BEIRUT (Reuters) - Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati will meet Syria's de facto leader Ahmed al-Sharaa in Damascus on Saturday, two Lebanese sources said, becoming the first head of government to visit Syria's capital since the fall of Bashar al-Assad.

"There have been huge shifts in terms of Hezbollah and Iran's influence as they suffered major blows as a result of the war in Gaza and its spillover to Lebanon," she said, adding that the end of Syria's Iran-backed Assad regime has also weakened Hezbollah ...

Lebanon's Prime Minister Najib Mikati will on Saturday make his first official trip to neighbouring Syria since the fall of president Bashar al-Assad, his office told AFP.

Gaza's Health Ministry says more than 46,000 Palestinians have been killed in the Israel-Hamas war, with no end in sight to the 15-month conflict.

Lebanon’s newly elected President Joseph Aoun called Thursday for a comprehensive defense policy to counter Israeli assaults and for dialogue with neighboring Syria. Aoun was elected by the Lebanese parliament on Thursday, ending over two years of political vacuum since President Michel Aoun left office in October 2022.

As Hezbollah’s influence wanes and Gulf nations extend support, Lebanon faces a rare opportunity to stabilize and reclaim its position.

Interior Minister Bassam Mawlawi said Friday that Lebanon was working to find a solution with Syria, after two security officials said Damascus had imposed new restrictions on the entry of Lebanese citizens.

Though Lebanon’s presidency is mostly symbolic, it has a few important powers, like approving prime ministers and cabinets. In a country still haunted by the memory of civil war, symbolism is important too: how the head of state is chosen says much about the balance of power in Lebanon’s factious politics.

Syria’s embassy in Lebanon has suspended consular services a day after two relatives of deposed Syrian President Bashar Assad were arrested at the Beirut airport with allegedly forged passports.

Iran ‘s top general in Syria acknowledged they were “defeated very badly” with the collapse of the Assad regime, which represented a candid assessment divergent from other messages out of Tehran since the fall of the government.

For decades, Syria’s Assad family maintained a tight grip on Lebanon, wielding influence over its politics and shaping its alliances