Israel last night (Tuesday) threatened to return to war in Lebanon and target the state itself if its truce with Hezbollah collapses after the deadliest day since a ceasefire was agreed. In its strongest threat since last week’s deal to end 14 months of conflict, Israel said it would hold Lebanon responsible for failing to disarm militants who violate the ceasefire. ‘If we return to war we will act strongly……

A former ballerina was sentenced to 20 years in prison Tuesday in the 2020 shooting death of her estranged husband in Florida, US. CBS affiliate, WTSP reports that Ashley Benefield was sentenced to 20 years, with credit for time served, followed by 10 years probation. The case, which became known as the “Black Swan murder” trial, garnered national attention, with some comparing Benefield to the protagonist of the 2010 film…

….After being pardoned by his father A federal judge dismissed the gun case against Hunter Biden on Tuesday after President Biden issued a sweeping pardon for his son. U.S. District Judge Maryellen Noreika closed the case the week before Hunter Biden was to be sentenced. He could have faced up to 25 years in prison, though as a first-time offender he likely would have gotten far less time or avoided…

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s government early Wednesday lifted the martial law he imposed during a tense night of political drama in which troops surrounded parliament and lawmakers voted to reject military rule. Yoon said his government withdrew military personnel following a bipartisan parliamentary vote that rejected martial law, and the measure was formally lifted around 4:30 a.m. during a Cabinet meeting. In all, martial law was in effect…

South Korean president has said he will lift martial law, hours after the country’s parliament voted to block the measure.In a national address, Yoon Suk Yeol said: “I have accepted decision made by the National Assembly to dissolve and lift the martial law.”He had earlier announced he would impose martial law in a shock move that angered the rest of parliament – including members of his own ruling party -…

Gunmen have killed three soldiers, who were guarding an oil pipeline in Benin, a military source said Tuesday, in the latest attack in the West African country where jihadist violence is rising.”Four soldiers were also wounded and are receiving emergency care” after the incident Monday in the northeastern city of Malanville, the source told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity as he was not authorised to discuss it.The troops were…

A Chinese national living in California has been arrested and charged by federal law enforcement after he allegedly bought and exported guns and ammunition to North Korea at the direction of North Korean agents who funneled him $2 million to purchase the equipment, according to a newly unsealed criminal complaint. Shenghua Wen also admitted to trying to obtain military uniforms in an apparent attempt to help North Korean soldiers disguise…

Omer Neutra, an Israeli-American soldier from New York, has been confirmed dead in Gaza, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) has said. A grandson of Holocaust survivors, the 21-year-old from Long Island was thought to be a hostage captured by Hamas, but he was killed fighting militants during the Oct. 7, 2023 massacre, the IDF announced Monday. Neutra’s body was taken into Gaza, where it is still being held by Hamas.…

….Unless she pays $9bn before execution A Vietnamese court upheld the death penalty Tuesday for a property tycoon in a multibillion-dollar fraud case — but said her life could still be spared if she paid back three quarters of the assets she embezzled. Property developer Truong My Lan, 68, was convicted this year of swindling money from Saigon Commercial Bank (SCB) — which prosecutors said she controlled — and sentenced…

President-elect Donald Trump is pledging to block Japan’s Nippon Steel from buying U.S. Steel, a $14.9 billion deal announced a year ago that is now under review for its potential impact on U.S. national security. “I am totally against the once great and powerful U.S. Steel being bought by a foreign company, in this case Nippon Steel of Japan,” Trump wrote on Truth Social late Monday. “Through a series of…

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol on Tuesday declared martial law in an unannounced broadcast live on YTN television, claiming he would eradicate “shameless pro-North Korean anti-state forces.” He did not cite any specific threat from the nuclear-armed North, however, instead focusing on his domestic political opponents. The surprise move sent shockwaves through the country, which had a series of authoritarian leaders early in its history but has been considered…

A US judge has upheld her decision to reject Elon Musk’s $55.8 billion compensation package at Tesla, denying an attempt to restore the deal through a shareholder vote. Chancellor Kathaleen McCormick of Delaware’s Court of Chancery ruled on Monday that Tesla’s attempt to ratify Musk’s compensation plan through a vote in June could not overturn her earlier January decision, which deemed the package excessive and unfair to shareholders. In her…