World Echo

Israeli forces used phosphorus munitions while shelling several towns in southern Lebanon on Friday, state news agency NNA reported. Artillery struck the outskirts of Zawtar al-Sharqiyah, Mayfadoun and Nabatieh al-Fawqa in the Nabatieh district. Phosphorus shells were used in Nabatieh al-Fawqa, while Israel later renewed attacks on Zawtar al-Sharqiyah with similar munitions. Read: Pakistan, Lebanon agree to enhance intelligence sharing, security cooperation In the Tyre district, artillery fire also targeted Wadi Zibqin and the outskirts of Haris and Haddatha. Lebanese army specialists dismantled two unexploded Israeli aerial bombs in Majdal Selm and Al-Ghandouriyah in the Marjayoun and Bint Jbeil districts and moved them to a safe location. The Israeli offensive in Lebanon has killed at least 4,386 victims, wounded 12,407 and displaced more than 1 million others since early March, according to Lebanese authorities. The attacks continue despite a June framework deal that pro...

Washington and Beijing may have bought themselves breathing space with an extended trade truce, but analysts warn that time is running out for the world's two biggest economies to resolve their strategic rivalry. President Donald Trump and Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping concluded a pomp-filled summit Friday, with the US leader confirming they would meet twice more this year. But even as Trump and Xi "are making nice," their countries "remain locked in a bitter competition over trade, tech, Taiwan, defence, rare earths and industrial policy," said Daniel Russel of the Asia Society Policy Institute. Daniel Kritenbrink, a former US official now with The Asia Group consultancy, said there's "no doubt that both leaders would like to see stability in the relationship, at least through the end of the year." However, "you'd have to see further tangible outcomes for this truce to extend in the long run." Read: Xi calls for new cha...

Multiple pro-Palestinian users, based on their past posts, across social media platforms have been sharing a video since September 23, 2026, allegedly showing Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni criticising Israel at the ongoing 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York. However, the clip is old, from her speech during the 80th UNGA session in 2025. The 81st UNGA Session opened in New York on September 8, 2026. The high-level General Debate, considered the highlight of the annual gathering, commenced on September 22. More than 150 heads of state and government addressed the UNGA over the week, outlining their positions on pressing global issues ranging from peace and security to climate change and sustainable development. While traditionally a close ally of Israel, Italy recently suspended the renewal of a defence agreement, reflecting growing unease over the escalation. At the same time, Italy has supported efforts to secure global energy routes and protect maritime tr...

Delegations from nearly 70 countries walked out of the United Nations General Assembly hall or left their seats vacant Thursday as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu began his address, staging a mass protest over Israel’s genocide in Gaza and its attacks across the region. An Anadolu review of footage from the 81st UN General Assembly showed dozens of delegations leaving the chamber together after Netanyahu approached the podium. Some countries left a single representative or junior diplomat behind, while others did not attend the address. Turkiye, Palestine, Tunisia, Syria, Algeria, Yemen, Egypt, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Iran, Qatar, Lebanon, Malaysia, Indonesia and Kuwait were among the countries whose representatives joined the protest. Delegations from Spain, Brazil, Peru, Cuba, Nigeria, Ghana, Libya, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Oman, Niger, Madagascar, Botswana, the Bahamas, Antigua and Barbuda, Cabo Verde and several other countries also walked out or remaine...

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Thursday hit back at Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's criticisms in his United Nations General Assembly address, pointing to the international warrant seeking the visiting prime minister’s arrest. Netanyahu’s “lies” in his UN address cannot erase the warrant for genocidal war crimes issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC), said the mayor. “As he has done time and again, Prime Minister Netanyahu used his speech to repeat baseless lies meant to sanitise his genocide of Palestinians," Mamdani said in a statement, local media reported. "Yet no lie can change the fact that he remains the subject of an International Criminal Court arrest warrant alleging war crimes and crimes against humanity.” In November 2024 the ICC, based in The Hague, issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and former Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Gaza ...

India's 'Cockroach' youth movement leaders said on Thursday ​that they would launch ‌protests across the country if India's chief election officer does ​not resign in ​48 hours, a day after ⁠a newspaper report pointed ​to differences among top officers ​leading the poll panel. The Indian Express newspaper said on Wednesday that ​two election commissioners had ​raised questions or expressed concern at ‌least ⁠14 times in 10 months, mostly in connection with the process of updating ​voters' lists ​that ⁠began last year, with Chief Election Commissioner ​Gyanesh Kumar. The Election ​Commission ⁠of India said that differences were normal in any ⁠institution ​and that all ​its actions were legal. In July, Indian youth protesters called off ​weeks of demonstrations and celebrated in the streets after the education minister quit and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government bowed to demands including calls to fix ‌a cheating-prone exam system. ...