Blog

By Laila Bassam and Maya Gebeily for Reuters The attacks "crossed all red lines", Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah has said in his TV address. Photo: AMMAR AMMAR / AFP Deadly Israeli attacks that blew up Hezbollah radios and pagers crossed all red lines, the leader of the heavily armed Iran-backed Lebanese movement says, in a speech broadcast as sonic booms from Israeli warplanes shook buildings in Beirut. Lebanon and Hezbollah have blamed Israel for attacks on Hezbollah's communications equipment that killed 37 people and wounded around 3000, overwhelming Lebanese hospitals and wreaking bloody havoc on the militant group. Israel has not directly commented on the attacks, which security sources say were probably carried out by its Mossad spy agency, which has a long history of carry...

Helen Clark is the former head of the United Nations Development Programme. Photo: AFP / Anadolu Agency The United Nations Security Council's credibility is at stake because of its failure to enforce its own resolutions on the Israel-Gaza conflict, former prime minister Helen Clark says. Clark - the former head of the UN Development Programme - said it was disturbing that nothing had been done to implement the council's resolution calling for a complete ceasefire in the occupied Palestinian territory of Gaza. "The Security Council has a responsibility to chart a path towards a sustainable peace. A full, immediate, and complete ceasefire in Gaza is an indispensable step," she said in a speech to the council in New York early on Friday morning (New Zealand time). "It is deeply disturbing ...

By James Mackenzie, Reuters Rockets fired from southern Lebanon are intercepted by Israel's Iron Dome air defence system over the Upper Galilee region in northern Israel. Photo: AFP / JALAA MAREY Israel bombed southern Lebanon on Thursday and said it had thwarted an Iran-backed assassination plot, a day after explosions of Hezbollah radios followed blasts in booby trapped pagers, setting the foes hurtling towards war. The sophisticated attacks on communications equipment used by Iran-backed armed group Hezbollah have sown disarray in Lebanon, and are increasingly viewed as heralding a return to all-out war, last fought 18 years ago. Hand-held radios used by Hezbollah detonated on Wednesday across Lebanon's south in the country's deadliest day since cross-border fighting erupted betwe...

The curtains have been pulled back on one of the royal family's most infamous interviews in a compelling new drama series. A Very Royal Scandal follows what went on in the lead up to the 2019 BBC Newsnight interview between journalist Emily Maitlis and Queen Elizabeth's second son, Prince Andrew. During the interview, the 64-year-old prince publicly addressed sexual assault allegations and his involvement with sex offender Jeffrey Epstein for the first time. What was the BBC Newsnight interview? Prince Andrew had faced turmoil over his ties to Epstein after he was spotted visiting him in 2010, when the US financier was released from prison for pleading guilty to prostituting minors. Epstein's death, aged 66 in a Manhattan jail in August 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges,...

(FILE) Photo dated 28 May 2000 shows coup leader George Speight announcing at Parliament House in Suva that he plans to rule Fijiby decree. Photo: AFP / TORSTEN BLACKWOOD The man behind the 2000 coup in Fiji, George Speight, and the head of the mutineers, former soldier Shane Stevens have been granted Presidential pardons. In a statement on Thursday, the Fiji Correction Service said the pair were among seven prisoners who were granted pardons by the President Ratu Wiliame Katonivere after recommendations by the Mercy Commission. "These pardons were formally granted on 18 September 2024. As a result, the named individuals have been officially discharged from custody today, Thursday, 19 September 2024," the statement said. "The Fiji Correction Service and the government remain committed t...

By Eva Gallot of The viral Dubai chocolate creator is flattered by international recreations of the dessert. Photo: Stuff / House of Chocolate It's no secret that social media has been obsessed with the viral Dubai chocolate, but the original creator of the culinary trend told CNN she didn't think it would reach globally. Sarah Hamouda, founder of FIX, aka 'Freaking Incredible Experience', started her business in 2021 as a side hustle. Inspired by her pregnancy cravings, Hamouda set out to create something different than the "typical" chocolate fix. The bars have fillings based on Middle Eastern flavours like karak (spiced tea blend), dates and knafeh, an Arabic dessert with shredded pastry, pistachios, sweet cheese and syrup. Hamouda told CNN she's "awed" by the gl...