket launchers and a command centre in southern Lebanon after rockets were fired from there into Israel for the first time since November's ceasefire.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had told the Israel Defense Forces "to act forcefully against dozens of terror targets".
Lebanon's health ministry said two people, including a child, were killed and eight injured in the strikes. Its prime minister warned against his country being dragged "into a new war".
Mutiny brews in French bookshops over Hachette owner’s media grip
Booksellers take stand against influence of conservative billionaire by limiting orders of his company’s books and placing them on lower shelves
“Books matter,” said Thibaut Willems, owner of Le Pied à Terre independent bookshop in Paris’s 18th arrondissement and one of the booksellers taking a stand by limiting their orders of Hachette Livre books and placing them on lower shelves.
Gov't declares state of disaster for wildfires in southeast; 4 found dead
The Korean government declared a state of national disaster Saturday over massive wildfires in southeastern regions that have claimed four lives.
The measure took effect in Ulsan city, North Gyeongsang Province and South Gyeongsang Province as of 6 p.m., the Ministry of the Interior and Safety said.
The announcement followed acting President Choi Sang-mok's recommendation to issue the declaration in order to implement comprehensive measures to combat the disaster and aid recovery efforts.
Turkey arrests hundreds after Istanbul mayor protests
Turkish officials warned there would be "no tolerance for those who seek to violate societal order" amid escalating outrage over the arrest of Ekrem Imamoglu, the main rival of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Arrests were made in Turkey's largest city, Istanbul, the capital, Ankara, as well as Izmir, Adana, Antalya, Konya and several others.
"There will be no tolerance for those who seek to violate societal order, threaten the people's peace and security, and pursue chaos and provocation," Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya posted on social media.
'Clear, high rate of malnutrition' across Sudan, MSF says
The humanitarian crisis continues to unfold in Sudan as the civil war rages on, leading to a "clear, high rate of malnutrition" across the country, said Jean-Nicolas Armstrong Dangelser, head of mission of MSF in Sudan. Dangelser
India’s ‘political iftars’ once stopped riots. Are they corrupt stunts now?
Politicians and parties have used iftars to forge peace during strife but also to woo elite Muslims for the community’s votes. Experts say they’re both a legacy of Indian secularism and a symptom of political rot.
It was the month of Ramadan in 1974, and the northern city of Lucknow, a hub of India’s Shia community, was on the boil.
Hemwati Nandan Bahuguna, a stalwart of India’s then-ruling Indian National Congress party, had taken over as the chief minister of the state of Uttar Pradesh, whose capital is Lucknow, only a few months earlier. Shia-Sunni clashes had erupted at a time on the Muslim calendar that represents peace, prayer, reflection and a sense of community.
'Interim solution' in place to restore power to Heathrow - National Grid
The National Grid says it has found "an interim solution" to restore power to customers, including Heathrow Airport.
In its latest update, it says it has reconfigured the network from North Hyde substation, allowing all affected customers to be reconnected. This includes the ability to resupply parts of Heathrow Airport linked to the substation.
The National Grid stresses that this is only a temporary fix.
Soviet-era dissident given ‘draconian’ jail sentence in Russia for anti-war views
Alexander Skobov jailed for 16 years over social media post and alleged involvement in opposition group
A Soviet-era dissident has been sentenced to 16 years in prison in Russia for his anti-war views, in a case that observers say highlights how the country’s repression now exceeds even parts of the Soviet period.
Alexander Skobov, a 67-year-old lifelong dissident, was sentenced on Friday by a military court in St Petersburg over a social media post supporting Ukraine’s 2022 strike on the Crimea Bridge, as well as his alleged involvement with the foreign-based opposition group the Free Russia Forum.
A self-described leftwing pacifist, Skobov published the dissident Soviet journal Perspektivy in what was then Leningrad, and spoke out against the Soviet war in Afghanistan, and later Russia’s the wars in Chechnya, and, more recently, Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, which began in 2014.
Israel's top court halts dismissal of security chief
The Supreme Court has blocked Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government's attempt to dismiss Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar.
Israel's Supreme Court on Friday ordered a temporary halt to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's dismissal of Ronen Bar, the country's internal security chief, until his appeal can be heard.
Several groups, including opposition politicians, had petitioned the court against the dismissal.
The court's decision came after the Israeli government on Thursday voted "unanimously" in favor of Netanyahu's decision to fire Bar.
Syria's Latakia province reels after massacre of Alawites
Our Syria correspondents travelled to the country's western coastal province of Latakia, which was the scene of the shocking massacre of civilians from the Alawite minority between March 7 and 9. They bring us this exclusive report.
On March 6 in Syria, factions loyal to the ousted regime of Bashar al-Assad launched an offensive against the new Islamist government's security forces. This led to several days of brutal violence, during which many Alawite civilians were targeted and summarily executed. Over 1,000 people were killed, according to NGOs. Bodies piled up and morgues were overwhelmed.
Sudan’s army retakes presidential palace in Khartoum, strikes blow to RSF
Sudan’s army retakes the presidential palace in Khartoum, striking a blow to the Rapid Support Forces in a key symbolic victory.
Sudan’s army and its supporters are celebrating across the country after troops recaptured the presidential palace in the capital, Khartoum.
Friday’s victory is perhaps the army’s most symbolic since launching a key counteroffensive against the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in September last year.
Why Indonesia’s new military law has sparked outrage: ‘We’re going backwards’
Amendments to 2004 Armed Forces Law give military direct role in public life
The Indonesian parliament on Thursday voted unanimously to amend the 2004 Armed Forces Law to allow serving military officers to hold crucial civilian positions.
