INTERNACIONAL
Trump predicted Israel-Lebanon leaders would speak ‘tomorrow’ — Beirut shut it down as ceasefire emerges
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President Donald Trump announced Thursday that Israel and Lebanon have agreed to a 10-day ceasefire beginning at 5 p.m. Eastern Time, in what he described as a major step toward ending weeks of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah.
Trump said he had spoken separately with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and that both sides had agreed to begin formal talks aimed at reaching a broader peace agreement.
«I just had excellent conversations with the Highly Respected President Joseph Aoun, of Lebanon, and Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu, of Israel,» Trump wrote on Truth Social Thursday.
Trump said he has directed Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan «Razin’» Caine to work with both sides to achieve what he called a «lasting peace.»
IDF UNCOVERS HEZBOLLAH WEAPONS STASH INSIDE HOSPITAL IN LEBANON
Rescue workers search for victims at the site of an Israeli airstrike that hit a crowded neighborhood south of Beirut, Lebanon, April 5, 2026. (Hussein Malla/AP Photo)
The president later said he plans to invite Netanyahu and Aoun to the White House for what he described as the first meaningful talks between Israel and Lebanon since 1983.
«Both sides want to see PEACE, and I believe that will happen, quickly!» Trump wrote.
The announcement came after days of intense U.S. diplomacy and appeared to resolve an earlier dispute over whether Aoun would speak directly with Netanyahu.
«We are trying to create a little breathing room,» Trump wrote on Truth Social Wednesday, adding that the leaders of Israel and Lebanon had not spoken in some 34 years and saying, «It will happen tomorrow.»
Earlier Thursday, Lebanese officials had insisted that Aoun would not speak directly with Netanyahu before a ceasefire was reached.
Three Lebanese officials told Reuters that Aoun had no plans to speak with Netanyahu in the near future, and two of the officials said Lebanon’s embassy in Washington conveyed that position to the Trump administration before Aoun held a phone call with Rubio.
A senior Lebanese official later told Fox News Digital that there was intense domestic pressure inside Lebanon against further contacts with Israel while the fighting continued.
According to the official, many in Lebanon believed the government had already entered negotiations without receiving anything in return, making a ceasefire a prerequisite for any direct contact.
But shortly afterward, Lebanon’s presidency announced that Aoun had spoken directly with Trump.
According to the Lebanese presidency’s official X account, Aoun thanked Trump for his efforts to secure a ceasefire in Lebanon and achieve what it described as a lasting peace and stability that could pave the way for a broader regional peace process.
Aoun, who served as commander of Lebanon’s U.S.-backed armed forces before becoming president in 2025, said an Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon would be a necessary first step before Lebanese troops could fully deploy to the border region.
The diplomatic dispute comes as the White House presses for a broader deal to end the regional war that erupted after Iran-backed Hezbollah terror group entered the conflict March 2 in support of Iran.
Hezbollah’s intervention opened a new front in Lebanon just 15 months after the last major Israel-Hezbollah war.
Pakistan, which helped mediate the April 8 ceasefire between Israel and Iran, said ending the fighting in Lebanon is essential to preserving that agreement.
ISRAEL WARNS HEZBOLLAH ‘PLAYING WITH FIRE,’ PRESSES LEBANON TO ACT ON WEAPONS PLEDGE
A damaged building after an Israeli strike, following renewed hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel amid the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, in Beirut, Lebanon, March 6, 2026. (Stringer/Reuters)
«Peace in Lebanon is essential for peace talks,» Pakistani Foreign Ministry spokesman Tahir Andrabi said.
The Israeli security cabinet met late Wednesday to discuss a possible ceasefire in Lebanon, according to Israeli media.
Israeli officials have signaled openness to negotiations, but they are also insisting on continuing military operations until Hezbollah is pushed away from the border.
Israeli cabinet minister Gila Gamliel told Israeli media that Netanyahu had been expected to speak with Aoun «for the first time after so many years of no contact between the two countries.»
