Kareem Chehayeb

Some celebrate in Iran after supreme leader's death, but deep fear and uncertainty remain Some of the jubilation was open and even raucous. People danced in Iranian streets, honked car horns in celebration and screamed joyfully from windows and rooftops over the killing of the country’s su...

Some celebrate in #Iran after supreme leader’s death, but deep fear and uncertainty remain

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Cash-strapped Lebanon finds itself sitting on a gold mine, as precious metal prices surge Tiny Lebanon sits on one of the largest gold reserves in the Middle East and its government is weighing whether to use that stockpile to restore a crippled economy while its citizens are looking at go...

Cash-strapped #Lebanon finds itself sitting on a #gold mine, as precious metal prices surge

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Syrian rapper Al Darwish returns home after 13 years to perform in post-Assad Damascus Hani Al Sawah, a rap artist known as Al Darwish, has returned to Syria after 13 years to perform his political songs for the first time without the Assad dynasty in power.

Syrian rapper Al Darwish returns home after 13 years to perform in post-Assad Damascus

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Rights group warns on failure to deliver justice after sectarian killings in Syria's Sweida Human Rights Watch criticizes the Syrian government for lacking accountability in sectarian violence.

#Syria: @hrw.org warns on failure to deliver justice after sectarian killings in #Sweida

“The government’s acknowledgment of atrocities isn’t enough if those leading and directing abusive forces are shielded from justice" @adamcoogle.bsky.social

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Lebanon's financial recovery will rest on security and political reforms, economy minister says Lebanon's economy minister says the country's efforts to control weapons from non-state groups are crucial for economic recovery.

“We have a credibility gap, we need an international framework to help us solve our problems,” said #Lebanon Economy Minister Amer Bisat in an interview with @apnews.com

“The days in which people help us without us doing our homework are gone.”

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.@LBpresidency Aoun endorsed the army's statement

He called on Israel must stop its attacks, leave occupied areas, & release Lebanese prisoners

Aoun asked countries to only send weapons to state institutions - an apparent reference to Iran which has armed Hezbollah for decades

The second phase for the Lebanese military to deploy and disarm non-state groups will be tricky.

It includes strategic locations in Jezzine provinces, Iqlim el-Teffeh, and the Ain el-Hilwe refugee camp near the port city of Saida.

Lebanese military moves to new phase of disarmament plan of non-state groups like Hezbollah The Lebanese military says it has ended the first phase of its plan to deploy across southern Lebanon and disarm non-state groups, including Hezbollah.

#Lebanon's military said it completed first phase of their plan to fully deploy across southern Lebanon & disarm non-state groups

Officials say the next phase will be in area b/w the Litani and Awali Rivers

No comment yet from Hezbollah or Israel

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Israeli military expansion in Syria raises tensions as they carve out a buffer zone Israel’s military raids and strikes over the past year aiming to carve out a buffer zone in southern Syria have raised tensions, frustrated locals and also appear to have scuttled chances — despite U....

An Israeli-Syrian rapprochement seemed possible last December.

Now, Israel's military expansion in #Syria has raised tensions as they carve out a buffer zone

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Pope arrives in Lebanon in a bid to bring hope to a war-wracked region Pope Leo XIV has arrived in the Lebanese capital, Beirut, as part of his first foreign trip, aiming to bring a message of peace to a region marked by war and tensions.

Pope arrives in Lebanon in a bid to bring hope to a war-wracked region

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Lebanon and Cyprus finalize sea border agreement after an almost 20-year impasse Lebanon and Cyprus have signed a long-delayed sea border agreement, ending an almost 20-year impasse.

🇱🇧🇨🇾🌊Lebanon and Cyprus finalize sea border agreement after an almost 20-year impasse

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Pope Leo XIV's visit rekindles hope in war- and crisis-battered Lebanon The upcoming visit of Pope Leo XIV to Lebanon has rekindled a glimmer of hope for many in the small, crisis-battered country.

“We need a lot of prayers, and we need a miracle for this country to continue"

Pope Leo XIV’s visit rekindles hope in war- and crisis-battered #Lebanon

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Israel says it killed a senior Hezbollah official in first strike on Beirut in months Israel has struck Lebanon’s capital for the first time since June, saying it killed Hezbollah’s chief of staff and warning the Iran-backed militant group not to rearm and rebuild.

Israel says it killed a senior Hezbollah official in first strike on Beirut in months

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Syria opens first public trial over deadly coastal violence The first trial has opened of some of the hundreds of suspects linked to deadly clashes in Syria's coastal provinces that quickly spiraled into sectarian attacks earlier this year.

Syria opens first public trial over deadly coastal violence

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Most of Gaza's schools are destroyed and hundreds of thousands of children cannot go back to class More than 600,000 Palestinian children in Gaza have missed the past two years of school because of the war between Israel and the militant Hamas group.

Most of #Gaza’s schools are destroyed and hundreds of thousands of children cannot go back to class

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Israel's military says ceasefire is back on as death toll from overnight strikes in Gaza reaches 81 The death toll in Gaza from overnight Israeli strikes has climbed to 81. Previously, at least 60 people, including many children, were reported killed.

