International
The death toll from Israel’s attacks in Lebanon exceeds 2,000
More than 2,000 people have died and more than 9,500 have been injured by the attacks that Israel has launched against different parts of Lebanon in almost a year, although the vast majority of the victims have occurred in about two weeks after the start of the massive campaign of Israeli bombings.
According to a report by the Presidency of the Council of Ministers published on Friday, the number of victims increased after Israel launched a total of 153 attacks against different parts of Lebanon, mainly in the south, east and southern suburbs of Beirut known as the Dahye.
Israel intensifies its bombings against Beirut
In the early hours of Friday, Israel bombed several targets in the southern suburbs of Beirut, where the intensity of the attacks caused the collapse of several buildings.
One of those targets, according to the Hebrew press, has been the candidate for leader of the Shiite group Hezbulá, Hashem Safi al Din.
The newspaper ‘The Times of Israel’ assured that the Israeli aviation intended to end the life of the clergyman, probable successor to the top leader of Hezbullah, Hassan Nasrala, who died a week ago in another Israeli bombing in Beirut.
Meanwhile, the Israeli newspaper ‘Haaretz’, specified that among the targets of this morning’s attacks was again a bunker in Hizbulá used by senior officials.
According to the state media, the Israeli aviation used vacuum and anti-bunker bombs during the campaign, and also reached other points on the outskirts of Beirut outside the Dahye.
Several collapsed buildings
The strong wave of bombings, which resounded throughout the capital, caused the collapse of a police station, a supermarket and other buildings on the outskirts of the capital’s Dahye, an important stronghold of Hezbulah, reported the National News Agency of Lebanon (ANN).
Israel and Hezbullah have been facing each other since the beginning of the war in the Gaza Strip in October 2023, but violence increased to an unprecedented level about ten days ago, when Israeli forces began a massive bombing campaign that has devastated towns and entire towns.
In this context, for a week, the Dahye has been the target of intense waves of air strikes almost daily.
Two Israeli soldiers die in a drone attack
On the other side of the border, two Israeli soldiers died this Friday in northern Israel by the attack of a drone “launched from the east,” a statement that the Israeli Army usually uses when referring to projectiles fired by pro-Iranian militias from Iraq.
The deceased are Sergeant Daniel Aviv Haim Sofer and Corporal Tal Dror, both 19 years old, according to the armed forces in a statement this afternoon.
Israel orders the evacuation of 36 villages in southern Lebanon
Meanwhile, in the south, the Israeli Army ordered this Friday the immediate evacuation of 36 villages, under the premise that “Hizbulah’s activities force the armed forces to act” and anticipating a new wave of attacks against them.
“For your safety, you must evacuate your homes immediately and head north of the Awali River, save your lives,” Israeli Army spokesman Avichay Adraee said in a statement.
The Awali River, towards which the armed forces directed the Lebanese population, is located almost 50 kilometers from the Tyre region, where most of the villages called to evacuate are concentrated.
Adraee warned that “anyone who is close to members, facilities and combat means of Hezbulá puts their life in danger,” as well as that any home that has served the objectives of the Shiite group will be a target of the Israeli fire.
“Be eare, you are forbidden to head south. Any direction to the south can expose you to dangers,” he added.
In addition, the Israeli Army detected the launch of about 100 rockets from Lebanese territory throughout the morning that it attributed to the Shiite group Hezbulá.
A bombing cuts the road that connects Beirut with Damascus
Since the beginning of hostilities, Israel’s attacks have killed almost 2,000 people and forced 1.2 million to leave their homes, mainly in the south and east of the Mediterranean country.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said that 235,000 Syrians and Lebanese have arrived in Syria in less than two weeks from Lebanon by land in their flight from Israeli bombings.
This Friday, an Israeli bombing hit an area near the main border crossing between Lebanon and Syria, cutting on the Lebanese side the road that connects Beirut with Damascus through which tens of thousands of people are fleeing to Syrian territory.
“The enemy’s fighter jets attacked the Masnaa area, which caused the international road to be cut,” reported the Lebanese National News Agency (ANN).
The Israeli Army confirmed this morning the bombing against “infrastructure sites adjacent to the Masnaa border crossing between Syria and Lebanon.”
