Source: Reuters and L'Orient Today
Security & Justice
Lebanese Army Arrests Suspects in Cross-Border Rocket Attack
The Lebanese army has arrested several Syrian and Palestinian individuals suspected of involvement in the recent rocket launches from southern Lebanon toward Israel, a security source told Al-Hadath.
Sunday, March 30, 2025
Nassar Pledges Merit-Based Judicial Appointments Amid Reform Drive
Justice Minister Adel Nassar voiced satisfaction over the latest judicial appointments, insisting they were made without political interference or favoritism as he pledged to push ahead with long-awaited judicial reforms.
Sunday, March 30, 2025
Opinion
Moving Past “Wait and See” in South Lebanon: The U.S.-French Role
On March 11, U.S. deputy special envoy for the Middle East Morgan Ortagus announced that the United States will be “bringing together Lebanon and Israel for talks aimed at diplomatically resolving several outstanding issues,” with various “working groups” focused on addressing “the release of Lebanese prisoners, the remaining disputed points along the Blue Line and the remaining 5 points where Israeli forces are still deployed.” This statement followed the sixth military-to-military meeting at the UN peacekeeping headquarters in Naqoura, which brought together Israel, Lebanon, the United States, and France.
Thursday, March 20, 2025
Hezbollah Reneging on Surrendering Its Arms
Hezbollah and its allies – Speaker Nabih Berri, former Minister Najib Mikati, and Hezbollah ministers in the previous cabinet – all signed the ceasefire agreement with Israel that ended the war and that stipulated that arms in Lebanon must be exclusively in the hands of six government military and security agencies. When this happens, according to the deal, Israel withdraws from Lebanese territories. Now Hezbollah is reneging on its ceasefire promise, moving the goalposts, and reversing the order by saying that Israeli withdrawal comes first, then it might consider disarming.
Wednesday, March 19, 2025
Sports
First Place on the Line in Madrid Derby as Real and Atletico Squabble Over Refereeing
Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid meet in their second derby of the season with the Liga lead on the line and the focus on refereeing. Real Madrid has spent the days ahead of Saturday’s match complaining of mistakes against the club.
Thursday, February 6, 2025
Zhou Guanyu Joins Ferrari as a Reserve Driver for 2025 F1 Season
The first Chinese driver in Formula 1, Zhou Guanyu, is heading back to Ferrari as one of its reserve drivers for the 2025 season.
Wednesday, February 5, 2025
Saturday 8 March 2025 09:23:01
Trump Selects Michel Issa to Be US Ambassador to Lebanon
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday he had selected Michel Issa to be the U.S. ambassador to Lebanon.
"Michel is an outstanding businessman, a financial expert, and a leader with a remarkable career in Banking, Entrepreneurship, and International Trade," Trump said on Truth Social.
A source familiar with Donald Trump's inner circle told L'Orient-Le Jour that Issa is a personal friend of Trump and frequently plays golf with him.
According to his LinkedIn profile, Issa, who is based in New York, was born in Beirut. He studied economics at the University of Paris X before embarking on a banking career. Over the years, he held positions at the Union of Arab and French Banks, Chase Manhattan Bank, Banque Indosuez, and Crédit Agricole.
In 1999, Issa transitioned from banking to the automotive industry, acquiring dealerships for Porsche, Audi, and Volkswagen.
"His company achieved an annual revenue of $35 million and experienced substantial growth before he chose to divide the dealerships into three separate entities and sell them in 2010," his LinkedIn profile states.
Michel Issa's appointment still requires Senate approval as Democratic lawmakers have pledged to block Trump’s diplomatic nominations in response to the administration’s decision to dissolve the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and merge it into the State Department.
