image sourced from original article at Israel's defence minister, Israel Katz, has announced an expansion of the country's ground campaign in southern Lebanon, warning that operations against the Iranian-backed group Hezbollah could be prolonged. The Israeli government has ordered the destruction of all crossings over the Litani River, signalling a deeper and potentially longer military engagement.
The Israeli military expects several more weeks of fighting, while tensions are also rising with Iran. Tehran has warned it would fully close the Strait of Hormuz if the United States carries out President Donald Trump's threat to destroy Iranian power plants.
Elsewhere, France's local elections saw Socialist candidate Emmanuel Grégoire claim victory in Paris, while an ally of Marine Le Pen is set to become mayor of Nice. In Syria, hundreds protested in Damascus against strict new alcohol laws, and other stories include advances in self-repairing artificial intelligence robots and a review of the debut of Saturday Night Live in the United Kingdom.
