Lebanon

SpotlightWriting Off Banks’ Capital Wipes Out Deposits

This is Beirut 2025-11-06 18:20 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Lebanon Central Bank Karim Souhaid Yassine Jaber Economy Banks

The Governor of the Central Bank of Lebanon, Karim Souhaid, clarified the situation by declaring that Lebanon’s crisis is not purely a financial one but rather a systemic crisis in which the banking sector has become a victim. This is what Souhaid stated clearly during the parliamentary session dedicated to discussing the 2025 budget draft, ...

Israel Launches Series of Raids in South Lebanon Following Warnings

This is Beirut 2025-11-06 17:50 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam Lebanon South Lebanon Lebanese Army Hezbollah

Tensions rose sharply in southern Lebanon on Thursday as the Israeli army launched a series of air raids hitting alleged Hezbollah targets in several villages. In the late afternoon, the town of Kfardunin (Bint Jbeil) was targeted after the Israeli army issued a warning to residents located near the building that was hit, located about ten meters ...

Closed Again: Jeita Grotto, a Victim of a Failing State

Natasha Metni Torbey 2025-11-06 16:50 - Reading : 6 minute(s)

Lebanon Jeita Grotto tourism Laura Lahoud Lebanese Speleo Club

Jeita Grotto is temporarily closed. This was confirmed Thursday morning by Tourism Minister Laura Lahoud. Lebanon’s iconic karstic wonder is shutting its doors for the second time in less than a year. The first closure came after the death of Mapas-Lebanon CEO Nabil Haddad in November 2024, leaving the site without an official manager for eight ...

SpotlightLebanon Faces ‘Environmental Disaster’ From Syrian Refugee Camps

Hala Abdallah 2025-11-06 14:20 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Lebanon Syrian refugees Syrian camps environment

Lebanon launched the eighth wave of voluntary returns of displaced Syrians on Thursday morning, with 448 refugees departing from the Rachid Karami International Fair in Tripoli toward the Al-Abbudieh border crossing in Akkar. The returnees were transported in five groups aboard 14 buses and 14 trucks, as part of an organized repatriation program ...

Hezbollah’s Obstinate Defiance: A State Within a State

This is Beirut 2025-11-06 11:00 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam Hezbollah United Nations

Hezbollah issued an unprecedented “open-letter” on Thursday, addressed to President Joseph Aoun, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam as well as to the Lebanese people. It presents itself as a solemn political message in defense of Lebanon’s sovereignty and unity. Yet behind its polished language about “national ...

EditorialThe IMF and Lebanon: Debts? Which Debts?

Marc Saikali 2025-11-06 08:00 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Lebanon International Monetary Fund Banks

When it comes to the IMF, one thing stands out above all: a consistent pattern of bad advice. Governments change, wars erupt, and yet this venerable institution remains glued to its Excel spreadsheets, always heeded by Lebanese ministers, especially the finance minister. The International Monetary Fund, the self-proclaimed savior of struggling ...

Where Were You, Samir Hammoud?

This is Beirut 2025-11-05 16:35 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Lebanon Banks Economy

High-level banking sources were surprised by comments made by the senior adviser to the Minister of Finance, Yassine Jaber, to the “Al-Markaziya” outlet regarding depositors’ accounts. According to Samir Hammoud’s statement, “If there are irregularities in depositors’ accounts, there are also irregularities in banks’ ...

Lebanon Pressed Again to Hunt Down Assad Officials

Natasha Metni Torbey 2025-11-05 14:45 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Lebanon Syria France Jamil Hassan Ali Mamlouk Abdel Salam Mahmoud Bashar Assad

Lebanon has once again found itself at the center of a sensitive international investigation tied to the post-Assad era. One year after the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime on December 8, 2024, Beirut is being asked to cooperate with international judicial authorities to locate senior Syrian security officials accused of war crimes and crimes ...

Cabinet Set to Discuss Arms Control, Electoral Law Amendments

This is Beirut 2025-11-05 11:40 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Internal Security Forces Council of Ministers Baabda Palace Joseph Aoun Nawaf Salam

The Cabinet is set to convene Thursday afternoon at the Presidential Palace in Baabda. The session is expected to focus on two major issues: the nationwide arms control plan and proposed amendments to the electoral law. Arms control plan The first agenda item will involve a presentation by the Lebanese Armed Forces on the progress of the ...

VideosDelay in Port Blast Case Sparks New Protest by Victims’ Families

This is Beirut 2025-11-04 20:20 - Reading : less than a minute

Beirut Port victims investigation Tarek Bitar

As the hearing to question Judge Tarek Bitar is postponed again, families of the Beirut port blast victims held a sit-in, reaffirming their unwavering call for justice.

SpotlightTrump Backs Cuomo in NYC: Experience Over Ideology

This is Beirut 2025-11-04 19:20 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam Donald Trump New York Democrats Palestine

Trump stirred the race by openly urging Jewish voters to reject Mamdani. “Any Jewish person who votes for Zohran Mamdani (…) is a stupid person!!!” he wrote Tuesday on Truth Social, accusing the frontrunner of “hating Jews.” Mamdani, 34, of Indian descent and a vocal supporter of the Palestinian cause, has raised concerns among parts of ...

BDL Launches Judicial Audit of Payments Since 2019

This is Beirut 2025-11-04 18:50 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Banks Banque du Liban Central Bank of Lebanon

Karim Souhaid, Governor of the Central Bank of Lebanon (BDL), announced Tuesday that the BDL, in coordination with the Ministers of Finance and Justice, will draw up terms of reference for an external financial and judicial audit of all beneficiaries of the basic goods support program since October 17, 2019. The initiative will be launched through ...