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Hezbollah rejects direct talks anew, Israel says wants disarmament, peace deal

Hezbollah has again rejected direct talks between Lebanon and Israel on the eve of military negotiations between the two sides.

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5 killed, 21 hurt in Israeli strike on Sidon building

Five people were killed and 21 others wounded overnight when an Israeli drone struck an apartment building in the southern city of Sidon where some displaced families lived, the first such attack on Sidon during the latest escalation.

The attack likely came in response to a drone attack that killed a female Israeli soldier in north Israel. LBCI television had reported that Israel had informed the U.S. of its intention for escalation after the attack.

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Dahieh residents fear strikes as Lebanon pins hopes on talks

Since a ceasefire was reached in April, the Lebanese capital of Beirut has been spared from strikes, except for one strike on its suburbs.

But Israel's latest moves have caused fear, urging residents of Dahieh to evacuate once again, after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that he had authorized more intensive strikes targeting Hezbollah across Lebanon.

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Iran condemns US strikes as a show of 'bad faith' and warns of consequences

Iran on Tuesday denounced U.S. strikes a day earlier as a sign of "bad faith and unreliability" as negotiations continue toward a possible deal to end the war.

The U.S. military has characterized Monday's strikes in southern Iran as defensive, saying targets included missile launch sites and boats placing mines, and said the U.S. acted with "restraint" in light of the weekslong ceasefire.

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Exceptionally early heat wave shatters records and brings deaths in Europe

Firefighters battled a grass fire in Edinburgh and temperature records toppled as a spring heatwave scorched parts of Western Europe, triggering government warnings about risks to life.

London recorded a rare "tropical night," defined as one in which the temperature does not fall below 20 Celsius (68 Fahrenheit), and Britain's Met Office weather service said the temperature in southern England could hit 35 C (95 F) on Tuesday.

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Muslim pilgrims converge on Arafat for prayers and worship

Muslim pilgrims from around the world congregated on Mount Arafat in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, the second official day of the annual Islamic pilgrimage, considered the pinnacle of Hajj.

Despite the sweltering heat, the pilgrims gathered on the rocky hill and the surrounding plains for intense prayers that often mark a spiritual peak. Typically, they fervently murmur prayers and pour their hearts out in supplications, asking God for forgiveness, mercy, blessings and good health. It is common for many pilgrims on that day to raise their hands in worship, with tears streaming down their faces, on the slopes of the rocky hill and in the surrounding area.

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Russia maintains attacks on Ukraine as Kyiv warned to brace for possible major barrage

Russia fired more than 100 drones and two ballistic missiles at Ukraine overnight, the Ukrainian air force said Tuesday, as the country's foreign ministry noted that Moscow's recent threat to hit Kyiv especially hard from the air brought nothing new.

Russia on Monday urged foreign citizens, including members of diplomatic missions, to leave the Ukrainian capital as quickly as possible and told residents to steer clear of military and government facilities. It said that "systemic strikes" on Kyiv were being prepared.

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Quad ministers announce new Indo-Pacific initiatives on maritime security and energy

Foreign ministers from Australia, India, Japan and the United States announced new initiatives on Tuesday on maritime security, port infrastructure and energy to boost cooperation in the Indo-Pacific to counter concerns about China's growing influence.

The announcements by the group of nations known as the Quad came after talks in New Delhi between India's Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi and Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong.

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Israel calls up more troops to Lebanon, tells people not to gather in north

Israel's military has called up more troops to Lebanon, an Israeli security official said.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations, said Tuesday the military had called up an additional battalion to Lebanon, hours after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had authorized more intensive strikes across Lebanon.

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Hezbollah clashes with Israeli soldiers in south Lebanon

Israel's military clashed with Hezbollah Tuesday along a strategic river in Lebanon as Israeli troops tried to push farther north, just three days before Lebanese and Israeli military delegations are set to meet for direct talks in Washington.

A previously reached ceasefire appeared more nominal by the day, complicating efforts at a broader peace in the Iran war, as Tehran wants an end to the fighting to include Lebanon.

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