Series of Israeli Strikes Hit Lebanon

A convoy of Lebanese army vehicles drives near the border with Israel in the village of Alma al-Shaab during a Lebanese army media tour in south Lebanon, Friday, Nov. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)
A convoy of Lebanese army vehicles drives near the border with Israel in the village of Alma al-Shaab during a Lebanese army media tour in south Lebanon, Friday, Nov. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)
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Series of Israeli Strikes Hit Lebanon

A convoy of Lebanese army vehicles drives near the border with Israel in the village of Alma al-Shaab during a Lebanese army media tour in south Lebanon, Friday, Nov. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)
A convoy of Lebanese army vehicles drives near the border with Israel in the village of Alma al-Shaab during a Lebanese army media tour in south Lebanon, Friday, Nov. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)

A series of Israeli strikes hit south and east Lebanon on Friday, state media reported, as Israel's army said it was targeting Hezbollah sites, the latest such raids despite a year-old ceasefire.

Lebanon's state-run National News Agency (NNA) reported strikes in around a dozen locations, including up to around 30 kilometers (20 miles) from the Israeli border, citing at times "heavy raids".

Israel has kept up strikes on Lebanon despite a November 2024 ceasefire that was supposed to end more than a year of hostilities with the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah, and has also kept troops in five areas it deems strategic, reported AFP.

The Israeli military said in a statement that its forces "struck a training and qualification compound" used by Hezbollah's elite Radwan Force where operatives "underwent shooting exercises and additional training on the use of various types of weapons".

The army also "struck additional Hezbollah military infrastructure in several areas in southern Lebanon", it said.

According to the ceasefire, Hezbollah was required to pull its forces north of the Litani River, some 30 kilometers from the border with Israel, and have its military infrastructure there dismantled.

Under a government-approved plan, Lebanon's army is to dismantle Hezbollah's military infrastructure south of the Litani by the end of the year, before tackling the rest of the country.

The sites struck on Friday were generally north of the river.

Earlier this week, Israel launched a series of strikes on southern Lebanon, also saying it hit a Hezbollah training center and other targets.



Former Iraq President Named UN Refugee Chief, Document Shows

Former Iraqi President Barham Salih. (Reuters)
Former Iraqi President Barham Salih. (Reuters)
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Former Iraq President Named UN Refugee Chief, Document Shows

Former Iraqi President Barham Salih. (Reuters)
Former Iraqi President Barham Salih. (Reuters)

Iraq's former president Barham Salih has been chosen as the next High Commissioner for Refugees for the United Nations, a letter showed on Friday, breaking with a tradition of appointing leaders from major donor countries.

The letter, signed by UN Chief Antonio Guterres and dated December 11, says Salih has been appointed for a five-year term beginning January 1.

He replaces Italy's Filippo Grandi, a veteran UN official, who has held the position since 2016. The appointment is provisional and needs to be approved by UNHCR's Executive Committee, the document showed.

Salih, a British-educated engineer from Iraq's Kurdish region, faces major challenges with global displacement at record highs and about double the levels it was when Grandi first began.

In parallel, funding has fallen this year as key donors like the United States have cut back and other Western donors have shifted funds to defense.

About a dozen candidates were competing for the role, including several politicians as well as an IKEA executive, an ER doctor and a TV personality. More than half of them were from Europe, in keeping with a tradition of the Geneva-based agency's chief coming from top donor states.

 


Trump: ‘We Actually Do Have a Real Peace in the Middle East’

US President Donald Trump delivers remarks during the Congressional Ball in the Grand Foyer of the White House in Washington, DC, on December 11, 2025. (Photo by Alex WROBLEWSKI / AFP)
US President Donald Trump delivers remarks during the Congressional Ball in the Grand Foyer of the White House in Washington, DC, on December 11, 2025. (Photo by Alex WROBLEWSKI / AFP)
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Trump: ‘We Actually Do Have a Real Peace in the Middle East’

US President Donald Trump delivers remarks during the Congressional Ball in the Grand Foyer of the White House in Washington, DC, on December 11, 2025. (Photo by Alex WROBLEWSKI / AFP)
US President Donald Trump delivers remarks during the Congressional Ball in the Grand Foyer of the White House in Washington, DC, on December 11, 2025. (Photo by Alex WROBLEWSKI / AFP)

US President Donald Trump has said that there are prospects for “a real peace in the Middle East.”

