Claude Forthomme

The undulating hills of southern Lebanon — once defined by villages nestled among citrus orchards and ancient olive groves — have been transformed into a landscape of white rubble and scorched earth. On April 19, 2026, the Israeli military outlined the parameters of an “advanced security zone” to be imposed prior to any permanent cease-fire. The plan effectively bars residents from returning to a 602-square-kilometer area — roughly 5.8% of Lebanon’s territory — encompassing 62 towns and villages.

The Merz-Meloni non-paper, to be discussed by EU leaders on February 12, is not just a list of measures to remove “regulatory barriers that hamper growth” but a blueprint for a constitutional coup, extending right-wing pro-business power over the EU Commission and the European Parliament As EU leaders are set to discuss German Chancellor Merz and Italian Prime Minister Meloni’s non-paper at their “informal” retreat in Belgium on February 12, the EU stands at a crossroads, buffeted by heavy...

SCENE: 2:05 A.M. The back room of a dive in Brooklyn. The air smells of stale hops and unchecked executive power. Three men sprawl around a sticky table covered with glasses and half-empty bottles of booze and a couple of Diet Cokes: The UPTIGHT MARINE (in a uniform one size too small), the DARK MAN (with darting black eyes, sweating), and the Orange One (sipping a Diet Coke, frowning). DARK MAN (Nervous energy) Mr. President, we have to look at the energy sector. It’s a mess.