Lebanon’s President, Joseph Aoun, has stressed that his country makes decisions for itself and that his government is pushing forward only the interests of the Lebanese people.

Aoun defended Beirut’s decision to enter into direct talks with Israel days after the Israeli military killed hundreds of people throughout the country.

“These negotiations are not weakness. They are not a retreat. They are not a concession. They are a decision stemming from the strength in our belief in our rights and care for our people and our responsibility to protect our country by all means possible,” he said in a televised address.

Al Jazeera’s Malcolm Webb joins live from Beirut, and Ali Hashem is live in the Iranian capital.

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Israel agreed to the 10-day pause in attacks against Lebanon but has refused to withdraw its troops from the south. The ceasefire was announced after officials met in person in Washington DC -- the first direct talks since 1993. Now, there is hope for an agreement to end Israel's invasion and air strikes. Hezbollah remains the main stumbling block. Israel says any deal must include the dismantling of the group, while Hezbollah says it will not lay down its weapons. So, is a lasting peace agreement possible? And how much influence does Iran have in Lebanon?

Presenter: James Bays
Guests:
Joe Macaron -- Middle East geopolitical analyst
Yossi Mekelberg -- Senior Consulting Fellow at the Middle East and North Africa Programme at Chatham House
Rami Khouri -- Distinguished Fellow at the American University of Beirut

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Footage from Tibneen in southern Lebanon shows widespread damage after intense Israeli air and artillery strikes linked to nearby fighting.

The area around Tibneen hospital, among the few facilities still operating in the south, is littered with shrapnel-damaged vehicles and ruined shops; more than 60 medical sites nationwide have been damaged or destroyed.

Al Jazeera’s Obeida Hitto reports from southern Lebanon.

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Kharg Island is the heart of Iran’s oil trade and now a front-line target in the war. The US has struck military sites on the island and is enforcing a naval blockade on Iranian ports. But 8,000 people live there. What is life like when bombs fall and the ships stop moving?

In this episode: 

- Seamus Malekafzali, Journalist 

Episode credits:

This episode was produced by David Enders, Chloe K. Li with Spencer Cline, Tuleen Barakat, Catherine Nouhan, Noor Wazwaz, and our host, Malika Bilal. It was edited by Tamara Khandaker and Sarí el-Khalili. 

Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. It was mixed by Rick Rush. Our video editors are Hisham Abu Salah and Mohannad al-Melhem. Alexandra Locke is The Take’s executive producer.

Islamabad is positioning itself to host that next round of direct talks between the United States and Iran. With thousands of additional security personnel deployed and outreach to world leaders underway, Pakistan is looking to play a central role in brokering regional peace.

Al Jazeera's White House Correspondent Kimberly Halkett reports from the Pakistani capital.

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US President Donald Trump says restrictions on Iranian ports will remain in place despite the Strait of Hormuz being “open and ready for business.” In a social media post, Trump said the naval blockade would continue to apply to Iran until US negotiations are fully completed, adding that most points have already been agreed and the process should move quickly.

Meanwhile, leaders from the UK and several European countries are holding talks in Paris over the growing tensions surrounding the Strait of Hormuz, a vital global shipping route.

Al Jazeera’s Alan Fisher reports from Washington, DC, and Ali Hashem reports from Tehran.

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Iran’s FM Araghchi says passage for all commercial vessels through Strait of Hormuz is “completely open” for the 10-day period of the ceasefire in Lebanon.

Al Jazeera’s Chief US correspondent Alan Fisher joins live from Washington DC and Tohid Asadi reports from Tehran.

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In southern Lebanon, families are returning to bulldozed homes and uncertain futures after weeks of conflict.
A fragile, US-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon has opened a window of opportunity for some of the thousands of displaced residents to come back.
But they're being warned the truce may not hold.

Al Jazeera’s Zeina Khodr reports from Nabatieh in southern Lebanon.

