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

On Saturday, the Israeli military launched a preemptive strike in southern Lebanon, with its aircraft targeting Hezbollah positions, as reported by Israel’s Channel 12. The Lebanese National News Agency reported that Israeli airstrikes demolished a house in the border town of Yarin, leading to casualties. There were also reports of an airstrike in Mays al-Jabal and artillery bombardments near Aita …

Jean-Pierre Lacroix, the U.N. Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations, recently wrapped up a four-day trip to Lebanon. This visit, a routine part of his Middle East peacekeeping missions, occurred amidst heightened tensions along the Blue Line, the demarcation between Lebanon and Israel, as noted by the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). During his stay, Lacroix emphasized UNIFIL’s critical role …

Sumit Nagal achieved a significant milestone on Friday, securing a place in the main draw of the 2024 Australian Open, scheduled to commence on January 14th. He accomplished this by defeating Slovakia’s Alex Molcan in the final qualifier with a straight-set victory of 6-4, 6-4. This marks Nagal’s second appearance at the Australian Open, with his previous participation in 2021, …

The Indian Wells tournament, scheduled for March, has announced a total prize money pool of $19 million, making it the most lucrative combined WTA and ATP Masters 1000 event. This represents an increase of over $1.4 million compared to the previous year, with the majority of the additional funds allocated to singles players participating in qualifying through the second round. …

New Zealand kickstarted their preparations for the upcoming T20 World Cup with an impressive 46-run victory over Pakistan in the T20I series opener held in Auckland. Captain Kane Williamson and Daryl Mitchell delivered standout performances with the bat, both scoring half-centuries, while veteran seamer Tim Southee was exceptional, claiming four wickets for just 25 runs in his four-over spell. The …

Researchers at Columbia University in the United States have challenged the belief that every fingerprint is unique by using artificial intelligence (AI). They trained an AI tool to analyze 60,000 fingerprints to determine if it could accurately identify fingerprints belonging to the same person. The AI tool demonstrated an accuracy rate of 75-90% in identifying whether fingerprints from different fingers …

Astronomers have made an astonishing discovery known as the “Big Ring,” a colossal ring-shaped cosmic megastructure that challenges our existing understanding of the universe. This groundbreaking finding, presented at the 243rd meeting of the American Astronomical Society in New Orleans, has left scientists baffled. The Big Ring boasts a staggering diameter of approximately 1.3 billion light years and is located …

Air strikes conducted by the United States and the United Kingdom in Yemen, an area under the control of rebels, resulted in the death of five individuals and injured six others, as reported by the Houthi forces, which are supported by Iran, on Friday. Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree stated on X that the strikes caused the deaths of five …