Solidere, the company that rebuilt Beirut, seeks another generationThe cabinet is expected to consider on Friday a request by the Lebanese Company for the Development and Reconstruction of Beirut Central District, better known as Solidere, to amend its mandate to 75 years from its final incorporation in the 90s, effectively extending its lifespan until 2069. The proposal has reignited one of Lebanon's oldest post-war disputes, pitting promises of investment and unfinished reconstruction against accusations that the company had outlived its original purpose while continuing to benefit from exceptional privileges.
https://www.newarab.com/news/lebanon-debates-solideres-future-beirut-considers-extensionUNICEF says one child killed per day in Gaza since ‘ceasefire’At least 300 children have been killed in Gaza in the roughly 300 days since a so-called “ceasefire” was announced on October 10, 2025 – an average of one child a day, the United Nations children’s agency says. Hundreds more have been wounded, many severely, UNICEF said in a statement on Thursday as it pressed parties to a proposed US-led peace plan to translate pledges into action.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/8/6/unicef-says-one-child-killed-per-day-in-gaza-since-ceasefire-2https://archive.ph/vzp8zWhite Nile traders strike over rising fees as Port Sudan faces water and power crisisThe strike followed a call by the city’s Chamber of Commerce to close the market through Wednesday. Traders said the new fees were placing an unsustainable financial burden on businesses and would ultimately push up the prices of goods and services. Trader Awad El Tom told Radio Dabanga that the strike achieved “100 per cent” participation, with traders demanding that the locality review the new charges.
https://www.dabangasudan.org/en/all-news/article/white-nile-traders-strike-over-rising-fees-as-port-sudan-faces-water-and-power-crisisGermany arrests Ukrainian national accused of spying on defence firm German police on Thursday said that they had detained a Ukrainian national suspected of working as a low-level agent on behalf of a foreign spy agency. The 33-year-old was arrested on August 2 on suspicion of preparing "acts of sabotage" on a Bavarian arms manufacturer, according to a statement issued by regional police.
https://www.france24.com/en/europe/20260806-germany-arrests-ukrainian-national-accused-spying-defence-firmhttps://archive.ph/OTKswLeftwing Councils Pledge to Defy Transphobic Code on Single-Sex Spaces“We won’t put our staff in the impossible position of policing entry to public spaces,” wrote the council leaders. “We have an unshakeable commitment to ensuring that trans+ residents can access services safely, with dignity and free from discrimination or harassment,” they added. Islington council leader Una O’Halloran said that the new EHRC code is “contradictory, poorly developed and risks creating a climate of suspicion of trans people”.
https://novaramedia.com/2026/08/06/leftwing-councils-pledge-to-defy-transphobic-code-on-single-sex-spaces/ Hearing set to decide 'terror sentencing' of activists who targeted Barclays The five defendants - Brendon O’Hagan, 28, Amanda Kelly, 31, Hmeera Atiqnisar, 31, Mohammed Malik, 28, and Alma Yaniv, 70 - were found guilty in June 2026 of causing £212,000 ($283,000) worth of damage to a Barclays branch in Burnley in August 2024. Following their convictions, presiding Judge Phillip Parry told defence lawyers that he would consider applying a “terrorist connection”, despite jurors not being told about a potential terror sentencing in the case.
https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/hearing-set-decide-terror-sentencing-barclays-activistsPakistan tightens rules for foreign mediaPakistan’s government has instructed international media to register journalists and seek permission for any reporting outside the country’s three main cities, sparking concern from rights and media groups over a threat to press freedom. The information ministry sent a statement on Monday to an international media message group on the requirement to seek permission for reporting outside Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi.
https://www.newagebd.net/post/south-asia/308931/pakistan-tightens-rules-for-foreign-mediaArgentina renews US$19 billion China currency swap, brushing off Washington’s pressureThe decision ends months of speculation over whether President Javier Milei, who campaigned on a vow never to do business with communists and is now widely seen as US President Donald Trump’s closest ally in the region, would let the swap lapse.
https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3363219/argentina-renews-us19-billion-china-currency-swap-brushing-washingtons-pressure?module=top_story&pgtype=sectionhttps://archive.ph/fqK9ZArgentinean Protesters Face Police Repression As Senate Debates Land ReformThe repression occurred while the debate on the Land Law project continued inside the legislative chamber, in a day marked by the strong presence of union, social and political organizations. The images of the repression circulated rapidly on social networks, generating condemnation from various political sectors and amplifying the visibility of the protest at a moment of maximum legislative tension.
https://www.telesurenglish.net/argentina-police-repression-land-reform/Brazilian presidential candidate Bolsonaro names surprise running mateThe announcement follows weeks of uncertainty over Bolsonaro's choice, as the senator struggled to build alliances beyond his own Liberal Party (PL) and failed in an attempt to add a woman to the vice-presidential slot to broaden support.
https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/brazils-flavio-bolsonaro-names-lawmaker-gaspar-running-mate-october-election-2026-08-05/