Latest news with #aggression
Asharq Al-Awsat
3 days ago
- Politics
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Hezbollah Rejects Deadline for its Disarmament as Lebanese Govt Holds Crucial Meeting
Hezbollah Secretary General Sheikh Naim Qassem declared on Tuesday that his party will not agree to any timeframe for its disarmament as long as "Israel continues its aggression" against Lebanon. Lebanon's cabinet was meeting on Tuesday to discuss Hezbollah's arsenal, after Washington ramped up pressure on ministers to publicly commit to disarming the Iran-backed group and amid fears Israel could intensify strikes if they fail to do so. The session at Lebanon's presidential palace was the first time that cabinet would discuss the fate of Hezbollah's weapons - unimaginable when the group was at the zenith of its power just two years ago. In a televised address, Qassem urged the state to set "plans to confront the pressure and threats". It must not "strip its resistance (Hezbollah) of its abilities and strength," he added. Qassem threatened Israel directly for the first time in months, saying missiles would fall on it if it resumed a broad war on Lebanon. He said that, should Israel engage in a "large-scale aggression" against Lebanon, Hezbollah, Lebanon's army and Lebanon's people would defend themselves. "This defense will lead to missiles falling inside the Israeli entity, and all the security they have built over eight months will collapse within an hour," he said. A US-brokered ceasefire in November brought an end to months of fighting between Hezbollah and Israel. The war killed much of Hezbollah's leadership - including Qassem's predecessor Hassan Nasrallah - and destroyed much of its arsenal. Qassem said the war had killed 5,000 Hezbollah fighters and wounded 13,000, the first official toll the group has given. But he said the organization remained in good order, with fighters ready to make "the harshest sacrifices" if needed. Minutes after he spoke, dozens of men on motorcycles carrying Hezbollah's yellow flags emerged from its strongholds in Beirut's southern suburbs for the second day in a row. Pressure from the US and Hezbollah's domestic rivals for the group to relinquish its arms has spiked following last year's war with Israel. In June, US envoy Thomas Barrack proposed a roadmap to Lebanese officials to fully disarm Hezbollah, in exchange for Israel halting its strikes on Lebanon and withdrawing its troops from five points they still occupy in southern Lebanon. That proposal included a condition that Lebanon's government pass a cabinet decision clearly pledging to disarm Hezbollah. After Barrack made several trips to Lebanon to urge progress on the plan, Washington's patience began wearing thin, Reuters reported last week. It pressured Lebanon's ministers to swiftly make the public pledge so that talks could continue. But Lebanese officials and diplomats say such an explicit vow could spark communal tensions in Lebanon, where Hezbollah and its arsenal retain significant support among the country's Shiite community. Addressing Lebanese officials, Qassem said: "I hope you don't waste time on the storms stirred up by external dictates." PROPOSED WORDING On Monday evening, a group of dozens of motorcycles set out from a neighborhood in Beirut's suburbs where Hezbollah has strong support, carrying the party's flags. Hezbollah's main ally, Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, has been in talks with President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam ahead of Tuesday's session to agree on a general phrase to include in a cabinet decision to appease the US and buy Lebanon more time, two Lebanese officials said. Berri's proposed wording would commit Lebanon to forming a national defense strategy and maintaining a ceasefire with Israel, but would avoid an explicit pledge to disarm Hezbollah across Lebanon, the officials said. But other Lebanese ministers plan to propose a formulation that commits Lebanon to a deadline to disarm Hezbollah, said Kamal Shehadi, a minister affiliated with the anti-Hezbollah Lebanese Forces party. "There's frankly no need to kick the can down the road and postpone a decision. We have to put Lebanon's interest first and take a decision today," Shehadi told Reuters. Lebanese officials and foreign envoys say Lebanese leaders fear that a failure to issue a clear decision on Tuesday could prompt Israel to escalate its strikes, including on Beirut. Since the ceasefire, Israel has continued to carry out strikes on what it says are Hezbollah arms depots and fighters, mostly in southern Lebanon.
