Ethiopia's Tola Wins Olympic Men's Marathon, Kipchoge Drops Out

2024-08-11 13:00 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Ethiopian Tamirat Tola delivered a masterclass in solo front running to win the Olympic men's marathon in Paris on Saturday as Eliud Kipchoge's bid for a third gold went up in smoke. Tola clocked an Olympic record of 2hr 06min 26sec for victory, finishing 21 seconds ahead of Belgium's Bashir Abdi, whose silver marked an upgrade from his bronze ...

IDF Delivers Aid to Christian Border Towns in South Lebanon

Ralph Atrach 21/04 13:15 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

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Humitarian supplies were deposited by the Israeli Army near several Christian southern Lebanese border towns on Saturday, including Rmeish, Ain Ebel, and Debel, in a cross-border arrangement organized to avoid direct contact with Lebanese citizens, local officials told This Is Beirut. Ayoub Khreish, mayor of Ain Ebel, a border town currently on ...

Iran Military Vows to 'Soon Respond' After U.S. Destroyer Hits Cargo Ship

This is Beirut 20/04 06:30 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

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Iran's military has vowed to respond after a U.S. destroyer on Sunday fired on an Iranian-flagged cargo ship in the Gulf of Oman that tried to evade a U.S. naval blockade. "We warn that the armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran will soon respond and retaliate against this armed piracy and the U.S. military," said a spokesperson for the ...

Israel Draws “Yellow Line” in Southern Lebanon as Ceasefire Takes Hold

This is Beirut 20/04 09:30 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Lebanon Israel Ceasefire South Lebanon Hezbollah

On Monday, Avichay Adraee, the Arabic-language spokesperson of the Israeli army, issued a public warning on X to residents of southern Lebanon, outlining new movement restrictions along the so-called “yellow line” in areas where Israeli forces remain deployed. In what was described as an “urgent message,” Adraee stated ...

Iran Executes Two Men Over Links to Israeli Intelligence

This is Beirut 20/04 09:30 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

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Iran executed two men on Monday who had been convicted of links to Israeli intelligence services, the judiciary announced, marking the latest in a series of executions since the start of the war with Israel and the United States. “The death sentences of Mohammad Masoom-shahi and Hamed Validi were carried out at dawn,” the judiciary’s news ...

Iran Says 'No Decision' on Whether to Attend Next Round of U.S. Talks

This is Beirut 20/04 09:40 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

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Iran's foreign ministry said Monday it has yet to reach a decision on whether to attend the next round of talks with the United States. "As of now, while I am at your service, we have no plans for the next round of negotiation, and no decision has been made in this regard," said ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei in a weekly press ...

Lebanon Has Another Opportunity of a Lifetime

David Hale 20/04 10:35 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

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As Lebanese, Israeli, and American teams prepare for their first-ever trilateral leaders summit, it is time to reflect on this opportunity and lessons from the past.   Most Lebanese have yearned for decades for a restoration of state sovereignty and peace. There are a host of reasons why they have been deprived of what most people around the ...

Israel Says Exposed Iranian “Covert Terror Network” Targeting Officials and Strategic Sites

This is Beirut 20/04 12:50 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

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The Israeli government released a statement Monday announcing that its intelligence services have uncovered a secret Iranian-operated network responsible for planning attacks against Israeli officials and strategic infrastructure worldwide. According to a post on X by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel has for the first ...

President Aoun Assigns Simon Karam to Head Talks With Israel

This is Beirut 20/04 13:40 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

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The Lebanese presidency announced that upcoming direct negotiations with Israel will be conducted through an official delegation headed by Ambassador Simon Karam, according to a statement attributed to President Joseph Aoun on X. In remarks addressed to a delegation from the “Sovereignty Front,” President Aoun stressed that Lebanon ...

U.S.-Brokered Ceasefire in Lebanon Shows Early Strains

This is Beirut 20/04 13:50 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

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A 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah remains formally in place, but continued military activity, warnings to civilians, and exchanges of fire are raising questions about its durability just days into its implementation. The ceasefire, which came into effect on April 16 under U.S. mediation, allows Israel to take necessary measures in ...

