Israeli Shells Hit Southern Lebanon in Second Day of Violence after Israel-Hamas Truce Ends

Smoke and fire rise from a building following an Israeli strike on what the Israeli military says are Hezbollah targets in a location given as Lebanon, amid the ongoing cross-border hostilities between Hezbollah and Israeli forces, in this screengrab taken from an undated handout video released on November 24, 2023.  Israeli army/Handout via REUTERS
Smoke and fire rise from a building following an Israeli strike on what the Israeli military says are Hezbollah targets in a location given as Lebanon, amid the ongoing cross-border hostilities between Hezbollah and Israeli forces, in this screengrab taken from an undated handout video released on November 24, 2023. Israeli army/Handout via REUTERS
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Israeli Shells Hit Southern Lebanon in Second Day of Violence after Israel-Hamas Truce Ends

Smoke and fire rise from a building following an Israeli strike on what the Israeli military says are Hezbollah targets in a location given as Lebanon, amid the ongoing cross-border hostilities between Hezbollah and Israeli forces, in this screengrab taken from an undated handout video released on November 24, 2023.  Israeli army/Handout via REUTERS
Smoke and fire rise from a building following an Israeli strike on what the Israeli military says are Hezbollah targets in a location given as Lebanon, amid the ongoing cross-border hostilities between Hezbollah and Israeli forces, in this screengrab taken from an undated handout video released on November 24, 2023. Israeli army/Handout via REUTERS

Israeli forces and Hezbollah militants exchanged fire across the Israel-Lebanon border on Saturday in a second day of hostilities after the collapse of a truce in Gaza between Palestinian group Hamas and Israel.
Iran-backed Hezbollah said in a statement that one of its fighters was killed but did not specify when. Three people in south Lebanon were killed by Israeli shelling on Friday in south Lebanon, according to Lebanon's state news agency. Hezbollah said two of the dead were its fighters, Reuters reported.
Hezbollah also said it fired rockets at an Israeli position. Israel's military said two mortar bombs launched from Lebanon fell in open areas in Shomera, across the border from the south Lebanon village of Marwahin. The military said it responded by attacking the launch site and elsewhere in south Lebanon.
Earlier on Saturday, shelling from Israel hit close to the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) headquarters near the coastal town of Naqoura and around the border village of Rmaych, a UNIFIL spokesperson said.
The Israeli military said it carried out shelling near Naqoura after spotting "unusual activity" in the area.
UNIFIL also detected fire around 11 a.m. (0900 GMT) from the area of Tayr Harfa, about a mile from the Israeli frontier, toward Israel, the spokesperson said.
Following the eruption of the Hamas-Israel war on Oct. 7, Hezbollah mounted near-daily rocket attacks on Israeli positions at the frontier while Israel waged air and artillery strikes in south Lebanon. But the border was largely calm during the week-long truce in the Gaza war.
It has been the worst fighting since the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah, a Hamas ally.
Just over 100 people in Lebanon have been killed during the hostilities, 83 of them Hezbollah fighters. Tens of thousands of people have fled both sides of the border.



Yemen’s Presidential Council Launches Crackdown on Corruption in Govt Institutions

The Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council (PLC) launches a crackdown on corruption. (Saba)
The Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council (PLC) launches a crackdown on corruption. (Saba)
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Yemen’s Presidential Council Launches Crackdown on Corruption in Govt Institutions

The Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council (PLC) launches a crackdown on corruption. (Saba)
The Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council (PLC) launches a crackdown on corruption. (Saba)

Chairman of the Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council (PLC) Dr. Rashad al-Alimi announced on Monday a series of measures aimed at cracking down on corruption in government institutions and to safeguard public funds.

The unprecedented measures – also aimed at combating money-laundering and terrorism financing – were announced after the PLC had received reports from audit and judicial agencies on major corruption cases that have taken place in recent years.

Yemeni state media said al-Alimi issued “urgent” orders to complete probes in pending corruption cases and for follow up to take place with the relevant audit authorities.

Cases will be referred to the judiciary and wanted suspects in Yemen and abroad will be pursued.

The Yemeni people will eagerly await the outcome of the crackdown, looking forward to an improvement in government work and transparency, the establishment of a state of law and protection of state resources.

The General Prosecution consequently urged action in over 20 financial corruption, money-laundering, terrorism financing and tax evasion cases.

The Prosecution is also looking into corruption cases in contracts related to vital projects, power generation, violations of state property and illegal seizure of oil derivatives.

The Prosecution has, however, complained that some state agencies have failed to meet its request for evidence and documents, therefore impeding its investigations.

Moreover, it said that it has received requests to freeze the assets of individuals and entities involved in money-laundering and terrorism financing, including figures associated with the Iran-backed Houthi militias.

The central organization of control and audit had previously spoken of grave violations committed by the Central Bank since its headquarters were moved to Aden in 2016 and until late 2021. The violations included the manipulation of financial revenues and illegal appropriation of consular fees.

The Yemeni consulate in Jeddah alone has committed violations reaching 156 million Saudi riyals. In Egypt, it found that employees at the Yemeni embassy had seized 268,000 dollars in consular income through forged documents.

In the energy sector, the organization noted grave violations in contracts related to providing oil derivatives, including wasting over 285 million dollars in public funds.

It also spoke of systematic violations on state property, covering over 476 million square meters. It said these violations were committed by armed groups and influential figures who had exploited the war to loot state property.