World Gossip News

The European Union placed the military wing of the Lebanese party Hezbollah on its terror list. The EU's 28 foreign ministers reached the decision unanimously at their monthly meeting. It came after prolonged diplomatic pressure from Washington and Israel, who both consider Hezbollah a terrorist organization. The blacklisting would mean imposing visa bans on individuals and asset freezes on organizations associated with the group. It could take up to two weeks before names of individuals and organizations are added to the list.

Hezbollah officials in Beirut declined to immediately comment on the EU decision but in a May speech Hezbollah chief Sheik Hassan Nasrallah had said any such move would be no more than "ink on paper." Earlier this year, the group was accused of involvement in last year's attack in the Black Sea resort of Burgas in Bulgaria, which killed five Israeli tourists and one Bulgarian. It has refuted that allegation.