Australia returns ancient Chinese statue heads stolen from imperial tombs
Australia has returned two ancient stone statue heads to China, more than 30 years after they were taken from imperial tombs in central China....
Israeli airstrikes on southern Lebanon killed two people in 12 hours, Lebanon’s Health Ministry said on Tuesday.
In a written statement, the ministry said Israeli forces targeted two towns in the south of the country. One strike hit a minibus in the town of Hanin in the Bint Jbeil district of Nebatiye province, while another targeted a car in the Marjeyoun district, also in Nebatiye.
According to Lebanon’s official National News Agency (NNA), Israeli forces fired multiple missiles at two vehicles in Hanin.
The report said one of the victims, identified as Mohammed Tahsin Kashakish, was preparing to start his vehicle to pick up students from school when it was struck. He was killed at the scene. The second vehicle targeted in Hanin was also reportedly owned by Kashakish. Fires that broke out in the vehicles were later extinguished, and his body was transferred to a hospital in Bint Jbeil.
In a separate statement, the Israeli army claimed the strikes in southern Lebanon targeted two Hezbollah members.
Despite a ceasefire agreement reached between Lebanon and Israel on November 27, 2024, Israeli forces have continued to carry out strikes, with Lebanese authorities reporting thousands of violations.
Israel launched attacks on Lebanon in October 2023, which escalated into a full-scale war in September 2024. More than 4,000 people were killed and nearly 17,000 wounded during the conflict.
Israel continues to occupy five hilltops it seized after October 8, 2023, and maintains its presence in areas it has held for decades.
Lebanon’s Health Ministry previously said that between November 27, 2024, and November 20, 2025, Israeli attacks that violated the ceasefire killed 331 people and wounded 945 others.
The Middle East conflict remains tense as diplomatic efforts continue alongside renewed Houthi attacks. Iran says it remains open to mediation, while the Saudi-led coalition says it intercepted a ballistic missile fired towards the kingdom.
Evacuations and the provision of humanitarian aid in the Russian-occupied southern Ukrainian town of Oleshky have begun, a senior Ukrainian official said on Friday. In a statement on Telegram, David Arakhamia said a six-day ceasefire was holding, and that more details would follow.
Rescuers searched the wreckage of two high-speed trains in central Spain on Thursday as the death toll rose to a provisional 74, making it the country's second fatal high-speed rail disaster this year.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said Russia remains willing to rebuild relations with European countries but warned that any wider conflict on the continent would leave no winners, as he commented on recent diplomatic contacts with Nordic leaders and growing security concerns in the Baltic region.
Qatari mediators returned to Tehran on Friday as part of efforts to reach a deal between the U.S. and Iran, according to an official briefed on the talks.
Demonstrators carrying Iranian flags and placards supporting the hijab gathered outside the Azerbaijani Embassy in London.
Opium poppy cultivation in Afghanistan surged by 330 per cent in 2026 despite a four-year ban, the United Nations said on Thursday. Afghan authorities disputed the findings, while Japan urged continued support for farmers seeking alternative livelihoods.
Central Asia could gain up to $640 million a year from closer energy cooperation, but strained electricity grids threaten to limit those gains, with Kazakhstan particularly exposed to regional power shortages and growing pressure on its network.
Georgia and Azerbaijan are stepping up efforts to boost trade, strengthen transport links between Asia and Europe and resolve a longstanding border dispute, as both countries seek to deepen their strategic partnership.
People travelling between Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Azerbaijan could soon be able to pay for purchases using their usual banking apps. Central banks from the five countries are working on linking their national payment systems.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
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