Lebanon charges 13 over confiscated Hezbollah explosives

A Lebanese military court has charged 13 people it says are linked to Hezbollah with trafficking explosives , amid growing pressure on the Iran-backed group to disarm . The individuals were charged on Friday with offences including possessing weapons, undermining state security and forming illegal associations, Lebanese state media reported. The charges stem from the seizure earlier this month of a truck transporting explosives at Dahr al-Baydar checkpoint, which links the capital, Beirut, to the eastern Bekaa Valley. The vehicle had been carrying 780kg (1,720 pounds) of explosives, including 250kg (550 pounds) of TNT and 250kg (550 pounds) of C-4 plastic explosives, according to judicial officials.