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US sanctions Lebanon-South America network accused of financing Hezbollah

The U.S. Treasury on Tuesday slapped terrorism sanctions on a family network of seven individuals and businesses in Lebanon and South America accused of financing the militant group Hezbollah, including a Lebanese man who officials say was involved in two deadly attacks in Argentina in the 1990s.

Amer Mohamed Akil Rada was described as "one of the operational members" who carried out the attack on the Argentine-Israelite Mutual Association in Buenos Aires in 1994, which killed 85 people and wounded hundreds. A 1992 attack on the Israeli Embassy in Argentina killed 29 people.

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Mikati hails 'achievement' as govt. approves 2024 budget

The caretaker Cabinet on Tuesday approved the 2024 state budget and submitted it to parliament, with caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati calling the move an “achievement.”

“This is the first state budget to be approved within the constitutional timeframe since 2002 and this is a major achievement and heroism,” Mikati said at a press conference.

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Hezbollah denies smuggling arms via Beirut airport

Hezbollah on Tuesday denied as “false accusations” a media report alleging that party officials are smuggling arms through Beirut’s Rafik Hariri International Airport.

“We strongly condemn these cheap fabrications and false accusations and we also deplore the collusion of domestic Lebanese sides who worked on promoting these lies and turning them into judicial complaints against Hezbollah,” the party said in a statement, referring to a report aired by the Saudi-owned al-Hadath TV.

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British, Lebanese armies conduct joint military exercise on Lebanese soil

More than 65 military personnel from the British Army’s Second Battalion The Parachute Regiment (2 PARA) will conduct Tuesday a fully integrated combined military exercise ‘Pegasus Cedar’ with their Lebanese counterparts, the Air Assault Regiment, and supported by the Lebanese Air Force. 

The exercise will run for ten days, the British embassy in Beirut said in a statement.

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Le Drian pins hope on Berri's dialogue as he 'resumes mission' in Beirut

French Special Presidential Envoy Jean-Yves Le Drian has arrived in Beirut "to resume his mission" as France seeks a new push to end a political crisis that has left the country without a president for over a year.

Le Drian started Tuesday his talks in Lebanon by meeting with caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati at the Grand Serail.

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Israel accuses Iran of building airport in Lebanon to act against Israelis

Israel has accused Iran of building an airport in southern Lebanon to be used as a launchpad for attacks against Israelis across the border, signaling a possible escalation in tensions between the regional foes.

Speaking at a high-profile security conference hosted by Reichman University near Tel Aviv, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant claimed Iran has been building a runway that slices through forested mountains just 20 kilometers from Israel's northern border. Gallant displayed satellite photographs that he said showed the site, where the Iranian national flag and the flag of Hezbollah could be seen.

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Cease-fire declared after days of intense fighting in Ain el-Hilweh

An "immediate and lasting cease-fire" was declared Monday after a top Lebanese general met with officials from rival Palestinian factions, following days of fighting in Lebanon's largest Palestinian refugee camp, which left several people dead and dozens wounded.

The new ceasefire failed to halt the fighting, however, residents and officials in the camp said in the hours after the agreement was announced. It was the latest in a series of cease-fires that only lasted for hours before fighting erupted again.

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Berri denies suspending his dialogue initiative

Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri has denied reports claiming that he had suspended his presidential dialogue initiative.

“I have not suspended my initiative. To the contrary, it is ongoing, continuous and in harmony with the French initiative. The two initiatives complement each other and their essence is the same: dialogue and consensus for the election of a president,” Berri said in an interview with al-Liwaa newspaper published Monday.

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6 dead, over 60 injured in 5 days of clashes in Ain el-Helweh

At least six people have been killed and dozens wounded in five days of continuous clashes in the Ain el-Helweh Palestinian refugee camp in southern Lebanon, first responders said Monday.

Violence broke out late Thursday in the camp, just weeks after similar clashes pitted members of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah movement against Islamist militants.

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LF tells Le Drian it won't attend dialogue before president election

The Lebanese Forces has informed French envoy Jean-Yves Le Drian that it will not attend any dialogue conference prior to the election of a new president, LF lawmaker Ghada Ayoub said.

“The Strong Republic bloc’s specifications for the president and his missions are clear and in line with the Doha meeting’s closing statement,” Ayoub said in an interview on Radio Free Lebanon.

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