Antoine Khoury

The International Monetary Fund said on Friday that Lebanon must do more to reach agreement on restructuring its banking system and sharing out the losses from its economic collapse, while protecting depositors.

Bilal Erdoğan, son of Turkey’s president, began a three-day visit to Lebanon on Thursday. Officially it is a cultural and economic trip, but it is widely seen as part of Ankara’s push to expand its regional influence.

Lebanese security forces arrested five Hezbollah members on Tuesday in a mountainous, mainly Christian area of North Lebanon. The case highlights the danger the Iran-backed militia still poses to Lebanon’s fragile stability.

Hezbollah on Wednesday rejected accusations that it had dispatched experts to Yemen to fight alongside the Houthis in their war against the internationally recognised government and Saudi Arabia. 

Lebanese customs, working with General Security, foiled a major smuggling attempt on Saturday at Beirut’s Rafic Hariri International Airport, seizing 46.7 kilos of cocaine, the largest drug bust in the airport’s history, French-language daily L’Orient-Le Jour reported.

Lebanon will no longer serve as a launchpad for threats against its Arab neighbours or as a forward defence line for other countries’ interests, Foreign Minister Joe Raggi declared on Saturday. 

Lebanese carrier Middle East Airlines (MEA) will resume flights to and from Riyadh starting Monday, November 2, after a roughly three-week suspension.

Lebanon will host the senior Asian Alpine Ski Championships in 2028 at the Mzaar Ski Resort in Kfardebian, the Lebanese Ski and Biathlon Federation confirmed on Thursday. Exact dates have yet to be announced.

Lebanese Foreign Minister Joe Raggi warned on Tuesday that Hezbollah risks pulling Lebanon into a new war at Iran’s behest, as efforts to enforce the June ceasefire between the group and Israel stall.

Lebanon's social affairs minister said Monday that about 700,000 Syrians have returned home from Lebanon, calling it proof of "the success of coordination between the two countries."

Arab League Secretary-General Nabil Fahmy used a visit to Lebanon's presidential palace on Monday to promise Beirut more diplomatic backing, as fears grow that the war between Hezbollah and Israel could flare up again.

The European Union announced on Monday that it will set up a mission to train the Lebanese army and security forces, separate from the UN peacekeeping force UNIFIL.