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Israel, Lebanon to hold 2nd ambassador-level talks in US amid fragile ceasefire

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Washington, April 22: Israel and Lebanon are expected to hold their second ambassador-level talks at the US State Department in Washington, US media reported.

Israel and Lebanon will again be represented by their ambassadors to the United States, Yechiel Leiter and Nada Hamadeh Moawad, respectively.

A 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon came into effect at midnight between Thursday and Friday, following weeks of intensified cross-border fighting amid the US-Israeli war against Iran, reports Xinhua news agency.

The truce has remained fragile as tensions along Lebanon’s southern border continue. Lebanon’s official National News Agency reported that Israeli forces escalated operations across southern Lebanon at dawn on Tuesday, carrying out widespread demolitions, stepping up aerial surveillance, and issuing evacuation warnings despite the ceasefire.

Israel and Lebanon have no formal diplomatic relations, and Hezbollah has long been viewed by Israel as a “proxy” of Iran. The negotiating party with Israel is the Lebanese government, not Hezbollah.

Meanwhile, Hezbollah said it launched rockets and attack drones at an Israeli artillery position in the settlement of Kfar Giladi on Tuesday evening, marking an escalation despite an ongoing ceasefire.

The group said in a statement that the attack targeted the source of recent Israeli artillery fire toward the Lebanese town of Yahmar al-Shaqif, describing the strike as a response to what it called repeated Israeli violations of the ceasefire since it took effect, including attacks on civilians and destruction of homes in southern Lebanon.

A US-backed 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon came into force at midnight between Thursday and Friday, following weeks of intensified cross-border fighting, although the truce has remained fragile.

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Pakistan rebuilds Jaish-e-Mohammed Bahawalpur base destroyed by India during Operation Sindoor: Report

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New Delhi, Aug 25: UN-designated terrorist group Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) headquarters in Pakistan’s Bahawalpur, which were damaged in strikes launched by India under Operation Sindoor last year, have been rebuilt, according to reports.

According to images and intelligence inputs accessed by several media reports, the Markaz Subhanallah, which was badly damaged in India’s strikes last year, has been rebuilt with new plaster, paint, and polished marble.

The central hall of the facility, which had been damaged, has been repaired, with the craters filled and the structure refurbished. The structure, which was fully damaged, now seems to be prepared for regular use by JeM.

The Pakistani establishment provided approximately (Pakistani) Rs 25 crore to JeM in cash instalments, with approximately Rs 11 crore reportedly given for reconstruction of the central hall, several media reports claimed, citing intelligence inputs.

The structures adjoining the main complex, including the Madrasa Al-Sabir, described as an indoctrination centre, and residential quarters used by JeM commanders, which were damaged during Operation Sindoor, have been cleared or demolished, and new construction has taken place at the site.

The Bahawalpur facility was among the sites targeted by India during Operation Sindoor launched in May last year, in response to the terrorist attack carried out in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam.

India struck at the heart of Pakistan-based terror infrastructure, targeting well-known training camps in Muridke and Bahawalpur in a joint operation conducted by the Indian Army, Air Force, and Navy.

The highly coordinated operation, launched on May 6 and 7, saw firing of 24 missiles that precisely hit nine terror facilities across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK), killing an estimated 70 terrorists.

Only verified terror camps were targeted, including the Lashkar-e-Taiba headquarters in Muridke and key facilities in Bahawalpur — both long identified as hubs of extremist training and indoctrination.

Operation Sindoor was a significant demonstration of India’s military and strategic capability, combining both military and non-military measures.

India launched the operation in response to the Pahalgam terror attack that took place on April 22, 2025, in which Pakistan-backed attackers singled out victims after asking about their religion, forcing them to recite the Islamic ‘kalima’ to identify non-Muslims. Among those killed were 25 tourists and one local pony ride operator who tried to save the tourists.

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Iran’s President says Washington must change tone, approach toward Tehran

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Tehran, Aug 25: Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has said that the United States must change its tone and approach toward Iran.

“The US reliance on coercion and bullying will only complicate executive processes,” Pezeshkian said at a meeting with Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir in Tehran on Monday (local time), according to a statement published on the website of the presidential office.

