by Li Ang, Xu Shu'ao and Zhang Yibin KABUL, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- White Taliban flags emblazoned with black script lined major streets across Kabul on Saturday as the Taliban celebrates the fifth anniversary of its return to power with a large-scale ceremony here. Five years on, the war-torn country has largely moved from war to reconstruction.
Israel’s ‘pilot zones’: Withdrawal on paper, continued occupation of south Lebanon At the entrance to Zawtar al-Gharbiyeh, a village in southern Lebanon , a Lebanese Army checkpoint marks the edge of what is now officially known as a "pilot zone". It is one of three villages - along with Froun and Srifa - designated as such under the framework agreement between Israel , the United States and Lebanon, signed in June 2026. On paper, the pilot zones, whose implementation began on 20 July, are meant to work as a formula: a gradual Israeli withdrawal, paired with a handover of sovereignty to the Lebanese Army, and the end of Hezbollah's armed presence in these locations.
Israel’s ‘pilot zones’: Withdrawal on paper, continued occupation of south Lebanon Submitted by Giovanna Vial on Wed, 08/12/2026 - 15:47 MEE visited two of the villages touted as models for Israel's withdrawal. Residents say Israeli troops were never there to begin with A Lebanese soldier stands guard at the entrance to Zawtar al-Gharbiyeh, one of three southern Lebanese villages designated as a “pilot zone” under an Israel-Lebanon framework agreement (Giovanna Vial/MEE) Off At the entrance to Zawtar al-Gharbiyeh, a village in southern Lebanon , a Lebanese Army checkpoint marks the edge of what is now officially known as a "pilot zone". It is one of three villages - along with Froun and Srifa - designated as such under the framework agreement between Israel , the United States and Lebanon, signed in June 2026.
Israeli strikes kill 11 in south Lebanon, health ministry says We earlier reported Israeli attacks kill nine people in southern Lebanon. Lebanon's health ministry now reports that at least 11 people were killed in Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon on Saturday. Seven people were killed when Israeli warplanes struck a house in the southern village of Ansar, while four others were killed in a strike on the village of Deir El Zahrani, Lebanon's official National News Agency said.
The US president has threatened to declare the waterway "a territory" of his country after "defeating" the Islamic Republic The Strait of Hormuz will remain under Tehran's control, the Iranian Foreign Ministry has said, calling on Washington to "stop indulging in delusions.
The US president has threatened to declare the waterway a territory of his country after defeating the Islamic Republic The Strait of Hormuz will remain under Tehran's control, the Iranian Foreign Ministry has said, calling on Washington to "stop indulging in delusions. " The statement comes in response to President Donald Trump saying he would soon declare the sea passage a "territory of the US.
Iran said the airmen have been held since March 2 when their fighter jets were shot down. The Qatari government has not commented.
How Iran and Ukraine are strategically sinking their rivals at sea Submitted by Omar Ashour on Mon, 07/06/2026 - 20:54 Through a combination of tactics, both countries have managed to keep superior fleets at bay, dealing significant blows to the US and Russia Images released by Ukrainian authorities in November 2025 show what they say are sea drone attacks on oil tankers in the Black Sea (Security Service of Ukraine/AFP) Off The Iran war may be fought primarily remotely via the air, but its strategic outcome is increasingly being decided at sea. The latest strikes and counterstrikes have clarified rather than altered that central fact. Washington may escalate through a ground intervention, wider attacks on Iran’s critical infrastructure, or a strike against the deeply buried nuclear-linked complex at Pickaxe Mountain in Isfahan province.
Lebanese parliament speaker condemns Israeli 'massacre' The death toll from the Israeli attacks in southern Lebanon has risen to 11, with 19 wounded, the Lebanese health ministry has said. The speaker of the Lebanese parliament, Nabih Berri, called Israel's attacks a "massacre" and said Israel was waging a "war aimed at extermination". Hezbollah accused Israel of an "act of aggressive escalation" and targeting civilians, saying Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu aimed to "escalate the war in order to bolster his domestic political standing, serve his electoral goals and appease the far right".
