Lebanon

Aoun Offers Condolences to Wadi Zebqine Blast Victims, Checks on Wounded Soldiers
Aoun Offers Condolences to Wadi Zebqine Blast Victims, Checks on Wounded Soldiers

President Joseph Aoun visited on Monday Minister of Defense Maj. Gen. Michel Menassa and Army Commander Gen. Rodolphe Haykal at Yarze to extend condolences for the soldiers killed in the Wadi Zebqine incident and checked on wounded troops. At Geitaoui Hospital, Aoun checked on the condition of a wounded soldier, met the medical team and the ...

US Envoy to Visit Beirut as Lebanon Pushes Ahead with Disarmament Plan
US Envoy to Visit Beirut as Lebanon Pushes Ahead with Disarmament Plan

Lebanese political leaders in contact with US envoy Tom Barrack confirmed he will visit Lebanon on August 18 to follow up on the decision to place all weapons under the state’s exclusive authority, as outlined in the US proposal negotiated with Lebanese authorities, particularly Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri. Official sources voiced confidence ...

Geagea Warns of Iranian Threat to Lebanon’s Sovereignty, Urges Arab and UN Action
Geagea Warns of Iranian Threat to Lebanon’s Sovereignty, Urges Arab and UN Action

Lebanese Forces (LF) leader Samir Geagea lambasted Iran on Monday, accusing it of posing a “direct threat” to Lebanon’s sovereignty. He cited Tehran’s recent criticism of Beirut’s plan to disarm non-state actors, including Iran’s ally Hezbollah. Geagea voiced strong support for the government’s decision taken on August 5 and 7 to ...

Finance Minister Yassin Jaber Faces Hezbollah's Wrath Over Disarmament Stance
Finance Minister Yassin Jaber Faces Hezbollah's Wrath Over Disarmament Stance

Finance Minister Yassine Jaber, who is affiliated with Speaker Nabih Berri’s Amal Movement, came under scathing attack by Hezbollah supporters on social media over his recent remarks in support of the state’s “exclusive control of weapons.” His position, which reflects Amal’s approach to disarming Hezbollah, is viewed as a departure ...

Power Failure at Electricity Stations Triggers Major Blackouts
Power Failure at Electricity Stations Triggers Major Blackouts

Shortly after midnight on August 10, a serious technical incident disabled Lebanon’s main power station in Zouk, triggering repeated total outages across the electricity network. According to Électricité du Liban (EDL), the failure was caused by a loss of insulation in a connection device due to high humidity and unusually elevated ...

The Institutionalized Impasses 
AnalysisThe Institutionalized Impasses 

Eight months after the Presidential election and the formation of a new cabinet, Lebanon is still debating the decommissioning of Hezbollah and the restoration of the state’s sovereignty. The constitutional terms and the international mandates were not enough to sway the recalcitrance of the government, to dissuade Hezbollah and to stop the ...

Hezbollah: A Legacy of Lies, Manipulation and Deception
Hezbollah: A Legacy of Lies, Manipulation and Deception

For many years, Hezbollah has faced a cascade of criticism and direct attacks. However, one must acknowledge the party’s remarkable feat—an important factor that could be listed among its “assets” (forgive the figure of speech…). The pro-Iranian group has indeed mastered the art of deception and the manipulation of well-established ...

Washington Expresses Concern Over Escalation in Southern Lebanon and Welcomes Government Initiative
Washington Expresses Concern Over Escalation in Southern Lebanon and Welcomes Government Initiative

The United States has voiced deep concern over ongoing tensions along Lebanon’s southern border that endanger civilian safety and increase the risk of a wider conflict. In remarks to the press, US State Department regional spokesperson Michael Mitchell said, “We condemn Hezbollah’s escalation and call for restraint. These actions put ...

Samy Gemayel: 'Any Talk of Keeping Weapons Has Only One Purpose: To Trample on the Dignity of Others'
Samy Gemayel: 'Any Talk of Keeping Weapons Has Only One Purpose: To Trample on the Dignity of Others'

During the Kataeb Party’s commemorative ceremony in Sin el-Fil honoring the branch’s martyrs, party leader MP Samy Gemayel reaffirmed his rejection of illegal weapons in Lebanon, denouncing them as “tools serving foreign powers” that “have only been used to impose themselves on other Lebanese, to divide and to spread fear.” Recalling ...

When Ice Cream Unites a Divided Lebanon
When Ice Cream Unites a Divided Lebanon

Under Beirut’s summer sun, ice cream shops overflow with life. Families, friends and children gather over Lebanese achta, pistachio or lemon. In a country divided in so many ways, there’s one sweet truth everyone shares: Lebanese ice cream is delicious.

Fatal Fire in Faqra Kills Three, Injures Six
Fatal Fire in Faqra Kills Three, Injures Six

A devastating fire erupted on Sunday at a building in Faqra, Keserwan, causing three fatalities and six injuries, including three with severe burns. The blaze broke out in a storage area containing diesel and thinner in the basement of a four-story residential and commercial building near the Faqra roundabout. The victims are a woman, her ...

Walid Joumblatt Calls for National Unity and Neutrality
Walid Joumblatt Calls for National Unity and Neutrality

During a tour of Baalchmay and Aley alongside political and religious leaders, former Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Joumblatt addressed the regional situation, warning of a “great conspiracy” whose outcome remains uncertain. Joumblatt stressed that in light of the painful events unfolding in the region, Lebanon’s role is limited. ...