Lights Out Diplomacy: Ministers Rely On Phones During Beirut Blackout
According to An-Nahar, the electricity was cut off during the extended meeting, forcing officials to use mobile phone flashlights to continue their discussions until power was restored.
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Kuwait Times
16 hours ago
- Kuwait Times
President steps up calls for Hezbollah to disarm
MARJAYOUN: This picture taken from the southern Lebanese area of Marjayoun, shows smoke rising from the area of Al-Dimashqiyeh following a Zionist airstrike on July 31, 2025. – AFP BEIRUT: Lebanese President Joseph Aoun stepped up his calls for Hezbollah to disarm on Thursday, suggesting failure to do so would give Zionists an excuse to continue attacks and saying the issue would be on the agenda of a cabinet meeting next week. The comments reflect mounting pressure over the issue of Hezbollah's arms, which has loomed over Lebanon since the Iran-aligned group was pummeled in a war with Zionist entity last year. Washington wants Hezbollah disarmed - a demand echoed by the Beirut government as it aims to establish a monopoly on weapons. Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem said in a televised speech on Wednesday that calls for its disarmament served only Zionist entity. In a speech to army officers, Aoun said the government would next week discuss Lebanon's amendments to a US roadmap to disarm Hezbollah, deemed a terrorist group by Washington. Lebanon's counter proposal demands an immediate halt to Zionist attacks, its withdrawal from positions held in the south, the establishment of state control over all Lebanon and the disarmament of armed groups including Hezbollah, he said. Aoun urged all parties 'to seize this historic opportunity ... and push for the exclusivity of weapons in the hands of the army and security forces'. He said the government would set a timeframe to implement the steps. Shiite Muslim Hezbollah, backed by Tehran, was the only Lebanese group allowed to keep its weapons at the end of the 1975-90 civil war on the grounds it needed them to fight Zionist troops who occupied the south but withdrew in 2000. Hezbollah's arsenal has long divided Lebanese, with critics saying it has undermined the state and dragged Lebanon into conflicts. Washington has been pushing Lebanon to commit to disarming Hezbollah before talks can resume on halting Zionist military operations, Reuters reported earlier this week. Hezbollah has so far refused, though the group has been considering scaling back its arsenal. Addressing Hezbollah and its followers but without naming them, Aoun called on those who 'have faced the aggression' to 'rely solely on the Lebanese state'. 'You are too honorable to risk the state-building project, and too noble to provide pretexts for an aggression that wants to continue the war against us,' he said. Zionists killed many Hezbollah commanders and thousands of its fighters last year, while also destroying much of its arsenal. The US proposal delivered in June would require Hezbollah to disarm within four months in exchange for the withdrawal of Zionist troops occupying several posts in south Lebanon, and a halt to Zionist airstrikes. Hezbollah had already relinquished a number of weapons depots in southern Lebanon to the Lebanese army in line with a US-brokered truce designed to end last year's war. Aoun said the proposals to be discussed next week include seeking $1 billion annually for 10 years to support the army and the security forces and plans for an international conference to later in the year to support reconstruction efforts.- Reuters
Arab Times
3 days ago
- Arab Times
Kuwait includes Hezbollah, entities in the list of sanctions
KUWAIT CITY, July 29: The Committee for the Implementation of Security Council Resolutions Issued Under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter Concerning Counter-Terrorism and the Non-Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction, affiliated with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, added new names to the national sanctions list under the executive regulations. The updated list includes Hezbollah, the Lebanon-based Al-Qard Al-Hassan Association, a Lebanese national identified only as A.M., a Tunisian national identified as A.F., and a Somali national identified as A.M. This step reflects Kuwait's full commitment to enforcing Security Council resolutions aimed at combating terrorism, enhancing financial transparency, and preventing the misuse of the financial system to support terrorist activities.
Arab Times
4 days ago
- Arab Times
Here's Kuwait's Full List of 118 Nationalities Linked to Terror Funding and Money Laundering
KUWAIT CITY, July 28: Authorities in Kuwait have updated the "National List" of individuals and entities accused of involvement in terrorism financing and money laundering, in line with United Nations Security Council resolutions under Chapter VII. The latest list, published by the Committee for the Implementation of UN Security Council Resolutions, now includes 118 individuals and 13 entities or organizations believed to have ties to terrorist financing networks or illicit financial activities. According to the update, the 118 individuals come from a wide range of nationalities: 17 Syrians 16 Somalis 13 Yemenis 9 Lebanese 4 Australians 4 Tunisians 4 Bahrainis 3 Saudis 3 Pakistanis 3 Egyptians 3 Kuwaitis 2 Ugandans 2 Eritreans 2 Iranians 2 Qataris 1 Ukrainian list also names 11 expats, 9 stateless Bedouns, and 11 individuals of unspecified nationality The 13 named organizations span a number of regions and sectors, though specific names were not disclosed in the statement. Kuwait's efforts reflect a growing regional clampdown on financial networks that facilitate terrorism, with officials reaffirming their commitment to transparency, international cooperation, and security compliance in line with global counter-terror protocols.
