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Israel Believes Hezbollah Senior Commander Killed in Beirut Strike, Israeli Media Report Say
Israel believes its air strike on Beirut killed a senior commander of the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah on Tuesday, according to reports from Israel’s public broadcaster. The strike is said to be in retaliation for a cross-border rocket attack three days ago that killed 12 youngsters.
A loud blast was heard, and a plume of smoke was seen rising above Beirut’s southern suburbs, a stronghold of the Iran-backed Hezbollah, around 7:40 p.m. (1640 GMT). Two unidentified sources informed Israeli public broadcaster Kan that Israel assessed that “the target of the strike” was killed.
The Israeli military stated that the target was the Hezbollah militant responsible for a rocket strike on the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights on Saturday, which killed 12 youth playing football in the Druze village of Majdal Shams. Two security sources in Lebanon identified the target as Muhsin Shukr, also known as Fuad Shukr, head of Hezbollah’s operations centre. They reported that he was critically injured in the attack near Hezbollah’s Shura Council in the Haret Hreik neighbourhood.
Lebanese Health Minister Firas Abiad told Reuters that the strike also killed another person and injured 35, three of them critically.
Hezbollah has denied involvement in the Golan attack but confirmed that the group fired rockets at a military target in the Golan Heights. The killing of the youths has prompted high-level Western diplomatic efforts to avert a major escalation that could inflame the wider Middle East.
The Israeli military has issued no new civil defence instructions in Israel, possibly indicating that it does not plan further strikes immediately. Channel 12 TV quoted an unnamed official saying that Israel did not want an all-out war.
Israeli media reported that, depending on Hezbollah’s reaction, the military considered the Beirut strike as concluding its response to the Golan Heights attack. Analyst Mohanad Hage Ali from the Carnegie Middle East Center suggested that Hezbollah would have to respond, potentially by targeting a major city like Haifa on Israel’s northern coast.
Throughout the day, approximately 25 rockets were launched from southern Lebanon into northern Israel, according to the Israeli military. Medics reported that a 30-year-old man in the cooperative community of Kibbutz Hagoshrim was killed.
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Macron to Address France After Historic Collapse of Barnier Government
French President Emmanuel Macron will deliver a national address on Thursday evening following the dramatic collapse of Prime Minister Michel Barnier’s government in a no-confidence vote. This marks the first time in over six decades that a French government has been brought down by parliament.
Barnier’s government fell late Wednesday after 331 MPs—well over the required 288—voted to censure him. The motion was backed by an unusual alliance between Marine Le Pen’s far-right faction and the left-wing New Popular Front. The catalyst for the no-confidence vote was Barnier’s decision to bypass parliament and push through the national budget using special executive powers.
Following protocol, Barnier tendered his resignation Thursday morning. He is expected to remain as caretaker prime minister until Macron appoints a successor, a process that could be drawn out due to sharp divisions among parliamentary factions.
Potential candidates for the role include Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu, Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau, and centrist veteran François Bayrou. However, political observers warn that reaching a consensus on a new leader may take weeks, as seen last summer when Gabriel Attal temporarily held the role for two months.
As France grapples with political turmoil, Macron remains constitutionally insulated from the fallout. Nevertheless, calls for his resignation and demands for early presidential elections are growing louder, particularly from opposition leaders. Macron, however, has firmly dismissed the possibility of stepping down or advancing the presidential election timeline.
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Vancouver Stabbing Incident Leaves Multiple Victims, Suspect Shot by Police
Authorities in Vancouver have reported a stabbing incident involving multiple victims near the city’s central library. The suspect, who was shot by police, is in custody, but the extent of the injuries to both the victims and the suspect remains unclear.
The incident reportedly unfolded at a convenience store, with witnesses describing a chaotic scene. According to the CBC, at least two people were taken from the scene in ambulances, though official confirmation of the total number of injured has yet to be provided.
Footage obtained by Canadian Press shows officers aiming their weapons and firing over the counter of the store while shouting commands, including “move over.” Another video appears to capture first responders administering chest compressions on a man.
Police have not disclosed the motive or circumstances surrounding the attack, and investigations are ongoing.
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South Korea Opposition Pushes to Impeach President Yoon
The political turmoil in South Korea deepened as Kim Yong-jin, a central committee member of the Democratic Party, declared that democracy must be preserved and called for President Yoon Suk Yeol to face charges of “crimes of rebellion.” The party also named Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun and Interior Minister Lee Sang-min as key figures involved in the controversial martial law declaration, advocating for their prosecution alongside the president.
Despite these accusations, the ruling People Power Party, to which President Yoon belongs, announced its decision to oppose any impeachment motion. To pass, the opposition requires at least eight of the 108 ruling party lawmakers to support the bill, a challenging but not impossible feat given the growing dissent.
The impeachment motion was introduced in the early hours of Thursday without any ruling party lawmakers present. Meanwhile, life in Seoul, including schools, banks, and government offices, continued as usual, but protests demanding President Yoon’s resignation have intensified. Demonstrators flooded the streets, chanting, “Arrest Yoon Suk Yeol,” and calling for justice.
Adding to the tension, the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, the country’s largest labor organization, announced an indefinite strike, vowing to sustain the pressure until the president steps down.
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