Catalonia Separatist Leader Urges Binding Independence Vote

BEIRUT — The Israeli military said Friday it struck the central headquarters of Hezbollah in Beirut, where a series of massive explosions leveled multiple buildings, sending clouds of orange and black smoke billowing in the skies. The strikes in the suburbs south of Lebanon’s capital came shortly after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the U.

Ishiba Shigeru is set to become Japan’s new Prime Minister after winning the presidency of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) in a ballot of party lawmakers and members on Friday afternoon. A plain-spoken populist and former defense minister who gained the LDP’s leadership on his fifth attempt—what he called his “final battle”—Ishiba, 67, emerged triumphant from a nine-strong field on promises to revitalize rural areas and win back public trust after a slew of scandals led to the stepping down of outgoing Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.

Israel is set to become the newest member of the Asian Development Bank, which finances social and economic development projects across Asia—a region where many countries (and members of the ADB) have been outspoken in their criticism of Israel’s ongoing military campaign in Gaza, and some don’t even recognize Israel’s sovereignty. [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] Along the hallways of the ADB’s headquarters in Manila, there have been whispers for months about the plan to welcome the multilateral institution’s 69th member, which could be formalized as soon as the coming days, according to multiple sources. Israel’s application process is “ongoing,” an ADB spokesperson tells TIME, and “a decision will be announced when the process is completed.” “Israel completed the requirements for ADB membership at the beginning of September and is looking forward to officially joining the Bank,” Ohad Niepris, a spokesperson for Israel’s Ministry of Finance, told TIME on Thursday. Four ADB employees who spoke to TIME on the condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal say that worries have been circulating among staff in recent months about Israel’s impending entry to the ADB, which was first approved in April 2022.

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that extreme heat kills almost half a million people each year—more than war, terrorism and malnutrition combined. That number is likely to rise as the climate becomes hotter and less predictable. But the threats to public health posed by climate change go well beyond extreme heat.

Many nations keep a nervous eye on U. S. presidential races, but none have as much at stake this time as the people of Ukraine. For them, the outcome could determine how their war against Russia ends, and their leaders have spent months vying for the support of both candidates.

When Japan’s ruling political party, the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), votes on Friday for its next leader, it will effectively be choosing the country’s next Prime Minister. [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] A slew of scandals have plagued the tenure of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who announced in August he would step down after assuming power in 2021.