Hezbollah chief rejects disarmament as pressure on Lebanon grows
Lebanon's Hezbollah leader Sheikh Naim Qassem delivers a speech from an unknown location, November 20, 2024 in this still image from video. REUTERS TV/Al Manar TV via REUTERS/File Photo
BEIRUT - Lebanon's Hezbollah leader Sheikh Naim Qassem said on Wednesday that calls for the Iran-aligned militant group's disarmament served only Israel, as the United States ramps up pressure for steps to remove its arsenal.
"Those who call for submitting arms practically demand submitting them to Israel ... We will not submit to Israel," Qassem said in a televised address.
Hezbollah emerged badly damaged from a war with Israel last year that eliminated most of the group's leadership, killed thousands of its fighters and left tens of thousands of its supporters displaced from their destroyed homes.
The U.S. is now pushing Lebanon to issue a formal cabinet decision committing to disarm Hezbollah before talks can resume on a halt to Israeli military operations in the country, five sources familiar with the matter told Reuters.
Hezbollah has publicly refused to hand over its arsenal in full, but has privately weighed scaling it back.
"Those who call for disarmament on a domestic, global or Arab level serve the Israeli project," Qassem said.
He also said the U.S. was demanding a removal of Hezbollah's missiles and drones because they "scare" Israel, accusing U.S. special envoy Thomas Barrack of calling for disarmament for the sake of Israel and not Lebanon's own security.
"Israel will not be able to defeat us and it will not be able to take Lebanon hostage," he added.
In early July, Barrack met Lebanese officials in Beirut to discuss the disarmament proposal. It would see Hezbollah fully disarmed within four months in exchange for the withdrawal of Israeli troops occupying several posts in south Lebanon and a halt to Israeli air strikes.
Hezbollah has been under pressure in recent months both within Lebanon and from Washington to completely relinquish its weaponry. REUTERS
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
21 minutes ago
- Straits Times
Trump's higher tariff rates hit goods from major US trading partners
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Mr Trump has touted the vast increase in federal revenues from his import tax collections. President Donald Trump's higher tariff rates of 10 per cent to 50 per cent on dozens of trading partners kicked in on Aug 7, testing his strategy for shrinking US trade deficits without massive disruptions to global supply chains, higher inflation and stiff retaliation from trading partners. US Customs and Border Protection agency began collecting the higher tariffs at 12.01am (12.01pm Singapore time) after weeks of suspense over Mr Trump's final tariff rates and frantic negotiations with major trading partners that sought to lower them. Goods loaded onto US-bound vessels and in transit before the midnight deadline can enter at lower prior tariff rates before Oct 5, according to a CBP notice to shippers issued this week. Imports from many countries had previously been subject to a baseline 10 per cent import duty after Mr Trump paused higher rates announced in early April. But since then, Mr Trump has frequently modified his tariff plan, slapping some countries with much higher rates, including 50 per cent for goods from Brazil, 39 per cent from Switzerland, 35 per cent from Canada and 25 per cent from India. He announced a separate 25 per cent tariff on Indian goods on Aug 6 to be imposed in 21 days over the South Asian country's purchases of Russian oil. Ahead of the deadline, Mr Trump heralded the 'billions of dollars' that will flow into the US, largely from countries that he said had taken advantage of the United States. 'THE ONLY THING THAT CAN STOP AMERICA'S GREATNESS WOULD BE A RADICAL LEFT COURT THAT WANTS TO SEE OUR COUNTRY FAIL!' Mr Trump said on Truth Social. Eight major trading partners accounting for about 40 per cent of US trade flows have reached framework deals for trade and investment concessions with Mr Trump, including the European Union, Japan and South Korea, reducing their base tariff rates to 15 per cent. Britain won a 10 per cent rate, while Vietnam, Indonesia, Pakistan and the Philippines secured rate reductions to 19 per cent or 20 per cent. 'For those countries, it's less bad news,' said Mr William Reinsch, a senior fellow and trade expert at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies in Washington. 'There'll be some supply chain rearrangement. There'll be a new equilibrium. Prices here will go up, but it'll take a while for that to show up in a major way,' Mr Reinsch said. Countries with punishingly high duties, such as India and Canada, 'will continue to scramble around trying to fix this', he added. Mr Trump's order has specified that any goods determined to have been trans-shipped from a third country to evade higher US tariffs will be subject to an additional 40 per cent import duty, but his administration has released few details on how these goods would be identified or the provision enforced. Mr Trump's July 31 tariff order imposed duties above 10 per cent on 67 trading partners, while the rate was kept at 10 per cent for those not listed. These import taxes are one part of a multilayered tariff strategy that includes national security-based sectoral tariffs on semiconductors, pharmaceuticals, autos, steel, aluminium, copper, lumber and other goods. Mr Trump said on Aug 6 that the microchip duties could reach 100 per cent. China is on a separate tariff track and will face a potential tariff increase on Aug 12 unless Mr Trump approves an extension of a prior truce after talks last week in Sweden. He has said he may impose additional tariffs over China's purchases of Russian oil as he seeks to pressure Moscow into ending its war in Ukraine. Financial markets largely shrugged off the new tariffs, with stock markets in Asia at or near record highs while the dollar dipped slightly. Revenues, price hikes Mr Trump has touted the vast increase in federal revenues from his import tax collections, which are ultimately paid by companies importing the goods and consumers of end products. