LEBANON
Israel strikes Beirut
Minister of Defense Israel Katz yesterday said that Israel would keep striking Lebanon until it disarms the Iranian-backed militant group Hezbollah, a day after Israeli air-strikes hit Beirut’s southern suburbs. “There will be no calm in Beirut, and no order or stability in Lebanon, without security for the State of Israel. Agreements must be honored and if you do not do what is required, we will continue to act, and with great force,” he said in a statement. Katz said he was responding directly to condemnation by Lebanese President Joseph Aoun of Thursday evening strikes on south Beirut. Aoun called the strikes a “flagrant violation” of the November last year ceasefire, carried out “on the eve of a sacred religious festival” — the Muslim Eid al-Adha holiday. The strikes were “irrefutable proof of the aggressor’s refusal ... of a just peace in our region,” he added.
Photo: AFP
GAZA
Militants ready for talks
Hamas’ lead negotiator on Thursday said the militant movement was ready for a new round of negotiations to achieve a permanent ceasefire with Israel in the Gaza Strip. “We reaffirm that we are ready for a new, serious round of negotiations aimed at reaching a permanent ceasefire agreement,” lead Hamas negotiator Khalil al-Hayya said in a televised speech marking the start of the Muslim Eid al-Adha festivities, adding that contacts with mediators were under way. Israel and Hamas appeared close to an agreement last month, following discussions mediated by Qatar, Egypt and the US. US President Donald Trump on Friday last week said that he believed an agreement for a truce in exchange for the release of hostages held by Hamas was “very close.” However, Israel and Hamas then accused each other of scuppering a proposal submitted by US special envoy Steve Witkoff, who described Hamas’ response as “totally unacceptable.” Al-Hayya said that Hamas had not rejected Witkoff’s latest proposal, but submitted demands for a guarantee of a non-resumption of hostilities following any hostage release.
Japan
Curry shops shutter
A record number of curry shops went out of business in the past year, as purveyors of one of the country’s most beloved dishes took a hit from soaring rice prices. Thirteen curry shops with more than ￥10 million (US$69,453) in debt filed for bankruptcy in the year ending in March, marking a record high for the second consecutive year, Tokyo-based research firm Teikoku Databank said. The total number of bankruptcies is likely much higher when considering smaller mom-and-pop shops, Teikoku said. Prices of mainstay ingredients in Japanese curry — such as rice, spices, meat and vegetables — have gone up due to a rice shortage, adverse weather and a weak yen, the report said. Higher energy prices have also dented the profits of shop operators. Japanese curry, a thick brown sauce containing meat and vegetables, is usually served on a bed of rice. A basic curry rice dish, a classic comfort food, now costs ￥365 — a record high, Teikoku said. Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s government has been scrambling to combat skyrocketing rice prices by releasing stockpiles of the staple ahead of a summer election. During the COVID-19 pandemic, takeout and delivery orders had fueled a curry boom — that has now also slowed and hurt sales for curry shops, Teikoku said.
The collapse of the Swiss Birch glacier serves as a chilling warning of the escalating dangers faced by communities worldwide living under the shadow of fragile ice, particularly in Asia, experts said. Footage of the collapse on Wednesday showed a huge cloud of ice and rubble hurtling down the mountainside into the hamlet of Blatten. Swiss Development Cooperation disaster risk reduction adviser Ali Neumann said that while the role of climate change in the case of Blatten “still needs to be investigated,” the wider impacts were clear on the cryosphere — the part of the world covered by frozen water. “Climate change and
Packed crowds in India celebrating their cricket team’s victory ended in a deadly stampede on Wednesday, with 11 mainly young fans crushed to death, the local state’s chief minister said. Joyous cricket fans had come out to celebrate and welcome home their heroes, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, after they beat Punjab Kings in a roller-coaster Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket final on Tuesday night. However, the euphoria of the vast crowds in the southern tech city of Bengaluru ended in disaster, with Indian Prime Minister Narendra calling it “absolutely heartrending.” Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said most of the deceased are young, with 11 dead
Poland is set to hold a presidential runoff election today between two candidates offering starkly different visions for the country’s future. The winner would succeed Polish President Andrzej Duda, a conservative who is finishing his second and final term. The outcome would determine whether Poland embraces a nationalist populist trajectory or pivots more fully toward liberal, pro-European policies. An exit poll by Ipsos would be released when polls close today at 9pm local time, with a margin of error of plus or minus 2 percentage points. Final results are expected tomorrow. Whoever wins can be expected to either help or hinder the
DENIAL: Musk said that the ‘New York Times was lying their ass off,’ after it reported he used so much drugs that he developed bladder problems Elon Musk on Saturday denied a report that he used ketamine and other drugs extensively last year on the US presidential campaign trail. The New York Times on Friday reported that the billionaire adviser to US President Donald Trump used so much ketamine, a powerful anesthetic, that he developed bladder problems. The newspaper said the world’s richest person also took ecstasy and mushrooms, and traveled with a pill box last year, adding that it was not known whether Musk also took drugs while heading the so-called US Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) after Trump took power in January. In a
RSS