United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres arrived in Beirut on Friday for what he described as a visit of “solidarity” with Lebanon, cutting short a stay in Turkey where he had joined Muslims observing Ramadan and urged global efforts to combat anti-Muslim prejudice.
Guterres, a longtime Portuguese Socialist leader, has frequently spoken about the spiritual significance of Islam and the observance of Ramadan. He has argued that the values associated with the holy month reflect a broader vision of hope and peace that could benefit societies around the world.
According to AFP, Guterres’ trip to Lebanon comes as humanitarian conditions deteriorate in the country, where more than 800,000 people have been displaced amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Iranian-backed Hezbollah terror group.
“I have just landed in Beirut for a visit of solidarity with the people of Lebanon. They did not choose this war. They were dragged into it,” the United Nations secretary-general revealed on X.
“The UN and I will spare no effort in striving for the peaceful future that Lebanon and this region so richly deserve.”
The United Nations said that during Guterres’ visit it plans to launch an emergency funding appeal to assist people affected by the fighting. At the same time, the U.N.’s migration agency said it urgently needs $19 million to sustain its operations in Lebanon over the next three months.
“Humanitarian needs are rising faster than the response,” Mathieu Luciano, the Lebanon mission chief for the International Organization for Migration, told reporters in Geneva per AFP.
Lebanon entered the conflict in the Middle East over the past week when Hezbollah, backed by Iran, began launching attacks on Israel from Lebanese territory following the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in joint U.S.-Israeli strikes.
Israel responded by widening its military operations in Lebanon on Friday, striking multiple targets. Among them was a bridge spanning the Litani River that Israeli officials said Hezbollah had been using as a route for moving its fighters.
At the same time, Hezbollah continued launching new attacks against Israeli forces despite repeated calls from the international community for the group to disarm.
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Cuban leader Miguel Díaz-Canel acknowledged Friday that officials from the communist government have recently held discussions with representatives of the United States, confirming for the first time that such contacts have taken place as Cuba struggles through a severe national crisis.
Díaz-Canel said the discussions were focused on addressing ongoing disagreements between the two countries, though he did not provide details about the negotiations or identify the Cuban representatives involved.
According to Díaz-Canel, the talks are intended to explore possible solutions through diplomatic engagement. He said they are aimed at “finding solutions through dialogue to the bilateral differences between our two nations.”
Cuba is currently experiencing a profound economic collapse, with widespread poverty and hardship across the island after more than six decades of communist rule. The situation has worsened following the sudden loss of heavily subsidized oil shipments from Venezuela. Those supplies ended after President Donald Trump ordered the arrest of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro during a law enforcement operation in Caracas on January 3.
For years, Venezuela had served as a crucial source of cheap oil for the Cuban government. Both Maduro and his predecessor, Hugo Chávez, maintained close ties with Havana and provided regular oil shipments in exchange for security assistance and other support from the Cuban regime.
President Trump has said repeatedly in recent weeks that the United States has been communicating with Cuban officials as the country’s crisis has intensified.
“The Cuban Government is talking with us. They’re in a big deal of trouble, as you know. They have no money; they have no anything right now, but they’re talking with us, and maybe we’ll have a friendly takeover of Cuba. We could very well end up having a friendly takeover of Cuba,” President Trump told reporters on late February.
Until Friday, Cuban authorities had not publicly confirmed those contacts. Díaz-Canel acknowledged them during a broadcast on state television, where he appeared alongside senior members of the communist leadership.
“In line with the consistent policy of the Cuban Revolution throughout its history, and guided by the Army General as the historic leader of our Revolution and by myself, and in coordination with the highest structures of the Party, State, and Government, Cuban officials have recently held talks with representatives of the Government of the United States,” Díaz-Canel said.
“These conversations have been aimed at seeking solutions, through dialogue, to bilateral differences that exist between the two nations. There are international factors that have facilitated these exchanges,” he continued.
