Lebanon has stepped up his calls for Hezbollah to disarm on Thursday, suggesting failure to do so would give Israel an excuse to continue attacks, saying the issue would be on the agenda of a cabinet meeting next week.
Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun urged Hezbollah and other political factions to hand over their weapons to the national army, a step the powerful Iran-backed group is resisting amid growing pressure from Washington for its disarmament.
Speaking from the defence ministry headquarters in a televised address, Aoun said, “It is the responsibility of all political parties to seize this historic moment and commit to ensuring that only the army and official security forces possess weapons.”
Hezbollah, which suffered significant losses during last year’s conflict with Israel, dismissed the disarmament calls. The group's deputy leader, Sheikh Naim Qassem, said on Wednesday, “Those who demand we hand over our weapons are effectively asking us to surrender to Israel. We will not submit.”
Washington has been urging Lebanon to formally commit, via a cabinet decision, to the disarmament of Hezbollah as a prerequisite for resuming negotiations on halting Israeli military operations in the country, according to five sources cited by Reuters.
Aoun noted that a proposal set to be submitted to the cabinet next week includes provisions for Israel to end its attacks and withdraw from positions it currently holds in southern Lebanon, in parallel with Hezbollah transferring its arsenal to the Lebanese military.
The proposal also outlines a plan to secure $1 billion annually for a decade to strengthen the army and security forces. Additionally, it includes preparations for an international conference later this year to support Lebanon’s reconstruction efforts.
In a sweeping diplomatic push in Baku, Georgia and Azerbaijan have signed a landmark package of energy and transport agreements, cementing a partne...
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The first-ever “WUF13 NGO Forum” in the history of the World Urban Forum (WUF) was held on 19 May 2026 at Azerbaijan’s initiative...
Germany will deploy a Patriot air-defence battery to Türkiye in the coming weeks as part of a NATO mission aimed at strengthening the alliance...
Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has called for closer security coordination between Central Asia and China, warning that expanding trade and...
In a sweeping diplomatic push in Baku, Georgia and Azerbaijan have signed a landmark package of energy and transport agreements, cementing a partnership set to shape the South Caucasus corridor for decades to come.
The first-ever “WUF13 NGO Forum” in the history of the World Urban Forum (WUF) was held on 19 May 2026 at Azerbaijan’s initiative in Baku.
Germany will deploy a Patriot air-defence battery to Türkiye in the coming weeks as part of a NATO mission aimed at strengthening the alliance’s south-eastern flank, German officials have said.
Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has called for closer security coordination between Central Asia and China, warning that expanding trade and infrastructure links are exposing the region to increasingly sophisticated cross-border threats.
The World Urban Forum (WUF13) continues in Baku, Azerbaijan on 18 May, addressing the global housing crisis. The day’s agenda includes the official opening press conference, the WUF13 Urban Expo opening and a ministerial dialogue on the Nairobi Declaration to advance Africa's urban agenda.
United Nations World Urban Forum 13 continues in Baku, Azerbaijan on 19 May with sessions and roundtable discussions focused on strengthening dialogue and advancing cooperation in urban development. Organisers say there are nearly 3 billion people globally who face some form of housing inadequacy.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday he had paused a planned attack on Iran after appeals from the leaders of Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, allowing negotiations to continue over a possible deal to end the conflict.
A 5.2 magnitude earthquake struck China’s Guangxi region early on Monday, killing two people and forcing more than 7,000 residents in Liuzhou to evacuate as rescue efforts continued.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), warning that the situation poses a significant risk of cross-border spread in Central Africa.
Germany will deploy a Patriot air-defence battery to Türkiye in the coming weeks as part of a NATO mission aimed at strengthening the alliance’s south-eastern flank, German officials have said.
Estonia said on Tuesday (19 May) that a NATO fighter jet shot down a suspected Ukrainian drone over its territory, in the latest reported airspace violation in the region amid ongoing Ukrainian strikes against Russia.
Sweden has agreed to buy four naval frigates from France’s Naval Group in a deal worth more than $4 billion, as Stockholm moves to strengthen its defence capabilities in the Baltic Sea, Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said on Tuesday.
Spanish police said on Tuesday they had detained a 25-year-old man suspected of killing his two parents and injuring four other people, including his son, in a shooting in the southern city of El Ejido in Almeria province overnight.
European Union negotiators are expected to agree on Tuesday (19 May) on legislation removing import duties on U.S. industrial goods, in a move aimed at implementing last year’s trade agreement with the United States and avoiding higher tariffs threatened by U.S. President Donald Trump.
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