World
Biden says he will talk to Netanyahu as Israel pummels Sunni terror targets in Beirut
President Biden said on Sunday that he intended to talk to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu imminently, shortly before the Israel-Hamas war intensified in Lebanon.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) launched an airstrike on the Lebanese capital of Beirut on Sunday evening, marking the first time the Israeli military implemented an airstrike on the central part of the city amid the yearlong Israel-Hamas war.
Speaking from Dover Air Force Base earlier that afternoon, Biden confirmed to reporters that he planned to speak with Netanyahu. The conversation took place hours before the airstrike began.
“Yes, I will be talking to him,” the Democrat said. “And I’ll tell you what I say to him when I talk to him.”
ISRAELI MILITARY SAYS HEZBOLLAH LEADER HASSAN NASRALLAH KILLED IN BEIRUT STRIKE
President Biden said he intended to speak to Netanyahu as Israel’s attacks against Hezbollah intensified on Sunday. (Getty Images | Associated Press)
When asked about avoiding an “all-out war” in the Middle East, Biden said the U.S. has “to avoid it.”
“We really have to avoid it,” Biden said. “We have already taken precautions relative to our embassies and personnel who want to leave.”
“And, but, we’re not there yet, but we’re working like hell with the French and many others to avoid [more] war.”
The Associated Press first reported the airstrike on Sunday evening, citing witnesses in central Beirut. The airstrike came the same weekend that the IDF systematically targeted Hezbollah, a Lebanese terrorist group that supports Hamas.
ISRAEL-HEZBOLLAH WAR: NETANYAHU ‘DID NOT EVEN RESPOND’ TO US CEASE-FIRE DEAL, PLEDGES TO FIGHT ‘FULL FORCE’
A man walks on rubble at the site of an Israeli airstrike in Beirut’s southern suburbs, Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)
The IDF had only targeted south Beirut, a Hezbollah stronghold, before Sunday’s strikes. Dozens of people in Lebanon were killed by the IDF over the weekend, including Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.
A man stands on the rubble of buildings near the site of the assassination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut’s southern suburbs, Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)
The Israeli military also confirmed that Nabil Kaouk, the deputy head of Hezbollah’s Central Council, was eliminated by IDF forces.
Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for further comment.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
new video loaded: Train Crashes Into Bangkok Traffic, Killing at Least 8 People
By Jorge Mitssunaga
May 16, 2026
World
WHO declares Ebola outbreak in Central Africa a public health emergency after 80 suspected deaths
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The World Health Organization declared an Ebola outbreak in Central Africa an international public health emergency on Sunday after dozens of suspected deaths were reported in the Democratic Republic of Congo and neighboring Uganda.
The outbreak, caused by the Bundibugyo virus, does not meet the criteria for a pandemic emergency, the WHO said.
The declaration follows reports of 80 suspected deaths, eight laboratory-confirmed cases and 246 suspected cases as of Saturday across at least three health zones in the Democratic Republic of Congo, including Bunia, Rwampara and Mongbwalu.
The development comes as global health officials continue monitoring a rare hantavirus outbreak tied to the MV Hondius cruise ship, which left multiple passengers and crew members sick, and caused three deaths.
NEW EBOLA OUTBREAK LEAVES 65 DEAD AS OFFICIALS WARN OF CROSS-BORDER SPREAD
A health worker sprays disinfectant on a colleague after working at an Ebola treatment center in Beni, eastern Congo, on Sept. 9, 2018. (Al-hadji Kudra Maliro/AP)
As of May 13, the WHO said 11 hantavirus cases had been identified in connection with the cruise outbreak, including eight confirmed cases, two probable cases and one inconclusive case.
In neighboring Uganda’s capital, Kampala, the WHO said two apparently unrelated laboratory-confirmed Ebola cases — including one death — were reported Friday and Saturday involving people who had traveled from the DRC.
Another laboratory-confirmed case was reported in the DRC capital of Kinshasa involving a person returning from Ituri province.
Initial tests suggested the outbreak does not involve the Ebola Zaire strain, which caused Congo’s devastating 2018–2020 epidemic that killed more than 1,000 people.
EBOLA OUTBREAK REPORTED IN AFRICAN COUNTRY — HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Health workers wearing protective suits tend to an Ebola victim in an isolation tent in Beni, Congo, on July 13, 2019. (Jerome Delay/AP)
However, unlike Ebola-Zaire strains, there are currently no approved vaccines or therapeutics for the Bundibugyo strain, which the WHO described as making the outbreak “extraordinary.”
The WHO warned the outbreak could be larger than currently reported due to the high positivity rate among initial samples and the growing number of suspected cases.
The outbreak also poses a public health risk to other countries, the WHO said, urging nations to activate emergency-management systems and implement cross-border screening measures.
‘DISEASE X’ HAS KILLED DOZENS IN THE CONGO — HERE’S WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT THE MYSTERY ILLNESS
Ambulances parked at Bunia General Referral Hospital following confirmation of an Ebola outbreak involving the Bundibugyo strain in Bunia, Ituri province, Democratic Republic of Congo, May 16, 2026. (REUTERS/Victoire Mukenge)
Ebola is a highly contagious and often fatal disease spread through bodily fluids, including blood, vomit and semen. Symptoms can include fever, vomiting, diarrhea, muscle pain and internal bleeding.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus recently said Congo has a “strong track record” responding to Ebola outbreaks while announcing the release of $500,000 in emergency funding to support containment efforts.
The WHO said it will convene an emergency committee to review recommendations for how affected countries should respond.
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Health workers dressed in protective gear begin their shift at an Ebola treatment center in Beni, Congo, on July 16, 2019. (Jerome Delay/AP)
The organization did not recommend border closures or travel restrictions.
Congo has now recorded 17 Ebola outbreaks since the virus was first identified in the country in 1976.
Fox News Digital’s Jasmine Baehr and Brittany Miller, along with Reuters, contributed to this report.
Iran to reveal its plan for Strait of Hormuz soon as Israel attacks Lebanon and Gaza, killing and wounding dozens.
Published On 17 May 2026
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