In the border town of Rmeish, nestled between Lebanon and Israel, the sound of church bells continues to resonate.

While much of southern Lebanon has borne the brunt of the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, this predominantly Christian village has largely been spared. Its churches stand unscathed, and homes remain undamaged. Locals attribute their relative safety to their firm stance against allowing Hezbollah militants to use their town as a base for launching attacks.

“They attempted multiple times to set up rocket launch sites at the village’s outskirts,” a resident shared with Jusoor News. “But the young men of Rmeish stood their ground and blocked their entry.”

“This resistance helped shield Rmeish from Israeli attacks,” the resident explained. “The Israelis are strategic in their targeting, focusing specifically on launch sites.”

In Rmeish, churches remain intact as villagers took a stand against Hezbollah’s efforts to use their community for launching rockets. (Jusoor News)

The account offers a rare public glimpse into open resistance to Hezbollah inside southern Lebanon, where criticism of the Iranian-backed terrorist group is often met with accusations of treason or collaboration with Israel.

Tarek, a Christian social activist from Rmeish who spoke by phone with Fox News Digital, said residents of the town have long-faced pressure because they refused to align with Hezbollah.

“After 2000, when Israel left, we were always labeled as collaborators of Israel,” Tarek said. “We suffered a lot from this stigma.”

He said Hezbollah supporters accused the town of cooperating with Israel simply because it escaped the destruction seen in neighboring villages.

The interviews come as the Trump administration brokers talks between Israel and Lebanon aimed at stabilizing the border and addressing Hezbollah’s military presence in southern Lebanon. Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem recently rejected any discussion about disarming the group, while U.S. officials continue pushing to strengthen the Lebanese state over the armed terror group.

Hezbollah worked to build facilities below private residential buildings and houses in southern Lebanon. (Benoît Durand / Hans Lucas / AFP via Getty Images)

Tarek argued Hezbollah’s grip on Lebanon cannot be separated from Iran.

“The Lebanese government has been ruled by Hezbollah for almost 36 years,” he told Fox News Digital. “They are deeply entrenched in all arms of the government, security, army and institutions.”

“If the president or prime minister says they want peace, Hezbollah will resist that,” he added.

Tarek said weakening Iran is the key to weakening Hezbollah.

Residents of the Christian border town of Rmeish in southern Lebanon say the village remained largely untouched during the war after locals prevented Hezbollah fighters from operating inside the town. (Jusoor News)

“It’s about cutting the head of the octopus, which is the Iranian regime,” he said. “Once you cut the head, Hezbollah will no longer function.”

Another resident said many in the town increasingly believe “Hezbollah’s project is an Iranian project, not a Lebanese one.”

Another woman from the village described living surrounded by war while trying to keep the town outside the fighting.

A landscape view of Rmeish, a predominantly Christian town near the Israel-Lebanon border whose residents say they worked to keep Hezbollah fighters out of the village during the war. (Jusoor News)

“We are in the middle, and the war surrounds us from all sides,” she said. “This makes us live in a state of fear, anxiety, insecurity and instability.”

A man from the village said residents had endured decades of wars that they have nothing to do with.

“We decided to remain steadfast,” he said. “Where would we go?”

An older resident said his family has suffered from violence along the border since the 1970s.

“We are tired of wars,” he said. “We want nothing but peace.”

Despite accusations from Hezbollah supporters, residents insisted they do not regret standing up to the terrorist group.

“All accusations of treason are rejected,” one resident said. “The people of Rmeish want to live safely on their land.”

Another resident added: “Just because I don’t believe in your project doesn’t mean I’m a traitor.”

A view of the southern Lebanese border town of Rmeish near Israel. (Jusoor News)

Ahed Al Hendi, a senior fellow at the Center for Peace Communications, told Fox News Digital that, “The defiance shown by Christians in southern Lebanon reflects a major shift in the country’s internal dynamics. For more than two decades, many Christians living near the border suffered under Hezbollah’s dominance, yet were stigmatized and often afraid to speak openly against it.” 

“Today,” Al Hendi added, “with the changing balance of power, they are increasingly confronting Hezbollah publicly and speaking out against what they see as its tyranny.”

In a tragic discovery at a Seattle beer garden, an employee was found shot dead as the establishment opened for business the following morning. Days later, a colleague implicated in the shooting surrendered to authorities, asserting that the act was in self-defense.

According to a police report shared by the Seattle Times, 25-year-old Quusaa “Q” Margarsa’s lifeless body was located by his coworkers at The Growler Guys in Northeast Seattle on Saturday morning. They stumbled upon the grim scene as they prepared to start their day.

Investigators revealed that 20-year-old Lucas Logan, a fellow employee, is suspected of fatally shooting Margarsa. The incident reportedly occurred following an after-hours gathering at the bar, which included an unidentified woman.

