Israel-Hezbollah tensions drive fears of widening Gaza war

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced his intention to dismiss Shin Bet head Ronen Bar due to a lack of trust, sparking a political dispute as Bar accused Netanyahu of seeking "personal loyalty." The move comes amid tensions over agency reforms and an investigation into Netanyahu's aides receiving payments from Qatar during the Gaza war. Bar refuted claims that his dismissal was related to the agency's failure to prevent a Hamas attack, emphasizing the need for...

President Trump ordered large-scale military strikes on Houthi-controlled targets in Yemen, resulting in the deaths of at least 31 people including women and children. The Houthis, backed by Iran, have vowed to retaliate. The U.S. airstrikes targeted various areas in Yemen, causing casualties and damage. The U.S. described the attacks as successful and effective, aiming to defend American interests. The Houthis have suspended attacks in the Red Sea, but threatened to resume after Israel instituted...

Yemen's Iran-backed Huthis vowed to retaliate after deadly US air strikes, causing at least 31 deaths and 101 injuries, mostly women and children, in various areas. US President Trump threatened further strikes if Huthis continue attacks on shipping vessels, prompting Huthis to warn of a response. The Huthis, part of the pro-Iran "axis of resistance", have conducted numerous attacks on ships, leading to US strikes and condemnation from Iran and Hamas, with calls for political...

At Israel's founding in 1948, ultra-Orthodox men were exempt from military service in exchange for support of the secular state, but tensions escalated after a war in Gaza in 2023. The Supreme Court ruled that Haredi men were no longer exempt, leading to protests and draft orders for 10,000 Haredi men, with only 338 showing up. The story follows three Haredi teenagers - Chaim Krausz, Itamar Greenberg, and Yechiel Wais - who represent different perspectives...

In the besieged Sudanese city of El-Fasher, Nafisa Malik shelters her children from the ongoing war between the RSF and Sudan's army, causing widespread destruction and fear among residents. The army holds the city against RSF attacks, with residents seeking refuge in makeshift bunkers and underground shelters to survive the relentless bombardments. As the conflict intensifies, the city faces a humanitarian crisis, with famine declared in displacement camps and aid agencies struggling to provide assistance...

A blast in Latakia, Syria killed four people when a scrap dealer mishandled unexploded ordnance in a hardware store, injuring nine others, including four children. The explosion was described as an "accident" by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, resulting from an attempt to dismantle the munition. The incident highlighted the ongoing danger posed by unexploded munitions in Syria from the civil war that began in 2011, with estimates suggesting that hundreds of thousands of...