When asked by a reporter at the White House about reports that he was planning to appoint an American two-star general to command the International Stabilization Force (ISF) in Gaza, Trump said Thursday: “We actually do have a real peace in the Middle East ... it’s never happened before and I think it’s very strong actually.”

The ceasefire, in effect since October 10, halted the war but it remains fragile as Israel and Hamas accuse each other almost daily of violations.

The agreement is composed of three phases. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently indicated that he expected the second phase to begin soon.

That phase involves the Israeli army pulling farther back, the ISF deploying to Gaza, and a new governing structure coming into force, including the Trump-led Board of Peace.

Trump told reporters Wednesday that he's planning to announce the Gaza Board of Peace in early 2026.

Gaza’s population of around 2 million is almost entirely displaced, and most people live in vast tent camps stretching along the coast, or set up among the shells of damaged buildings.


Lavrov Offers Russian Mediation on Political Settlement in Sudan

An orphaned Sudanese child eats at a refugee camp in eastern Chad, November 22, 2025 (Reuters).
An orphaned Sudanese child eats at a refugee camp in eastern Chad, November 22, 2025 (Reuters).
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Lavrov Offers Russian Mediation on Political Settlement in Sudan

An orphaned Sudanese child eats at a refugee camp in eastern Chad, November 22, 2025 (Reuters).
An orphaned Sudanese child eats at a refugee camp in eastern Chad, November 22, 2025 (Reuters).

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has renewed Moscow’s offer to mediate efforts aimed at launching a political process to end the ongoing conflict in Sudan.

Lavrov said Russia is prepared, with the consent of the Sudanese government, to “facilitate the search for practical solutions,” calling on all parties to refrain from public condemnations and instead focus on advancing political dialogue.

He made the remarks during a meeting with a group of ambassadors convened to outline Russia’s positions on efforts to resolve the war in Ukraine, while also addressing a number of regional crises, including the situation in Sudan.

Lavrov stressed that Moscow is “ready to continue assisting in identifying practical steps to resolve Sudan’s internal crisis.”

Responding to a question on Sudan, he said Russia has consistently urged dialogue and negotiations between the warring parties, noting that several proposals had previously been put forward by countries seeking to help end the conflict.

Addressing the Sudanese representative attending the meeting, Lavrov said proposals had been presented to the Sudanese government to engage in dialogue with what it described as external actors. “Unfortunately, this effort did not succeed, as no genuine dialogue took place,” he said.

Despite this, Lavrov said specific proposals had been conveyed, adding that the priority now should be to move away from continued public blame and toward practical solutions.

“Russia is ready to facilitate this search for solutions and has the necessary capabilities,” he said, adding: “If your government agrees, we will seek to make use of this opportunity.”

Lavrov also urged Sudanese authorities to call on the Ukrainian government to halt the deployment of mercenaries to African countries. Moscow and Kyiv have repeatedly exchanged accusations over sending mercenaries to parts of Africa, while Western sources have alleged that Russia has provided weapons and expertise to Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

Russia has reiterated its offer of mediation on several occasions this year. In February, during talks with his Sudanese counterpart, Lavrov said Moscow was ready to cooperate with other external actors to help normalize the situation in Sudan, stressing that the resumption of bilateral cooperation depends entirely on security conditions.

The issue was also discussed on the sidelines of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum in mid-April, where Russia’s Foreign Ministry said both sides underscored the need for an immediate halt to the fighting between the Sudanese army and the RSF, and called for an inclusive national dialogue aimed at achieving lasting peace.

Separately, Russia’s embassy in Sudan said no Russian nationals were among the crew of a military Ilyushin Il-76 transport aircraft that crashed earlier this week near Port Sudan, killing all those on board.