After closing The Growler Guys at approximately 1:30 a.m., Margarsa was said to have visited Lava Hookah Lounge. Friends informed investigators that he subsequently left the lounge accompanied by a man and a woman he encountered there.

The trio then made their way back to The Growler Guys, where the tragic events unfolded.

Surveillance footage showed Margarsa, Logan and the woman arriving at 5:25 a.m., with Margarsa using the key given to him by the owners to access the closed establishment.

Inside, the three spent about an hour hanging out and drinking before what appeared to be an argument broke out between Margarsa and Logan at the front door at around 6:40 a.m. Investigators also noted the group may have been doing narcotics together during that time.

According to the arrest report, the woman told investigators the argument started when Margarsa wanted Logan to leave the bar and for her to stay back with him.

Investigators noted in a probable cause statement obtained by the Seattle Times that while the footage contained no audio, during the argument, Margarsa is seen turning his back to unlock the door.

“The male suspect pulled out a handgun from his crossbody bag and shot Margarsa multiple times in the back,” the statement said.

Logan and the woman fled through the top half of a Dutch door and escaped in her car moments after the shooting, according to the probable cause statement.

Hours later, a co-worker arrived Saturday morning, found the door open and discovered Margarsa on the floor in a pool of blood with three spent casings nearby.

Two days after the shooting, Logan turned himself in to police with his defense attorney, Pete Mazzone, on Monday morning, KOMO News reported.

Logan’s attorney insists his client shot Margarsa in self-defense, according to KOMO News.

“This is a clear case of not only self-defense, but defense of others,” Mazzone said at a brief court hearing in the King County Jail on Tuesday.

“The fear was ‘we’re locked in here, and this guy doesn’t want to let the girl leave,’” Mazzone said.

“When they tried to leave peacefully, they found the door they had come in from was locked. It wasn’t that Mr. Q was escorting them out, it was Q was escorting, at least Logan, into a back room where he had words with him.”

However, prosecutor Chris Anderson told the court Margarsa had his back turned with his key in the door when Logan drew a gun, pointed it at his head and fired.

“Mr. Margarsa was found with the key to that door in his dead hand. Not a weapon — a key,” Anderson said.

King County District Court Judge Matthew York set Logan’s bail at $2 million Tuesday, agreeing with prosecutors that the 20-year-old is a danger to the community given the “brazen” nature of the alleged shooting, the Seattle Times reported.

Prosecutors said they will review the case and expect to decide on charges within the coming days.

As for the woman at the beer garden that night, prosecutors believe she had no involvement in the shooting and did not directly witness it, adding that she had contacted police through a private attorney and was cooperating with the investigation.

An international student from China has admitted to capturing images of military planes at a Nebraska base, asserting that the photos were intended for his personal interest.

Tianrui Liang, a 21-year-old attending the University of Glasgow in Scotland, was detained on April 7 at John F. Kennedy International Airport. He was preparing to fly to Frankfurt, Germany, en route to Glasgow.

Just days before, on March 31, he was apprehended while photographing aircraft at Offutt Air Base, located near Omaha, Nebraska. This detail emerged during Liang’s plea hearing, as reported by the prosecution.

The proceedings, which unfolded in the US District Court of Nebraska, were covered by the Lincoln Journal Star.

Using a telescopic lens from a public road adjacent to the base, Liang successfully captured images of military aircraft models RC-135 and E-4B, according to Assistant US Attorney Matt Lierman.

Both models are Boeing-manufactured planes. The RC-135 is a reconnaissance aircraft, and the E-4B is a modified Boeing 747-200 that serves as a mobile command center.

Personnel at the base spotted Liang taking the photos, and an FBI special agent went to question him on the side of the road. 

The student admitted to taking the pictures and knowing that it was illegal to do so. He said that they were for his personal collection and that he is into the airplane spotting hobby.

A 21-year-old Chinese student named Tianrui Liang has pleaded guilty to taking photos of military aircraft parked at Offutt Air Base in Nebraska (pictured)

Liang took photos of an E-4B, which is a modified Boeing 747-200 that serves as a mobile command center. An E-4B is pictured in flight

Liang also took photos of an RC-135, which is a reconnaissance aircraft. An RC-135 is pictured in flight

Liang surrendered his iPhone and Canon camera to the FBI, which discovered several photos of planes parked at Offutt Air Base. He also handed over other electronics, including a drone. 

The student was appointed a federal public defender named Jeffrey Thomas, who asked Magistrate Judge Michael Nelson to expedite Liang’s sentencing hearing, which is currently scheduled for June 18. 

Liang has already been in jail for 30 days, which has threatened his academic career, Thomas argued. 

