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Hamas has hailed Naim Kassem's appointment as Hezbollah's new leader as proof of the group's recovery.In reality, though, it's a reflection of their lack of options. Kassem is pretty much the only senior figure left. Having helped establish Hezbollah in the early 1980s, the 71-year-old rose to the role of deputy chief in 1991, becoming one of the group's most important clerics, who guided its religious and ideological direction.But he was always seen as the perennial 'number two'. An effective operator in a supportive role, but not the inspirational figurehead to lead the fight against Israel. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 2:21 ...

A 10-storey hotel building has collapsed in Argentina, trapping people in the wreckage. Rescue teams are currently working to remove debris after part of the Dubrovnik hotel in the coastal city of Villa Gesell, in Buenos Aires province, collapsed at about 1am local time, the local council said.Between seven and nine people, including workers from a construction site, were thought to be inside at the time.The local council said construction workers are believed to have been working on a project that was being carried out without municipal permits. Image: Pic: Reuters It said the project had been halted by the council in August of this year."At this time, although it is not possible to speak with any exact details about the c...

Archaeologists have discovered thousands of previously unknown ancient structures, including pyramids, hidden deep in Mexico's jungle.More than 6,600 structures linked to the Maya civilisation have been found in the southern state of Campeche on the Yucatan Peninsula. Experts analysed lidar data, a method of scanning the land from above using lasers.The Maya were one of the most dominant civilisations in Mesoamerica and built cities with elaborate ceremonial buildings and massive stone pyramids in what we now know as Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador. Image: Aircraft fitted with lasers scanned part of the Mexican state of Campeche Pyramids - like those in Calakmul, in the Mexican state of Campeche - were found by ...

Liam Payne's first posthumous single, Do No Wrong, will be released this Friday.US singer and songwriter Sam Pounds shared the news on social media, saying he hoped the track "eclipses the negative echoes" of the One Direction star's death, and acts as a "blessing" to Payne's family.The 31-year-old died earlier this month after he fell from a third-floor balcony at the Casa Sur Hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina.While final toxicology reports have not yet been made public, preliminary reports suggested evidence of exposure to cocaine, according to Argentinian officials.Payne had previously been open about his struggles with alcohol and addiction, following his swift rise to fame as a teenager. Image: Liam Payne performing in 2018. Pic: PA ...

An election 'too close to call' is a cliché as old as democracy. But this year's US election really is.Despite the Democrats' remarkable turnaround in the polls after Kamala Harris replaced Joe Biden as nominee in August, the US Electoral College system - and Donald Trump's loyal fanbase - has by no means guaranteed her victory. This is because, although it's the presidential and vice presidential nominees on the ballot paper, technically, Americans vote for electors who formally back their choice of candidate.States have different numbers of electors depending on their size - with 538 in total. Winning the presidency requires getting at least 270 (more than half).Historically, most states almost never change hands. Taking these so-called 'safe' states together, Ms Harris is just ahead of ...

Police in Australia are hunting for vandals who have destroyed nearly 200 trees and shrubs, including some "very rare" species.The plants were either ripped out of the ground or snapped or cut at the base with a hand saw, according to Glen Eira City Council, a suburb in the southeast of Melbourne. The council said in a statement it was "extremely disappointed and disgusted at the deliberate acts of vandalism" at eight parks and reserves.It added that police in the state of Victoria are investigating."Some of these trees are very rare and may not be able to be replaced, including the Red Gums at Boyd Park which were grown from seeds," the council said. Image: Pic: Glen Eira City Council Local residents described the destruc...

Sean "Diddy" Combs has been accused of drugging and sexually assaulting a 10-year-old boy in a new lawsuit.The rapper, 54, allegedly assaulted the boy in a New York City hotel room in 2005. A second new lawsuit accuses the jailed hip-hop mogul of assaulting a 17-year-old would-be contestant on the reality television series Making the Band in 2008.They are the latest in a wave of lawsuits in which accusers allege they were sexually assaulted by Combs at parties and meetings over the last two decades.Combs' lawyers denied the two new claims and accused the plaintiffs' lawyer, Anthony Buzbee, of seeking publicity. Mr Buzbee says he is representing more than 150 of the rapper's alleged victims, and has filed at least 17 lawsuits. "Mr Combs and his legal team have full confidence in the facts a...

Israel's pre-dawn attack on Iran was one of the biggest and most complex air assaults the country has ever conducted.Dozens of aircraft, including Western-made fifth-generation F-35 stealth jets as well as F-16 and F-15 warplanes, flew more than 1,000 miles to strike multiple targets inside Iran, including the regime's prized, Russian-provided S-300 air defence systems. An Israeli source said four of the S-300 systems were hit along with radars and other air defence capabilities, reducing the risk to Israeli aircraft should they be deployed on any future mission against the Iranian regime.Middle East latest: Israel hit former nuclear test site, images revealThe raid - codenamed "Operation Days of Repentance" - also targeted sites where Iran was manufacturing missiles used to threaten Israe...

The President of Georgia, Salome Zourabichvili, has almost finished her six-year term in what is largely a ceremonial position, yet the French-born politician has become far more than a figurehead over the past few years.She has led opposition to a set of repressive laws introduced by the country's ruling party, Georgian Dream, and more importantly, perhaps, managed to unite a fractious opposition in its attempts to unseat the government in Saturday's parliamentary election. Yet those attempts have failed after Georgian Dream, led by billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili, claimed 54% of the vote.Leaders of the main opposition parties, alongside Ms Zourabichvili, say the election was stolen. Image: Georgia's President Salome Zourabichvili addresses a...

Hospitals in northern Gaza are struggling to function as Israeli military operations continue and aid agencies warn of a catastrophe unfolding.One of the hospitals, Kamal Adwan, was raided by IDF (Israel Defence Forces) forces last week. Around 100 people were arrested, many of them medical staff.Middle East latest: Israel hit Iranian former nuclear test site, images revealNow, only a few doctors remain to care for hundreds of patients and in desperate conditions. The wounded lie on thin mattresses wherever there is space. Image: Iodine and other debris on the floor of the Kamal Adwan hospital There is the occasional cry or groan of pain, but mostly people are silent, dazed, numb to this catas...