BEIRUT (AP) — In 2006, after a bruising monthlong war between Israel and Lebanon’s powerful Hezbollah militant group, the United Nations Security Council unanimously voted for a resolution to end the conflict and pave the way for lasting security along the border. But while there was relative calm for nearly two decades, Resolution 1701’s terms were never fully enforced. Now, figuring out how to finally enforce it is key to a U.S.-brokered ceasefire deal approved by Israel on Tuesday. In late September, after nearly a year of low-level clashes , the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah spiraled into all-out war and an Israeli ground invasion . As Israeli jets pound deep inside Lebanon and Hezbollah fires rockets deeper into northern Israel, U.N. and diplomatic officials again turned to the 2006 resolution in a bid to end the conflict. Years of deeply divided politics and regionwide geopolitical hostilities have halted substantial progress on its implementation, yet the international community believes Resolution 1701 is still the brightest prospect for long-term stability between Israel and Lebanon. Almost two decades after the last war between Israel and Hezbollah, the United States led shuttle diplomacy efforts between Lebanon and Israel to agree on a ceasefire proposal that renewed commitment to the resolution, this time with an implementation plan to try to bring the document back to life. In 2000, Israel withdrew its forces from most of southern Lebanon along a U.N.-demarcated “Blue Line” that separated the two countries and the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights, which most of the world considers occupied Syrian territory. U.N. peacekeeping forces in Lebanon, known as UNIFIL , increased their presence along the line of withdrawal. Resolution 1701 was supposed to complete Israel’s withdrawal from southern Lebanon and ensure Hezbollah would move north of the Litani River, keeping the area exclusively under the Lebanese military and U.N. peacekeepers. Up to 15,000 U.N. peacekeepers would help to maintain calm, return displaced Lebanese and secure the area alongside the Lebanese military. The goal was long-term security, with land borders eventually demarcated to resolve territorial disputes. The resolution also reaffirmed previous ones that call for the disarmament of all armed groups in Lebanon — Hezbollah among them. “It was made for a certain situation and context,” Elias Hanna, a retired Lebanese army general, told The Associated Press. “But as time goes on, the essence of the resolution begins to hollow.” For years, Lebanon and Israel blamed each other for countless violations along the tense frontier. Israel said Hezbollah’s elite Radwan Force and growing arsenal remained, and accused the group of using a local environmental organization to spy on troops. Lebanon complained about Israeli military jets and naval ships entering Lebanese territory even when there was no active conflict. “You had a role of the UNIFIL that slowly eroded like any other peacekeeping with time that has no clear mandate,” said Joseph Bahout, the director of the Issam Fares Institute for Public Policy at the American University of Beirut. “They don’t have permission to inspect the area without coordinating with the Lebanese army.” UNIFIL for years has urged Israel to withdraw from some territory north of the frontier, but to no avail. In the ongoing war, the peacekeeping mission has accused Israel, as well as Hezbollah , of obstructing and harming its forces and infrastructure. Hezbollah’s power, meanwhile, has grown, both in its arsenal and as a political influence in the Lebanese state. The Iran-backed group was essential in keeping Syrian President Bashar Assad in power when armed opposition groups tried to topple him, and it supports Iran-backed groups in Iraq and Yemen. It has an estimated 150,000 rockets and missiles, including precision-guided missiles pointed at Israel, and has introduced drones into its arsenal . Hanna says Hezbollah “is something never seen before as a non-state actor” with political and military influence. Israel's security Cabinet approved the ceasefire agreement late Tuesday, according to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office. The ceasefire is set to take hold at 4 a.m. local time Wednesday. Efforts led by the U.S. and France for the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah underscored that they still view the resolution as key. For almost a year, Washington has promoted various versions of a deal that would gradually lead to its full implementation. International mediators hope that by boosting financial support for the Lebanese army — which was not a party in the Israel-Hezbollah war — Lebanon can deploy some 6,000 additional troops south of the Litani River to help enforce the resolution. Under the deal, an international monitoring committee headed by the United States would oversee implementation to ensure that Hezbollah and Israel’s withdrawals take place. It is not entirely clear how the committee would work or how potential violations would be reported and dealt with. The circumstances now are far more complicated than in 2006. Some are still skeptical of the resolution's viability given that the political realities and balance of power both regionally and within Lebanon have dramatically changed since then. “You’re tying 1701 with a hundred things,” Bahout said. “A resolution is the reflection of a balance of power and political context.” Now with the ceasefire in place, the hope is that Israel and Lebanon can begin negotiations to demarcate their land border and settle disputes over several points along the Blue Line for long-term security after decades of conflict and tension.
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Australia has passed a social media ban for teenagers and children under the age of 16, which will apply to companies including Instagram , X and TikTok. The measure is intended to reduce the “social harm” done to young Australians and is set to come into force from late 2025. Tech giants will be up against fines of up to A$49.6 million ($32.5 million) if they do not adhere to the rules. As Statista's Anna Fleck reports, the new law was approved on Thursday, with support from a majority of the general public . However, the blanket ban has sparked backlash from several child rights groups who warn that it could cut off access to vital support , particularly for children from migrant, LGBTQIA+ and other minority backgrounds. Critics argue it could also push children towards less regulated areas of the internet. The new legislation is the strictest of its kind on a national level and comes as other countries grapple with how best to regulate technology in a rapidly-evolving world. Data from an Ipsos survey fielded earlier this year shows that it’s not just Australians who support a full ban of social media for children and young teens. As the following chart shows, two thirds of respondents across the 30 countries surveyed said the same... You will find more infographics at Statista In France, an even higher share of adults (80 percent) held the view that children under the age of 14 should not be allowed social media either inside or outside of school. This belief was far less common in Germany (40 percent), which was the only nation where a majority did not support the ban. Sentiments on smartphone use differed by generation. Where 36 percent of Gen Z said they would support a ban on smartphones in schools, the figure was far higher among older generations (66 percent of Boomers, 58 percent of Gen X and 53 percent of Millennials.)
