Eight men arrested in two separate anti-terror operations, Met police says

Syrian authorities announced an interior ministry restructuring aimed at combating drug and human smuggling, coinciding with improved relations with the West following the lifting of US sanctions. The reforms include creating a modern civil security institution, a citizens' complaints department, and a new border security body, while enhancing the role of the anti-drug department. The foreign ministry welcomed the sanctions relief as a positive step for humanitarian recovery, though analysts caution that lifting all sanctions...

Israeli forces conducted military raids in the West Bank on Saturday, detaining multiple Palestinians, including two brothers in eastern Nablus and another youth in Rafidiya. Concurrently, illegal Israeli settlers intensified their attacks on Palestinian properties, destroying agricultural assets and uprooting olive trees near Hebron, while also demolishing a sheep pen and water tank in a Bedouin community near Jericho. The Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission reported 341 settler attacks in April, highlighting a systematic effort...

The Gaza civil defense agency reported that an Israeli airstrike in Khan Yunis killed nine children of married doctors Dr. Hamdi al-Najjar and Dr. Alaa al-Najjar, with the Israeli army reviewing the incident. This strike occurred amid intensified Israeli military operations in Gaza, leading to international criticism and calls for increased aid, as Gaza's health ministry reported over 3,700 fatalities since March. UN chief Antonio Guterres described the situation as the "cruellest phase" of the...

Jafar Panahi, the Iranian dissident director, won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes film festival for his film "It Was Just an Accident," which explores the moral dilemmas of revenge faced by ordinary Iranians. In his acceptance speech, he called for national unity for freedom, drawing from his own experiences in prison. The festival also recognized other talents, including Wagner Moura for best actor and Nadia Melliti for best actress, while the closing ceremony was...

Hasan Hadi became the first Iraqi filmmaker selected for the Cannes Festival, winning the Camera d'Or for his film "The President's Cake," which tells the story of nine-year-old Lamia baking a cake for Saddam Hussein during UN sanctions in the early 1990s. Hadi dedicated his award to children finding joy amid adversity, while his film received critical acclaim, with some suggesting it could be Iraq's first Oscar nominee. Additionally, Palestinian filmmakers were recognized, with Tawfeek...

Iranian dissident director Jafar Panahi won the Palme d'Or at Cannes for his film "It Was Just an Accident," which explores the moral dilemmas of revenge against oppressors. In his acceptance speech, he called for unity in Iran for freedom, emphasizing the importance of free expression in cinema despite his own imprisonment and a filmmaking ban. Other awards included best actor for Wagner Moura in "The Secret Agent," and best actress for Nadia Melliti in...