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Lebanon

The latest news, analysis and opinion on Lebanon. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.

Capital

Beirut

Head of State

Vacant

Head of Government

Prime Minister Najib Mikati

Houthi fighters participate in a rally marking the second anniversary of the attacks carried by Hamas against Israel, in Sana’a, Yemen in October. Photo: EPA

Middle East

Iraq removes Hezbollah and Houthis from asset-freeze list after ‘mistake’

Iraqi PM orders accountability for the error over list meant for Islamic State/al-Qaeda only. Reversal is blow to US efforts curbing Iran.

5 Dec 2025 - 4:58AM

Middle East

Lebanon and Israel hold first direct civilian talks in decades

4 Dec 2025 - 1:15PM

Middle East

‘No calm in Beirut’ as more Israeli strikes expected after Hezbollah ultimatum

2 Dec 2025 - 5:20PMvideocam

Middle East

Pope Leo urges Lebanon’s leaders to unite for peace

The first US pope arrived in Beirut from Istanbul, where sought to give Lebanon’s long-suffering people a message of hope.

1 Dec 2025 - 1:09AM

Pope Leo XIV and Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun shake hands as they meet at the Presidential Palace during Leo’s first apostolic journey, in Baabda, Lebanon on Sunday. Photo: Reuters

Middle East

Hezbollah leader leaves open possibility of new war with Israel

The group’s top military commander was killed days ago in an Israeli attack, and the militants say they have a right to retaliate.

29 Nov 2025 - 5:51AM

Israel-Gaza war

Israeli soldiers kill Palestinian men in West Bank after they appear to surrender

The Israeli army says its investigating the circumstances in which two Palestinians were shot dead.

28 Nov 2025 - 2:46PM

Turkey

Pope warns ‘piecemeal’ third world war ‘threatening’ humanity

In Ankara, Pope Leo urged for global peace amid rising conflicts and geopolitical tensions during his first trip outside Italy.

27 Nov 2025 - 10:25PM

Pope Leo speaks at the National Library of the Presidential Palace, during his first apostolic journey, in Ankara, Turkey on Thursday. Photo: Reuters

Israel-Gaza war

Hezbollah military chief killed in Israeli strike on Beirut

Israel’s prime minister said Hezbollah’s Haytham Tabtabai was leading efforts to rebuild the militant group’s strength.

24 Nov 2025 - 2:03PM

Middle East

Israeli strike on Palestinian camp in Lebanon kills 13, deadliest since ceasefire

The Israeli military said it struck a Hamas training compound that was being used to prepare an attack.

19 Nov 2025 - 12:38PM

Israel-Gaza war

Israeli strike in Lebanon kills Hezbollah operative amid tensions with UN peacekeepers

Strike kills a school principal with Hezbollah links on the same day Israeli forces mistakenly fired near UN peacekeepers.

17 Nov 2025 - 4:58PMvideocam

A United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) watchtower on the Lebanese side of the border separating northern Israel from southern Lebanon on November 16, 2025. Photo: AFP

Syria

Syria detains security forces over sectarian violence that killed hundreds

The arrests follow a July rampage in Sweida where government fighters effectively sided with Bedouin clans against the Druze.

17 Nov 2025 - 1:35PM

Syrian security forces after clashes between government troops and local Druze fighters in the southern city of Sweida in July. Photo: Reuters

Middle East

Gaddafi’s son released on bail after 10 years in a Lebanon prison

Hannibal Gaddafi was released after a Libyan delegation paid a drastically reduced bail, ending his detention over a missing cleric.

11 Nov 2025 - 1:50PM

Middle East

Civilians or terrorists? Israeli drone strike kills 2 Lebanese brothers

The latest attacks came as the EU voiced concern over Israel’s continued strikes despite its year-old ceasefire with Lebanon.

8 Nov 2025 - 9:53PM

Israel

Is Israel’s ‘lessfire’ truce in Lebanon the model for Gaza?

Israel continues near-daily attacks in southern Lebanon, despite a ceasefire with Hezbollah taking hold 11 months ago.