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UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is facing intense scrutiny after reports emerged that his appointee for ambassador to the United States, Peter Mandelson, failed security vetting but was overruled by the Foreign Office. Starmer, who initially said full due process was followed, has admitted he was unaware of the issue at the time and plans to correct the parliamentary record. Mandelson's links to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and a subsequent arrest on suspicion of misconduct in public office have heightened the controversy. The Foreign Office's top civil servant has resigned, and calls are growing—including from within Labour—for Starmer to step down.

Al Jazeera's Milena Veselinovic reports from London.

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Donald Trump says the US is nearing a long-term peace agreement with Iran, claiming Tehran has agreed to "almost everything" and that the next round of negotiations may take place over the weekend. The US president said the deal would ensure Iran has no nuclear weapons.

However, significant gaps remain between the two sides on key issues including Iran's nuclear programme, the Strait of Hormuz blockade, and Tehran's regional alliances. Analysts suggest Iran may be in a stronger negotiating position following weeks of conflict and could seek to prolong talks.

We have two specialists to discuss the conflicts in the Middle East.
Samir Puri is a Visiting Lecturer in War Studies at King's College London.
And Ali Akbar Dareini, a researcher at the Tehran-based think-tank - Center for Strategic Studies.

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South Korea has more robots per capita than any other nation.
Artificial intelligence-driven automation is reshaping every corner of its economy.
The promise? Liberation from work.
But machines don't pay taxes or purchase goods that keep companies afloat.
So, how does a country transform its workforce without undermining its society or destroying it?

Al Jazeera’s Jack Barton spoke to some of the people shaping the future in Seoul.

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The International Energy Agency has warned it will take ⁠two years for oil and gas exports from the Gulf to recover to pre-war levels.
Disruptions to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz have caused acute energy shortages in Europe.
Stocks of products like jet fuel are at critical lows.

Al Jazeera’s Camille Nedelec reports.

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The Israeli military has outlined its interpretation of the Lebanon ceasefire, stating that whilst troops will hold fixed positions, they will continue clearing sites identified as Hezbollah infrastructure. Israeli polls show 56 percent support keeping forces in Lebanon, though 40 percent believe the country is worse off after 12 months of conflict. Political analysts describe the ceasefire as a response to US pressure, with some northern Israeli communities expressing anger over the agreement. A senior Israeli official indicated the deal was reached at Donald Trump's request, with expectations of greater US involvement in disarming Hezbollah.

Al Jazeera's Tony Cheng reports from Amman, Jordan.

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In Cameroon’s English-speaking city of Bamenda, Pope Leo has been holding mass in a region scarred by conflict, as part of an 11-day tour of Africa.
Since 2017, fighting between government forces and separatists in Cameroon’s Anglophone regions has killed more than 6,000 people and displaced over 700,000 in what the Norwegian Refugee Council calls one of the world's most neglected conflicts.

Al Jazeera’s Nicolas Haque reports from Bamenda.

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More than 280 people are missing and feared dead, after an overloaded boat capsized in the Andaman Sea last week.
The vessel left Bangladesh, carrying mostly Rohingya refugees, heading towards Malaysia.
Thousands of people attempt the dangerous crossing every year.
Only nine people were rescued.

Al Jazeera's Tanvir Chowdhury reports from Dhaka.
 
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A debate has been postponed at the French national assembly on a bill aimed at tackling anti-semitism.
It's already a criminal offence in the country but the proposed legislation would have expanded what could be considered anti-Semitic.

Al Jazeera's Natacha Butler reports from Paris.

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Pakistan is continuing its efforts to mediate between the US and Iran, to avoid a return to the conflict which embroiled the Gulf and has effectively closed the strait of Hormuz.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has been in Doha to discuss diplomatic developments with Qatar's Emir.

Al Jazeera’s Osama Bin Javaid reports on Pakistan's mediation efforts.

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Tunisian tennis player Ons Jabeur opens up about challenges on the court, athletes speaking out and having her first child


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Ukraine clears debris after one of the year’s most violent nights, with Russia launching nearly 700 drones and dozens of missiles, most aimed at Kyiv.

A crater in the capital caused no deaths at that site but left severe damage, as residents like Yulia Babrova said they reached shelter with seconds to spare.

Al Jazeera’s Audrey MacAlpine reports from Kyiv, Ukraine.

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