Sabah Al-Nahar: Lebanon, 'The Last Week,' and Serious Israeli Assessments... Berri: 'I Seek Refuge in God!'

1- Al-Nahar headline: The government ends the accumulation and presents the Financial Gap Law... Lebanon and Italy discuss maintaining a force after UNIFIL

With the onset of the "financial gap storm" through the Cabinet's recent immersion in discussing the "Financial Regularization and Deposit Recovery Bill," the domestic scene has taken on an urgent character to a wide extent, shifting the focus of pressing priorities from the security and military nature that has dominated the internal reality for a long time, to a chronic priority that had been postponed, delayed, and procrastinated until the current government referred it to the Cabinet yesterday, signaling its presentation for discussion and approval.

2- Israeli army carries out a large explosion in Meiss al-Jabal, southern Lebanon

In a new attack, the Israeli army detonated a large explosion in the Kusayr neighborhood east of Meiss al-Jabal city in southern Lebanon early today, with reports indicating that the explosion site was very close to the border.

3- Maduro responds to Trump: It would be better if he focused on the United States

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro responded on Monday to Donald Trump, saying it would be better for the U.S. president to focus on domestic issues instead of threatening Caracas.

4- Victims of Epstein denounce partial release of case documents

Victims of Jeffrey Epstein, the convicted sex offender who died in prison in 2019, condemned on Monday the partial release by the U.S. Department of Justice of documents related to the case of this New York financier known for his connections with politicians and celebrities, including Donald Trump.

5- Gold rises to record level amid escalating tensions between the U.S. and Venezuela

Gold surged to a record high on Tuesday as investors rushed to the yellow metal, often considered a safe-haven asset, while the United States attempted to seize more oil tankers carrying Venezuelan crude. Silver also rose near its all-time highs.

Selected for you from Al-Nahar articles today:

Written by Radwan Aqil: "The Economic City" is an Israeli demand... and Berri to Al-Nahar: "I seek refuge in God"

In the last two meetings of the "Mechanism" committee in Naqoura, Benjamin Netanyahu's office hastened to clarify that the discussions were not limited to security matters but also included economic issues with Lebanon, which is not mentioned in statements issued by the Presidency of the Republic.

Written by Sabine Owais: Caesarean birth of the Financial Gap Law: A bold step with fundamental errors

Much has been said and more will be said about the Financial Gap Law project that the government decided to approve before the end of the year, fulfilling its commitment to the International Monetary Fund as part of completing the reform measures promised in preparation for entering a program with the Fund.

Written by Jad Fayyad: "ISIS" active in southern Syria... Serious Israeli assessments and regional exploitation

Increasing activity of "ISIS" in Syria indicates that the organization is regaining momentum after years of stagnation on the Syrian arena. The activity is distributed between southern Syria, the east, and the north, with suspicions regarding the parties supporting the organization, linked to recent operations in Damascus targeting the Mezzeh area, which ISIS was accused of but did not claim responsibility for.

Written by George Issa: Donald and the McDonald's Peace... 100 years of a recurring lesson "No two countries that both have McDonald's have ever fought a war against each other." In the 1990s, catchy phrases about the end of human conflicts spread after the victory of liberalism. "The End of History" may be the most famous, but the "McDonald's Theory" by New York Times writer Thomas Friedman also gained its share of fame.

In an environment almost burning from all sides, the Gulf oasis seems forced to be at the highest levels of alertness, not because the dangers are distant, but because they are close to the point of contact. Yemen in the south has not yet emerged from the logic of war, Sudan in the east is eroding between the military and militias, Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon in the north are experiencing chronic political and security fluidity, while Israel and Iran are opening their regional appetites wide, each in its own way and with tools, with calculations that go beyond direct geographical borders.

The dilemma of disarming Hamas leads the challenges related to moving to the second phase of the ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip, as it is the most complex and sensitive knot amid Israeli-American insistence on including this file as a central condition for any full military withdrawal or subsequent political arrangements. From Tel Aviv and Washington's perspective, there can be no talk of the "day after" in Gaza without dismantling the military capabilities of the movement, considering it a long-term security guarantee.