Israel and Lebanon remain formally at war and have had no direct leader-to-leader contact in decades.
The latest U.S. diplomatic push follows a rare meeting Tuesday in Washington between Lebanese Ambassador Nada Hamadeh Moawad and Israeli Ambassador Yechiel Leiter.
Those talks, held at the State Department under U.S. mediation, marked the first face-to-face discussions between senior Israeli and Lebanese officials in more than three decades.
Still, the prospect of a direct call between Netanyahu and Aoun has run into strong opposition inside Lebanon.
Hezbollah, which has opposed any contact with Israel, remains publicly against negotiations.
At the same time, Lebanon’s government has increasingly distanced itself from Hezbollah since the terror group entered the war.
The Lebanese government formally banned Hezbollah’s military activities March 2 and has spent the past year trying to disarm the Iranian-backed group without triggering a broader civil conflict.
Meanwhile, fighting intensified Thursday in southern Lebanon.
IRAN THREATENS TO END CEASEFIRE OVER HEZBOLLAH’S EXCLUSION FROM TRUCE DEAL
In this photo released by the Lebanese Presidency press office, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, right, meets U.S. Ambassador to Turkey and Special Envoy to Syria Tom Barrack, third left, U.S. deputy special presidential envoy to the Middle East Morgan Ortagus, second left, and U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Lisa A. Johnson, left, at the presidential palace in Baabda, in east of Beirut, Lebanon, Monday, Aug. 18, 2025. (Lebanese Presidency Press Office/AP)
Battles continued around the border town of Bint Jbeil, Lebanon, a longtime stronghold of Hezbollah — an Iran-backed terror group — that Israeli officials see as a key objective in the current offensive.
Netanyahu said Wednesday that Israeli forces were close to «overcoming» Hezbollah in Bint Jbeil.
The Israeli military’s immediate objective is to push Hezbollah farther from the border and prevent anti-tank missiles and other direct-fire weapons from threatening northern Israeli communities, Israel Defense Forces spokesperson Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani said in an interview with Fox News Digital.
He said Israeli troops are now holding what the military calls «defense lines» several kilometers inside Lebanon, positions designed to keep Hezbollah gunmen and anti-tank squads from once again overlooking Israeli towns.
«We’re going to make sure we keep diminishing them,» Shoshani said.
Lebanese security officials also said an Israeli airstrike destroyed the last remaining bridge over the Litani River leading into southern Lebanon.
The strike effectively cut off nearly a tenth of the country from the rest of Lebanon after earlier Israeli attacks destroyed other crossings.
HEZBOLLAH, IRAN UNLEASH COORDINATED CLUSTER BOMB STRIKES ON ISRAEL IN MAJOR ESCALATION
Smoke billows after reported strikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs, following an escalation between Hezbollah and Israel amid the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, as seen from Baabda, Lebanon, March 6, 2026. (Mohamed Azakir/Reuters)
Israel has vowed to turn the area south of the Litani River into a «no-go zone» for Hezbollah.
Israeli military chief of staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir said Wednesday that Hezbollah operatives would no longer be allowed to operate south of the river.
The Litani River, which runs roughly 20 miles north of Israel’s border, has long been viewed by Israel as the line beyond which Hezbollah forces should not be allowed to operate.
Hezbollah responded Thursday with fresh rocket fire into northern Israel.
Warning sirens sounded in several Israeli communities, sending residents into bomb shelters. There were no immediate reports of injuries.
More than 2,100 people have been killed in Lebanon since March 2 and more than 1.2 million have been displaced, according to Lebanese authorities.
Israeli officials say Hezbollah attacks have killed two Israeli civilians and 13 Israeli soldiers during the same period.
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Hezbollah members salute and raise the group’s yellow flags during the funeral of their fallen comrades Ismail Baz and Mohamad Hussein Shohury, who were killed in an Israeli strike on their vehicles, in Shehabiya in south Lebanon April 17, 2024. (AFP via Getty Images)
Fox News Digital reached out to the State Department, Lebanon’s embassy in Washington and the Israeli government for comment, but did not receive responses in time for publication.
