Latest Najib Mikati News

Middle East latest: Palestinians return to their homes in northern Gaza for a second day

Jan. 28, 2025 17:53 PM EST

Crowds of displaced Palestinians made the arduous journey back to heavily destroyed northern Gaza for a second day Tuesday, under a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. More than 375,000 Palestinians have crossed into northern Gaza since Israel allowed their return on Monday...

22 reported killed in Lebanon before agreement to extend deadline for Israeli forces to withdraw

Jan. 26, 2025 19:36 PM EST

MAYS AL-JABAL, Lebanon (AP) — Israeli forces in southern Lebanon on Sunday opened fire on protesters demanding their withdrawal in line with a ceasefire agreement, killing at least 22 and injuring 124, Lebanese health officials reported. Hours later, the White House said Sunday...

Saudi foreign minister makes first official trip to Lebanon in a decade after years of strained ties

Jan. 23, 2025 11:16 AM EST

BEIRUT (AP) — Saudi Arabia's top diplomat visited Lebanon on Thursday for the first time in a decade following years of strained relations between the oil-rich kingdom and the small Mediterranean country. Prince Faisal bin Farhan's visit comes almost two months after a ceasefire...

France's Macron expresses support for new leadership in Lebanon as it recovers from crisis

Jan. 17, 2025 20:41 PM EST

BEIRUT (AP) — French President Emmanuel Macron met Friday with Lebanon’s newly elected President Joseph Aoun and vowed to support the small nation as it tries to recover from a historic economic crisis and the 14-month Israel-Hezbollah war. Macron’s trip to Lebanon, his first...

Head of the International Court of Justice is named Lebanon's new prime minister

Jan. 13, 2025 20:22 PM EST

BEIRUT (AP) — Lebanon’s new president has asked prominent diplomat and jurist Nawaf Salam to form the country’s new government after Salam was named prime minister by a large number of legislators Monday. The move apparently angered the Hezbollah group and its allies. Salam is...

Syrian intelligence agency says it thwarted a planned Islamic State attack on a Shiite shrine

Jan. 11, 2025 12:42 PM EST

DAMASCUS (AP) — Intelligence officials in Syria's new de facto government thwarted a plan by the Islamic State group to set off a bomb at a Shiite shrine in the Damascus suburb of Sayyida Zeinab, state media reported Saturday. State news agency SANA reported, citing an unnamed...

Relatives of Bashar Assad arrested as they tried to fly out of Lebanon, officials say

Dec. 27, 2024 17:44 PM EST

BEIRUT (AP) — The wife and daughter of one of deposed Syrian president Bashar Assad ’s cousins were arrested Friday at the Beirut airport, where they attempted to fly out with allegedly forged passports, Lebanese judicial and security officials said. Assad’s uncle departed the day before. ...

Middle East latest: Israeli's defense minister acknowledges it killed Hamas leader

Dec. 23, 2024 22:47 PM EST

Israel’s defense minister has confirmed that Israel assassinated Hamas’ top leader last summer and is threatening to take similar action against the leadership of the Houthi rebel group in Yemen. The comments by Israel Katz appeared to mark the first time that Israel has...