ALL ARTICLES - LEBANON

TotalEnergies pivotal in Beirut-Tel Aviv maritime deal 

Poised to play a key role in the maritime border deal between Beirut and Tel Aviv, TotalEnergies is getting fully engaged in Lebanon again - but some issues remain to be settled before exploration of its "Block 9" can be launched. [...]

Amarante well placed for "failed states" Levant study contract 

The international relations department of the French armed forces ministry, which likes to carry out long studies involving several outside contractors, has issued a tender call for a new study of three countries in the Levant region, which it describes without qualms as "failed states". [...]

Ark Group wins British contract to support Lebanese Armed Forces 

Ark Group is taking over the Lebanese Armed Forces National Security Assistance Programme, run for the past ten years by The Risk Advisory Group, amid growing insecurity in the country. [...]

• EUROPEAN UNION - Commission ramps up counter-intelligence

• LEBANON - Military intelligence to tackle drug trafficking

• KAZAKHSTAN - Kazakh spymaster enlists financial investigator

• CHINA - Xi Jinping confident Li Shulei named vice director of CCP's propaganda unit

Washington finally ready to launch its anti-drug strategy against Hezbollah 

Worried about the scale of the trafficking of captagon pills through Lebanon in particular, with Syria the main source, the US authorities intend to grant additional funds to the Lebanese security forces, which are supposed to be involved in this operation. [...]

UK court ruling requires SGBL and Audi bank to hand over dollars 

A British court has ruled in favour of a Lebanese-British citizen with bank accounts in Lebanon, meaning that SGBL and Bank Audi will have to give their client $4m, despite the country's financial crisis. [...]

Riad Salamé plays for time ahead of May general election 

Governor of the Banque du Lebanon, Riad Salamé is at the centre of political manoeuvres ahead of the upcoming general election, as well as being in the sights of judge Ghada Aoun, who is close to the presidential camp. [...]

With Hezbollah in the firing line, Washington wins Mazen al-Atat's extradition from Paris 

In a victory for the US courts, Paris has agreed to a request from New York judges for the extradition of the Lebanese citizen Mazen al-Atat, allegedly linked to Hezbollah. The move is contested by his French lawyers who believe there are no grounds for this decision. [...]

Between Beirut and Tehran, Ali Mamlouk gets back into regional affairs 

Syrian spymaster Ali Mamlouk appears to be back in favour with President Bashar Al Assad, who recently sent him to Tehran to negotiate reducing the influence of Shi'ite militia groups under Iran's control. Mamlouk is also watching over the upcoming elections in Lebanon and giving a helping hand to pro-Syrians in the race. [...]

Lebanon's Primesouth tries to shake off Iraqi impasse with ICSID trial 

Primesouth International Offshore's rapid expansion in the Middle East is mired by a dispute with the Iraqi state, now the subject of an ICSID arbitration, as its unencumbered Chinese rivals continue to gain ground in Iraq. [...]

Still no funding for strategic Beirut-Damas-Amman electricity deal 

After spot deliveries and Iraqi cargoes, Beirut is now counting on Jordanian supplies to transit through Damascus in order to secure the gaps in its failing electricity system. But despite this apparent progress, the details - especially for finance - of this US-led contract are still unfinalised. [...]