World
Israel takes out another Hezbollah leader, as projectiles intercepted near US secretary of state's hotel
The Israeli military says it eliminated a Hezbollah commander who was widely expected to take control of the terrorist organization.
Israel said it killed Hashem Safieddine, a powerful cleric who was expected to succeed Hassan Nasrallah, in an airstrike earlier this month. The strike killed some 25 other senior Hezbollah members, the Israel Defense Forces said.
The news comes as Secretary of State Antony Blinken finishes up a visit to Israel this week. Blinken spent Tuesday meeting with Israeli officials, and multiple projectiles were intercepted over the hotel he was staying at.
Blinken encouraged Israeli officials to “capitalize” on the death of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar to push for an end to the war in Gaza and the release of the remaining hostages.
HEZBOLLAH HIDING MORE THAN $500M IN GOLD, CASH UNDER HOSPITAL IN LEBANON, IDF SAYS
Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with officials in Israel throughout this week. (Getty Images )
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office called his meeting with Blinken, which lasted more than two hours, “friendly and productive.”
Blinken will depart Israel later Wednesday for Saudi Arabia, where he will continue negotiations.
HEZBOLLAH GENERATES FUNDS FOR ACTIVITIES UNDER THE GUISE OF A NON-PROFIT: ISRAELI OFFICIALS
Israeli forces have continued to rain down airstrikes on Hezbollah targets in Lebanon, again striking the neighborhood where Safieddine was killed on Tuesday.
Flames and smoke rise from an Israeli airstrike on Dahiyeh in the southern suburb of Beirut on Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)
Hezbollah has also kept up its barrage of rockets into northern Israel. The terrorist group also claimed credit for a drone attack that damaged Netanyahu’s home.
The strikes come as speculation grows over how Israel will retaliate for Tehran’s Oct. 1 ballistic missile attack on Israel.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi insisted Tehran’s neighbors would not allow their territory to be used for such an assault and that it would strike back just as hard.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s regime is weighing how to respond to Iran’s Oct. 1 wave of missiles. (OHAD ZWIGENBERG/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
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“All the neighbors assured us that they will not allow their lands and air to be used against Iran,” Araghchi said, according to the state-run IRNA news agency. “This is an expectation from all friendly and neighboring countries, and we consider this a sign of friendship.”
Fox News’ Stephen Sorace and 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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