During his remarks, Díaz-Canel avoided discussing the severe economic hardship facing ordinary Cubans. Instead, he said the purpose of the talks was to identify shared issues that require attention and to determine whether both governments are willing to pursue practical steps to resolve them.
“Furthermore, the objective is to determine the willingness of both parties to undertake concrete actions for the benefit of the peoples of both countries,” Díaz-Canel said.
He also said the discussions are meant to explore potential areas of cooperation that could address security concerns and contribute to stability in the United States, Cuba, and the wider Latin American and Caribbean region. The United States has designated Cuba as a state sponsor of terrorism because of the regime’s longstanding support for international terror groups. President Trump earlier this year signed an executive order addressing national security concerns related to the Cuban government.
Díaz-Canel added that the Cuban government generally does not respond to what he described as speculation, an apparent reference to recent reports about the talks with Washington. He characterized the discussions as a delicate process requiring careful handling.
He said the negotiations are part of a “very sensitive process” that is being carried out with “seriousness and responsibility” and requires effort to find solutions and “create spaces for understanding that allow us to move away from confrontation.”
“During the exchanges that have taken place, the Cuban side has expressed its willingness to carry out this process on the basis of equality and respect for the political systems of both States, as well as for the sovereignty and self-determination of our Government,” Díaz-Canel said. “This has been stated taking into account a sense of reciprocity and adherence to international law.”
As of Friday, the White House had not publicly responded to Díaz-Canel’s remarks.
President Trump addressed the situation in Cuba during his speech at the Shield of the Americas Summit in Florida last week, predicting that major changes could soon occur on the island. He also said Cuban officials had been in contact with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and described the communist government as nearing collapse.
“As we achieve a historic transformation in Venezuela, we’re also looking forward to the great change that will soon be coming to Cuba,” President Trump said. “Cuba’s, at the end of the line. They’re very much at the end of the line. They have no money, they have no oil. They have a bad philosophy. They have a bad regime that’s been bad for a long time.”
Meanwhile, Cuban opposition groups and members of the Cuban diaspora recently gathered to sign the “Agreement for the Liberation of Cuba,” a document outlining proposals for establishing a transitional government after 67 years of communist rule on the island.
{Matzav.com}
Rudy Giuliani cautioned Thursday that increasing corporate taxes in New York City will likely push more businesses to relocate elsewhere, saying the city’s current leadership is repeating economic policies that previously drove companies away. Speaking on Newsmax, the former mayor argued that the approach being proposed today mirrors mistakes he worked to reverse while in office.
During an appearance on “Carl Higbie FRONTLINE,” Giuliani criticized Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s proposal to raise corporate taxes at a time when many companies are already moving operations to states with lower tax burdens.
“It’s true. I have a sense of — it’s hard to describe,” Giuliani said when asked about the direction of the city. “Last night, for example, I had dinner with two very close friends, both of whom are very, very successful businessmen, both from New York, and they now live in Florida.”
Giuliani said the discussion with his friends focused on the same concern raised during the program: the steady movement of businesses away from New York toward states where taxes and operating costs are lower.
He contrasted Mamdani’s tax proposal with the economic strategy he adopted when he first took office as mayor in 1994. At that time, he said, New York City was grappling with budget shortfalls and rising crime in the years following the administration of his predecessor, David Dinkins.
“I went through with them the budget decisions that I made in 1994. I did exactly the opposite of what [Mamdani is] doing,” Giuliani said. “I had a deficit that proportionally was as big as his, maybe bigger.”
Giuliani said he determined that raising taxes during a fiscal crisis would only deepen the city’s economic problems by pushing residents and businesses to leave.
“I decided maybe I’d do something novel. I would lower taxes,” he said.
As an example, Giuliani pointed to a decision his administration made to dramatically reduce the city’s hotel occupancy tax.
“I cut it in more than half, and within two years I was collecting three times more revenue from it,” he said. “Three years later, I had so many more people coming to New York, so many more conventions. On the lower tax, I was making a fortune.”
