The Daily Star Lebanon Breaking News, Lebanon News, Middle East News & World News

Following his recent arrest in France on charges related to criminal activities allegedly facilitated through his platform, Pavel Durov, founder and CEO of Telegram, has been released on bail for $5.56 million. The investigation, which stirred debates about online free speech versus criminal use, centers on accusations of the platform being used for illicit activities like gang transactions and trafficking, …

The U.S. Commerce Department is set to propose a prohibition on selling or importing smart vehicles that incorporate certain technologies from China or Russia, citing national security risks. This decision follows a U.S. investigation initiated in February, which identified potential threats like remote hacking and data collection on drivers from foreign-made components in vehicles. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo highlighted the …

OpenAI is witnessing a significant leadership turnover with three high-profile executives announcing their departures, including Chief Technology Officer Mira Murati. Murati, instrumental in developing innovations like ChatGPT and Dall-E, shared her departure news on the social platform X, marking the beginning of a notable shift at the company. Following Murati, Chief Research Officer Bob McGrew and Vice President of Research …

Hezbollah has announced the death of one of its commanders, Muhammad Hussein Srour, on Thursday. The group did not provide details about how he died but mentioned in a statement that Srour was killed “on the road to Jerusalem,” a term used to describe those fighting in support of Gaza. Earlier the same day, the Israeli military claimed responsibility for …

During a meeting on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly on Thursday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer discussed the significance of establishing a temporary ceasefire. The conversation, which also covered efforts to secure a ceasefire in Gaza, was part of ongoing discussions highlighted in a State Department summary. Following the meeting, …

Israel carried out sophisticated attacks against Hezbollah by secretly rigging pagers with explosives, Lebanese security officials revealed. These attacks, which targeted communications devices like pagers and walkie-talkies, resulted in at least 37 deaths and nearly 3,000 injuries, affecting many civilians. On September 17, Lebanese officials conducted controlled detonations of these weaponized pagers, which were off during the initial attack and …

Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati stated that he has taken “all necessary actions to safeguard Lebanon” amid increasing tensions with Israel, highlighting that both foreign and Arab nations have backed Lebanon’s position. Mikati expressed concerns about the practical application of peace efforts, particularly questioning Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s willingness to adhere to a statement made by the U.S. and …

Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, a close associate of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, conveyed to U.S. mediator Amos Hochstein in New York that Israel will persist in its military actions in Lebanon and rejects the current ceasefire proposals, according to an Arab diplomat. Despite Israel’s stance, there is ongoing diplomacy involving the U.S., Qatar, France, and Turkey. These nations …