Aoun receives delegation urging renewal of UNIFIL mandate in Lebanon
President Joseph Aoun on Monday received MP Melhem Khalaf, who headed a parliamentary delegation seeking renewal of the mandate of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). The meeting centered on maintaining the force's presence in southern Lebanon. After the meeting, Khalaf said UNIFIL is needed to prevent any vacuum in the south. He said the force's role includes verifying the Israeli withdrawal, preserving security and stability, and supporting the Lebanese Army in extending state sovereignty. Khalaf said the petition submitted on the issue carries the signatures of 86 MPs. He added that 20 lawmakers from different political affiliations... [Continue Reading]
Breaking-360LiveNews | 17 Aug 2026 13:31 LONDON
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Marra and Fagan to contest Scottish Labour leadership
Michael Marra and Joe Fagan will contest the Scottish Labour leadership after Monica Lennon failed to secure enough nominations to reach the ballot. The contest will decide who replaces Anas Sarwar, who announced last month that he would stand down as Scottish leader and as an MSP. Party members and affiliated supporters are due to vote between 28 August and 17 September.Nominations closed at 10:00, with only Marra and Fagan meeting the threshold required to stand. Lennon, who did not make the ballot, said Scottish Labour was "stuck in the past" after her bid ended. Marra, the North East Scotland... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews | 17 Aug 2026 13:02 LONDON
Iranian parliament advances bill restricting contact with US and Israeli media
Iran's parliament has approved in principle a bill that would punish Iranians who give interviews to media outlets in the United States or Israel, in a further tightening of controls on foreign contact and information flows. The measure was passed on Sunday, 16 August, and still needs further review before it can become law. It also seeks to restrict unauthorised contact with foreign embassies, organisations and institutions, both inside and outside Iran.Under the draft legislation, anyone who speaks to a foreign outlet without permission could face prison terms of six months to two years. The bill also says any contact... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews | 17 Aug 2026 12:36 LONDON
Canadian petition to expel US ambassador Pete Hoekstra passes 171,000 signatures
A petition before Canada's House of Commons calling for the expulsion of United States Ambassador Pete Hoekstra has passed 171,000 signatures and is set to be discussed by Parliament. The petition asks Canadian lawmakers to declare Hoekstra persona non grata and seek his removal as ambassador to Canada. It comes amid renewed friction between Ottawa and Washington over tariff policy and public remarks by the envoy.The signature total is far above the 500 needed for a petition to be considered by the House of Commons. The petition was authorised by Green Party leader Elizabeth May after being put forward by... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews | 15 Aug 2026 22:00 LONDON
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Breakfast News Recap: Hormuz tensions flare as Lebanon, Indonesia and Afghanistan crises deepen
Donald Trump has escalated tensions with Iran by saying he would soon declare the Strait of Hormuz part of United States territory, a claim Tehran rejected as shipping concerns over the strategic waterway remained unresolved. Iran said it had not yet decided whether to restart talks with Washington, while also working separately with Oman on a temporary shipping route. 🔗 🔗In the Middle East, Lebanese state media said an Israeli airstrike on a home near Ansar in southern Lebanon killed seven people and wounded three, as fresh attacks continued in the south. Separately, Lebanon's prime minister is pressing for a... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews Recap | 15 Aug 2026 08:34 LONDON
Taiwan passes delayed $93bn defence budget, retains drone funding
Taiwan's parliament has approved the government's annual budget after a record 266-day delay, preserving funding for a drone programme that is central to the island's defence planning. The vote came late on Friday in the opposition-controlled legislature, ending a deadlock that had forced the administration to rely on a provisional budget mechanism. The approved package totals $93bn and was passed after lawmakers missed the legal deadline.The drone funding survived after the main opposition Kuomintang dropped an earlier proposal to cut it by 70 percent. The party said it had concluded there was no wasteful overlap between the development and procurement... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews | 15 Aug 2026 06:03 LONDON
Lebanon presses for timetable on Israeli withdrawal as Hezbollah attacks talks
Lebanon's prime minister is pressing for a clear timetable for Israel's withdrawal from Lebanese territory, as the country's political and security debate intensifies over the direction of negotiations. The latest exchanges centre on the military track of a framework involving United States officials and developments in southern Lebanon. Hezbollah has publicly criticised the government's approach, saying it is exposing the Lebanese army to pressure.According to a statement from the prime minister's office, Nawaf Salam met United States ambassador to Beirut Michel Issa and General Joseph Clearfield, who heads the US military coordination group for Lebanon. The talks covered the negotiation... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews | 15 Aug 2026 01:00 LONDON
Crossbenchers warn Labor's NDIS overhaul is moving 'too far, too fast'
Crossbench senators and the Greens have criticised the Albanese government's proposed overhaul of Australia's National Disability Insurance Scheme, warning that the changes could move "too far, too fast". Their comments came after a final Senate inquiry report was released on Friday afternoon, as the bill to curb the scheme's growth appeared set to pass parliament as early as next week. The debate centres on a program that supports more than 770,000 Australians with disabilities and is currently valued at $52bn.The inquiry report was delivered by a Labor-chaired committee, which recommended that the bill pass. But Greens senator Jordon Steele-John and... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews | 14 Aug 2026 09:36 LONDON
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Nigel Farage regains Clacton seat as by-election result is confirmed
Nigel Farage has regained the Clacton parliamentary seat after winning the by-election he triggered by resigning from Parliament a month earlier. The result returns the Reform UK leader to Westminster and confirms the outcome in the seaside constituency in eastern England. Farage did not attend the count, saying police had advised him there was a plan to disrupt the event.According to the supplied reports, Farage won 62.8% of the vote, while Count Binface secured 26.7%, more than a quarter of ballots cast. Turnout was 44%, below the 59% recorded at the 2024 general election, though the reports said that level... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews | 14 Aug 2026 08:02 LONDON
Australia advances news bargaining law to force tech platforms to pay publishers