Southwest states certify election results after the process led to controversy in previous yearsStanley Tucci is known for his iconic roles in films like The Devil Wears Prada , The Hunger Games , and The Lovely Bones, but the Italian-American actor has also made a name for himself as a major foodie. Jump to the recipes As is evident from his travel and food show Searching For Italy, his multiple food-focused books (including the latest What I Ate in One Year) , and his foodie videos on social media, Tucci loves to cook. His specialty, of course, is Italian dishes, many of which are pretty vegan-friendly (with a few tweaks). Find some of our favorite Tucci meals below, from hearty pasta e fagioli to sweet pitti fritti. Is Stanley Tucci a vegetarian? If you’ve seen S earching For Italy, read his books, or follow him on Instagram, you’ll know that Tucci is not a vegetarian. Italian cuisine traditionally relies heavily on ingredients like meat, cheese, and cream, and the Italian-American actor indulges in all of it. However, he does make good use of plant-based ingredients, too. Many of Tucci’s recipes are plant-forward, made with traditional Italian plant-based ingredients like tomatoes, zucchini, broccoli, and chickpeas. Last year, he told Eating Well that many of his go-to pantry staples are plant-based ingredients. RELATED: Stanley Tucci Loves Pasta e Fagioli, Here’s How to Make the Classic Italian Dish Dairy-Free “ Olive oil , tomatoes, garlic, onion, basil, carrots, celery, you can do a lot with that right there,” he said. “Risotto rice, polenta, pasta, and any kind of vegetable. You can do a million things with all of that.” Below, we’ve compiled some of our favorite Tucci recipes—some are already plant-based as is, and others are easy to make plant-based with a few simple swaps. All are hearty, delicious, and inspired by the rich flavors of Italy. 5 of Stanley Tucci’s best vegan-friendly recipes Cook like Tucci with these five vegan-friendly recipes from the actor himself. BECOME A VEGNEWS VIP : Get exclusive product deals, freebies, and perks galore! Stanley Tucci 1 String Bean Minestra One of Tucci’s go-to family recipes is string bean minestra, which is a plant-based Italian soup laden with vegetables. “It’s this incredibly easy thing that my grandmother and my mother always made and now I make,” he says in a cooking video posted to Instagram. “You take a little bit of garlic, you take a little piece of onion, you take potatoes, zucchini, and some fresh tomatoes, and maybe a little splotch of marinara, and string beans and you throw them all into a pot.” He goes on to explain that you simply cook it down with olive oil and salt, to create a “very light soup that is absolutely delicious.” Get the recipe 2 Pasta e Fagioli In a Today segment earlier this year, Tucci demonstrated how to make pasta e fagioli, which is another simple Italian soup, this time made with beans and vegetables. “It’s a classic, classic dish, it’s been around forever,” he said, before whipping up his own version with cannellini beans, onions, and marinara. The recipe for the dish is also available in Tucci’s cookbook, Taste: My Life Through Food. The actor also adds chicken stock and dairy cheese to the recipe, but these can be swapped for vegetable stock and dairy-free cheese to make the dish 100 percent plant-based. “[Pasta e fagioli] has been abused sometimes, and made, sometimes, really badly, but it doesn’t have to be. It’s incredibly simple,” he explained. Find out more Stanley Tucci 3 Broccoli Rabe Tropiano Style One of Tucci’s favorite side vegetable options is broccoli rabe , which, despite the name, is actually a bitter green more related to turnip than broccoli. It’s a popular Southern Italian ingredient, which is usually cooked with garlic and olive oil, just like Tucci does in his Instagram cooking video dedicated to the green. In the video, he demonstrates how he blanches the broccoli rabe first, before frying it in a pan with chopped garlic and olive oil. He adds that you can also throw in some salt, pepperoncini, and lemon for extra flavor. “It’s really a great side dish,” he says. “Lovely.” Get the recipe 4 Pitti Fritti In Italy, pizza dough isn’t just for, well, pizza. It can be many things, including a sweet celebratory treat. In one video on Instagram, Tucci explains how he’s celebrating his birthday with pitti fritti, which is simply pizza dough deep-fried in oil and then served with sugar. “It’s my birthday tomorrow so to celebrate I’ve made some pitti fritti,” Tucci captioned the post. “[It’s] essentially fried pizza dough for breakfast. Nutritious and delicious.” Get the recipe Stanley Tucci 5 Pasta e Ceci Another of Tucci’s favorites is a plant-based pasta dish called pasta e ceci, which translates to simply “pasta with chickpeas.” In another video posted to Instagram, Tucci demonstrates how to make the dish by following a recipe from British farmer, author, and chef Julius Roberts. “I think he’s amazing,” Tucci says in the video. The dish is made with leek, onions, carrots, tomato purée, plum tomatoes, canned chickpeas, and pureed chickpeas. “It’s a great recipe,” says Tucci. “So simple.” Get the recipe DON'T MISS OUT : Get breaking news, recipes, and our weekly vegan deal by signing up for our FREE VegNewsletter Experts Share Their Tips for Perfect Homemade Pasta, No Eggs Required Italian Noodles You Need to Know (Plus, 10 Vegan Recipes Your Nonna Will Love) 10 Delicious, Protein-Packed Pasta Recipes to Cook Tonight JUMP TO ... Latest News | Recipes | Guides | Health | Shop Charlotte is a VegNews editor and writer based in sunny Southsea on England's southern coast.