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has said that US tariff revenues could top US$300 billion (S$385 billion) a year. The move will drive average US tariff rates to around 20 per cent, the highest in a century and up from 2.5 per cent when Mr Trump took office in January, the Atlantic Institute estimates. Commerce Department data released last week showed more evidence that tariffs began driving up US prices in June, including for home furnishings and durable household equipment, recreational goods and motor vehicles. Costs from Mr Trump's tariff war are mounting for a wide swath of companies, including bellwethers Caterpillar, Marriott, Molson Coors and Yum Brands. All told, global companies that have reported earnings so far this quarter are looking at a hit of around US$15 billion to profits in 2025, Reuters' global tariff tracker shows. REUTERS
Straits Times
21 minutes ago
- Straits Times
In Australia's housing war, political shift picks newbies over NIMBYs
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox The view of the Sydney Harbour Bridge next to a residential properties in Sydney, Australia, July 10, 2025. REUTERS/Hollie Adams SYDNEY - Australia's affordable housing push has arrived in the wealthy Sydney suburb of Mosman, where new planning laws now challenge longstanding resistance to development in the leafy area known for mansions and sweeping harbour views. State authorities in Sydney and Melbourne - Australia's two biggest cities - are stripping some planning powers from suburban councils, including ones like Mosman that have created national headlines over opposition to new housing from older, wealthier constituents. The broad policy shift comes as political deference to NIMBY (Not In My Backyard) sentiment gives way to demands for more housing from younger voters whose electoral heft now rivals the traditionally powerful baby boomer bloc. In Mosman, there are fears the reforms will ultimately alter the character of the suburb, which boasts natural beauty, high-end stores and a median house price of over A$5 million ($3.23 million). "We're surrounded by water with harbour views so there are people who are going to have literally millions of dollars knocked off the value of their property because their view will be blocked," said Simon Menzies, an elected Mosman councillor of 20 years. The new laws are designed to allow more housing at key transport and commercial hubs and give the New South Wales state government powers to override council objections to large developments. Similar rules to fast-track three-storey apartment blocks have been introduced in Melbourne's state of Victoria. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Some ageing condos in Singapore struggle with failing infrastructure, inadequate sinking funds Singapore PUB investigating wastewater discharge in Eunos: Pritam Singapore Water gel guns among newer tools NParks uses to manage monkeys in estates Life Feeling extra patriotic? Here are 7 other SG60 songs beyond official NDP theme Here We Are Business DBS shares hit record-high after Q2 profit beats forecast on strong wealth fees, trading income World Trump eyes 100% chips tariff, but 0% for US investors like Apple World Trump's 100% semiconductor tariffs may hit chipmakers in Singapore, other SEA nations Singapore SCDF officer who molested female subordinate gets 15 months' jail Five kilometres from Mosman, a new metro line in the suburb of Crows Nest means the state government has given a 22-storey apartment building the green light, overriding years-long council opposition. In Mosman, objections from neighbours to one such proposal are already pouring in, but the council said there is little they can do about it. The government intervention tracks a broader international trend, particularly in high-demand markets like London and California where soaring costs have hampered home ownership for young people. Sydney's house prices have surged more than 30% over the past five years, outpacing wage growth. New South Wales Premier Chris Minns warns Sydney, the state's capital, risks becoming "a city with no grandchildren". It is already the second-most unaffordable city globally after Hong Kong. "Their narrative is get out of our way. We want to build as many homes as possible to enable young Sydney residents to buy their homes," said Kos Samaras, director at polling firm Redbridge. "I think the political ballast that was there to protect the interests of homeowners is now gone." THE CASE TO BUILD Australia's sprawling cities are among the world's least densely populated and historically built to accommodate suburban aspirations of owning detached houses with large backyards, not apartment living. That has shifted in recent decades, particularly as waves of immigrants and students settle in high-rises around public transport hubs. The latest housing push is designed to fill in the "missing middle" - townhouses, terraces and low-rise residential flats, which typically meet opposition from councils. Research from the Productivity Commission showed industry is only building half as many homes per hour, compared with 30 years ago, hampered in part by approval processes that can stretch more than a decade. Federal Housing Minister Clare O'Neil said 40 years of state, local and federal government regulations have created an impenetrable "wall of bureaucracy" for anyone trying to build a house. "I think we've reached a tipping point here where