
Polls open in high-stakes parliamentary election in Lebanon
CNN
Polls in crisis-ridden Lebanon opened for a high-stakes parliamentary election on Sunday morning.
The election is the first in Lebanon since a 2019 popular uprising demanded the downfall of the ruling elite, blaming traditional parties for widespread corruption and mismanagement. Several new political groups sprung out of the protest movement and are competing in Sunday's race, coming head to head with establishment parties.
Political observers view the election as highly competitive and unpredictable. Earlier this year, three-time prime minister Saad Hariri -- the leader of the country's largest Sunni Muslim parliamentary bloc -- quit politics, leaving the Sunni vote up for grabs.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth risked compromising sensitive military information that could have endangered US troops through his use of Signal to discuss attack plans, a Pentagon watchdog said in an unclassified report released Thursday. It also details how Hegseth declined to cooperate with the probe.

Two top House lawmakers emerged divided along party lines after a private briefing with the military official who oversaw September’s attack on an alleged drug vessel that included a so-called double-tap strike that killed surviving crew members, with a top Democrat calling video of the incident that was shared as part of the briefing “one of the most troubling things” he has seen as a lawmaker.











