By Ari Rabinovitch and Maya Gebeily JERUSALEM/BEIRUT (Reuters) -Israel said on Saturday it had killed Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah in an airstrike in Beirut’s southern suburbs a day earlier in what would be a devastating blow to the group as it reels from an escalating campaign of Israeli attacks. Reuters could not immediately reach Hezbollah officials for comment. The Iran-backed Hezbollah has yet to issue any statement on the status of Nasrallah, its leader […]
International
Israel says it has secured $8.7 billion U.S. aid package
JERUSALEM (Reuters) – Israel said on Thursday it had secured an $8.7 billion aid package from the United States to support its ongoing military efforts and to maintain a qualitative military edge in the region. The package includes $3.5 billion for essential wartime procurement, which has already been received and earmarked for critical military purchases, and $5.2 billion designated for air defense systems including the Iron Dome anti-missile system, David’s Sling and an advanced laser […]
Japan’s LDP picks new leader to replace outgoing PM Kishida
By Sakura Murakami and John Geddie TOKYO (Reuters) -Japan’s ruling party will hold one of the most unpredictable leadership contests in decades on Friday, a race that could result in Japan’s youngest or first female premier, or see a popular veteran succeed in his fifth and final leadership bid. The scramble to replace current premier Fumio Kishida was sparked in August when he announced his intention to step down over a series of scandals that […]
New US forces for Middle East may aid evacuation, if needed
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The new U.S. deployment of a small number of troops to the Middle East announced earlier this week could help the U.S. military prepare for scenarios including an evacuation of Americans from Lebanon, two U.S. officials told Reuters. Officials say the move is precautionary and comes as President Joe Biden warns of the risk of all-out war and as Israel openly talks about a possible ground incursion into southern Lebanon. While Washington […]
Chinese nuclear-powered submarine sank earlier this year, US official says
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -China’s newest nuclear-powered attack submarine sank earlier this year, a senior U.S. defense official said on Thursday, a potential embarrassment for Beijing as it seeks to expand its military capabilities. China already has the largest navy in the world, with over 370 ships, and it has embarked on production of a new generation of nuclear-armed submarines. A senior U.S. defense official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said China’s new first-in-class nuclear-powered attack submarine […]
Argentina poverty rate soars over 50% as Milei austerity bites
BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) -Argentina’s poverty rate soared to almost 53% in the first half of the year, official data released on Thursday showed, the first hard evidence of the painful impact of libertarian President Javier Milei’s tough austerity measures. That marked a steep jump from 41.7% at the end of last year and more than double the 26% just seven years ago, underscoring the severe cost to regular Argentines of repeated economic crises that have […]
Haiti key port closed to land access after gang attacks
PORT-AU-PRINCE (Reuters) -Land access to a vital supply port in the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince is being closed off after attacks by armed gangs, operator Caribbean Port Services (CPS) said on Thursday. “CPS will shut its barriers to all types of land-based traffic from Sept. 26 to Sept. 29,” it said in a statement, saying that the suspension should allow the army and national police to secure the area. A shipping official told Reuters this […]
Israel rejects US-backed Lebanon ceasefire plan, hits Beirut again
By Timour Azhari and James Mackenzie BEIRUT/JERUSALEM (Reuters) -Israel rejected global calls on Thursday for a ceasefire with the Hezbollah movement, defying its biggest ally in Washington and pressing ahead with strikes that have killed hundreds in Lebanon and heightened fears of an all-out regional war. Despite Israel’s stance, the U.S. and France sought to keep prospects alive for an immediate 21-day truce they proposed on Wednesday, and said negotiations continued, including on the sidelines […]
Helene, now a major hurricane, menaces Florida with ‘unsurvivable’ storm surge
By Rich McKay, Brendan O’Brien and Andrew Hay (Reuters) -Driving rain flooded roadways and closed airports in Florida as an intensifying Hurricane Helene marched toward the state’s panhandle region, bringing the threat of a potentially deadly storm surge to much of the coastline. The storm became a major Category 4 hurricane on Thursday with sustained winds near 130 mph (209 kph), the National Hurricane Center said, and was expected to continue gaining power. Helene was […]
Factbox-How many nuclear weapons does Russia have and who controls them?
By Guy Faulconbridge MOSCOW (Reuters) -President Vladimir Putin has warned the West that Russia could use nuclear weapons if it was struck with conventional missiles, and that Moscow would consider any assault on it supported by a nuclear power to be a joint attack. Here are key facts about Russia’s nuclear arsenal: HOW MANY NUCLEAR WEAPONS DOES RUSSIA HAVE? Russia, which inherited the Soviet Union’s nuclear weapons, has the world’s biggest store of nuclear warheads. […]
Kremlin says changes to Russia’s nuclear policy are a signal to the West
MOSCOW (Reuters) – The Kremlin said on Thursday that changes to Russia’s nuclear weapons doctrine outlined by President Vladimir Putin should be considered a signal to Western countries that there will be consequences if they participate in attacks on Russia. Putin said on Wednesday that Russia could use nuclear weapons if it was struck with conventional missiles, and that Moscow would consider any assault on it supported by a nuclear power to be a joint […]
Japanese man acquitted of 1966 murders after 45 years on death row
By Rocky Swift TOKYO (Reuters) -A Japanese man said to have spent the world’s longest time on death row was acquitted of murder on Thursday, his legal team said, ending his family’s search for justice after a wrongful conviction for crimes committed nearly 60 years ago. The Shizuoka district court cleared Iwao Hakamada, 88, in a retrial of the murders of four people in the central Japanese region in 1966. It was sweet to hear […]