Giuliani said the lesson from that period is that tax policies must remain competitive if a city wants to retain both businesses and residents.
“You have to have taxes, but they have to be like anything else,” he said. “They have to be reasonable, rational, sensible.”
{Matzav.com}
Air raid sirens sounded across communities in central Israel on Friday evening after missiles were launched from Iran toward the country.
Authorities said no injuries were reported, though three locations in central Israel sustained damage after the missiles struck.
One of the impacts ignited a fire on the roof of a building in Shoham. Firefighters and rescue personnel searched the structure to confirm that no individuals were trapped inside.
Another strike left a crater in a highway, according to reports from the scene. In Rishon LeZion, several vehicles were damaged as a result of the blasts.
At the same time, warning sirens were activated in northern Israel following launches of missiles and drones from Lebanon. Officials said there were no reports of strikes or casualties in those areas.
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The Lebanese army said that an Israeli aircraft scattered leaflets over Beirut that included QR codes which, according to Lebanese officials, connect to online contact channels operated by an Israeli intelligence unit that recruits agents.
In a statement, the Lebanese military said the codes printed on the leaflets direct users to communication platforms such as WhatsApp and Facebook. According to the army, the purpose of the material was to reach out to civilians and encourage them to cooperate in intelligence-gathering activities.
The Lebanese army also issued a warning to residents, urging them not to scan the QR codes or follow any links appearing on the leaflets.
The statement further cautioned that interacting with the links could expose civilians to legal and security risks. Officials also claimed the links could potentially compromise mobile phones, including enabling access to devices and personal information.
{Matzav.com}
Israeli President Isaac Herzog addressed the controversy surrounding comments by President Donald Trump regarding a possible pardon for former Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu, speaking Friday at the site of a strike in the town of Zarzir. Herzog said that while political and legal disagreements can continue for years, statements that he described as attacks on Israel’s governing institutions require a clear response.
During his remarks at the location of the strike, Herzog drew a distinction between routine disputes within the political system and criticism that targets the state’s official symbols and authority. “Political matters may be debated for years, but attacks on the symbols of government demand a response,” he said.
Herzog went on to explain that his concern was not about personal respect but about the dignity of the country itself. “I do not seek my own honor, but the honor of the state. There is a saying in our sources: ‘A king whose honor is forgiven, his honor is not forgiven.’ I am not a king; I am the president of Israel, a sovereign and independent state. Under these circumstances, there is a difference between political and legal debates-even with our allies-and blatant attacks on the symbols of Israel’s government and sovereignty, therefore a statement must be made on this matter.”
He also made clear that any decision regarding a potential pardon for Netanyahu would be made independently and without outside pressure. Herzog emphasized that the process would follow legal and constitutional procedures, regardless of international commentary.
“Ultimately, our honor, independence, and sovereignty are not for sale to anyone. I will handle the pardon request, when it arrives, in the most independent and impartial way, without pressure or interference, with a clear conscience and clean hands.”
{Matzav.com}Thousands of American citizens whose flights back to the United States were canceled due to the war with Iran are currently staying in Israel.
As part of an arrangement between the U.S. Department of State, the U.S. Embassy in Yerushalayim, and EL AL, Matzav.com has learned that beginning March 16, EL AL will operate six non-stop flights from Tel Aviv to New York designated exclusively for American citizens. These flights are expected to depart at full capacity, subject to Government Approvals.
Starting Sunday morning, EL AL will proactively contact American citizens holding valid EL AL flight tickets whose flights were canceled and have not yet been reassigned, and will offer them placement on these dedicated flights At No Additional Cost. We kindly request that all EL AL customers holding American citizenship complete the following Registration Website form.
EL AL is prepared to expand the Flight Schedule for dedicated flights for American citizens, understanding that the current number of flights provides only a partial solution and does not meet the high demand. Any expansion of activity will be carried out Subject to additional Government Approvals.
Register for these special flights HERE.
{Matzav.com}
