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A section of the Lebanese-Israeli border is seen near the village of Shtula in northern Israel on April 6, 2023. 

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The attacks coincide with rising unrest in Israeli cities and the West Bank that could embolden the hawkish, far-right members of Israel’s new government.

In Israel, Rocket Fire From Lebanon Risks Spurring a Major Escalation

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Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni (2nd L) and Libya's Tripoli-based Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah (3rd L) attend an agreement-signing ceremony between Italian multinational oil and gas company Eni and the Libyan National Oil Corporation in Tripoli, Libya, on Jan. 28, 2023.

As Europe turns away from Russian energy, Italy positions itself as a natural gas conduit between the Continent and Africa.

With Energy Deals in Africa, Italy Positions Itself as Europe's Next Gas Hub

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A historic maritime deal between Israel and Lebanon could bode well for the future.

Essential Geopolitics: Could Cooperation Develop From the Israel-Lebanon Maritime Agreement?

The platform in the Leviathan natural gas field in the Mediterranean Sea is pictured through an arcade in the Israeli northern coastal city of Caesarea on Feb. 24, 2022. 

The breakthrough in the two countries' decadeslong maritime dispute could pave the way for Lebanese energy extraction and increase calls in Lebanon for deeper economic ties with Israel.

Lebanon and Israel Ink a Historic Deal on Disputed Offshore Gas Reserves

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Russian President Vladimir Putin (center) listens to his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan (left) at the 2019 Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia (CICA) in Dushanbe, Tajikistan. 

A look at what the coming week will bring -- and a list of recommended RANE articles from the week that was.

The Weekly Rundown: Putin and Erdogan Head to Kazakhstan, Palestinian Leaders Head to Algeria

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Pictures of Britain's Queen Elizabeth II in a window as members of the public wait in line to pay their respects to the late monarch Sept. 16, 2022, in London. The state funeral for Queen Elizabeth II will occur in London with hundreds of international leaders in attendance.

The Weekly Rundown: Israel Proceeds in a Disputed Gas Field, a Royal Funeral in England

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Israeli navy vessels are pictured off the coast of Rosh Hanikra, Israel, on June 6, 2022, near the border between Israel and Lebanon.

For now, Hezbollah's threats are mainly political rhetoric, but simmering regional tensions mean Hezbollah's provocations could inadvertently spark an Israeli retaliation.

Israeli Gas Extraction in the Eastern Mediterranean Draws Hezbollah Threats

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An artist's rendering of NASA Capstone, which will be the first spacecraft to test the so-called near-rectilinear halo orbit around the moon. Rocket Labs plans to launch the CAPSTONE CubeSat for its mission to the Moon on June 27 from a New Zealand spaceport.

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The Weekly Rundown: A NASA Moon Mission, the U.S. and Taiwan Talk Trade

U.S.-China Relations

Will recent elections shake up Lebanon's political system?

Essential Geopolitics: What's Next For Lebanon's Political System?

A voter casts her ballot in Lebanon's May 15, 2022, parliamentary election at a polling station in the southern suburbs of Beirut.

Small changes in the legislature probably won't yield the economic reforms needed to ease the country's financial crisis.

Lebanon's Voters Signal a Desire for Change, but Reform Will Come Slowly

A Lebanese army vehicle patrols a road in a southern Lebanese town close to the border with Israel on April 25, 2022. 

While Lebanon-Israel normalization is unlikely, growing talk of it by Lebanese Christian leaders could fuel anger at pro-Iran groups like Hezbollah seen as standing in the way.

In Lebanon, Calls for 'Neutrality' Toward Israel Risk Worsening Sectarian Violence

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Iran's Arc of Influence

The Jihadist Wars

How could the plot affect Lebanese security forces?

Essential Geopolitics: A Thwarted Islamic State Attack Puts Lebanon on Alert

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Data released by Lebanon's Central Administration of Statistics shows that overall inflation increased 264% annually in March, and food and beverage inflation increased 350% annually, Bloomberg reported on April 25.

Lebanon: Inflation Surges After February Currency Devaluation

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The leader of Palestinian Gaza-based militant group Hamas met with the leader of Lebanon's pro-Palestinian militant and political group Hezbollah in Lebanon, where they pledged to deepen their cooperation, The Jerusalem Post reported on April 9.

