Lebanon

Disarmament: Presidential Advisor Meets Hezbollah MP
Disarmament: Presidential Advisor Meets Hezbollah MP

President Joseph Aoun’s advisor, Brigadier General Andre Rahal, met Friday with the head of Hezbollah’s parliamentary bloc, MP Mohammad Raad, in an implicit attempt to reassure Hezbollah amid heightened tensions over the government’s decision to disarm non-state actors, particularly the Iran-backed group. According to the National News ...

Geagea Calls for Full Compliance with Government Decision on Weapons
Geagea Calls for Full Compliance with Government Decision on Weapons

Lebanese Forces (LF) leader Samir Geagea stressed on Friday the need for all parties to abide by the government’s decision affirming the state’s exclusive control over weapons, following his meeting at the Grand Serail with Prime Minister Nawaf Salam. Geagea underlined that the decision, which asserts the government’s monopoly on arms, ...

Lebanon Bans Acro-Paragliding
Lebanon Bans Acro-Paragliding

Youth and Sports Minister Nora Bayrakdarian on Friday banned acro-paragliding in Lebanon, citing the absence of legal regulation and official licensing. In a circular, Bayrakdarian emphasized that since the sport is unregulated, “it cannot be practiced without proper oversight.” The circular makes clear that all acro-paragliding activities ...

Israeli Raid in Aita al-Shaab and Deir Kifa
Israeli Raid in Aita al-Shaab and Deir Kifa

An Israeli airstrike on Friday struck the town of Aita al-Shaab in the Bint Jbeil district, killing one person, according to the Ministry of Health. An Israeli drone also dropped a bomb near a drilling machine located between Ainata and Kounine, both in the Bint Jbeil district. Meanwhile, hostile drones and warplanes were reported flying at low ...

Army Frees Kidnapping Victim in Baalbeck Raid
Army Frees Kidnapping Victim in Baalbeck Raid

After a series of surveillance and security operations, the Lebanese Armed Forces and the Army Intelligence carried out a raid on Thursday, August 21, 2025, in the Joroud Nahleh area of Baalbek. The operation targeted suspects involved in the kidnapping of a Syrian national identified as M.Y. Several suspects were arrested, and the kidnapped ...

Industry Ministry-Litani Authority: Joint Committee to Reduce Pollution
Industry Ministry-Litani Authority: Joint Committee to Reduce Pollution

Industry Minister Joe Issa al-Khoury has set up a joint committee with the Litani River Authority to oversee and enforce environmental compliance in industrial facilities across the Litani River Basin, the two bodies said in a joint statement issued Friday. The committee will survey both licensed and unlicensed factories, document violations, and ...

Leon XIV to Visit Lebanon 'by December,' Pending Official Confirmation
Leon XIV to Visit Lebanon 'by December,' Pending Official Confirmation

The announcement quickly sparked a media storm in both Lebanon and Italy: Pope Leo XIV is expected to visit Lebanon “by December.” According to Patriarch Rai, the trip would mark the Pope’s first journey outside Italy since his election. “We are waiting for the Vatican to announce the exact date of the visit,” he told ...

US Asks Israel to Limit Lebanon Operations, Pushes for a ‘Trump Economic Zone’
US Asks Israel to Limit Lebanon Operations, Pushes for a ‘Trump Economic Zone’

The Trump administration has asked Israel to reduce non-urgent military operations in Lebanon to support a wider disarmament initiative, while planning a “Trump economic zone” in parts of southern Lebanon, according to sources with direct knowledge of the matter. Officials say the limitation could be extended if the Lebanese Armed Forces take ...

Inside Roumieh’s Block B: The Unresolved Fate of Syrian Islamist Detainees
Inside Roumieh’s Block B: The Unresolved Fate of Syrian Islamist Detainees

In a secluded corner of Roumieh Central Prison lies the infamous Block B, better known as the “terrorism block.” It houses nearly 500 detainees, most of them radical Islamists facing terrorism-related charges. With the fall of the Assad regime, the issue of Syrian Islamist prisoners in Lebanon has resurfaced, as armed groups and tribal ...

Palestinian Camps: How Many Divisions?
SpotlightPalestinian Camps: How Many Divisions?

The Palestinian Authority is beginning a new phase of weapons handover in Lebanon’s Palestinian camps. The operation, ordered by President Mahmoud Abbas, is overseen by the new Palestinian Ambassador to Beirut, Mohammad al-Assaad, and supervised by Fatah. Palestinian sources cited by Voix du Liban say the handover began Thursday at 3 PM in Burj ...

Palestinian Factions Reject Camp Disarmament, Assert Weapons Will Stay
Palestinian Factions Reject Camp Disarmament, Assert Weapons Will Stay

Palestinian factions in Lebanon rejected reports on Thursday that they were preparing to hand over weapons inside refugee camps, particularly in Burj al-Barajneh. In a joint statement, the groups called the claims “entirely false,” saying the situation in the camp is an internal matter related to the Fatah movement and not linked to ...