Politics

In a further effort to stop Israel’s war in Gaza from escalating, Antony Blinken, America’s secretary of state, made his fourth visit to the Middle East since the fighting began in October. Tensions on Israel’s border with Lebanon have been rising since the assassination of a Hamas leader in Beirut and a strike in southern Lebanon, believed to have been carried out by Israel, which killed a Hizbullah commander. Mr Blinken called on regional powers which have influence over Hizbullah (namely Iran) to “keep things in check”.