lebanon

France’s far-Reaching Focus: From Naqoura to Damascus

France’s focus on Lebanon is closely aligned with that of its American and Saudi partners. French envoys in Beirut highlight active coordination with Washington and Riyadh on a range of critical issues, most notably the military situation in the south, Hezbollah’s disarmament, financial reforms—particularly the proposed fiscal gap law—and ...

Washington's New Ambassador, Michel Issa, Lands in Lebanon... Who is He?

The new United States ambassador to Lebanon, Michel Issa, landed in Beirut on Friday to begin a particularly delicate mission. His arrival comes at a time when Washington is seeking to redefine the scope of its engagement in a country caught in a deep institutional crisis, latent tensions in the south, and growing international pressure over ...

Money Laundering: BDL Introduces Next-Generation KYC

On November 14, 2025, BDL issued Decision No. 13769, Circular No. 3, introducing a new “Know Your Customer” (KYC) form for all cash, foreign exchange, and money transfer transactions of $1,000 or more, and their equivalent. The measure applies to all non-banking financial institutions under BDL’s supervision, including financial companies, ...

I Sing to The God of Israel

Like many Lebanese of her generation, Carine Bassili was traumatized by civil war, loss, and a patriarchal culture, hardships that forged her personality and shaped her journey from Lebanon to the U.S., where she would come to form a religious bond with Israel. Bassili’s journey—a spiritual one based on her faith and reading of the Bible—led ...

Four Athletes, One Flag: Lebanon at the Deaflympics in Tokyo

The suitcases are modest, the resources limited, but the symbol is immense. From Beirut Airport, a delegation of four deaf athletes has set out for Tokyo to take part in the Deaflympics. For the first time, Lebanon will march with its own flag at the opening ceremony of this global event reserved for deaf or hard-of-hearing athletes. This ...

The LAP Turns Back Time: Lebanon’s First International Stamp Exhibition

A Century of Stamps, a Memory on Gummed Paper The Lebanese postage stamp appeared for the first time in 1924–1925, with the issue of a series featuring the eternal cedar of Lebanon, but inscribed with the words “Grand Liban” (“Greater Lebanon”). Until 1918, the year the Ottoman armies withdrew, the territory used Ottoman stamps or ...

WASL: Riyadi Overturns Sagesse And Takes Control of The Derby

The setting and the stakes Organized by FIBA, the West Asia Super League (WASL) brings together the top clubs from West Asia and the Gulf in a home-and-away format leading to playoff series. At the Nouhad Nawfal Sports Complex, Riyadi are defending their crown while Sagesse were looking to bounce back after a disappointing opener against ...

Raids Continue in Southern Lebanon: One Injury in Toul

One person was injured on Thursday afternoon when an Israeli drone targeted a car in the town of Toul, in the Nabatieh caza, the Public Health Ministry announced in a statement. The strike reportedly occurred at the roundabout near Ayoub Station and Sheikh Ragheb Harb Hospital, in the heart of the town, on a street typically congested at that hour ...

Joseph Aoun Must Become Lebanon’s Sadat

In early November 2025, Israeli bulldozers began erecting a concrete wall on Lebanese soil—a seven-meter-high scar from Maroun al-Ras to Aitaroun—cutting through farmland, razing homes, and casting a shadow over what remains of Lebanon’s sovereignty. Israel calls it “defensive fortification,” while Lebanon calls it “occupation.” But ...

Disarming Hezbollah Starts with the Banks

One billion dollars. That is the sum Hezbollah is said to have received from Iran in 2025. An astonishing figure, revealed during the highly political visit of the U.S. Treasury delegation led by Sebastian Gorka, the White House’s counterterrorism director. How did the militia manage to receive such an amount? Through currency exchange offices, ...

Hezbollah, Iran and Israel with Brian Katulis

On this week’s episode of This is America, we cover Ahmad Al-Sharaa’s visit to the White House and the end of the longest government shutdown in U.S. history.  We also feature an exclusive interview with Brian Katulis, who shares his insights on the disarming of Hezbollah and the prospects for peace in the region.

Bombardments Continue in the South

The National News Agency in Marjeyoun reported that Israeli shelling continued on the outskirts of Mays al-Jabal on Monday evening, where more than five artillery shells hit the western outskirts of the city. The agency also noted that Israeli artillery targeted the Wadi al-Jamal area, located between the towns of Houla and Mays al-Jabal, as well ...