1 million. The agreement was announced earlier by Donald Trump, who said he had spoken with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Lebanese president Joseph Aoun, and invited both leaders “for meaningful talks” at the White House. Both leaders welcomed the agreement. But how long the ceasefire will hold is the key question, as both Israel and Hezbollah have maintained their right to defend themselves if the truce is broken. Netanyahu called it a “historic” opportunity for peace, though he refused to withdraw his troops from southern Lebanon during the pause in fighting.
“We are remaining in Lebanon in an expanded security zone,” he said, due to the “danger of an invasion” and to prevent fire into Israel. ” The Israeli prime minister maintained that his key demand was dismantling Hezbollah. Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei welcomed the ceasefire and stressed it was already part of the original Iran-US agreement brokered by Pakistan. Baghaei said Iran emphasised “from the outset” the need for a “simultaneous ceasefire throughout the region, including Lebanon”, and expressed his “solidarity” with the people and government of Lebanon. The Lebanese army urged residents to “exercise restraint” in returning to their villages and towns in southern Lebanon ahead of the ceasefire coming into effect.
The army added that even then residents should avoid areas that remain occupied by Israeli forces. In the hours before the truce took effect, Israel and Hezbollah continued to exchange fire. Just as the ceasefire came into force, the Israeli military said it had hit more than 380 Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon in the past 24 hours, including rocket launchers, headquarters and Hezbollah members themselves. Meanwhile, Israeli strikes on Lebanese towns and villages killed dozens of people, including an attack on the town of Ghazieh which killed at least seven people and wounded 33, the health ministry said on Thursday. Continue reading...
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BBC• Qatari mediators worked through intense diplomatic channels to broker an interim deal between the U.S. and Iran following a period of escalating military strikes. • The diplomacy reached a critical point on June 11, when a plane carrying the mediators was stranded on a Tehran tarmac amidst the exchange of attacks.
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Read original · nytimes.comExclusive: Guardian analysis suggests several groups with thousands of members run by what expert calls ‘engagement farm’ operations in south-east AsiaFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastSome of the largest One Nation supporter groups on Facebook appear to be run from overseas by foreign digital creators who monetise content.Guardian Australia examined 14 of the largest pro-One Nation public groups with at least 8,000 members, and found most were created this year. Continue reading...
Read original · theguardian.comFloods caused by thunderstorms that have dumped inches of rain on Kentucky and Indiana, with more possibleAndy Beshear, the Kentucky governor, says four people have died as a result of flash floods from thunderstorms that have brought as much as 7in (18cm) of rain to the state.Beshear confirmed the four deaths in a social media post, noting three people were from Madison county and one was from Jackson county. “Please join Britainy and me as we pray for their families during this difficult time,” Beshear said. Continue reading...
Read original · theguardian.com