For its part, local television Al Manar, belonging to the Lebanese Shiite group Hizbulá, broadcast a video of the attacked point in which large gaps and significant destruction can be seen on the target road of the bombings.
The representative of the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) in Syria, Gonzalo Vargas Llosa, assured EFE that the attack near the crossing is “unacceptable” and a “real shame.”
Syria is the only land supply route for Lebanon, which also has only one operating airfield throughout the country, the Rafic Hariri International Airport in Beirut, in whose vicinity several missiles have already fallen in recent days.
Iranian Foreign Minister travels to Beirut
In the midst of Israeli bombing, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi reaffirmed his support for Lebanon on Friday during a meeting in Beirut with Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati, who also informed that Tehran will start a diplomatic campaign with this objective.
“Iran will launch a diplomatic campaign to support Lebanon and request a meeting of the Organization of the Islamic Conference,” said the head of Iranian diplomacy during the meeting, according to a statement issued by the Lebanese Government.
Araqchi arrived in Beirut in the midst of an intense campaign of Israeli bombing against the bastions of its great Lebanese ally, the Shiite group Hezbula, and one week after the death of its leader, Hassan Nasrala, in an unprecedented bombing of the capital’s suburbs.
The head of Iranian diplomacy is also scheduled to meet this Friday with the president of the Lebanese Parliament, Nabih Berri, another key ally of Hezbulah, although it is unknown if he will be able to meet directly with representatives of the armed movement.
International
CDC reports record measles outbreaks in 39 U.S. jurisdictions this year
The United States has confirmed 1,288 cases of measles so far in 2025, the highest number of infections in more than three decades, according to data published Wednesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Cases have been reported across 39 jurisdictions in the country. Of those infected, 13% (162 people) required hospitalization, and three people have died from complications related to the disease.
The CDC detailed that 27 outbreaks have been reported this year, accounting for 88% of the infections (1,130 of 1,288 cases). In 2024, 16 outbreaks were reported, responsible for 69% of the cases (198 of 285), with Texas being the most affected state then and now.
The current number of infections already surpasses the 2019 count of 1,274 cases, which was the highest in 25 years. Only 1992 recorded a higher number, with 2,126 cases, highlighting the scale of the current resurgence.
Measles was declared eradicated in the United States in 2000, meaning local transmission was interrupted and cases detected were due to infections acquired abroad. For the CDC, achieving elimination was a “historic public health achievement,” driven by vaccination policies.
Texas has the highest number of cases this year, with more than 750 infections and two child deaths.
U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., known for his anti-vaccine stance, defended in May that the country’s health authorities “have handled measles outbreaks as well or better than other nations.”
International
German parliament orders removal of LGBTQ+ flags amid growing controversy
The administration of the German Bundestag’s Lower House has ordered several deputies to remove LGBTQ+ flags from the doors and windows of their offices, escalating the controversy sparked by the Bundestag president regarding such symbols within the institution.
Social Democratic deputy Lisa Seitzl told the newspaper Der Tagespiegel that the measure was a “witch hunt” against the pride flag representing sexual and gender diversity.
Seitzl received a call from the Bundestag administration instructing her to take down two flags from her office, citing the internal regulations of the Lower House, which is presided over by conservative Julia Klöckner.
“I’m not sure the flags could be seen from outside, but that was the argument,” said the deputy, calling the situation “a bit ridiculous.”
“I wish the police responsible for the Bundestag would focus on security issues rather than hunting down equality flags,” she added.
Left Party deputy Stella Merendino also received a call from the parliamentary police asking her to remove a flag hanging in a window overlooking an inner courtyard.
Mathias Paul, spokesperson for the Bundestag president, said this was a routine measure and not specifically targeting equality flags.
“It was not about specifically controlling equality flags. Other flags or insignias have also been affected,” Paul stated.
However, some deputies fear this is a targeted action against the LGBTQ+ rainbow flag symbolizing acceptance of sexual minorities.
Klöckner recently decided that the equality flag would not be raised in the Bundestag on the occasion of the Berlin Pride Parade, breaking with the tradition of previous years.
Additionally, the president of the Lower House banned Bundestag employees from participating as representatives of the institution in the Berlin parade.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz defended Klöckner in a TV program amid the controversy. Merz, like Klöckner, belongs to the Christian Democratic Union (CDU).
Merz said the Lower House was not “a circus tent” where flags could be raised indiscriminately.