Deadly Israeli strikes kill nine in southern Lebanon as tensions escalate Submitted by MEE staff on Sat, 08/15/2026 - 13:49 Prime Minister Nawaf Salam says civilians killed in the town of Ansar were 'not military infrastructure' A man watches as heavy machinery, first responders and residents search the site of an Israeli air strike in Deir al-Zahrani, southern Lebanon, on 15 August 2026 (Abbas Fakih/AFP) Off At least nine people were killed and more than a dozen wounded after Israeli air strikes hit several towns and villages in southern Lebanon early Saturday, state media reported. Lebanon's National News Agency reported that an Israeli strike hit a house on the outskirts of Ansar in the Nabatieh district, killing seven people and wounding others. Another strike in Deir al-Zahrani killed at least two people and wounded several others, as the Israeli military intensified attacks across the Nabatieh region before dawn, according to local media reports .
Deadly Israeli strikes kill nine in southern Lebanon as tensions escalate Submitted by MEE staff on Sat, 08/15/2026 - 13:49 Prime Minister Nawaf Salam says civilians killed in the town of Ansar were 'not military infrastructure' A man watches as heavy machinery, first responders and residents search the site of an Israeli air strike in Deir al-Zahrani, southern Lebanon, on 15 August 2026 (Abbas Fakih/AFP) Off At least nine people were killed and more than a dozen wounded after Israeli air strikes hit several towns and villages in southern Lebanon early Saturday, state media reported. Lebanon's National News Agency reported that an Israeli strike hit a house on the outskirts of Ansar in the Nabatieh district, killing seven people and wounding others. Another strike in Deir al-Zahrani killed at least two people and wounded several others, as the Israeli military intensified attacks across the Nabatieh region before dawn, according to local media reports .
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – At least 22 of the Gaza Strip’s 34 oxygen stations have been forced out of service amid the Israeli regime’s blockade and a severe shortage of spare parts, the Palestinian Health Ministry warned Saturday, saying the remaining facilities are also at risk of shutting down.
Iran accuses French diplomats of 'infiltration' The Iranian government has accused two French diplomats of conducting an "infiltration and interference" operation inside Iran. Iran's intelligence ministry alleged in a statement that the diplomats were discovered at a secret meeting place, and that documents found there pointed to efforts to establish contacts and build networks elsewhere. It further said that contracts linked to the project carried the signature of a former French ambassador to Iran.
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iran has for the first time publicly said that three Air Force pilots who went missing after a March 2 strike on a US military base in Qatar were captured alive by Qatari forces, with a military official urging the ICRC to investigate their condition and press for their release.
Iran says its non-oil trade has fallen by around 30% since the war began, but figures from several of its biggest trading partners point to far steeper declines in some of the country’s most important commercial relationships.
Israeli drone strike injures three in central Gaza An Israeli drone strike on Deir al-Balah in central Gaza has injured three Palestinians, one of whom is in critical condition, according to the Wafa news agency. All three were taken to al-Aqsa hospital.
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – President Masoud Pezeshkian reaffirmed Iran’s determination to broaden comprehensive relations with India, describing the two countries’ historical, cultural and civilizational ties as a valuable foundation for closer cooperation.
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Israeli regime airstrikes on southern Lebanon killed nine Lebanese citizens, including three children and two women, and wounded nine others, as the regime continued attacks on civilian areas in the region.
The Lebanese health ministry said several children were killed in a strike overnight, one of the deadliest attacks in months. Israel’s military said it was targeting Hezbollah infrastructure.
Thirteen years after Rabaa massacre, families urge Egypt to free political prisoners Submitted by MEE staff on Sat, 08/15/2026 - 11:05 On 14 August 2013, Egyptian forces under Abdel Fattah el-Sisi killed at least 900 pro-democracy protesters Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Evian, eastern France, on 17 June 2026 (AFP) Off The Families of Egyptian Detainees Association (Feda) on Friday called on the Egyptian government to release political prisoners on the 13th anniversary of the Rabaa massacre . Feda, which represents the families of political detainees held in Egypt, urged "Egyptian authorities to release those imprisoned in connection with the Rabaa events, as part of efforts to turn the page on this painful chapter in Egypt’s history". "Those who took part in a peaceful sit-in to express their views were transformed from victims into defendants and accused persons," the group said.