21 Oct 2025 - 12:07AMvideocam

Smoke rises following an Israeli airstrike on Dahiyeh in the southern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon in April. Photo: AP

Israel-Gaza war

‘Not a chance’: experts dismiss Trump’s Gaza peace declaration as temporary fix

Trump has brought together nations willing to work with Washington to stabilise the Middle East but not tackled the real cause, analysts say.

16 Oct 2025 - 11:30AMvideocam

Hamas fighters stand guard as Red Cross vehicles arrive to transport remains of Israeli hostages on Wednesday. Photo: EPA

Israel-Gaza war

Trump says Gaza ‘war is over’ as he heads to Middle East on high-stakes peace trip

US president to address Israel’s Knesset and attend a peace summit in Egypt as Gaza captives are set to return, Palestinian prisoners go free.

13 Oct 2025 - 1:13PMvideocam

Israel

Israel air strikes in Lebanon continue despite Gaza ceasefire deal

The Lebanese president condemned the ‘heinous Israeli aggression’ that came just hours after the US-backed Gaza truce took effect.

11 Oct 2025 - 3:32PM

United Nations

UN to slash 25% of global peacekeeping force due to funding strains

The US, the UN’s largest donor, reduced its contribution by hundreds of millions, forcing cuts to peacekeeping missions.

9 Oct 2025 - 12:23PM

UN peacekeepers in the Democratic Republic of Congo in January. File photo: Reuters

Israel-Gaza war

Israel’s annexation plans fuel fears of Palestinians’ annihilation

What is happening in Gaza is tantamount to ‘the final solution’, an academic says, as Israel also plans to annex most of the West Bank.

6 Sep 2025 - 4:00PM

Middle East

UN votes to end peacekeeping force in Lebanon after nearly 5 decades

Operations will stop at the end of 2026, despite concerns that shutting down UNIFIL too quickly could be a boon to Hezbollah.

29 Aug 2025 - 2:33PM

Hong Kong politics

New US Consul General Julie Eadeh arrives in Hong Kong after Beijing’s approval

Eadeh faced controversy in 2019 after photos of her meeting opposition activists were seen as evidence of ‘foreign forces’ at work in city.

28 Aug 2025 - 6:25AM

New US Consul General Julie Eadeh has arrived in Hong Kong. Photo: Getty Images

Hezbollah

Hezbollah leader rejects disarmament, demands Israel comply with ceasefire first

Israel signalled it would scale back military presence in southern Lebanon if the Lebanese army took action to disarm the Iran-backed group.

26 Aug 2025 - 9:47AM

Lebanon’s Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem. Photo: Al Manar TV / Reuters TV via Reuters

Banking & finance

HSBC’s Swiss bank said to exit 1,000 Mideast clients amid revamp

Move seeks to reduce exposure to people deemed high-risk, many with more than US$100 million in assets, sources say.

24 Aug 2025 - 2:47PM

Crime

Member of Irish rap group Kneecap appears at UK court on terrorism charge

Liam Og O hAnnaidh, whose stage name is Mo Chara, is alleged to have waved the yellow flag of Hezbollah during a gig in London in November.

21 Aug 2025 - 9:16AMvideocam

Hong Kong society

Hongkongers urged to avoid travel to Iran, Israel despite risk downgrade

Authorities lower outbound travel alert for both countries from black to red, warning current risk levels remain ‘a significant threat’.

18 Aug 2025 - 11:49PM

Demonstrators gather in Tel Aviv, Israel, demanding the immediate release of hostages held by Hamas. Photo: AP

Middle East

Hezbollah vows to fight disarmament as Lebanon PM slams civil war ‘threats’

Militant leader Naim Qassem warned that the state would bear responsibility for ‘any internal explosion and any destruction’ of the country.

16 Aug 2025 - 3:00AM

Lebanon’s Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem gives a televised speech from an unknown location on Friday. Photo: Al Manar TV via Reuters

Middle East

Iran security chief meets officials in Iraq before Lebanon visit

Ali Larijani’s first foreign trip since being appointed comes after a war with Israel and recent strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities.

12 Aug 2025 - 2:37PMvideocam

Syria

Syria’s elections: a path to inclusion or continued conflict?

A deepening humanitarian crisis and minority grievances complicate Syria’s bid for a centralised state, 14 years after its civil war began.

2 Aug 2025 - 4:00PMvideocam

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