Israel: Hamas, Hezbollah Heads Meet After Israel Strikes Syria Over Rocket Fire

Israeli warplanes struck targets in Gaza and Lebanon linked to the Gaza-based Palestinian militant group Hamas, and the number of casualties is unclear, The Times of Israel reported on April 7.

Israel: Airstrikes in Gaza, Lebanon Raise Sectarian Tensions

Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Lebanon's militant and political Hezbollah group, publicly backed pro-Syria, Christian presidential candidate Sleiman Frangieh, but there was little indication that parties outside of the Hezbollah-led bloc would support Frangieh, AP reported on March 6.

Lebanon: Hezbollah Backs Unpopular Christian Ally for President

Lebanon's Association of Banks announced an open-ended strike after the Court of Cassation -- the highest in the country -- ordered banks to pay out suing depositors in full even though banks do not have enough cash reserves to cover all savers, AP reported Feb. 7.

Lebanon: Banks Strike After High Court Rules Depositors Must Receive Full Savings

Lebanon's central bank governor, Riad Salameh, said the country would adopt a new exchange rate of 15,000 Lebanese pounds to the dollar, a 90% drop in value from the previous exchange rate of 1,507 pounds to the dollar, on Feb. 1, Reuters reported Jan. 31.

Lebanon: New Exchange Rate Devalues Currency by 90%

Lebanese Judge Tarek Bitar charged former Prime Minister Hassan Diab, chief prosecutor Ghassan Oweidat, head of domestic intelligence Maj. Gen. Abbas Ibrahim, former army commander Jean Kahwaji, and other high-level former security and judicial officials as part of his resumed investigation into the 2020 Beirut port blast, Reuters reported Jan. 24.

Lebanon: Chief Prosecutor Derails Judge's Attempt to Charge High-Level Officials in 2020 Beirut Blast

Lebanon's National Assembly again failed to elect a president on Jan. 19, after it convened for the 11th time for the sole purpose of electing a new leader for the country, Reuters reported the same day. Additionally, the Lebanese pound fell to a new record low of 50,000 pounds against one U.S. dollar. 

Lebanon: Parliament Fails to Elect President Again as Pound Hits Record Low 

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A view of the Register in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.

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Covering an area that spans the entire width of the continent beginning at the Sahara Desert and ending at the southernmost tip of South Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa is home to countless cultures, languages, religions, plants, animals and natural resources.

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A horse grazes in front of Kara-Kul lake in the Chon-Ak-Suu valley, 300 kilometers southeast of Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan.

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Lebanon is a small country wedged against the Mediterranean Sea, with Syria to its east and Israel to its south. The country is divided by the western Lebanon Mountains and the eastern Anti-Lebanon Mountains, which also run through Syria. These mountains produce three geographic and climate ranges for the country: hot and dry in the east and mild and wetter in the west, with the fertile Bekaa Valley in the midlands providing much of the country's agriculture. The cluster of mountains itself is friendly to the growth of cedar trees, the country's national icon.    Because of its small size, Lebanon is forced to import much of the food it needs to feed its population. Thus it has long been a center of trade, with coastal cities like Beirut acting as gateways for east-wide trade routes. It's a necessity for Lebanon to keep access to these trade routes. However, because the country is so small, outside powers have found it very easy to exert influence, especially given Lebanon's internal demographic divisions. Foreign powers can often find allies in Lebanon, though they rarely can find enough friendly forces to control the entire country, leading to frequent split governments and regular civil strife.     Lebanon's greatest challenge, therefore, is to keep access to its trade routes while balancing its own divisions, which are manipulated by outside powers. It has not always succeeded, and the country's 1975-1990 civil war is only the latest major conflict that has arisen from these conditions. In the future, Lebanon will continue to struggle with precariously balancing its small size, its divided population and its ambitious neighbors. 

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SITUATION REPORTS

Lebanon: Inflation Surges After February Currency Devaluation

Israel: Hamas, Hezbollah Heads Meet After Israel Strikes Syria Over Rocket Fire

Israel: Airstrikes in Gaza, Lebanon Raise Sectarian Tensions

Lebanon: Hezbollah Backs Unpopular Christian Ally for President

Lebanon: Banks Strike After High Court Rules Depositors Must Receive Full Savings

Lebanon: New Exchange Rate Devalues Currency by 90%

Lebanon: Chief Prosecutor Derails Judge's Attempt to Charge High-Level Officials in 2020 Beirut Blast

Lebanon: Parliament Fails to Elect President Again as Pound Hits Record Low

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