A State Decides: Lebanon's Bet on Direct Talks with Israel

Amal Chmouny 20/04 13:55 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

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For the first time in decades, the U.S. has brokered direct talks between Lebanon and Israel, beginning with a 10-day cessation of hostilities and a commitment to negotiate in good faith. Washington says lasting calm will require the Lebanese state to reassert sovereignty over non-state arms. President Donald Trump said the initiative had created ...

U.S. Embassy in Baghdad Issues Security Warning Over Iran-Linked Threats

This is Beirut 20/04 15:15 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Washington

The U.S. Embassy Baghdad issued a security alert on Monday warning of continued threats against American citizens and interests in Iraq, citing ongoing plans by Iran-aligned armed groups to carry out attacks. The U.S. embassy said that “terrorist militias allied with Iran” are continuing to plan attacks targeting U.S. nationals and ...

Will Lebanon Finally Break Its Cycle of Inaction?

Marwan El Amine 21/04 09:55 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

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As Lebanon and Israel prepare to deepen diplomatic contact amid a 10-day truce, attention is shifting to what comes next, including the fate of Hezbollah’s weapons and whether the ceasefire marks a temporary pause or a strategic shift. During the war, both President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam navigated a perilous political ...

Lebanese President Says Aiming to End Hostilities With Israel Talks

This is Beirut 21/04 10:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

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Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said Monday that planned talks with Israel aim to end hostilities and the occupation in southern Lebanon, even as Hezbollah and its supporters rejected the negotiations. Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah has sharply criticised the Lebanese government's negotiations with Israel, which are set to enter a second ...

Israel Says Applying Diplomatic, Military Pressure to Disarm Hezbollah

This is Beirut 21/04 11:35 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

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Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said Tuesday that his country's campaign in Lebanon relied on both military and diplomatic pressure to disarm Iran-allied Hezbollah. "The overarching goal of the campaign in Lebanon is to disarm Hezbollah and remove the threat to the northern communities (of Israel), through a combination of military and ...

UN Maritime Agency Urges Help for Seafarers Stranded in Hormuz

This is Beirut 21/04 13:20 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

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The head of the UN maritime agency appealed on Tuesday for help for thousands of seafarers stranded in the Strait of Hormuz as the Middle East war paralyzes the vital shipping route. Around 20,000 seafarers and 2,000 ships have been stranded in the waterway since U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28 that triggered the war, according to the ...

Israel Says to Use 'Full Force' in Lebanon Despite Truce if Soldiers Face Threat

This is Beirut 19/04 18:40 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

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Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said Sunday that the military had been instructed to use "full force" in Lebanon—even during the ongoing ceasefire—should Israeli troops face any threat. Under the U.S.-brokered 10-day ceasefire, Israel agreed to halt “offensive” military operations against Lebanese targets ...

When Aoun Meets Netanyahu

Hussain Abdul-Hussain 21/04 14:15 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

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Lebanese President Joseph Aoun is expected to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House in the coming weeks, according to President Trump, who said he would invite both leaders. However, Aoun appears poised to follow a political path that will be rejected by Israel. Lebanon has vilified Israel for so long that a Lebanese ...

Trump Extends Iran Ceasefire While Maintaining Blockade

This is Beirut 21/04 23:20 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

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U.S. President Donald Trump said Tuesday he would hold off on new strikes against Iran at the request of Pakistani officials, effectively extending the ceasefire as diplomatic efforts continue. In a statement posted on Truth Social, Trump said the United States agreed to delay further attacks on Iran following a request from Pakistan’s ...

Israeli Strike on Lebanon's Bekaa Kills One

This is Beirut 22/04 09:00 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

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An Israeli strike on Lebanon's Bekaa region killed one person and wounded two others on Wednesday, Lebanese state media reported, despite an ongoing truce between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah. "One person was killed and two others were wounded as a result of an attack carried out by an enemy drone at dawn on the outskirts of Al-Jabur in West ...