Australia is set to move ahead with a new news bargaining incentive bill after Labor and the Coalition agreed on amendments that would require major digital platforms to make more deals with publishers. The legislation is designed to make companies such as Facebook and TikTok contribute to media outlets for the value they derive from news on their services. It is expected to be introduced into parliament on Wednesday.Under the revised plan, tech companies would have to strike at least eight deals with news publishers, up from the previous minimum of six. The scheme would also limit how much of... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews | 12 Aug 2026 22:00 LONDON
Iranian Quds Force chief visits Baghdad for talks on disarming armed groups
An Iraqi source has said the head of Iran's Quds Force, Esmail Qaani, made an unannounced visit to Baghdad earlier this week for talks on the Iraqi government's plan to disarm armed groups. The source said Qaani held behind-the-scenes meetings with Iraqi political and security leaders, as well as commanders of Shia paramilitaries, on Monday. The discussions reportedly focused on bringing weapons under state control as Baghdad moves toward a September 30 deadline.According to the source, the Iranian message delivered through Qaani was that there should be no handover of faction weapons at the present time. The source said Tehran... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews | 12 Aug 2026 14:00 LONDON
Lebanon abolishes death penalty as parliament backs historic reform
Lebanon's parliament has approved a law abolishing capital punishment, confirming a major change to the country's criminal justice system. The vote took place on Tuesday in the 128-member assembly, and the new penalty replaces death sentences with life imprisonment with aggravated hard labour. The reform makes Lebanon the first country in the Middle East to formally end the death penalty.The move gives legal force to a long-standing pause in executions. Lebanon has observed an unofficial moratorium since January 2004, but courts have continued to issue death sentences, and 85 people were still facing such sentences at the end of 2025,... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews | 12 Aug 2026 12:29 LONDON
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Germany approves draft law to expand spy agency powers after recent attacks
Germany's government has approved a draft law that would lift many of the postwar restraints on the country's intelligence agencies. The move comes after two recent security incidents that have intensified pressure on ministers to show they can respond more effectively to modern threats. The bill still needs parliamentary approval before it can take effect.Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said the changes would turn the intelligence services into "genuine secret services" and give them the operational capabilities needed to confront modern state terrorism and extremist groups. He said Germany should be able to operate on an equal footing with partner services... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews | 12 Aug 2026 12:07 LONDON
Ukraine says it has sent new proposals to the United States on ending war with Russia
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Kyiv has handed the United States new proposals aimed at ending the war with Russia. He made the announcement in a nightly video address on Tuesday, saying the plan had been conveyed to the American side. The statement comes as both Ukraine and Russia have suggested that US negotiators may soon visit their countries.Zelenskyy said Washington could help strengthen Ukraine's defences, especially its air defences, while increasing pressure on Moscow to prepare for an end to the war rather than prolonging it. He did not disclose the contents of the proposals. The war began in... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews | 12 Aug 2026 07:02 LONDON
Japan may be drawn into Albanese melon joke row as controversy spreads
Japan may be forced to respond to a diplomatic row it had so far tried to avoid after renewed controversy in Australia over a joke by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese about melons gifted to him by Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae. The issue, which had largely passed unnoticed in Japan for about a month, has now begun to circulate more widely in Japanese news and social media. The latest attention came as Albanese faced questions in parliament in Australia over remarks he made on a podcast about the gift.The comments at the centre of the dispute referred to two melons... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews | 12 Aug 2026 04:34 LONDON
Hungary parliament elects Andras Baka as new president
Hungary's parliament has confirmed Andras Baka as the country's next president in a secret ballot, marking another significant change under the new political leadership in Budapest. The National Assembly voted on Tuesday to approve the former Supreme Court chief, who was nominated by the Tisza party. He is due to take office on August 19.Lawmakers backed Baka by 140 votes to six, with no abstentions, according to the parliamentary result. Fidesz, the party that dominated Hungarian politics until its defeat in April, boycotted the vote. Tisza lawmakers said Baka's experience would be an important asset as they lay the foundations... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews | 11 Aug 2026 17:32 LONDON
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Russia bars Yabloko from parliamentary elections after Supreme Court ruling
Russia's Supreme Court has barred Yabloko, the country's only registered anti-war party, from contesting next month's parliamentary elections. The ruling removes the party from the ballot for the September vote and comes after a case brought by Rodina, a pro-Kremlin nationalist party. Supporters gathered outside the Moscow courthouse as the hearing ended, and many chanted "Shame!" when the verdict was announced.Judge Vyacheslav Kirillov said the court had granted claims seeking to annul the registration of Yabloko's federal list of candidates for the State Duma. The case accused the party of publicly supporting an extremist organisation through material on its website... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews | 10 Aug 2026 20:59 LONDON
Is the Italian Prime Minister the Visionary Leader Europe Needs? An Analysis of Executive Decisiveness, National Security, and the Contrast in European Integration Policies
A Continent in Institutional Deadlock While the rest of Europe remains entangled in a web of bureaucratic deadlock and human rights litigation, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has quietly established herself as a leader operating far ahead of her continental peers. For years, European leaders have debated how to handle radicalism and unchecked migration, often waiting for institutional consensus that arrives too late. Meloni, conversely, has demonstrated a willingness to prioritize state security over political correctness, offering a blueprint for a continent facing asymmetric threats. The Contrast in European Legislative Approvals The contrast between Italy’s swift, executive decisiveness and the... [Continue Reading]
360LiveNews-Opinion | 25 Jun 2026 09:58 LONDON