The public defender added that his client has no criminal record and that the judge already has a breadth of evidence which should enable him to determine what Liang’s sentence should be. 

Federal guidelines recommend zero to six months in jail and a fine of up to $100,000 as punishment for violating the federal statute prohibiting photography of military aircraft. 

Lierman, the prosecutor, argued that Liang’s actions represented a national security risk and that expediting the sentencing hearing would be irresponsible. ‘We don’t have the full picture here,’ he told the judge, according to the Lincoln Journal Star.

The prosecutor added that the evidence in the case was mostly self-reported by Liang and that a pre-sentence investigation to verify it must be conducted. 

There is no way to be certain that Liang is the innocuous student who was on spring break and likes airplane spotting without conducting an investigation, Lierman said. 

The prosecution argued that Liang’s actions presented a national security risk and that his claims that he is a student who was taking photos for his personal collection must be investigated. A squadron of RC-135s parked at Offut Air Base is pictured

Liang’s public defender argued that enemies of the US have satellites that can provide pictures of US military bases, and taking photos from the ground is outdated. A satellite image of Offut Air Base is pictured

Thomas, the public defender, countered that the federal statute his client was arrested for violating was enacted in the 1950s and is a relic of the space race with the Soviet Union. 

He argued that adversaries of the United States have sophisticated satellites that can provide images of military bases, and taking photos from the ground is an outdated espionage strategy that presents little risk in comparison. 

The public defender added that ‘in 1950, the statute certainly wasn’t crazy,’ but even at the time, violating it was considered a misdemeanor, and it is even ‘less of a misdemeanor’ today.

He also noted that his client has been into airplane spotting since 2020, when Liang would have been 15 years old.

The prosecution conceded that enemies of the US certainly use satellites for espionage, but that ‘if satellites answered all of the questions, with respect to our adversaries, we wouldn’t need human intelligence. We know that’s not true.’ 

Lierman said that Liang should remain in custody until his sentencing hearing while the pre-sentencing investigation unfolds.  

The judge agreed with the prosecution and said that the information Liang provided to law enforcement provided more questions than answers, that the sentencing hearing would not be expedited and that the student would remain in custody until then. 

KAOHSIUNG, Taiwan: As U.S. President Donald Trump engages in crucial discussions with China’s supreme leader, Xi Jinping, in Beijing, all eyes are on Taiwan. From the island’s presidential office to its military command centers and high-tech semiconductor firms, there is a heightened sense of anticipation. The pressing issue at hand is whether Trump will negotiate from a position of strength or leave Taiwan vulnerable in the geopolitical landscape.

Taiwan, an effectively independent entity with a population of 23 million, has long been under the shadow of a potential threat from China. Despite never having governed Taiwan, the Chinese Communist Party claims the island as part of its territory.

Analysts in Taiwan caution that Xi may propose a bargain to Trump: concessions on trade tariffs, fentanyl controls, access for U.S. businesses, or collaboration on global issues such as Iran and Ukraine, in return for U.S. acquiescence to an increased Chinese influence over Taiwan’s future.

In a striking display of military might, the PLA Navy and Army recently conducted an extensive live-fire exercise in Zhangzhou City, Fujian Province, China. This demonstration of force underscores the strategic tensions in the region.

Taiwan’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Francois Wu, expressed his concerns in an interview with Bloomberg News. “Our greatest fear,” he stated, “is that Taiwan becomes a bargaining chip in the talks between Xi Jinping and President Trump.”

Huang Kwei-bo, a professor in National Chengchi University’s Department of Diplomacy, told Fox News Digital that Taiwan shouldn’t assume nothing will change. “Taiwan shouldn’t rule out the possibility that the United States and mainland China could reach an understanding behind the scenes, agreeing to reduce arms sales to Taiwan, or become less active in helping us meaningfully participate in international space,” he said.

In comments on Monday, President Trump acknowledged China’s dislike of U.S. arms sales to Taiwan, and said the topic would be “one of the many things I’ll be talking about.” 

China launched rockets near Taiwan during live-fire drills as the People’s Liberation Army Eastern Theater Command surrounded the island with warships and aircraft amid rising tensions. (PLA Eastern Theater Command/Reuters)

Over the past week, more than 50 communist Chinese aircraft crossed the Taiwan Strait median line or entered Taiwan’s air defense identification zone. 

Those numbers are not a dramatic new escalation. In Taiwan, they are increasingly seen as part of a new normal: a sustained pressure campaign that falls short of war but keeps Taiwan’s military on alert. China also intentionally damages the undersea cables that connect Taiwan to the internet, hacks into Taiwan’s computer systems daily, and floods social media with content that praises the communist party.

