Israel orders mass evacuations in southern Lebanon as strikes intensify

Israel has ordered residents across large parts of southern Lebanon to evacuate ahead of intensified military operations against Hezbollah, marking the biggest displacement warning since the April ceasefire.

The Israeli military declared several areas “combat zones” and instructed civilians to move north of the Zahrani River, roughly 40 kilometres from the border. The move came after Hezbollah fighters reportedly clashed with Israeli troops and launched drone attacks targeting both soldiers and civilians in northern Israel.

Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli Prime Minister said operations would expand further, raising fears of a renewed escalation along the border. Air strikes later hit the southern Lebanese city of Tyre, with residents fleeing as explosions rocked the area.
Hezbollah accused Israel of repeatedly violating the ceasefire agreement reached on April 17, while the Israeli military said it would act “with extreme force” against threats from the group.

Trump says US still dissatisfied with Iran deal talks

Donald Trump, United States president said Washington remains unhappy with the current terms of negotiations with Iran, despite signs of progress in efforts to end the conflict.

Speaking during a cabinet meeting, Trump said Tehran appeared eager to secure a deal but had “not gotten there” yet. He repeated that the US was prepared to resume military strikes if negotiations collapsed.

The comments followed reports on Iranian state television claiming a draft agreement included reopening the Strait of Hormuz and withdrawing US forces from the region. The White House dismissed the reported text as “a complete fabrication”.

Both sides had hinted last week that an agreement was close, but Iranian officials later warned that a deal was “not imminent”.

UK spy agency says nearly 500,000 Russian troops killed in Ukraine war

Britain’s intelligence agency GCHQ says almost 500,000 Russian soldiers have been killed since Moscow launched its full scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

GCHQ director Anne Keast-Butler disclosed the figure during her first public speech, warning that Russia was carrying out a growing “hybrid war” against Britain and other NATO countries.

She accused the Kremlin of targeting critical infrastructure, orchestrating espionage operations and destabilising Western allies through covert tactics.

While Russia and Ukraine regularly publish estimates of battlefield losses, neither side has independently verified the figures.

Former US attorney general Pam Bondi diagnosed with thyroid cancer

Former US attorney general Pam Bondi has been diagnosed with thyroid cancer weeks after leaving office, according to US media reports.

Bondi, 60, said she had already undergone surgery and was continuing treatment while remaining active professionally. She is expected to join the White House’s advisory council on artificial intelligence and science policy.

Vice President JD Vance described Bondi as an “enormously valuable asset” to the administration, while allies said she had continued working through treatment.
Doctors say most forms of thyroid cancer are highly treatable, with survival rates above 98 percent.

Russia claims capture of two Ukrainian villages as Kyiv disputes advances

Russia said its forces captured two villages in Ukraine’s Kharkiv and Zaporizhzhia regions on Wednesday, though Ukrainian officials denied losing control of the areas.

Moscow claimed troops seized Hraniv in the northeast and Vozdvyzhivka in the southeast as part of continuing offensives across the front line.

Ukraine’s military rejected the report, insisting its forces continued to hold defensive positions and repel Russian assaults.

The conflicting claims come as fighting intensifies in eastern and southern Ukraine amid renewed Russian attacks.

AFRICA

Nearly 300 Ghanaians evacuated from South Africa arrive in Accra

A chartered flight carrying almost 300 Ghanaians evacuated from South Africa has landed in Accra following anti-immigration protests and fears of xenophobic violence.
Ghanaian authorities said more evacuation flights were expected after around 800 citizens registered to return home.

Many of those leaving cited growing insecurity and hostility toward foreign nationals. Ghana’s foreign minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa welcomed the arrivals at the airport.

South Africa has seen repeated protests over illegal immigration, sparking fears of attacks on foreign African communities.

WHO warns conflict in DR Congo worsening Ebola outbreak

The World Health Organization has warned that ongoing violence in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo is severely undermining efforts to contain the fast spreading Ebola outbreak.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO chief  described the situation in Ituri province as a “catastrophic collision of disease and conflict”, saying insecurity and displacement were accelerating transmission.

Health workers have struggled to reach affected communities due to fighting, poor roads and deep mistrust among residents. Uganda has meanwhile closed its border with DR Congo for four weeks to limit the spread of the virus.
More than 220 suspected deaths have been linked to the outbreak so far, with cases continuing to rise.

Uganda closes DR Congo border over Ebola fears

Uganda has temporarily shut its border with the Democratic Republic of Congo as authorities attempt to prevent the spread of Ebola.

Officials said the closure would last four weeks, though humanitarian operations, cargo transport and Ebola response teams would still be allowed through.

Uganda has recorded seven Ebola cases and one death linked to the outbreak centred in Congo’s Ituri province.

The WHO earlier declared the outbreak an international public health emergency, warning that the absence of an approved vaccine for the Bundibugyo strain posed a major challenge.