This is Beirut - Lebanon

BDL Issues Circular to Regulate Foreign Transfers

This is Beirut, 01/07 18:15 - Reading : less than a minute

Banks Banque du Liban Central Bank of Lebanon lebanon

Banque du Liban (BDL) issued Circular No. 169 on Tuesday, introducing new restrictions on the transfer of deposits abroad in a bid to promote fairness among depositors amid Lebanon’s ongoing financial crisis. Under the new directive, banks are prohibited from transferring deposits outside Lebanon without prior approval from BDL. The measure is ...

Casino du Liban: Hitting the Jackpot of Scandal

This is Beirut, 01/07 16:25 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Free Patriotic Movement Gebran Bassil Casino du Liban Lebanon corruption gambling

For decades a beacon of entertainment in Maameltein, Casino du Liban now finds itself at the heart of a storm of scandal and investigation. At the center of a sprawling probe—where suspicions of money laundering, illegal online gambling, political collusion and opaque financial schemes converge—the iconic casino has been entangled in a series ...

LAF Arrests 67 Syrians for Illegal Entry

This is Beirut, 01/07 16:25 - Reading : less than a minute

Lebanese Army lebanon Syria Beqaa Crossings Border

The Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) announced on Tuesday that army units arrested 67 Syrians over the past week for illegally crossing into Lebanese territory. In a statement, the Army Command said the arrests were made during security operations in the Beqaa region along the Lebanese-Syrian border. The measures, which include regular patrols and ...

Parliament Approves Key Bills Amid Boycotts

This is Beirut, 01/07 16:10 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Lebanese Forces Kataeb lebanon parliament Nabih Berri

After a series of delays and political standoffs, the Lebanese Parliament finally convened the second day of its plenary legislative sessions on Tuesday, but not without controversy. Initially postponed the evening before and then delayed by over an hour, the session opened just after midday, with the absence of MPs from the Kataeb Party, the ...

FM Rajji Says Syria Is Ready to Demarcate Its Borders with Lebanon

This is Beirut, 01/07 12:35 - Reading : less than a minute

Lebanon Syria Demarcation Border United States Rajji

Lebanon’s Foreign Minister Youssef Rajji told Sky News Arabia on Tuesday that the Syrian administration was ready to demarcate and consolidate its border with Lebanon. This comprehensive step comes in light of the United States’ decision to lift its sanctions on Syria, a move described by Rajji as “a positive step that would have ...

Israeli Drone Strike Injures Two Civilians Near Jabal al‑Ahmar

This is Beirut, 01/07 11:00 - Reading : less than a minute

drone Nabatieh Lebanon Israel Harouf

An Israeli drone carried out an airstrike on Tuesday on a house in the town of Harouf, targeting the Jabal al-Ahmar area, located between Harouf and Choukin in the Nabatiyeh district. The Ministry of Public Health’s Emergency Operations Center confirmed that two civilians, one of them a child, sustained minor injuries. Earlier, another ...

Banking Reform Heats Up as Souhaid Pushes to Clarify Commission Powers

This is Beirut, 01/07 11:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Lebanon Banks Banque du Liban Economy

Most members of the Finance and Budget Committee’s subcommittee tasked with reviewing the draft Banking Reform Law agree on the need to protect the legislative reform process from both endless debate and political divisions, which could undermine the urgent financial restructuring Lebanon requires domestically and internationally. Participants ...

Beirut Art Days 2025: A Citywide Celebration of Art and Resilience

This is Beirut, 01/07 10:30 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Agenda Culturel Beirut Art Days Lebanon Culture

Amid ongoing emotional and security challenges in Lebanon, Beirut Art Days is back, proving that creativity endures even in uncertain times. From July 9 to 12, the city of Beirut will pulse with artistic energy as more than 250 artists animate 130 events across 50 venues. Organized by Agenda Culturel, the second edition of Beirut Art Days is more ...

Disarming Hezbollah Is Here, Lebanon’s Peace with Israel Is Next

Hussain Abdul-Hussain, 01/07 09:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Syria Iran Lebanon Hezbollah United States

Now that the leaders of Lebanon are certain that Israel and America would not shy away from using force against Iran when need be, and now that they are sure that the bark of China and Russia in the Middle East is louder than their bite, Beirut is finally moving on Hezbollah’s arms. Lebanon’s normalization with Israel will come next. Druze ...

Lebanon’s Role in the Emerging Middle East: The Armistice as a Cornerstone

Philippe Abi-Akl, 01/07 08:30 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Donald Trump Tom Barrack Israel Lebanon Syria Armistice US

Although Hezbollah has refrained from directly involving Lebanon in the Israel-Iran conflict – limiting its role to rhetorical support – the country remains deeply affected by the ceasefire between these regional powers, according to an Arab diplomat. This truce is part of a broader peace initiative that United States President Donald Trump ...

866 Kg of Captagon Seized in Joint Lebanon-Saudi Drug Operation

This is Beirut, 30/06 22:10 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Saudi Arabia lebanon captagon

The Lebanese Customs Directorate announced the seizure of 866 kilograms of Captagon concealed in a shipment of glass and porcelain tableware, following a coordinated operation with Saudi authorities. In a statement released on Monday, the directorate said the bust was made possible through close collaboration between the Anti-Narcotics Division ...

Hezbollah’s Arms and the US Ultimatum: Lebanon Faces Critical Decisions

Natasha Metni Torbey, 30/06 20:10 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Lebanon USA Israel Hezbollah Thomas Barrack Iran

The question of Hezbollah’s weapons cannot be resolved solely within Lebanon. As an ideological, military and political extension of Iran, Hezbollah’s arsenal is intrinsically linked to broader regional dynamics, especially the power balance between Tehran and Washington. Experts agree that local initiatives will be ineffective unless ...

Lebanon