Reuters contributed to this report.
conflicts, lebanon, benjamin netanyahu, middle east foreign policy, israel, war with iran
INTERNACIONAL
Estados Unidos presiona a la industria automotriz para fabricar armamento tras el conflicto con Irán
En su columna en Infobae al Mediodía, Andrei Serbin Pont describió el escenario de máxima alerta que atraviesa el gobierno norteamericano tras el conflicto con Irán, con stocks de misiles y municiones en mínimos históricos y un Pentágono decidido a movilizar la industria civil para evitar el desabastecimiento en futuros choques militares.
En diálogo con Maru Duffard, Jimena Grandinetti, Fede Mayol y Facundo Kablan, el analista internacional fue contundente: “El Departamento de Defensa o Departamento de Guerra, como le dicen ahora, ha estado hablando con General Motors, con Ford, con varias fábricas importantes del sector automotor, porque están muy preocupados sobre cómo viene funcionando la cadena logística norteamericana para la defensa”.
El Pentágono alerta sobre el agotamiento de municiones tras el conflicto con Irán
Serbin Pont precisó: “Se han disparado 850 misiles Tomahawks, que son aproximadamente el 17% del stock que tenían los Estados Unidos. Se han gastado 40% de los misiles interceptores THAAD y Patriot”. De acuerdo a los datos expuestos, el gasto en Tomahawks alcanzó USD 1.900 millones, una cifra que refleja la magnitud de la crisis logística.
El eje del debate se desplazó hacia los riesgos de enfrentar un conflicto de mayor escala con inventarios tan comprometidos. “Si esto pasó con Irán, ¿qué pasaría el día de mañana si tuviésemos un conflicto con Rusia o con China?”, planteó el analista. “Ahí ya no dependés de lo que podés producir en el momento, sino de lo que tenés stockeado y eventualmente de esa producción”.
Serbin Pont citó la advertencia de un referente clave de la industria: “Estados Unidos se quedaría sin municiones inteligentes en siete días de guerra”. Este diagnóstico, según explicó, obliga a revisar toda la estructura productiva nacional para recuperar una flexibilidad que permita responder en días y no en años.
Estrategias industriales y el recuerdo del “arsenal de la democracia”
La columna recuperó la memoria histórica estadounidense: “Resuena mucho con el famoso arsenal de la democracia”, destacó Serbin Pont, al recordar cómo Ford y Chrysler reconvirtieron sus fábricas para producir bombarderos y tanques durante la Segunda Guerra Mundial. “Se logró una reconversión muy rápida de toda la estructura industrial existente para alimentar el esfuerzo de guerra”.
El contexto actual es completamente distinto. “Ya no podemos seguir dependiendo de una fábrica hiperespecializada que fabrica un tipo de avión específico, y que cuando queremos aumentar la producción, duplicar esa producción tarda cinco años”, describió. “Cuando vayamos a la guerra con China, no vamos a tener cinco años, vamos a tener días para poder recuperar esos stocks”.
El Pentágono, según la columna, presiona para que la Casa Blanca utilice herramientas legales como la Ley de Producción para la Defensa. “El presidente Trump está emitiendo ciertas órdenes en el marco de la Ley de Producción para la Defensa, en el cual están tratando de que se priorice restablecer capacidades industriales dentro de los Estados Unidos”, explicó el analista.
Chips, reconversión y la advertencia a la industria automotriz
Serbin Pont subrayó: “Taiwán es el principal fuente de chips y todos los sistemas de armas modernos tienen algún tipo de chip”. La estrategia de Washington es clara: “Desde la administración de Biden se viene enfatizando: necesitamos empezar a producir chips en Estados Unidos. Va a ser caro, requiere un montón de inversión, pero necesitamos que estas empresas lo empiecen a hacer acá y también prepárense, industria”.
