Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu: “Ten days ago, on the eve of the historic operation, I placed a note in the Western Wall: “Behold, he shall rise up as a lion” “ Today I return to that same place – and place a new note:  “Behold, he has risen as a lion” The people of Israel live “We will continue to perform wonders and miracles to ensure the eternity of Israel for generations. I am proud of our people!”

Indonesian authorities said Monday they arrested 285 people suspected of drug trafficking, including 29 women and seven foreigners, and seized over half a ton of narcotics during a two-month crackdown. Indonesia is a major hub for drug trafficking in Southeast Asia despite having strict drug laws, with convicted smugglers sometimes executed by firing squad. The head of the National Narcotic Agency, Marthinus Hukom, said the crackdown, launched between April and June across 20 provinces, also uncovered money laundering schemes by two drug syndicates and confiscated assets worth more than 26 billion rupiah (about $1.5 million). Thirty-six of the suspects, including 21 women, were...

The World Bank granted South Africa a $1.5 billion loan to upgrade transportation infrastructure and help it transition toward a low-carbon economy, the country’s National Treasury said Monday. Deteriorating rail systems, jammed ports and frequent blackouts have hindered vital industries like mining and auto manufacturing in South Africa, contributing to slow economic growth over the last decade in Africa’s most developed economy. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and his coalition government have pledged to tackle corruption and decades of poor management as well as pursue reforms to get the country out of its economic rut and ease its extremely high unemployment rate. While...

A man convicted of raping and killing a woman near a central Florida bar is scheduled to be executed Tuesday. Thomas Lee Gudinas, 51, is scheduled to receive a lethal injection at Florida State Prison near Starke, barring a last-day reprieve. He was convicted in the May 1994 killing of Michelle McGrath. Gudinas would be the seventh person put to death in Florida this year, with an eighth scheduled for next month. The state also executed six people in 2023, but only carried out one execution last year. A total of 23 men have been executed in the U.S. this year, with scheduled executions set to make 2025...

Iran says it transferred all inmates out of its notorious Evin prison after an Israeli strike targeted the facility on Monday. Iran’s Prisons Organization said all the inmates had been moved to other prisons around the capital, Tehran. It said the move was necessary for workers to repair damage there. Evin prison is known for holding both political prisoners and those with Western ties for negotiations with the wider world. It also has a specialized unit overseen by the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard.

A military plane evacuating 101 French nationals from Israel to Cyprus took off from Ben Gurion Airport on Tuesday, French authorities said. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said similar evacuation flights will follow. Priority is given to those with medical and humanitarian issues, the foreign ministry said in a statement. Those who can travel on their own can still cross to Jordan and Egypt to take commercial flights, it said. —-AP

Every morning, Lagos Island awakens with a rhythm—one that lives in the calls of traders setting up stalls, in the hum of Keke riders navigating the city’s veins, and in the quiet prayers whispered by elders before sunrise. It is a rhythm Prince Taiwo Ajibade Oyekan knows by heart. Though born into royalty, he was never shielded from the street. As a child, he walked the bustling lanes of Idumota and Balogun with his peers—not above them, but among them. “Royal blood,” some whispered. “But na our padi,” others said. That was Taiwo—equal parts prince and people. Even as he...

A deputy governor in Iran’s northern Gilan province along the Caspian Sea said an Israeli strike before the ceasefire killed nine civilians, state media reported.