Lebanon

Lebanon Welcomes UN Decision on UNIFIL Mandate
Lebanon Welcomes UN Decision on UNIFIL Mandate

President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam welcomed on Thursday the United Nations Security Council’s decision to extend the mandate of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) until December 31, 2026. President Aoun thanked all 15 Security Council members for their unanimous support, singling out France as penholder ...

UN Security Council Votes for Lebanon Peacekeepers to Leave in 2027
UN Security Council Votes for Lebanon Peacekeepers to Leave in 2027

The Security Council voted Thursday for UN peacekeepers to leave Lebanon in 2027, allowing one final extension after pressure from Israel and its US ally to end the nearly 50-year-old force. Israel hailed the termination of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) and urged the Beirut government to exert its authority after an Israeli ...

Another Serious Paragliding Accident Off Lebanese Coast
Another Serious Paragliding Accident Off Lebanese Coast

A man in his thirties was critically injured Thursday after crashing on the rocks while paragliding off the coast of Jbeil. The victim, a father of two and an experienced paraglider, was rushed to hospital in critical condition. The accident comes just days after a fatal crash in Jounieh Bay, where another paragliding enthusiast lost his life in ...

Lebanese Lieutenant and First Adjutant Killed in Israeli Drone Blast
Lebanese Lieutenant and First Adjutant Killed in Israeli Drone Blast

Two Lebanese soldiers, a lieutenant and a first adjutant, were killed Thursday in Naqoura while a military unit was inspecting an Israeli drone that had crashed while carrying an unexploded bomb. According to preliminary information, the drone was attempting to drop the device on an excavator before crashing. Ambulance teams rushed to the scene ...

Macron Voices Support for Lebanon’s Weapons Restriction Plan
Macron Voices Support for Lebanon’s Weapons Restriction Plan

French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday expressed support for the Lebanese government’s plan to restrict weapons, describing it as a key step that must be carried out carefully, “especially since it has received broad European and international backing.” In a phone call with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, Macron discussed ...

Lebanese Ministries Push to Integrate AI in Public Administration
Lebanese Ministries Push to Integrate AI in Public Administration

Lebanon is stepping up efforts to modernize public administration and infrastructure through artificial intelligence (AI) and digital technology. A high-level workshop held at the Ministry of Public Works and Transport brought together Minister of State for Technology and Artificial Intelligence Kamal Shehadeh, Minister of Public Works Fayez ...

Defense Minister: Lebanon to Centralize All Arms Under State Authority
Defense Minister: Lebanon to Centralize All Arms Under State Authority

Defense Minister Michel Menassa reaffirmed that the government has taken a clear strategic decision: to unify all weapons under state authority. He said the army has been tasked with drafting an operational plan to implement the disarmament before the end of the month. In an interview with Kuwait’s Al-Jarida, Menassa commented on recent remarks ...

America’s Beirut Gamble: Barrack, Ortagus and Graham Push Lebanon Toward Peace
PoliticsAmerica’s Beirut Gamble: Barrack, Ortagus and Graham Push Lebanon Toward Peace

When Tom Barrack, Morgan Ortagus and Senator Lindsey Graham touched down in Beirut, it was clear that the United States was no longer willing to watch Lebanon’s crisis unfold from the sidelines. Their visit was not ceremonial. It was an intervention, part carrot, part stick, designed to push Lebanon into one of the most consequential decisions ...

Army Collects Weapons from Palestinian Camps in South
Army Collects Weapons from Palestinian Camps in South

The Lebanese Army on Thursday launched its largest weapons collection operation since the end of the civil war, targeting Palestinian refugee camps both south and north of the Litani River. The initiative is part of the government’s efforts to ensure that arms remain solely under state control. The campaign began in the Tyre region, ...

UN Security Council to Vote Thursday on UNIFIL’s Future
UN Security Council to Vote Thursday on UNIFIL’s Future

The UN Security Council is set to vote Thursday on the future of the blue helmet peacekeeping mission in south Lebanon, which has faced U.S. and Israeli opposition. The Panamanian presidency of the Council announced that the session, repeatedly postponed, will be held on Thursday. Some 10,800 peacekeepers have been acting as a buffer between ...