Syrian Hezbollah Fighter Surrenders to Israeli Army

Ian Stettner 22/04 12:20 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

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A Syrian Hezbollah fighter surrendered himself to the Israeli Defense Forces on Wednesday following an attempt to seek refuge in the Christian village of Rmaych, a Lebanese border town currently inside Israel’s 5-10-kilometer forward defense zone, a local official told This Is Beirut.  The fighter, Syrian-national Abdullah Ahmad ...

U.S. Reportedly Blocked $500m Cash Shipment to Iraq Over Pro-Iran Attacks

This is Beirut 22/04 12:55 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

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The United States blocked a plane carrying nearly $500 million in banknotes from delivering the cash to Iraq, US media reported on Tuesday, piling pressure on Baghdad to fight Iran-backed militant groups. The Wall Street Journal reported that Washington has suspended cash shipments to Iraq and frozen funding for security programs following ...

Israel FM Calls on Lebanon to 'Work Together' with Israel Against Hezbollah

This is Beirut 22/04 12:55 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

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Israel's foreign minister on Wednesday urged Beirut to make joint efforts with Israel to counter Hezbollah on the eve of talks between the two countries set to resume in Washington. It will be the second preparatory meeting paving the way for direct negotiations. "Tomorrow the direct talks between Israel and Lebanon will resume in Washington, DC. ...

Iran Hangs Former Nuclear Employee on Spying Charges: NGOs

This is Beirut 22/04 15:30 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

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Iran hanged a man on Wednesday convicted of links to Israel's Mossad spy agency, the judiciary said, with two NGOs based outside the country saying he worked for the Iranian atomic energy organization. The execution of Mehdi Farid was the latest in a number of hangings of high-profile convicts in an accelerating trend that has alarmed rights ...

Al-Akhbar Journalist Killed in Airstrike in Southern Lebanon

This is Beirut 23/04 01:05 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

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A Lebanese journalist working for the Hezbollah-affiliated Al-Akhbar News was killed in an Israeli airstrike and another was wounded on Wednesday while they were working near the border with Israel, according to their employer and rescuers. The civil defence agency's press office said rescuers were "able to recover the body of martyred journalist ...

Lebanese President Pushes to Extend Ceasefire Ahead of Washington Talks

This is Beirut 23/04 09:30 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

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On the eve of talks in Washington between Lebanese and Israeli ambassadors, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said Beirut would seek an extension of the 10-day, U.S.-mediated ceasefire, which is set to expire on Sunday. The talks, set to continue on Thursday at the U.S. State Department, represent a diplomatic track that has so far paused strikes in ...

Israel Expands Precision Strike Capability, $200 Million Deal Awarded to Elbit Systems

This is Beirut 23/04 10:00 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Israel

Elbit Systems announced on Thursday that it has been awarded a series of contracts worth approximately $200 million by the Israeli Ministry of Defense (IMOD) for the supply of advanced airborne munitions.  The contracts, disclosed in an official company statement, cover the delivery of air-launched weapon systems, reinforcing Elbit’s role as a ...

UK Channels Support to Displaced Families of Lebanese Army Personnel

This is Beirut 23/04 12:40 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

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The United Kingdom announced an expansion in aid to Lebanon on Thursday aimed at the families of Lebanese Armed Forces personnel, saying “LAF families are amongst those who are directly affected, undermining their sense of security and dignity.” The action brings total UK support since March to $40 million, with $27 million announced last ...

Lebanese PM: Israeli Pullout Key to Peace Agreement

This is Beirut 23/04 15:10 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

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Hours before a second meeting between Israeli and Lebanese Ambassadors is scheduled to take place in Washington, Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam emphasized that “the state's monopoly on weapons is in Lebanon's interest, regardless of Israeli demands.” Speaking to the Washington Post, the Prime Minister said Lebanon ...

Trump Orders U.S. Navy to Destroy Vessels Laying Mines in Hormuz

This is Beirut 23/04 17:50 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

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President Donald Trump on Thursday vowed the United States would destroy any vessel laying mines in the Strait of Hormuz, as he ratchets up pressure on Iran to reopen the crucial sea passage. "I have ordered the United States Navy to shoot and kill any boat, small boats though they may be... that is putting mines in the waters of the Strait ...