Israel carried out one of the most intense bombardments of the past year, as warplanes launched 70 airstrikes, Lebanese security officials said. The barrage came shortly after Hezbollah’s leader vowed to respond after explosions of pagers and walkie-talkies killed at least 37 people.

The European Union has vowed to enhance its military capability. But money is scarce, responsibilities overlap and the new job is less about soldiers than arms manufacturers.

The explosion of devices carried by thousands of Hezbollah operatives sowed panic sowed panic and overwhelmed hospitals across Lebanon. Sheera Frenkel, a New York Times technology reporter who has covered cyberwarfare in the Middle East, explains how Israel planned the attacks, according to interviews with 12 officials.

Days after the West African country’s ruling military was ambushed by Islamist rebels, it has sought to hide the true extent of the carnage.

The central issue in the election is how to correct the economy’s deep imbalances.

Israel said Ibrahim Aqeel was meeting with other senior Hezbollah commanders at the time of Friday’s airstrike. The United States had accused Aqeel of being involved in bombings that killed more than 200 U.S. Marines and many others in Beirut in 1983.

Even as Israel signals that it is moving its focus to its northern border with Lebanon, there has been no pause to its bombardment in Gaza, where residents are facing another winter with little access to food or shelter.

The attack, which Lebanese officials said killed at least 14 and injured more than 60, stoked fears Israel is driving toward a full-blown war on its northern border, even as the fight in Gaza goes on.

The latest uptick stoked fear of a broader war in the region. Hezbollah’s response came after a week in which Israel carried out a series of audacious attacks, killing some of the group’s top commanders.

The Fête de l’Humanité, a blend of Burning Man, Woodstock and a political convention, attracts the masses with bands, lectures and food, but here K.F.C. is C.F.K.: Communist Fried Kitchen.