Pezeshkian stressed the need for the United States to remain committed to its obligations toward Iran “based on the (country’s) legitimate rights and international regulations.”

He expressed hope that the objectives stipulated in the US-Iran peace memorandum of understanding (MoU) would be achieved “with the continuation of the will and joint cooperation.”

On June 18, the United States and Iran signed the MoU, under which the two were scheduled to hold negotiations within a period of 60 days, which ended on August 17, to reach a final agreement. However, the talks’ fate remains unclear following renewed escalation between the two countries, reports Xinhua news agency.

Meanwhile, Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said on Monday that Iran will not let the war end based on conditions set by the “aggressive” parties.

“We have definitely not been the party to start the war, but we will not let the war’s end be based on the aggressive parties’ conditions,” Baghaei told a weekly press conference in Tehran.

He said that Iran remained determined to defend its territory and would not “compromise with the aggressive parties” or surrender to their “excessive demands.”

Baghaei dismissed US claims that the Strait of Hormuz was open and that millions of barrels of oil were passing through it each day, describing them as part of “psychological and media warfare”.

He also slammed Washington’s newly announced anti-Iran economic operation, saying Tehran would use all its “multilateral capacities” to counter US sanctions, which he described as a blow to free trade and national sovereignty.

The spokesman also warned that countries assisting US anti-Iran operations could face consequences, and called the US naval blockade an “act of aggression”.

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Bangladesh: Two arrested over brutal killing of four members of Hindu family in Rangpur

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Dhaka, Aug 24: Bangladesh police have arrested two young men in connection with the killing of a retired Hindu schoolteacher and three members of his family in Rangpur city.

Police said the duo planned and carried out the murders after the former Rangpur Zilla school teacher tried to prevent them from using yaba, a potent illicit methamphetamine-based drug, on the rooftop, according to local media reports.

The accused were identified as 23-year-old Siddhartha Das and 19-year-old Mugdha Das, both detained from the Dakhiganj cremation ground in the city. They allegedly ransacked the house to make the killings appear to be linked to a robbery.

The incident occurred on August 20, with police recovering the bodies of all four family members two days later, on Saturday night.

After the incident, the accused allegedly used the bathroom, ate dates from the table, and consumed yaba. They further allegedly soaked the mobile phones of Ganapati and Pritilata in washing-powder solution to wipe away fingerprints, according to police, Bangladeshi daily Dhaka Tribune reported.

The deceased were identified as retired Rangpur Zilla School teacher Ganapati Chakraborty, 65; his wife, Pritilata Chakraborty, 50; their daughter, Agami Chakraborty Prarthi, 23; and their son, Priyam Chakraborty, 12.

Speaking at a press conference on Sunday afternoon, Rangpur Metropolitan Police Commissioner Mohammad Abdul Mabud said that the suspects were allegedly consuming yaba on the rooftop of Ganapati’s house late Thursday night when the retired teacher went upstairs after hearing a noise.

Ganapati reportedly spotted the suspects consuming drugs and asked them to stop, following which they allegedly strangled him with a towel.

Hearing his screams, his wife, Pritilata, and daughter, Prarthi, rushed to the rooftop and were also allegedly strangled. The suspects then went inside the house and killed Priyam, the couple’s only son, in the same manner, the commissioner said. They allegedly stayed inside the house until Friday morning.

Following the brutal incident, hundreds of Rangpur Zilla School students on Sunday abstained from classes and staged a protest seeking the immediate arrest and capital punishment of those responsible for the killings.

The students marched to the offices of the Rangpur Metropolitan Police Commissioner and the district administration and submitted separate memorandums demanding justice. They later staged a human chain and demonstration on the main road in front of the school, Dhaka Tribune reported.

Meanwhile, the leading minority human rights organisation Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council strongly condemned the brutal killing, calling for proper investigation and exemplary punishment for those responsible.

The incident comes amid escalating attacks on minorities across Bangladesh that have persisted since the tenure of the former Muhammad Yunus-led interim government and continue under the current Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) administration.

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