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Hezbollah leader says exploding device attacks crossed ‘all red lines’

Hezbollah’s leader has said bomb attacks using thousands of the Lebanese armed group’s pagers and radios “crossed all red lines”, and accused Israel of what he said represented a declaration of war.
In a much-anticipated speech, Hassan Nasrallah acknowledged Hezbollah had suffered an “unprecedented blow”, but he vowed it would continue fighting and inflict a “just punishment”.
Israel has not said it was behind the blasts on Tuesday and Wednesday, which Lebanese authorities said killed 37 people and wounded 3,000.
As Nasrallah spoke, Israeli warplanes caused sonic booms over Beirut, scaring an already-exhausted population, and others struck targets in southern Lebanon.
The Israeli military said it was operating to “degrade Hezbollah’s terrorist capabilities and infrastructure” and to “bring security to northern Israel”.
Eleven months of cross-border fighting between Hezbollah and Israel sparked by the war in Gaza have killed hundreds of people, most of them Hezbollah fighters, and displaced tens of thousands on both sides of the border.
Hezbollah has said it is acting in support of the Palestinian armed group Hamas. Both are backed by Iran and proscribed as terrorist organisations by Israel, the UK and other countries.
There were no surprises in Hassan Nasrallah’s televised address on Thursday afternoon – his first public reaction to the exploding device attacks which created panic across Lebanon and raised fears of another major war between Hezbollah and Israel.
In what was a humiliating security breach, 12 people were killed, including two children, when pagers used by Hezbollah members to communicate blew up almost simultaneously across the country on Tuesday, according to Lebanon’s health minister. Another 25 were killed when walkie-talkies exploded the next day.
Reports citing Lebanese and US sources said Israeli intelligence operatives were likely to have planted small amounts of explosives inside the devices or their batteries.
“The enemy crossed all rules, laws and red lines. It didn’t care about anything at all, not morally, not humanely, not legally,” Nasrallah said.
“This is massacre, a major aggression against Lebanon, its people, its resistance, its sovereignty, and its security. It can be called war crimes or a declaration of war – whatever you choose to name it, it is deserving and fits the description. This was the enemy’s intention,” he added.
The Hezbollah leader acknowledged that this was a massive and unprecedented blow for his group, but he insisted that its ability to command and communicate remained intact.
Nasrallah’s tone was defiant and he vowed a harsh punishment. But, again, he indicated that Hezbollah was not interested in an escalation of its current conflict with Israel.
The group’s cross-border attacks, he said, were going to continue unless there was a ceasefire in Gaza, and that no killings or assassinations would return residents to northern Israel.
Shortly before the speech, crowds of Hezbollah supporters gathered in the capital’s southern suburbs to bury two members killed on Tuesday. Some people said they had been shaken by the explosions, but that they were determined to resist.

On Thursday morning, Hezbollah fighters in southern Lebanon fired two anti-tank missiles across the border, followed by drones.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said two Israeli soldiers were killed and a third seriously wounded.
The latest exchanges come at a time when Israel says its military focus has shifted away from Gaza to the situation in the north.
The IDF said on Thursday that its chief of staff, Lt Gen Herzi Halevi, had “recently completed approval of plans for the northern arena”.
Later, at a meeting of military and intelligence chiefs, Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said: “In the new phase of the war there are significant opportunities but also significant risks.”
“Hezbollah feels that it is being persecuted and the sequence of military actions will continue,” he added.
“Our goal is to ensure the safe return of Israel’s northern communities to their homes. As time goes by, Hezbollah will pay an increasing price.”
It is not clear how Israel intends to achieve this goal. But reports earlier this week suggested that the general in charge of the IDF’s Northern Command favoured the creation of an Israeli-controlled buffer zone inside southern Lebanon.
In his speech, Hassan Nasrallah called the general a fool and said that any such move would have dire consequences for Israel.
(BBC)
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“Our ultimate goal is to restore national sovereignty through economic stability and self-reliance” -President

President Anura Kumara Disanayake, delivering the keynote address at the international conference “Sri Lanka’s Road to Recovery: Debt and Governance” in Colombo today (16), declared that by 2028 Sri Lanka will have laid the foundation for a stable and self-reliant economy, one capable of independently meeting its external debt obligations. Emphasizing that true sovereignty cannot exist amidst economic collapse, he asserted, “Our ultimate goal is to restore national sovereignty through economic stability and self-reliance.” He urged public officials and citizens alike to contribute to this national endeavour, stressing that the ongoing reform process demands a collective and sustained effort.
Business
President Disanayake meets IMF Deputy Managing Director Gita Gopinath

President Anura Kumara Disanayake met with the Deputy Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Ms. Gita Gopinath, and delegation this morning (16) at the Presidential Secretariat.
During the meeting, President Disanayake expressed his sincere appreciation to the IMF for its continued support in guiding Sri Lanka through its recent financial crisis. He also raised concerns regarding the recently imposed U.S. tariffs, noting their potential impact, as approximately 25% of Sri Lanka’s total exports are directed to the United States. The President further highlighted the challenges posed by on-going global conflicts and their potential implications for Sri Lanka. However, he mentioned to the delegation that appropriate measures are being taken to manage and mitigate these risks effectively.
The discussion also focused on Sri Lanka’s trade relationship with the European Union, particularly the GSP+ trade concession, which accounts for 23% of the country’s exports and provides preferential access to the EU market. The President emphasized the current government’s interest in expanding investment opportunities, stating that economic recovery would be driven through increased investor confidence. He reiterated that the current administration is people-oriented and committed to advancing in close alignment with public aspirations.
Ms. Gopinath thanked the President for the warm welcome and acknowledged the strong mandate he received in both the general and local elections, which she noted enhances the government’s ability to implement much-needed reforms. Reflecting on the country’s economic journey, she commended the remarkable progress achieved over the past two years from a state of severe crisis to renewed growth and falling inflation.
She also praised the strides made in governance reforms and emphasized the importance of sustaining and deepening these efforts. The IMF delegation reaffirmed its recognition of Sri Lanka’s substantial progress and pledged to remain a steadfast partner in the country’s reform and recovery process.
Also present at the meeting were Minister of Labour and Deputy Minister of Economic Development Dr. Anil Jayantha Fernando, Governor of the Central Bank Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe, Secretary to the President Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, Secretary to the Ministry of Finance Mahinda Siriwardana, Senior Economic Advisor to the President Duminda Hulangamuwa and Senior Additional Secretaries to the President Russell Aponsu.
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