Pope Francis's death continued to dominate morning coverage, with the Vatican announcing nine days of mourning starting Saturday. His body lay in state at St. Peter's Basilica for public viewing.
Media attention shifted to Lebanon's weapons control debate as morning papers reported upcoming talks between President Aoun and Hezbollah "within hours." The Health Ministry issued guidelines as a desert storm brought high temperatures and dust to Lebanon, with predictions of muddy rain by Thursday night.
The Lebanese delegation in Washington faced challenges in negotiations with the IMF, while municipal election preparations continued with Berri calling a parliamentary session to discuss related draft laws. Officials announced moving South Lebanon and Nabatieh elections to May 24 due to Liberation Day celebrations.
Israeli military operations intensified with reports of strikes near Beit Lif killing nine Hezbollah members and destroying 40 infrastructure sites. Meanwhile, leaked Israeli Air Force documents reportedly exposed security vulnerabilities.