Israel rejects US-backed Lebanon ceasefire plan, hits Beirut again Israel rejected global calls on Thursday for a ceasefire with the Hezbollah movement, defying its biggest ally in Washington and pressing ahead with strikes that have killed hundreds in Lebanon and heightened fears of an all-out regional war. Despite Israel's stance, the U.S. and France sought to keep prospects alive for an immediate 21-day truce they proposed on Wednesday, and said negotiations continued, including on the sidelines of a United Nations meeting in New York. An Israeli warplane struck the edges of the capital Beirut, killing two people and wounding 15,…

WESTERN PERSPECTIVE Kremlin says changes to Russia's nuclear policy are a signal to the West The Kremlin said on Thursday that changes to Russia's nuclear weapons doctrine outlined by President Vladimir Putin should be considered a signal to Western countries that there will be consequences if they participate in attacks on Russia. Putin said on Wednesday that Russia could use nuclear weapons if it was struck with conventional missiles, and that Moscow would consider any assault on it supported by a nuclear power to be a joint attack. The decision to change Russia's official nuclear doctrine is the Kremlin's answer…

Hezbollah's tunnels and flexible command weather Israel's deadly blows Hezbollah's flexible chain of command, together with its extensive tunnel network and a vast arsenal of missiles and weapons it has bolstered over the past year, is helping it weather unprecedented Israeli strikes, three sources familiar with the Lebanese militant group's operations said. Israel's assault on Hezbollah over the past week, including the targeting of senior commanders and the detonation of booby-trapped pagers and walkie-talkies, has left the powerful Lebanese Shiite militant group and political party reeling. On Friday, Israel killed the commander who founded and led the group's elite Radwan…

RUSSIAN PERSPECTIVE Russia expands category of states subjected to nuclear deterrence — Putin The proposed updated Russian nuclear doctrine expands the list of states and military unions subject to nuclear deterrence, Russian President Vladimir Putin said. "The draft document expands the category of states and military unions subject to nuclear deterrence. It updates the list of military threats that require nuclear deterrence measures for their neutralization," Putin said during the Russian Security Council meeting on nuclear deterrence. The head of state noted that the modern military and political situation is changing rapidly, and Russia must take it into consideration, including…