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

Leaders of the Iran-led “axis of resistance,” including Hamas’s Ismail Haniyeh and Hezbollah’s Naim Qassem, convened in Tehran to discuss the ongoing war in Gaza, state media reported Thursday. This meeting took place on the sidelines of President Ebrahim Raisi’s funeral. The “axis of resistance” consists of Iran’s regional allies against Israel, including Hamas, Lebanon’s Hezbollah, Yemen’s Houthis, and Iraqi …

French efforts to resolve the Israel-Hezbollah border conflict are still underway, according to diplomatic sources in Paris. “The Lebanese issue was a central topic in the discussions between Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz and his French counterpart Stéphane Séjourné,” the sources informed al-Joumhouria newspaper, as reported on Thursday. “New ideas are being explored to achieve a political solution that accommodates …

The announcement that the International Criminal Court (ICC) is considering issuing an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for war crimes and crimes against humanity has sparked intense debate about the court’s role as an independent adjudicator. The request by Prosecutor Karim Khan to arrest the leader of a close U.S. ally comes as the United Nations’ International …

Iran prepared on Thursday to lay its late president to rest at the Imam Reza Shrine in Mashhad, the most sacred site for Shiite Muslims in the country. This final honor is for Ebrahim Raisi, who was a close associate of Iran’s supreme leader and died in a helicopter crash earlier this week. Raisi’s burial concludes a series of processions …

A drone strike on Thursday targeted a car on the Kfar Dajjal-Nabatiyeh road, resulting in the death of Mohammad Farran, a Hezbollah fighter from Nabatiyeh. The attack also injured three children who were passing by in a school bus. The strike completely destroyed Farran’s car and caused significant damage to the school bus. The injured students were quickly transported to …

PDD Holdings, the parent company of Temu and Pinduoduo, is exceeding market expectations with a significant increase in profit and revenue, driven by strong demand from American and Chinese consumers for its low-cost shopping apps. The Shanghai-based company reported a 246% increase in net profit, reaching 28 billion yuan ($3.9 billion) in the first quarter of 2024, far surpassing the …

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is initiating steps toward new regulations that could mandate disclaimers on political ads that use artificial intelligence (AI) on TV and radio. On Wednesday, FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel urged her fellow commissioners to support these regulations amid increasing concerns that AI-generated deepfakes could interfere with elections. “As artificial intelligence tools become more accessible, the Commission …

Ademola Lookman delivered a remarkable hat-trick as Atalanta triumphed over Bayer Leverkusen 3-0 in the Europa League final on Wednesday. This victory marked only the second major trophy in Atalanta’s 117-year history and ended the German champions’ impressive unbeaten streak. Lookman, who struggled to find success in the English Premier League with Everton, Fulham, and Leicester City before rejuvenating his …