Day of Papal Farewell and Iranian Port Explosion

Pope Francis's funeral dominated morning coverage with world leaders, including Lebanese President Aoun, attending the "humble and dignified" ceremony at the Vatican. Media outlets provided special coverage of the first Pope to be buried outside Vatican walls in over a century.

By midday, attention shifted to a massive explosion at Iran's Bandar Abbas port that injured hundreds, with casualty figures rising throughout the day from 115 to over 700 injured and at least five dead. Lebanese media drew parallels to the 2020 Beirut port disaster.

The weapons discourse continued as Naharnet reported Geagea and Bassil calling for Hezbollah disarmament, following Berri's declaration yesterday that "we will not surrender weapons now." Meanwhile, Lebanon's banking secrecy law implementation proceeded after yesterday's official publication, with discussions about IMF negotiations described as "very good meetings" despite challenges.