Lebanon

Education Minister Announces Four-Day School Week
Education Minister Announces Four-Day School Week

Education Minister Rima Karami confirmed on Wednesday that public schools in Lebanon will continue operating on a four-day week in the upcoming academic year, describing the decision as “a continuation of the previous measure, with the hope that this will be the last year.” Karami made the announcement following a meeting with ...

Patriarch Rai: Resistance Slogan Has Fallen, Consensus on Disarming Hezbollah
Patriarch Rai: Resistance Slogan Has Fallen, Consensus on Disarming Hezbollah

Maronite Patriarch Bechara Boutros Rai said on Tuesday that Israel’s withdrawal from Lebanon would facilitate the disarmament of Hezbollah, stressing that there is a firm national consensus on carrying out the decision to strip the group of its weapons. He noted that the Lebanese government’s stance is clear in confining all arms to the ...

Syria Seizes Weapons Cache Intended for Lebanon Border Smuggling
Syria Seizes Weapons Cache Intended for Lebanon Border Smuggling

The Syrian Ministry of Interior announced Tuesday evening that “internal security forces seized in Homs Governorate a vehicle loaded with Grad rockets, in addition to various shells and ammunition, which had been hidden in eastern rural Homs and were prepared for smuggling toward the Lebanese border.” The Ministry explained via its Telegram ...

Series of Road Accidents: When Blood Becomes Routine
Series of Road Accidents: When Blood Becomes Routine

In August alone, more than 40 people were killed on Lebanese roads, with dozens more injured. The slaughter continues unchecked, largely ignored. According to the Youth Association for Social Awareness (YASA), annual fatalities could surpass 1,000 before the year ends. Its president, Ziad Akl, speaking on Tuesday, voiced his deep concern: “The ...

UNIFIL: Withdrawal or Extension? The Countdown Begins
UNIFIL: Withdrawal or Extension? The Countdown Begins

Will UNIFIL’s presence in southern Lebanon be extended beyond August 31? The question is at the heart of diplomatic negotiations as the Security Council prepares to vote on August 25, while the mandate of the UN force expires at the end of the month. On Monday, the UN Security Council began debating a draft resolution presented by France to ...

Aoun Stresses Lebanon’s Commitment to Renewing UNIFIL's Mandate
Aoun Stresses Lebanon’s Commitment to Renewing UNIFIL's Mandate

A week ahead of U.N. talks on extending UNIFIL’s mandate, and with some Security Council members questioning the usefulness of renewing the peacekeepers’ mission, President Joseph Aoun reaffirmed Lebanon’s commitment to maintaining the multinational force in the south “for as long as necessary” to fully implement UN Resolution ...

A Negotiating Margin Out of Reach
Op-edA Negotiating Margin Out of Reach

Lebanon still has much to accomplish. Despite the government’s declarations, practical steps remain limited, leaving doubts about whether the country is honoring its commitments in the eyes of the international community. This was the core message conveyed during Tom Barrack and Morgan Ortagus’ meetings with Lebanese officials. The points ...

Northern Lebanon Eyes Revival of Kleiate Airport
Northern Lebanon Eyes Revival of Kleiate Airport

Minister of Public Works and Transport Fayez Rasamny underscored the strategic importance of reopening Rene Mouawad Airport in Kleiate, describing it as “a cornerstone for boosting commercial and tourism activity in the North.” In his remarks during a visit to Abdel Wahab Island in Tripoli on Monday, Rasamny said that the economic feasibility ...

YASA Sounds Alarm over Soaring Road Deaths in August
YASA Sounds Alarm over Soaring Road Deaths in August

More than 40 people lost their lives on Lebanon’s roads in August alone, with dozens more injured, according to figures released on Tuesday by the Youth Association for Social Awareness (YASA). The organization described the toll as “shocking,” warning that if accidents continue at this pace, the country could see over 1,000 fatalities in a ...

Iraq-Lebanon Dismantle Major Captagon Factory
Iraq-Lebanon Dismantle Major Captagon Factory

The Iraqi Ministry of Interior announced on Tuesday that, in coordination with Lebanese authorities, one of the largest Captagon factories in the Middle East has been dismantled. In a statement carried by the Iraqi News Agency (INA), the ministry said that “close security and intelligence cooperation between Iraq’s General Directorate of ...