La advertencia oficial no deja margen de maniobra a los gigantes automotrices. “Si entramos en guerra y aplicamos la Ley de Producción de Defensa, tenemos la potestad como gobierno de ir a Ford y decir: ‘Ya no te estoy pidiendo autos, me voy a quedar con toda tu producción, tu stock de chips, para producir lo que yo necesito: misiles crucero, interceptores, drones’”.
El análisis de Serbin Pont recordó que este engranaje industrial existió en Estados Unidos hasta hace poco más de veinte años, pero fue desmantelado. “Los arsenales del ejército iban a una fábrica y decían: ‘Quiero que ustedes puedan fabricar este fusil. Les voy a pagar la maquinaria y quiero que la guarden. El día de mañana, cuando los movilice para una guerra, les voy a pedir dos millones’. Eso se desmanteló también”.
La presión oficial apunta a reconstruir esa base industrial. “Estados Unidos está muy convencido de que dentro de la próxima década puede enfrentarse a un conflicto armado con China o con Rusia”, advirtió Serbin Pont.
En la parte final de la columna, el analista conectó la problemática global con la realidad argentina: “Da también para discutir mucho en otros contextos, como en Argentina, qué pasa cuando los procesos de desindustrialización impactan de lleno sobre nuestra propia capacidad a futuro de desarrollar o proveernos de material para la defensa de forma soberana”.
—
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War,North America,Military Conflicts
INTERNACIONAL
South African ex-police chief gets tissue stuck on forehead while sweating during corruption inquiry
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Testimony at a major South African corruption inquiry was briefly overshadowed Tuesday by an unscripted moment — a suspended police chief with a tissue stuck to his brow.
Julius Mkhwanazi, the former deputy chief of the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department, was testifying before the Madlanga Commission when the awkward moment unfolded.
Mkhwanazi, who was suspended in November 2025 amid misconduct allegations, had been wiping sweat from his face after answering questions from the commission.
Part of the tissue, however, remained stuck to his head.
PRO GOLFER HOSPITALIZED AFTER FALLING DOWN ELEVATOR SHAFT IN FREAK ACCIDENT IN SOUTH AFRICA
Julius Mkhwanazi, the former deputy chief of the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department, testifies at the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry at Brigette Mabandla Judicial College on April 14, 2026 in Pretoria, South Africa. (SABC News)
The slip didn’t go unnoticed for long. Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga halted proceedings as the room took in the scene.
Advocate Sesi Baloyi SC and Mbuyiseli Madlanga attend the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry at Brigette Mabandla Judicial College in Pretoria on April 14, 2026. The commission was established by President Cyril Ramaphosa to investigate allegations made by KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Lt. Gen. Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi that South Africa’s criminal justice system was compromised. (Frennie Shivambu/Gallo Images)
«Oh, you have a tissue stuck on your forehead,» Madlanga tells the ex-police chief.
«I’m sweaty,» Mkhwanazi says. «Thank you, thank you.»
Julius Mkhwanazi testifies at the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry at Brigette Mabandla Judicial College in Pretoria, South Africa, on April 14, 2026. (Frennie Shivambu/Gallo Images)
SOUTH AFRICAN PRESIDENT THANKS PUTIN AFTER 17 MEN ‘LURED’ TO RUSSIAN FRONT LINES BEGIN RETURNING HOME
The Madlanga Commission is a public inquiry probing allegations of corruption and political interference in South Africa’s justice system. The current inquiry has been hearing testimony from current and former law enforcement officials.
Former deputy police chief Julius Mkhwanazi testifies at the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry at Brigette Mabandla Judicial College in Pretoria, South Africa, on April 14, 2026. The commission was established by President Cyril Ramaphosa to investigate allegations made by KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Lt. Gen. Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi about compromises in South Africa’s criminal justice system. (Frennie Shivambu/Gallo Images)
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Mkhwanazi has been under scrutiny since an internal audit recommended his suspension as part of a broader probe into alleged misconduct.
south africa, corruption, investigations
INTERNACIONAL
Harris stops in key presidential primary state after leaving door wide open to 2028 run
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Former Vice President Kamala Harris is sparking more speculation about whether she will launch another presidential run in 2028 by making stops this week in a crucial presidential primary state.
