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

2023 has been a challenging year for mainstream movies, both in terms of creativity and box office performance, as noted by critics. Despite the financial backing of streaming services for numerous high-profile films, many of the eagerly awaited titles didn’t meet expectations. A notable example is “Killers of the Flower Moon,” which critics felt was excessively long – an issue …

David Warner is poised to retire from Test cricket after the conclusion of the third Test against Pakistan at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG), commencing on January 3rd. Additionally, Warner revealed on January 1st that he plans to step down from One Day Internationals (ODIs) as well, although he remains hopeful about participating in the 2025 Champions Trophy. In a …

The U.S. military has reported that its forces engaged in defensive action against Houthi rebels following their assault on a cargo ship in the Red Sea, resulting in several rebel fatalities. This incident marks an intensification in the maritime conflict connected to the war in Gaza. A White House official emphasized the U.S.’s commitment to self-defense in future operations. According …

Following a sequence of earthquakes on Monday, Japan activated tsunami warnings and initiated evacuations along its west coast. The tremors, which began shortly after 4 p.m., included one with a preliminary magnitude of 7.6, centered off the coast of Ishikawa and neighboring prefectures. The Japan Meteorological Agency issued a significant tsunami warning for Ishikawa and lower-level alerts for the western …

Sheikh Naim Qassem, the deputy leader of Hezbollah, has stated that Israel lacks the authority to dictate terms regarding Hezbollah’s presence along the Lebanese border, especially amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza. The Israel-Lebanon border has experienced heightened tensions, marked by increased exchanges of fire, primarily between the Israeli army and the Iran-supported Hezbollah. This escalation followed the outbreak of …

On Sunday, Israel executed a series of airstrikes in southern Lebanon, coupled with artillery assaults on several border towns. According to Lebanon’s National News Agency, Israeli aircraft and unmanned drones targeted a residence and a gas station in Kfarkila with two separate attacks. Additionally, Israeli jets launched multiple missiles at the al-Labbouneh forests, located between Naqoura and Alma al-Shaab, and …

In a sermon during the New Year’s Day Mass, Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi emphasized that Lebanon’s presidential election should remain separate from the ongoing conflict in Gaza. Al-Rahi expressed dissatisfaction with the excuses being used to delay the presidential election, deeming them unsatisfactory. He specifically addressed claims, as reported in the media, that some factions are demanding a permanent ceasefire …

Israel has alerted that its conflict with Hamas is anticipated to extend through 2024, as continuous airstrikes in Gaza resulted in the death of two dozen individuals, and in retaliation, Hamas launched a barrage of rockets at midnight. Daniel Hagari, the spokesperson for the Israeli military, indicated in a New Year’s message that some of the 300,000 army reservists might …