Britain's Lammy Holds Emergency Meeting over Lebanon

Britain's Foreign Secretary David Lammy gestures while speaking about climate and environment policy at Kew Gardens in London, Britain September 17, 2024. Frank Augstein/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo
Britain's Foreign Secretary David Lammy gestures while speaking about climate and environment policy at Kew Gardens in London, Britain September 17, 2024. Frank Augstein/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo
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Britain's Lammy Holds Emergency Meeting over Lebanon

Britain's Foreign Secretary David Lammy gestures while speaking about climate and environment policy at Kew Gardens in London, Britain September 17, 2024. Frank Augstein/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo
Britain's Foreign Secretary David Lammy gestures while speaking about climate and environment policy at Kew Gardens in London, Britain September 17, 2024. Frank Augstein/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo

Britain's foreign minister David Lammy chaired a meeting of the government's emergency committee, known as COBR, on Friday to discuss the latest situation in Lebanon, Reuters reported.

"The Foreign Secretary has chaired a meeting of COBR this morning on the latest situation in Lebanon and to discuss ongoing preparedness work, with the risk of escalation remaining high," the Foreign Office said in a statement.

This came as Israel hit a Beirut suburb with an airstrike Friday, not long after Hezbollah pounded northern Israel with 140 rockets following a vow by the militant group’s leader Hassan Nasrallah to retaliate against Israel for a mass bombing attack, the Israeli military and the militant group said.
The Israeli military said it had carried out a “targeted strike” in Beirut. It offered no further immediate details, but explosions could be heard coming from the city’s southern suburbs.
Beirut-based Al-Mayadeen TV reported that a drone fired several missiles on the heavily-populated area known as Dahiyeh.
A Hezbollah official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he wasn’t authorized to speak to the media, confirmed to The Associated Press that an airstrike struck the area, without giving further details.



European Parliament Requests Immediate Release of Sansal

French-Algerian writer Boualem Sansal (AFP) 
French-Algerian writer Boualem Sansal (AFP) 
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European Parliament Requests Immediate Release of Sansal

French-Algerian writer Boualem Sansal (AFP) 
French-Algerian writer Boualem Sansal (AFP) 

The European Union Parliament adopted on Thursday a resolution calling for the immediate release of French-Algerian writer Boualem Sansal, who has been detained in Algeria since November.

“Sansal must be immediately and unconditionally released, alongside journalist Abdelwakil Blamm, writer Tadjadit Mohamed, and all other activists, journalists, human rights defenders and people detained for exercising their right to freedom of opinion and expression in Algeria,” according to a statement released by the Parliament.

The resolution was adopted by 533 votes for, 24 against and 48 abstentions. It was supported by five of the eight political groups in the European Parliament (conservatives from the European People's Party, the Progressive Alliance of Socialists, nationalists from the European Conservatives and Reformists Group, liberals from the Renew Europe Group, and the Group of the Greens).

The 75-year-old writer, granted French nationality in 2024, is being held under Article 87 of the Algerian penal code, which covers terrorism, threats and state security.

His detention by Algeria comes against a background of tensions between France and its former colony.

Last January, French President Emmanuel Macron criticized Algeria, saying Sansal was being held “in a totally arbitrary manner” by the Algerian authorities. In response, the Algerian government dismissed Macron’s comments, calling them “an unacceptable intrusion in Algeria’s internal affairs.”