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

The World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed on Tuesday, June 11, a human case of bird flu in West Bengal, a state in eastern India. A four-year-old child was diagnosed with bird flu and admitted to a pediatric intensive care unit at a local hospital. The child had been suffering from severe respiratory issues, abdominal cramps, and a high fever since …

Guatemala Guatemala fans are hoping to see a repeat of their recent success, having secured a 3-0 victory over the British Virgin Islands in their last WC Qualifiers – N & C America match. A notable trend in recent Guatemala games has been the prevalence of clean sheets. In five of their last six matches, one or both teams failed …

An Israeli airstrike on southern Lebanon overnight Tuesday resulted in the death of a senior Hezbollah commander, according to the group. The commander, identified as Taleb Abdallah (also known as Abu Taleb), was born in 1969. A Lebanese military source described Abdallah as the most significant Hezbollah leader killed since the conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza began, which …

Hamas announced on Tuesday that it had provided mediators with its response to the U.S.-backed cease-fire proposal for Gaza, seeking some “amendments” to the deal. While this response fell short of an outright acceptance, it kept negotiations alive for a potential end to the eight-month conflict. The foreign ministries of Qatar and Egypt, who have been key mediators alongside the …

The resignation of a senior member of Israel’s war Cabinet has underscored the deepening mistrust in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his strategy for the ongoing eight-month conflict with Hamas. Benny Gantz’s departure from the war Cabinet doesn’t immediately threaten Netanyahu, who still maintains a majority coalition in parliament. However, it does make Netanyahu more dependent on his far-right allies …

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken emphasized on Tuesday that the U.N. Security Council’s recent vote in favor of a U.S.-backed Gaza cease-fire and hostage release proposal clearly indicates global support for the plan. He urged Hamas to accept the proposal, noting, “Everyone’s vote is in, except for one vote, and that’s Hamas,” following his meeting with Israeli officials in …

On Tuesday, Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea criticized Speaker Nabih Berri, urging him to “call for an electoral session with successive rounds until a president is elected.” In a post on the X platform, Geagea said, “Every day you bring up various issues and suggestions, exhausting yourself and the Lebanese people, while none of these proposals address the main issue.” …

The Japanese economy contracted at an annual rate of 1.8% in the first quarter of this year, a slight improvement from the initial estimate of a 2.0% contraction, according to revised government data released on Monday. The revision was primarily due to private sector investments, which were reported at a decrease of 0.4%, up from the previously estimated 0.5% decline. …