More than 140 killed in Nigerian tanker explosion, officials say

(NEW YORK) — As Israel laid the groundwork for a possible ground invasion of Lebanon, the Biden administration on Wednesday was urging diplomacy to resolve the country’s long-simmering conflict with Hezbollah — but growing increasingly resigned to full-blown warfare on a second front in the Middle East, according to multiple U.S. officials.

Two officials told ABC News that the administration has floated at least one draft proposal aimed at temporarily halting the conflict, but at this point Israel has signaled it intends to move forward with battle plans aimed at ending months of tit-for-tat exchanges with Hezbollah across its northern border by decimating the militant group.

“I cannot detail everything we are doing, but I can tell you one thing: we are determined to return our residents in the north safely to their homes,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday, referring to Israelis who have been displaced since Hezbollah began firing rockets shortly after Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel.

One senior U.S. official said that Hezbollah’s firing of a ballistic missile targeting the headquarters of Israel’s intelligence service Mossad near Tel Aviv only intensified the Israeli government’s resolve, even though Israeli forces were able to successfully intercept the missile.

The U.S. also has little leverage over Hezbollah, so it’s unclear whether the group would abide by any such agreement to pause the fighting. The administration could potentially rely on partners with direct ties to Hezbollah to contain the group, but all of its efforts to halt its attacks on Israel over the last year have been unsuccessful.

Nevertheless, senior officials say they are still pursuing “concrete options” for de-escalation, and Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations said on Tuesday that Israeli leadership remained “open-minded.”

Deputy Pentagon press secretary Sabrina Singh said on Wednesday that it didn’t appear an Israeli ground incursion into Lebanon was in the offing, potentially allowing time for negotiations make headway.

“Without characterizing Israeli operations and letting them speak to them for themselves, it doesn’t look like anything is imminent,” she said.

The Biden administration is also fervently focused on keeping Iran — a chief military and financial supporter of Hezbollah — on the sidelines through indirect diplomacy.

“We also have to coordinate and work together to deter destabilizing activities by Iran. I urge all of us to use the leverage that we have to press Iran to stop fueling escalation,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said during a meeting with Arab leaders at the United Nations on Wednesday.

But Israel’s military actions in Lebanon over the course of the last week have put the schism between Israel and the U.S. on full display.

When Israel has struck Hezbollah targets in the past, it has typically given the U.S. advanced notice. However, Biden administration officials say they did not receive any warning before hundreds of communication devices distributed to the groups’ members exploded in an attack widely attributed to Israel.

While Israel has messaged its intention to conduct a ground incursion into Lebanon, it has not shared detailed plans with the U.S. — a dynamic that echoes the early days of the country’s military campaign in Gaza.

The lack of transparency has heightened concerns for Americans in the region. The State Department estimates that over 80,000 U.S. citizens live in Lebanon, but it’s unclear how many heeded the department’s July advisory to leave the country.

In a message to Americans still in Lebanon sent on Wednesday, State Department officials said they would hold a call on the security situation in the country on Friday and urged U.S. nationals to depart “while commercial options still remain available.”

ABC News’ Martha Raddatz contributed to this report.

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Friday marks the 50th anniversary of Billy Joel’s third studio album, Streetlife Serenade, which was a top 40 hit for the future Rock & Roll Hall of Famer.

Released Oct. 11, 1974, the album is best known for the song “The Entertainer,” which had Billy clapping back after his classic track “Piano Man” was cut for radio. In it he sings, “If you’re gonna have a hit, you gotta make it fit, so they cut it down to 3:05.”

While “The Entertainer” went on to become a fan favorite and a staple at Billy’s live shows, he says the song is often misunderstood. It features lyrics that appear to have Billy complaining about being a music superstar, although they’re actually meant to be sarcastic, something Billy says fans, and DJs, didn’t often get.

“The disc jockey saying, ‘OK, first he’s a piano man. He’s b******* about playing in a piano bar. He’s moaning about his life,’” Billy said in a video about the album he made for his website. “’Now he’s got a successful record. Now he’s b******* about being successful.’”

Streetlife Serenade was the follow-up to his 1972 breakthrough Piano Man, and even Billy admits he wasn’t at his best. He says the quality suffered because he was too busy opening for other acts on the road. As a result, he shares that he “didn’t really have a lot of time to write new material.”

“But there was a lot of pressure to put out another album after Piano Man and I just didn’t have a lot of stuff,” he said. “There’s even two instrumentals. When’s the last time a singer-songwriter put out an instrumental?”

Streetlife Serenade went on to sell over 1 million copies and has been certified Platinum by the RIAA.

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(NEW YORK) — Prince William spoke out for the first time Tuesday after his wife Kate, the princess of Wales, announced in an emotional video message that she had finished chemotherapy after her cancer diagnosis.

William spoke during a solo appearance in Wales, where he greeted well-wishers with cards and messages of support for Kate and shared an update on what’s ahead for his wife.

“It’s good news but there is still a long way to go,” William told fans, according to reporters covering the prince’s visit.

William also expressed appreciation for the support, saying, “thank you very much,” and “very much appreciated.”

Kate, 42, who shares three children with William, also acknowledged in her video message Monday that while she is relieved to have finished chemotherapy, her recovery is not over.

“Doing what I can to stay cancer free is now my focus. Although I have finished chemotherapy, my path to healing and full recovery is long and I must continue to take each day as it comes,” she said. “I am however looking forward to being back at work and undertaking a few more public engagements in the coming months when I can.”

Kate has remained mostly out of the public eye for the past year.

In January, she was hospitalized for what Kensington Palace described at the time as “planned abdominal surgery.”

Three months later, in March, Kate announced that she had been diagnosed with cancer.

She has not revealed publicly what type of cancer she faced, nor exact details of her treatment beyond that she was undergoing “preventative chemotherapy.”

William also took time off from public duties earlier this year to support Kate.

When he visited a food charity in mid-April, in his first royal engagement since Kate announced her cancer diagnosis, William received cards of well-wishes for not only Kate but also his father, King Charles III, who was also diagnosed with cancer this year.

“Thank you very much. That’s very kind,” William told one volunteer who handed him the cards.

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