Lebanon
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Israel brings down suspected Hezbollah drone

The Israeli army on Tuesday said it downed a small suspected Hezbollah drone as it crossed from Lebanon into northern Israel.

“Troops identified and downed a drone crossing from Lebanon into Israeli territory a short while ago,” the Israeli army said on its English-language Twitter account, adding that the drone “most likely” belongs to Hezbollah.

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Mouawad denies 'fabrications' about 'communication with Hezbollah'

Opposition presidential candidate MP Michel Mouawad on Tuesday denied that he is “communicating with Hezbollah.”

“Some known and tendentious parties are trying to fabricate reports about communication that I’m carrying out with Hezbollah, claiming that I’m keen to keep my meetings confidential,” Mouawad tweeted.

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Bukhari meets al-Rahi, urges new president and cooperative govt.

Saudi Ambassador to Lebanon Walid Bukhari on Tuesday held talks in Bkirki with Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi, the state-run National News Agency said.

“Bukhari stressed the need to hold the presidential election as soon as possible and to form a government that would be in harmony with the president in order to revive the country,” Bkirki sources told LBCI television.

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3 'Hezbollah-linked' militants killed in Israeli airstrike in Syria

Syria's military said two soldiers were wounded in Israeli airstrikes that hit near Damascus early on Tuesday, the first such attack in more than a month.

A military statement said there were also some "material losses" in the strikes and that Syrian air defenses intercepted and shot down a number of the missiles. It did not elaborate.

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Mikati says presidency solution being prepared abroad

Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati revealed Monday that foreign countries are “preparing” a solution for the Lebanese presidential crisis.

“Yes, according to foreign information, there is something that is being prepared to resolve the crisis, but things need time,” Mikati said in response to a question, during a meeting with a delegation from the Press Editors Syndicate.

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Report: UNIFIL accuses Hezbollah of inciting residents against it

A Lebanese security report revealed that the UNIFIL vehicle targeted in the deadly al-Aqbiyeh incident was hit by “27 gunshots from several sides,” the Nidaa al-Watan newspaper quoted “credible sources” as saying.

“Security experts determined that the incident was not spontaneous and that the relevant parties in the area did not take a decision to contain the situation immediately after the incident,” the sources added.

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Reports: Paris to push for Aoun election, Tamim to discuss Lebanon in US

Some parties are betting that France will launch an initiative related to the Lebanese presidential file in “the beginning of next year,” informed political sources said.

“It will likely try to reach a domestic-foreign agreement over the nomination of Army Commander General Joseph Aoun,” the sources told ad-Diyar newspaper in remarks published Monday.

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26 inmates escape from Jeb Jannine prison

Twenty-six inmates escaped at dawn Monday from the Jeb Jannine prison in West Bekaa, the state-run National News Agency reported.

The agency added that most of the escapees were jailed over drug trading and arms-related offenses.

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Body of Irish peacekeeper killed in Lebanon arrives home

The body of an Irish United Nations peacekeeper killed in Lebanon was on Monday returned to Ireland with full military honors.

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Women lack basics in crisis-hit Lebanon's crowded prisons

Nour is raising her four-month-old daughter in Lebanon's most overpopulated women's prison, struggling to get formula and nappies for her baby as the country's economy lies in tatters.

"I don't have enough milk to breastfeed, and baby formula isn't readily available," said the 25-year-old, who was detained eight months ago on drug-related accusations.

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