English

Lebanon went through a new sequence of strikes, evacuation orders and interim balance sheets between Saturday and Monday. The main event remains the strike of Sir al-Gharbiyeh in Nabatiyah District, where 11 people were killed, including one child and six women. Around this assessment, the attacks affected Arab Salim, al-Namiriya, Toul, Bazouriyeh, Toura, Srifa and several locations in Western Bekaa.

Lebanon is at the heart of the power relationship between Washington, Tehran and Israel. Between American-Iranian discussions that now seem to preempt Washington's, military escalation to the south, pressure on Hezbollah's weapons and the Pentagon meeting, Beirut is trying to avoid a regional agreement transforming its territory into a sustainable front, under permanent tension and fragile.

Laetitia Aoun validated her qualification for the Asian Games 2026 in Japan after reaching the quarter finals of the Asian Taekwondo Championships in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, in the category of less than 57 kg. Guided by Grand Master Elijah, the Lebanese champion confirmed her position after her Olympic race in Paris 2024. The Lebanese Taekwondo Federation is now preparing a specific programme before Aichi-Nagoya.

Marriage in Lebanon now occurs at very high ages, with 34.4 years for men and 30.4 years for women in comparable international data. This brings the country closer to Western Europe, but above all reflects a deep economic and social crisis. Inaccessible housing, unstable wages, destroyed savings, youth unemployment, emigration, long-term studies and absence of local civil marriage push back the family settlement.

Mediation around a possible Iran-USA agreement is accelerating in Tehran. Pakistan's Interior Minister, Syed Mohsin Naqvi, met Abbas Araghchi, while a Qatari team arrived in coordination with Washington. Marshal Asim Munir was also reported in Iran. Discussions focus on a short text, possibly one page, to stop the war and open a wider negotiation on Ormuz, nuclear and sanctions.

The knafeh cheese, emblematic dessert of the Levant, combines crunchy kataifi paste, heart of sweet cheese and fragrant attar syrup. Anchored in medieval history and popularized especially in Nablus, this specialty illustrates the culinary exchanges of the Middle East and remains a family sharing ritual.

Pope Leo XIV authorized the promulgation of a decree recognizing a miracle attributed to the intercession of Elias Hoyek, former Maronite patriarch and founding figure of Greater Lebanon. This decision paves the way for its beatification. The miracle concerns Nayef Abu Assi, Druze officer of the Lebanese army. In Lebanon, the announcement causes religious joy and a national echo, as Hoyek's name remains linked to the unity, coexistence and birth of modern Lebanon.

The Lebanese economy is facing another major shock. Finance Minister Yassine Jaber estimates that the war could lead to a 7-10% contraction in 2026 and a direct and indirect bill of $20 billion. This crisis threatens a fragile recovery, weighs on the budget, weakens internally displaced persons, reduces public revenues and complicates discussions with international donors.

Beirut, Lebanon – 22 May 2026 Palestine 36, one of the year's historical dramas, directed by renowned Palestinian filmmaker Annemarie Jacir, was premiered in Lebanon on 21 May at the Metropolis Cinema in Mar Mikhaël, under the patronage of Dr. Basel Dalloul and the Dalloul Art Foundation (DAF). The pre-first [...]

The fate of Iran's highly enriched uranium has become the main blocking point between Washington and Tehran. Donald Trump wants the stock to leave Iran, while Iranian officials refuse a transfer deemed dangerous for their sovereignty and security. Pakistan's mediation continues, but tensions around Ormuz, Israeli demands and the limits of international inspections still make the agreement uncertain.

The meeting on 29 May in the Pentagon places the Lebanese army in a delicate position. Beirut presented the delegation as a technique for the ceasefire, Israeli withdrawal and operational needs in the South. But American sanctions, debates on the composition of officers and the issue of Hezbollah's weapons give this meeting a wider political scope, as the state seeks to strengthen its authority without causing a new internal divide.

A poll published on 22 May shows a significant shift in Lebanese public debate. Nearly six in ten respondents expressed support for Hezbollah's disarmament, while nearly one in two supported direct negotiations with Israel. The figures also reveal strong denominational lines and a responsibility for escalation almost equally attributed to Israel and Hezbollah. These data place the state in the face of a delicate political equation.

US sanctions against Hezbollah, Amal, Iran and two Lebanese security institutions are shifting the Lebanese debate to sensitive terrain. A few days away from a meeting in the Pentagon, the measure places the army, the government and the parties in the face of a difficult equation: strengthening state authority without turning institutions into a new field of political confrontation.

A tight calendar around the Pentagon The newspapers of 22 May 2026 place Lebanon at the centre of a dense political and security moment. The sequence is dominated by American sanctions, preparations for the military meeting scheduled for May 29 in the Pentagon, and the direct effects of the regional war on [...]