FILE: In this undated file photo released by the Taiwan Ministry of Defense, a Chinese PLA J-16 fighter jet flies in an undisclosed location (Taiwan Ministry of Defense via AP)

Taiwan’s semiconductor industry is a major concern for Washington. The island is home to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., or TSMC, the dominant producer of the world’s most advanced semiconductors. Those chips are used in smartphones, cars, artificial intelligence systems and U.S. defense technology. Any conflict or blockade that cuts Taiwan off from global markets would ripple through American factories, consumers, technology companies and military planning.

However, as the leaders of the two nations most closely intertwined with Taiwan’s future meet, there is no outward sense of panic here.

President Donald Trump and President Xi Jinping prepare for a key summit in May. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/Getty Images)

“Most people here are not obsessed with China every day,” Audrey Chiang, who runs a tourist souvenir shop in Kaohsiung, told Fox News Digital. Chiang has a son who is just a few years away from serving one year as a military conscript, a 2024 response to China’s invasion threats. “We go to work. We worry about the next big test at our kids’ school. We complain about traffic. But everyone knows things can change very quickly.”

Taiwan’s legislature on May 8 passed a near US$25 billion supplemental defense spending bill, meant in part to signal to Washington that Taipei isn’t simply depending on America to protect itself. But the package was smaller than the almost US$40 billion requested by Taiwan President Lai Ching-te’s administration. 

Taipei-based American political analyst, Ross Darrell Feingold, told Fox News Digital that many in Taiwan assume that the U.S., and possibly Japan, will come to the island’s defense in the event of a war. “Going back to the Cold War when the U.S. had a treaty obligation to defend Taiwan, and even after the treaty was abrogated, the consistent assumption is that the U.S. president will send in the military to save Taiwan. More recently, there is a growing assumption Japan will do so as well. But Taiwan still must do what is necessary to prove to its partners that Taiwan’s own people will be on the front line,” he said.

The Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company fabrication plant in Phoenix, Arizona, on March 3, 2025. TSMC plans to invest an additional $100 billion in U.S. plants to increase chip production and support President Donald Trump’s goal of boosting domestic manufacturing. (Rebecca Noble/Bloomberg)

Taiwan’s main political parties have major differences in their approaches to China, but broadly support U.S. arms purchases and agree that Beijing is a threat to democratic Taiwan.

Chinese officials insist Taiwan’s status is an “internal affair.” Taiwan’s elected government rejects that, and so do most Taiwanese, who see Taiwan’s future as something only they should decide.

National Pingtung University Associate Professor Paul Lee is among those who think Xi Jinping is going to push the U.S. president hard on Taiwan. Speaking by phone, he told Fox News Digital that “Xi Jinping almost certainly wants one clear change from the U.S., he’ll want Trump to say the United States ‘opposes Taiwan independence’ rather than the language it uses now that is closer to ‘does not support Taiwan independence.’ To be frank, I don’t think President Trump sees Taiwan as that important – except as the producer of the world’s most advanced semiconductors, and as a source of some revenue from weapons sales.” Lee notes that the difference between “doesn’t support” and “opposes” may not seem like much for Trump, but for Xi, it would be viewed as a major victory.”

A procession of Taiwanese armed military vehicles patrols outside Songshan Airport in Taipei on Oct. 14, 2024, following China’s announcement of the Joint Sword-2024B military exercise encircling Taiwan. (Daniel Ceng/Anadolu)

For Taiwan’s ruling party, and anyone in Taiwan who supports moves by Lai and his predecessor to establish at home and abroad that Taiwan is not part of China, such a change in language would come as a blow as it implies that the U.S. does not agree with the people of Taiwan having the right to self-determination on their future, Lee explained, and he said Xi Jinping wouldn’t be satisfied with Trump simply saying a few sentences. 

“Trump has roughly three years left on his second term, and Xi will want to ensure the ‘oppose independence’ language translates into a new framework with new rules such as not letting Taiwan President Lai transit through the U.S., as one example. Xi knows U.S. presidents come and go, so the goal is to create a tacit agreement that Taiwan is in the Chinese sphere of influence, he said.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has instructed the Chinese Communist Party to assert influence for the country globally through a “United Front” strategy. He reviews troops during his inspection of the People’s Liberation Army garrison in the Macao Special Administrative Region on Dec. 20, 2024. (Li Gang/Xinhua via Getty Images)

Lee said China has been patiently waiting for an opportune moment, and the war in Iran, tariffs and other issues facing President Trump is presenting exactly that.

Lee said Taiwan’s government and academic community will closely scrutinize the official translations of what the two sides “agree” on. “Put simply,” Lee said, “if Xi Jinping agrees to help make things easier for Trump, Xi will not be satisfied with cryptically worded official press releases. He will want to see the beginning of a new U.S.-China framework for dealing with Taiwan.”