the majority of our population are actually in housing distress themselves or are deeply concerned about the people that they know, especially that younger generation," O'Neil told Reuters. After her party's landslide victory in the May federal election, O'Neil is pledging "bigger and bolder" policies. A productivity roundtable this month presents an opportunity to remove some of those requirements, she added. The turnaround may have already started. Building approvals of apartments surged almost 90% in the first half of the year, driven by a 33% jump in New South Wales. Construction jobs jumped 20% in the three months to May and construction starts of higher density homes rose over 20% in the first quarter. Peter Tulip, chief economist at the Centre for Independent Studies, expects a substantial step-up in construction in New South Wales and Victoria from 2026 onwards. However, supply will still struggle to meet demand, pushing prices higher. Indeed, national home prices have hit fresh records each month, fuelled by rate cuts and the expectations of more to come. Justin Simon, chair of housing advocacy group Sydney YIMBY, said Mosman had great amenity and was exactly the sort of place where new housing was needed. "There is no way an ordinary person, essential workers, cleaners, nurses or anyone else could ever afford to live in Mosman and that is because for decades they have stopped new homes being built and we need to turn that around," he said. MONEY TALKS Some Mosman property owners impacted by policy changes are joining forces to sell entire blocks to developers, capitalising on strong demand for higher-density housing in the harbourside suburb. The first application under the new policy, for example, is a six-storey residential building near the main town centre, comprising 29 dwellings, most of which are the family-sized three-bedroom units Sydney lacks. Objections cited issues such as traffic, road safety, parking and privacy concerns, public submissions to the council showed. "These are mainly three-bedroom units, each with double beds, so the total number of eyes that will be looking into this area (my backyard) would be 110," said a neighbor of the development, who has lived in Mosman since 1999 and asked to remain anonymous. "If they're all occupied, it's 110 eyes looking every time I hang my underwear outside." While that local backlash could yet create wider pressure for the government, politicians for now are siding with what they see as demographic inevitability. "Sydney, Wollongong, Newcastle - these cities aren't museums," said Paul Scully, New South Wales planning minister. "They need to grow and evolve and adapt and change in the same way our population changes." REUTERS
Straits Times
an hour ago
- Straits Times
North Korean rescued after swimming across border
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Tens of thousands of North Koreans have fled to the South since the peninsula was divided by war in the 1950s. Seoul - A North Korean defector who swam across a sea border with South Korea while reportedly tied to floating plastic has been rescued and taken into custody, Seoul authorities said on Aug 7. The North Korean managed to swim across the de facto maritime border off the western coast of the Korean peninsula on the night of July 30, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said. The border is known as the Northern Limit Line and has occasionally served as a route for North Korean defectors swimming to South Korea's Ganghwa Island. 'The military identified the individual near the north of the mid-river boundary,' a military official told reporters. The individual, who local media reported was tied to Styrofoam when he was found, waved for help and said he wanted to defect to South Korea when asked by a South Korean naval officer, the official said. The operation took about 10 hours, according to Seoul, and the individual was rescued at around 4am on July 31. The North Korean is now in custody and has expressed their wish to defect, the defence ministry said. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Some ageing condos in Singapore struggle with failing infrastructure, inadequate sinking funds Singapore PUB investigating wastewater discharge in Eunos: Pritam Singapore Water gel guns among newer tools NParks uses to manage monkeys in estates World Trump eyes 100% chips tariff, but 0% for US investors like Apple World Trump's 100% semiconductor tariffs may hit chipmakers in Singapore, other SEA nations Business DBS shares hit record-high after Q2 profit beats forecast on strong wealth fees, trading income Business UOB lowers outlook on tariff impact after 6% drop in Q2 profit; shares fall 1.7% Singapore SCDF officer who molested female subordinate gets 15 months' jail Ganghwa Island, located northwest of Seoul, is one of the closest South Korean territories to North Korea, with some parts of the surrounding sea lying just 10km from the maritime border between the two countries. Tens of thousands of North Koreans have fled to the South since the peninsula was divided by war in the 1950s, with most going overland to neighbouring China first, then entering a third country such as Thailand before finally making it to the South. Defections across the land border that divides the peninsula are relatively rare, as the area is densely forested, heavily mined and monitored by soldiers on both sides. But a North Korean man defected in July to the South by crossing the Military Demarcation Line. The number of successful escapes dropped significantly from 2020 after the North sealed its borders – purportedly with shoot-on-sight orders along the frontier with China – to prevent the spread of Covid-19. North Koreans are typically handed over to Seoul's intelligence agency for screening when they arrive in the South. AFP
