BEIRUT -- Lebanon and Cyprus signed a long-delayed sea border agreement on Wednesday, ending an almost 20-year impasse that had stalled some oil and gas exploration in the Mediterranean Sea, as Europe seeks alternatives to Russian fuel.

Social media users pondered and debated the design inspiration behind the Lebanese capital’s annual Christmas decorations

Lebanon remains locked in a vicious cycle since last year's cease-fire that never truly ended the war and facing an unrestrained Israel.

Israel has attacked Beirut’s suburbs just two days after Lebanon’s president said he was open to negotiations.

Residents of Beirut's southern suburb of Haret Hreik woke up on Monday to see debris scattered around roads targeted by the attack, as well as damaged cars and buildings. View on euronews

The strike comes days before Pope Leo XIV is scheduled to visit the country and as Israeli airstrikes over southern Lebanon have intensified in recent weeks.

Israel killed militant group Hezbollah's top military official in an airstrike on a southern suburb of Beirut, the Israeli military said, despite a U.S.-brokered truce a year ago.

Pope Leo XIV is embarking on his first foreign trip. His pilgrimage to Turkey and Lebanon would be delicate under any circumstances but is even more fraught given Mideast tensions

BEIRUT/NICOSIA (Reuters) — Lebanon and Cyprus signed a long-awaited maritime demarcation deal on Wednesday, paving the way for potential exploration of offshore gas fields and energy cooperation in the Mediterranean.