Headlines- "In line with the ceasefire in Lebanon, the passage for all commercial vessels through Strait of Hormuz is declared completely open for the remaining period of ceasefire, on the coordinated route as already announced by Ports and Maritime Organization of the Islamic [Republic] of Iran," Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in a post on the X social media platform..
- The declaration of the ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon was applauded by the International Rescue Committee (IRC), which described it as "a critical and long-overdue reprieve for civilians who have endured weeks of unrelenting violence."
- The ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon has been welcomed by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who expressed optimism that it will lay the groundwork for long-term stability in the Middle East.
- As part of an earlier two-week ceasefire deal between Tehran and the United States to pause the conflict in the Middle East, Iran's Foreign Ministry praised the ceasefire reached by Israel and Lebanon.
- At midnight local time on Friday, gunfire broke out in the southern suburbs of Beirut as a ceasefire with Israel came into effect.
- The Lebanese Ministry of Public Health estimates that since March 2, Israeli forces have killed at least 2,196 civilians and injured another 7,185.
- The Lebanese government urges people not return back to their homes in southern Lebanon, despite Israel and Lebanon have reached a 10-day ceasefire.
- The United States is "very close" to a deal with Iran, President Donald Trump told reporters outside the White House.
Category: Special Video Report
A ‘Professional’ Hit: Victim’s Wife On...
The common-law wife of a former Chechen fighter gunned down in Berlin says his killing bears the hallmarks of a professional hit job amid claims the suspect worked for Russian military intelligence. The killing has raised concerns about the safety of other Chechens seeking asylum in Germany
New Tech
Self-driving cars may be years from becoming reality on the road, but some of the technology going into autonomous vehicles is being used to make driving safer today..Online cooking videos are an indispensable tool for at-home chefs, but using a mobile device in the kitchen can get messy. A New York University student has solved the problem by turning the traditional apron into a remote control for devices
The Ups And Downs Of Prague’s...
Paternosters — continuously circulating elevators without doors which passengers hop on and off of — were once common in Europe, but have now largely disappeared as a result of modernization or because of safety or accessibility concerns. The Czech capital Prague still has 28 working paternosters and an avid group of devotees
Abandoned Russian Chemical Plant Threatens Ecological...
The derelict Usolyekhimprom chemical plant contains tanks of chlorine, mercury, and other deadly substances spread across hundreds of hectares in Russia’s Irkutsk region. During a visit this July, the head of Russia’s environmental safety agency warned that the site poses a potential environmental disaster on the scale of Chernobyl
Worth of a Girl: VOA Looks...
About 650 million girls worldwide were married before age 18. That is about 17% of the world’s female population, according to UNICEF. These marriages often keep girls from completing their education and can lead to devastating psychological and physical consequences
Slave Records in Angola Show Exploitation...
The first enslaved Africans landed in what is now the United States 400 years ago. Those first African captives came from the Portuguese colony of Angola, brought to the shores of Virginia in 1619. Some 6 million enslaved Africans came from Angola, most of them sent to Portugal’s colonies, though some ended up in North America
African American Families Seek Clues About...
Four hundred years ago, the first enslaved Africans landed in what would become Virginia. August 1619 marked the beginning of nearly 250 years of slavery in America — what many have called “America’s Original Sin.”
US Commemorates 400th Anniversary of Slavery...
This August marks the 400th anniversary of the landing of the first enslaved Africans in Virginia. Their arrival was the start of what would become one of the darkest chapters in U.S. history, 224 years of slavery
‘I Still Have Nightmares’: Kyrgyz Police...
From brutal beatings to suffocation with plastic bags, police in Kyrgyzstan have been accused of using torture tactics on hundreds of people
Bees, Bulls, And Blogs — Pakistan’s...
Up to 3,000 journalists have been laid off in Pakistan over the last year. With the country’s traditional media industry in crisis, some unemployed journalists have started up their own digital outlets while others have left the business altogether