Israel sees more to do on Lebanon ceasefire as deadline nears Israel said on Thursday the terms of a ceasefire with Hezbollah were not being implemented fast enough and there was more work to do, while the Iran-backed group urged pressure to ensure Israeli troops leave south Lebanon by Monday as set out in the deal. The deal stipulates that Israeli troops withdraw from south Lebanon, Hezbollah remove fighters and weapons from the area and Lebanese troops deploy there - all within a 60-day timeframe which will conclude on Monday at 4 a.m (0200 GMT). The deal, brokered by the…

RUSSIAN PERSPECTIVE Kremlin responds to Trump’s threat over Ukraine deal The Kremlin has dismissed US President Donald Trump’s threats of sanctions and tariffs over a Ukraine peace deal, calling the tactics “nothing new.” Trump issued a thinly-veiled ultimatum to Moscow on Wednesday by calling on it to end the Ukraine conflict and strike a “deal”or to face new sanctions instead. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Thursday that Russia remains open to “equal and respectful dialogue” with the United States, adding that, during his first term in office, Trump had engaged in this kind of exchange with President Vladimir…

Hamas' tight grip on Gaza complicates plan for lasting peace In neighbourhoods levelled by 15 months of war with Israel, Hamas officials are overseeing the clearance of rubble in the wake of Sunday's ceasefire. The group's gunmen are guarding aid convoys on Gaza's dusty roads, and its blue-uniformed police once again patrol city streets, sending a clear message: Hamas remains in charge. Israeli officials have described a parade of jubilant Hamas fighters that celebrated the ceasefire on Sunday in front of cheering crowds as a carefully orchestrated attempt to exaggerate the Palestinian militant group's strength. But, in the days since…

WESTERN PERSPECTIVE Ukrainian drones attack city near Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, officials say Russia-installed officials in Ukraine's partly-occupied Zaporizhzhia region said Ukrainian drones on Wednesday attacked Enerhodar, a city serving the Russian-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. Russia seized the nuclear plant, Europe's largest with six reactors, in the early days of the war and each side has since accused the other of staging periodic attacks on the facility. Russia-installed local officials have reported attacks on Enerhodar, particularly on two electricity substations nearby. Russian media quoted the city's authorities as saying at least four drones had attacked Enerhodar. It said there were…