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

The potential exclusion of boxing from the Los Angeles Olympics and future Games is “terrifying” and would disproportionately affect athletes from developing countries, according to Australian boxer Harry Garside. Currently, the boxing tournament at the Paris Games is being organized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), which stripped the International Boxing Association of its recognition last June due to governance, …

Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Syrian President Bashar Assad at the Kremlin, according to video footage released by the Kremlin press service on Thursday. During their meeting, Putin expressed concern about escalating tensions in the Middle East but did not provide specific details about their discussions. Since September 2015, Russia has supported Assad’s regime through a military campaign, working …

Hamas accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of “misleading” the global community following his address to the U.S. Congress, where he called for faster military aid to Israel. “Netanyahu’s claims about intensified efforts to return the hostages are completely false and are misleading Israeli, American, and international public opinion,” Hamas said in a statement on Wednesday. “He is the one …

Negotiations for a Gaza ceasefire and a hostage release deal are in their “closing stages,” according to a U.S. official, ahead of discussions between U.S. President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Biden aims to address some “final gaps” during his talks with Netanyahu at the White House on Thursday, but key aspects, including the hostages’ fate, remain …

Hezbollah announced on Thursday that it targeted surveillance equipment in Berkat Risha and the Hanita post in northern Israel with artillery shells overnight. The group also claimed to have fired anti-aircraft missiles at Israeli warplanes in southern Lebanon, forcing them to retreat beyond the border. Meanwhile, Israeli drones conducted raids on Rab Tlatine and the outskirts of Kfarshouba in southern …

### Netanyahu’s Visit to the White House Amidst Ongoing Conflict Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is scheduled to visit the White House on Thursday for a meeting with President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. This visit comes at a critical time for all three leaders as they face mounting pressure to resolve the nine-month conflict in Gaza, which …

Former Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat views Speaker Nabih Berri’s presidential initiative as “an emergency exit” from the ongoing presidential deadlock, according to sources close to the Druze leader. These sources, speaking to al-Joumhouria newspaper on Thursday, indicated that Jumblat does not support presidential proposals that lack momentum and are unlikely to be effective. Lebanon has been without a …

France is “fully committed to achieving de-escalation” between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon, stated its permanent representative to the U.N. Nicolas de Rivière expressed France’s deep concern over the worsening situation along the Blue Line and reaffirmed the nation’s commitment to de-escalation and promoting a diplomatic solution to prevent a full-scale war. Speaking ahead of a U.N. Security Council meeting, …