Harris is in Columbia, South Carolina, on Thursday after making stops Wednesday in Greenville. For more than two decades, South Carolina has been one of the key early-voting states in the Democratic Party’s nominating calendar, and visits by potential presidential contenders generate buzz about their national ambitions.
The South Carolina swing by the former vice president comes less than a week after she dropped a tantalizing comment at the first major cattle call of Democratic presidential contenders.
HARRIS DROPS BIGGEST HINT YET ABOUT 2028
Former Vice President Kamala Harris, right, is questioned by National Action Network founder the Rev. Al Sharpton, on April 10, 2026 in New York City (AP)
«I might. I might. I’m thinking about it… I’ll keep you posted,» Harris said last Friday at the National Action Network’s 35th Anniversary Convention last Friday, when asked by the event founder Rev. Al Sharpton if she would seek the presidency in 2028.
Harris, who replaced then-President Joe Biden as the 2024 Democratic presidential nominee but later lost the election to President Donald Trump, was greeted by the crowd with chants of «run again.»
The civil rights organization’s gathering gave Harris and eight other Democratic White House hopefuls an opportunity to speak directly to an influential group of Black leaders and activists who are key members of the Democratic Party’s base.
Black voters are also key players in South Carolina’s Democratic Party electorate. And Harris, the first female and Black vice president in the nation’s history, received a warm welcome when she arrived Wednesday at a South Carolina Democratic Party fundraiser and reception in Greenville.
HARRIS, NEWSOM, STIR 2028 SPECULATION AT MAJOR DEMOCRATIC PARTY MEETING
Former Vice President Kamala Harris, center, speaks with patrons during a stop at Crave restaurant ahead of a South Carolina Democratic Party fundraiser on Wednesday, April 15, 2026, in Greenville, S.C (Meg Kinnard/AP Photo)
Harris is holding a book tour event on Thursday for her memoir, «107 Days,» her look back at her abbreviated 2024 campaign.
Harris was mostly out of the headlines for a couple of months after the end the Biden administration. She began stepping back into the political spotlight last spring and summer, including headlining Democratic National Committee fundraisers.
Her decision last summer to pass on launching a 2026 gubernatorial campaign in her home state of California was seen as clearing the runway for a 2028 presidential bid. Her nationwide book tour has helped keep her visible while building email lists and boosting donor interest.
The former vice president’s current southern swing also includes fundraising appearances for the state Democratic Parties in Georgia and North Carolina, two crucial general election battlegrounds.
Harris narrowly lost both those states and the five other key battlegrounds to Trump in the 2024 election.
Pointing to Harris’ schedule, a veteran strategist in the former vice president’s political orbit recently told Fox News Digital, «of course we are reading tea leaves.»
21 DEMOCRATS WHO MAY RUN FOR THE WHITE HOUSE IN 2028
The strategist, who asked to remain anonymous to speak more freely, said «no one knows what she is planning to do for 2028, but until she tells us herself, she is going to continue to travel, speak up about the issues she cares about the most.»
If she does run again in 2028, Harris would be considered one of the early frontrunners in what’s expected to be a crowded and competitive race for the Democratic nomination.
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The Republican National Committee (RNC) is giving thumbs down to the White House hopefuls.
«Democrats are kicking off the 2028 primary by parading Kamala Harris and a roster of failed governors trying to outrun their own records,» RNC national press secretary Kiersten Pels told Fox News last week as she pointed to potential contenders who appeared at Sharpton’s convention.
democrats elections, kamala harris, joe biden, presidential primaries, donald trump, south carolina, elections
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