Sydney News Board

Any prolonged Israeli occupation of southern Lebanon could breathe new life into Hezbollah, challenging the political momentum of Lebanon’s new president and prime minister.

The handover of four female Israeli soldiers by Hamas on Saturday came as Israel released 200 prisoners. But a dispute arose over the hostage release timetable.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s orders could force many groups working on global aid to stop their programs. And the White House has approved sending more 2,000-pound bombs to Israel.

Young female “spotters” for Israel’s army reported suspicious activity across the border. When Hamas attacked, 15 were killed and seven abducted. Four came home on Saturday.

President Aleksandr G. Lukashenko, a close ally of Russia’s leader, Vladimir V. Putin, has been making signs of reaching out to the West. He is all but certain to win an election on Sunday.

Some school buildings are in gang-occupied territory or have become de facto shelters for those forced from their homes, leaving hundreds of thousands with no chance for formal learning.

Israel’s military said the four hostages, all female soldiers, were being brought back to Israel from Gaza. Israel is now expected to release around 200 Palestinian prisoners.

As Myanmar’s civil war heads into a fifth year, anti-junta forces are opening universities and colleges as part of their pursuit of a federal democracy.

The directive came in a letter to the U.N., after the Israeli Parliament banned the relief agency that has aided Palestinian refugees for decades.

Israel and Hezbollah agreed to withdraw from southern Lebanon, but Israel says that Hezbollah hasn’t upheld its promise and that the Lebanese Army isn’t ready to fill the void.