Death toll from Israel's overnight strikes in Gaza reaches 81. Hospital officials expect that number to go up.

Israel’s military has since said the ceasefire is back on.

apnews.com/article/isra...

Druze seek Sweida autonomy and turn toward Israel, adding new twist to Syria's tensions When Syrian government forces entered the minority Druze enclave of Sweida this summer, it backfired.

#Syria: Druze seek Sweida autonomy and some turn toward Israel, adding new twist to Syria’s tensions

Dozens of armed factions originally formed to counter drug gangs and Islamic State group extremists have banded together under the National Guard.

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A Lebanese dancer defies extremist threats and social norms with his sold-out performances Lebanese dancer Alexandre Paulikevitch takes to the stage in Beirut, defying extremist threats. His sold-out performance, which includes wearing dresses and dancing to classical Arabic music, has ange...

A Lebanese dancer defies extremist threats and social norms with his sold-out performances

“They think if one looks a certain way, that means they have an agenda to convert society. If the society was going to convert, it would have happened hundreds of years ago.”

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US envoy: Saudi Arabia, Qatar to invest in Lebanon economic zone for disarmed Hezbollah Saudi Arabia and Qatar are ready to invest in an economic zone in south Lebanon. This zone aims to create jobs for Hezbollah members and supporters if they disarm.

US envoy: Saudi Arabia, Qatar to invest in Lebanon economic zone for disarmed Hezbollah

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Photos by journalist Mariam Dagga Mariam Dagga, a visual freelance journalist for The Associated Press, chronicled the stream of wounded and dead that every day flowed into southern Gaza’s main hospital, where she was often based.

#GAZA: Photos editors from the @apnews.com curated photos by Mariam Dagga.

She was often based at the Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis.

Israeli strikes that hit the hospital Monday killed at least 20 people, among them Mariam and three other journalists.

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#GAZA: Multiple journalists killed by Israeli strikes on Nasser Hospital, including a freelance journalist who worked for @apnews.com.

At least 8 people were killed in a double-tap strike on the 4th floor, Gaza's Health Ministry said, the second attack came as rescue crews arrived.

Iran orders a day of business and office closures to relieve electric grid in heat wave Iran has ordered government offices and banks across much of the country to close for a day. Surging summer temperatures and a worsening water crisis are straining the power grid.

Iran orders a day of business and office closures to relieve electric grid in heat wave

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A father's grief and a nation's hope: Lebanon awaits justice 5 years after Beirut blast Five years after the Beirut port explosion, families of victims are still seeking justice. The blast, caused by detonated ammonium nitrate, killed at least 218 people and devastated the city.

“We will do to them what every mother and father would do if someone killed their child"

#Beirut Port Blast 5 years later. We bring some of the latest on the ongoing investigation, and spoke to two families who lost loved ones in the explosion.

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Fresh clashes break out in Syria as the interim government struggles to ease tensions New outbreaks of violence overnight into Sunday have rocked Syria at two distinct flashpoints, straining a fragile ceasefire and calling into question the ability of the transitional government to exe...

Fresh clashes break out in Syria as the interim government struggles to ease tensions

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First group of Syrian refugees returns home from Lebanon under new UN plan The first group of Syrian refugees has returned home from Lebanon under a new plan developed by the United Nations and the Lebanese government.

First group of Syrian refugees returns home from Lebanon under new UN plan

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Lebanon mourns iconic composer Ziad Rahbani as mother Fayrouz makes rare appearance Hundreds of people in Lebanon have paid tribute to iconic composer, pianist and playwright Ziad Rahbani, who died over the weekend.

Lebanon mourns iconic composer Ziad Rahbani. His mother Fayrouz, 90, one of the Arab world's most esteemed singers, makes rare appearance.

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Gaza's Health Ministry says 113 Palestinians have died of starvation since Oct 2023.

48 of them died this month alone. International organizations have called Israel to lift its aid blockade

Hamas earlier said that it delivered its response to a ceasefire proposal to mediators.

Syria's armed Bedouins say they have withdrawn from Druze-majority city after weeklong fighting Armed Bedouin clans in Syria have withdrawn from the southern city of Sweida after over a week of deadly clashes. A U.S.

#Syria’s armed Bedouins say they have withdrawn from Druze-majority Sweida after weeklong fighting

Dozens of aid convoys are en route to the city.

More updates as we get them.

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Syria's Druze find bodies in the streets while searching for loved ones after days of clashes Members of Syria's Druze community are searching for loved ones and counting their dead after days of clashes in a southern province that left bloodied bodies of civilians on the streets and homes loo...

#Syria’s #Druze find bodies in the streets while searching for loved ones after days of clashes

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Syrian forces withdraw from Sweida after ceasefire goes into effect Syrian government forces have started withdrawing from the southern province of Sweida following days of vicious clashes with militias from the Druze minority.

Syrian forces withdraw from Sweida after ceasefire goes into effect

Druze factions and clerics have been appointed to maintain internal security in Sweida, Syria’s interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa said in an address broadcasted early Thursday.

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