Malay Mail
29-07-2025
- Politics
- Malay Mail
Iran warns of ‘decisive' retaliation if attacked again by US or Israel
TEHRAN, July 29 — Iran's foreign minister warned on Monday that it would respond to the United States and Israel in a 'more decisive manner' should they attack Iran again. The comments appeared to be in response to remarks by US President Donald Trump, who had threatened earlier in the day to 'wipe out' the Islamic republic's nuclear programme if it resumed atomic activities following a round of US strikes last month. 'If aggression is repeated, we will not hesitate to react in a more decisive manner and in a way that will be IMPOSSIBLE to cover up,' Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in a post on X. 'If there are concerns about the possible diversion of our nuclear program into non-peaceful purposes, the 'military option' proved incapable — but a negotiated solution may work,' he added. It remains unclear how much damage was caused by the US strikes on Tehran's nuclear facilities, which came after Israel launched a surprise bombing campaign that it said was aimed at preventing Iran from obtaining an atomic weapon. Israel's attacks had derailed US-Iran nuclear negotiations that began in April. Over the course of the 12-day war, Iran responded with missile attacks on Israeli cities, as well as one on a nearby US base in Qatar — a response Trump had previously shrugged off. During a visit to Scotland on Monday, Trump maintained the previous strikes on Iran 'wiped out their nuclear possibilities'. 'They can start again. If they do, we'll wipe it out faster than you can wave your finger at it,' he added. Before the war broke out, the United States and Iran were divided over uranium enrichment — with Tehran describing it as a 'non-negotiable' right, and Washington calling it a 'red line'. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) says Iran is the only non-nuclear-armed country currently enriching uranium to 60 per cent — a short step from the 90-per cent enrichment required for a nuclear weapon. Tehran, which has consistently denied pursuing a bomb, has said it is open to discussing the rate and level of enrichment, but not the right to enrichment itself. In his post, Araghchi said: 'No one in their right mind would abandon the fruits of tremendous investment in homegrown and peaceful technology' just because of foreign bullying. — AFP
Yahoo
28-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
James Pearce, other Falcons went "a little too far" in practice scuffles Sunday
Falcons first-round pick James Pearce was in the middle of the fray during Sunday's training camp practice. Pearce scuffled with left guard Matthew Bergeron and right tackle Kaleb McGary on back-to-back plays during a drill pitting the first-team offense against the second-team defense. Pearce's fellow edge rusher Leonard Floyd got involved both times as well and defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich said after the session that the rookie's "anger got the best of him a little bit. "We're trying to develop a culture, a style of play for sure, and part of that is the violence with which we play and aggression, the urgency and all that," defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich said, via Marc Raimondi of "Today, at times, it went a little too far and we've got to learn how to manage that. You're going to get agitated and, especially when you're playing really good defense, the offense is going to get very agitated, so you've got to anticipate punches being thrown, things being said, people getting pushed. In those moments, you got to thrive and not retaliate and so it's a good lesson to be learned today." The Falcons are over a week away from their first preseason game, so Pearce and the rest of the club are going to have to try to find ways to make cooler heads prevail for a little while longer before they'll have a chance to let out their aggression on players in other jerseys.
CTV News
24-07-2025
- CTV News
Coyotes bite Calgary woman and her dog in West Confederation Park
A Calgary woman and her dog are recovering after a violent encounter with two coyotes on a bike path in West Confederation Park—an incident highlighting a growing concern over coyote aggression in the city. A Calgary woman and her dog are recovering after a violent encounter with two coyotes on a bike path in West Confederation Park—an incident highlighting a growing concern over coyote aggression in the city. Kimberley Holmes and her three-year-old dog, Theodora, were attacked on July 11 during a midday stroll. 'We were violently attacked by two coyotes,' said Holmes. When Theodora was bitten multiple times, Holmes attempted to shield her dog from further harm. 'Scooped her up into my arms and tried to protect her at that point. The one jumped at me and bit me in the chin,' said Holmes. Holmes has lived in the area near the park for 21 years and says there has been a significant change in coyote behaviour over the past year and a half, observing them becoming increasingly aggressive in the park. A Calgary woman and her dog are recovering after a violent encounter with two coyotes on a bike path in West Confederation Park—an incident highlighting a growing concern over coyote aggression in the city. A Calgary woman and her dog are recovering after a violent encounter with two coyotes on a bike path in West Confederation Park—an incident highlighting a growing concern over coyote aggression in the city. CTV News cameras captured two coyotes in the park on Tuesday. The City of Calgary's 311 line has received nearly 1,500 calls about coyotes this year alone. Holmes says the city should remove the coyotes from the area or at least deter them from confronting humans. 'My neighbours and myself, we're all afraid to use the park,' she said. 'There are children everywhere in that park. If somebody's child gets attacked, the city's in a position of negligence.' Shelley Alexander, a geography professor at the University of Calgary and a human-coyote conflict expert, says dog owners should keep their pets on a short leash and in sight. 'They (coyotes) don't care whether it's a small dog or a large dog,' she said. 'They view them as a threat to the pups. … It's exceedingly rare for coyotes to attack people. We're talking, on average, three people per year in all of Canada.' Lisa Howells, who lives near the Shaganappi Golf Course with her dog, 14-year-old Teddy, has also experienced aggressive coyote encounters, including two last week. 'A coyote spotted us and started circling. Then Teddy and I started to walk home. It came out of nowhere and then chased us to our front step and had its paws on our front step,' said Howells. Warning signs have been placed to notify residents of potential danger in West Confederation Park. The city has also initiated daily patrols with wildlife management contractors. Alexander suggests carrying an umbrella or a plastic bag to scare off the canines. 'Coyotes typically respond to those things,' she said. The city confirmed Holmes' attack is the only reported incident involving a coyote in West Confederation Park it is aware of. While it's rare for the city to remove coyotes, officials stated it could happen if their behaviour poses a risk to public safety.
Al Arabiya
22-07-2025
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
Top French diplomat visits Ukraine frontline region
France's Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot on Tuesday visited Ukraine's northeastern frontline region of Kharkiv, where Russia launched a new offensive last year. With a small group of journalists including AFP, Barrot walked through the center of Kharkiv, which is under constant fire from the Russian forces located some 30 kilometers (18 miles) away. 'Russia isn't only leading its war of aggression on the front line. It also deliberately targets civilians, residential areas and businesses to undermine Ukrainian morale,' Barrot said standing on a rooftop overlooking the city, from where ruined offices and residential buildings could be seen. His Ukrainian counterpart Andriy Sybiga thanked him for the visit, saying 'our people need to understand that they are not alone.' Kharkiv, Ukraine's second largest city, was home to 1.4 million people before the war and has long been known for literature, industry, and student life. 'War is waged not only with trucks and tanks, but also with intelligence,' Barrot said, before heading to the Kharkiv literature museum. He then visited a military position at an undisclosed location, where he was briefed on the front line situation in northeastern and eastern Ukraine. The minister also spoke to servicemen and had lunch in the military canteen.