International
UK and France seal innovative migrant exchange deal to curb channel crossings
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron have announced an agreement for the exchange of migrants that is expected to come into effect in the “coming weeks” and have described as “innovative.”
Migrants arriving in small boats will be detained and returned to France. For each return, one person (an asylum seeker in France) will be allowed entry to the UK through a safe, controlled, and legal route subject to strict security checks, available only to those who have not attempted illegal entry into the UK, Starmer explained at a press conference.
Macron highlighted that the goal is to improve cooperation with countries of origin and dismantle human trafficking networks by addressing the “root causes” of illegal immigration.
He also noted that the UK has not signed any migration agreement with the European Union since Brexit, creating a legal gap on migration matters, and urged stronger cooperation with other countries like Greece and Spain.
Following the announcement, the UK and France issued a joint declaration condemning the “cruelty of organized gangs trafficking people across the English Channel,” which “puts lives at grave risk” and “harms both societies.”
The migration agreement establishes a “principle of equivalence between the number of readmissions to France and the number of legal admissions to the UK,” while “complementing” European cooperation on irregular migration.
The agreement will be finalized and signed after a thorough legal review with full transparency and understanding with the European Commission and EU member states, as this initiative concerns an external EU border.
Paris and London stressed they will use “all tools at their disposal, including existing and new ones, to combat human trafficking, smuggling, and organized crime related to migration.”
CDC reports record measles outbreaks in 39 U.S. jurisdictions this year
German parliament orders removal of LGBTQ+ flags amid growing controversy
UK and France seal innovative migrant exchange deal to curb channel crossings
Tec de Monterrey honors one of its students for his contribution to nanotechnology in medicine
Defense Minister commends salvadoran soldier for Central American Cross Country victory
Extension of the state of emergency approved in southern Chile
-
International2 days agoCuba confirms 76 femicide cases in 2024, among highest rates in region
-
Central America2 days agoIllegal crossings at U.S.-Mexico border plunge 92% in historic shift
-
International2 days agoU.S. thanks Mexico for sending rescue teams after deadly Texas floods
-
International3 days agoIranian president says Israel tried to assassinate him, warns U.S. against war
-
Central America2 days agoCosta Rica extends humanitarian status and grants work permits to stranded migrants
-
International3 days agoDOJ and FBI officially deny Jeffrey Epstein ‘client list’ conspiracy theories
-
International3 days agoBolsonaro thanks Trump for support amid Brazil coup trial
-
International4 days agoSalvadoran Day USA 2025 canceled amid fears of immigration raids
-
International3 days agoHonduras regrets U.S. decision to end TPS for 72,000 hondurans
-
International3 days agoSheinbaum urges unity and respect after clashes over gentrification in Mexico City
-
Central America1 day agoDengue crisis in Panama: co-circulating serotypes fuel rise in fatal cases
-
International2 days agoMexico launches probe into alleged $25 million bribe to ex-president Peña Nieto
-
International4 days agoTexas Floods: Death toll rises to 68, dozens still missing
-
International3 days agoGunman killed after shooting outside Texas Border Patrol Building
-
International3 days agoRussian ex-transport minister found dead after dismissal by Putin
-
International3 days agoTrump ends TPS for haitians as gang violence surges in homeland
-
International1 day agoHarvard faces Federal pressure over immigration docs, autonomy dispute intensifies
-
International1 day agoICE set to become America’s largest security force under Trump’s $75B immigration overhaul
-
International2 days agoTrump and Bondi slam Epstein inquiry amid Texas flood tragedy
-
Central America9 hours agoGuatemala hit by over 300 quakes; death toll rises to seven
-
Central America9 hours agoU.S. revokes visas of top Costa Rican lawmakers and constitutional judge
-
International9 hours agoFederal judge halts Trump’s order to end birthright citizenship
-
International9 hours agoUkraine gains $10 billion in commitments during Rome Recovery Forum
-
International8 hours agoUK and France seal innovative migrant exchange deal to curb channel crossings
-
International8 hours agoCDC reports record measles outbreaks in 39 U.S. jurisdictions this year
-
International8 hours agoGerman parliament orders removal of LGBTQ+ flags amid growing controversy
-
International9 hours agoSix agents penalized for conduct failures in July 2024 attack on Donald Trump