Israel’s military has jailed two soldiers after a widely circulated image showed one of them appearing to place a cigarette in the mouth of a statue of the Virgin Mary in southern Lebanon. The photograph, shared online last week, showed an Israeli soldier draping an arm around the statue of Christ’s mother while lifting a cigarette toward her mouth. The military said the episode happened several weeks ago in southern Lebanon and was later examined by commanders in the field. "At the conclusion of the investigation, the…

A court in Russia has handed down a nearly seven-year prison sentence to a 72-year-old American citizen accused of serving as a mercenary in Ukraine. The man, identified by media outlets as Stephen Hubbard, was adjudicated in accordance with the country's stringent laws regarding foreign combatants. In recent months, Russia has apprehended several American nationals and orchestrated significant prisoner exchanges. Among those released was Wall Street Journal journalist Evan Gershkovich, as well as Irish citizen Paul Whelan.…