AFP Video

Beirut (AFP) – Exchanges are intensifying between Israel and Hezbollah after the explosions of thousands of Hezbollah devices in Lebanon. Israel said Friday it had pounded the Iran-backed militant group in overnight strikes, just hours after the group’s leader vowed retribution for the blasts that targeted its communication devices. A source close to the movement later said a top military leader was among several killed in a strike on Beirut, which Israel said was “targeted”.

Washington (AFP) – Hezbollah’s “Nasrallah could stop the terrorist attacks across Israel,” US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller tells reporters in Washington. Hassan Nasrallah, chief of the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, vowed to keep fighting Israel in a speech following the explosion of thousands of communications devices in an assault widely attributed to Israel.

A growing number of Chinese fathers are becoming stay-at-home dads, bucking deep-rooted social norms of men as breadwinners.

Uusi-Valamo (AFP) – At the dazzling white Valamo monastery in southeastern Finland, the monks have just finished breakfast and are getting to work. Their numbers here have grown, with the brotherhood almost doubling from 10 to 18 monks in the last few years, part of a wider trend that has surprised experts. Christianity and conservatism have been winning over young men in what is a predominantly secular and progressive country.

(AFP) – Lebanon’s powerful Hezbollah chief says that Israel has crossed all red lines after exploding devices used by group members killed 37 people and wounded more than 2,900 people. The blasts, spanning two days, have dealt a major blow to the Iran-backed militant group, which blames its arch-foe Israel for the attacks on its communication systems and vows revenge. Israel has not commented on the unprecedented attacks.

Manhattan (AFP) – New Yorkers share their thoughts as the US Federal Reserve cut its key lending rate by half a percentage point in its first reduction for more than four years. Wall Street shares bounced at the open after falling the previous day, even though the Fed’s rate reduction that many investors had hoped for was double the size some had predicted. The aggressive cut split opinion among analysts, with some warning it could reignite inflation, while others said it showed the bank was keeping ahead of the curve in supporting the economy.

Los Angeles (AFP) – US film stars George Clooney and Brad Pitt greet fans and walk the red carpet in Hollywood for the action comedy “Wolfs”.

Saraain El Faouqa (AFP) – Relatives mourn 10-year-old Fatima Abdallah, who was killed after hundreds of paging devices exploded in a deadly wave across Lebanon. At least 37 people died, and more than 2,900 others were wounded as pagers and walkie-talkies used by Hezbollah exploded in the unprecedented attacks. The blasts, spanning two days, have dealt a major blow to the Iran-backed militant group, which blamed its arch-foe Israel for the attacks on its communication systems and vowed revenge.

Sangin (Afghanistan) (AFP) – The Taliban’s decree banning poppy production in Afghanistan, the world’s top poppy producing country, has caused a sharp drop in harvests and hit growers hard as they struggle to make ends meet after switching to less profitable crops.