Municipal Elections in South Lebanon and Nabatiyeh: Civil Defense on Maximum Alert

This is Beirut 22/05 11:25 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

South Lebanon Civil Defense Municipal

Lebanon’s Civil Defense has announced a significant increase in readiness ahead of the fourth and final phase of the municipal elections, scheduled for Saturday, May 24 in the South Lebanon and Nabatiyeh governorates. In accordance with directives issued by Minister of Interior and Municipalities Ahmad Hajjar, Civil Defense Director General ...

Army Commander Rodolphe Haykal Praises the Resilience of Lebanese Soldiers

This is Beirut 22/05 11:05 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Hezbollah Israel Lebanese Army Rodolphe Haykal

Lebanese Army Commander General Rodolphe Haykal on Thursday praised the daily efforts of the country's soldiers, emphasizing the military's critical role in preserving national stability and upholding Lebanon's international commitments. In a message addressed to the troops, General Haykal highlighted the obstacles still being imposed by Israel, ...

From Protest to Compromise: A Political Failure for Lebanon’s ‘Change’ MPs

Natasha Metni Torbey 22/05 10:30 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

A surprise in name only. The dismal performance of Lebanon’s so-called “change” movement in the ongoing municipal elections has once again laid bare a reality its MPs have long sought to obscure. They had presented themselves as a breath of fresh, hopeful air in a suffocating country. Riding the momentum of the October 2019 uprising, these ...

Op-edLines in the Sand: Syria on the Brink, and Lebanon’s Vanishing Moment

Salam El Zaatari 22/05 09:30 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Lebanon Israel Syria Donald Trump Joseph Aoun United States

If you want to understand the Middle East in 2025, don’t look at the maps. Look at the fault lines. They’re not drawn in ink – they’re drawn in fear, legacy and a deep unease that this time, the region isn’t just shifting, it’s splintering. This week, United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio sounded an alarm loud enough to rattle ...

EditorialLebanon, the Doormat of Syria’s Sanctions Lift

Marc Saikali 22/05 08:30 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Donald Trump Damascus European Union Hezbollah

Bashar al-Assad has been out of the picture for almost six months now. No one seems to miss him. The chapter is firmly closed. Enter Ahmad el-Chareh – once an Islamist, now a man of compromise – captured smiling alongside Donald Trump in Riyadh. Syria is reinventing itself, trying to appear more approachable. At least, that’s the ...

SpotlightWill Banking Reforms Spark a Crisis Between Souhaid and Salam?

Maurice Matta 21/05 20:10 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Lebanon Economy Banks Karim Souhaid Nawaf Salam

It seems that the relationship between Banque du Liban (BDL) Governor Karim Souhaid and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam is far from ideal. In fact, it can be described as tense – a situation that didn’t arise recently but dates back to Souhaid’s appointment as Governor of the Central Bank, which was secured through a majority vote in the ...

SpotlightAmerican and Israeli Messages to Lebanon

Bassam Abou Zeid 21/05 19:00 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Donald Trump Hezbollah Israel Joseph Aoun Saudi Arabia

According to information from Washington, the Americans have informed the Lebanese government that the Israelis will not withdraw from the positions they occupy in southern Lebanon unless the Lebanese side takes serious and successive steps toward disarming Hezbollah. They emphasized that Israel has no territorial ambitions in Lebanon and that ...

Mullahs Wearing Sombreros: Hezbollah in Latin America

Mario Chartouni 21/05 18:45 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Hezbollah Europe Middle East Tehran United States

The so-called “tri-border area,” at the junction of Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay, has long attracted tourists, notably thanks to the famous Iguaçu Falls. But behind this idyllic setting lies a much more troubling reality: this region is also a strategic hub for transnational criminal networks, including Hezbollah. Washington, which is ...

VideosMahmoud Abbas in Lebanon Amid Talks on Refugee Camp Disarmament

This is Beirut 21/05 16:50 - Reading : less than a minute

Joseph Aoun Lebanon Mahmoud Abbas

President Joseph Aoun welcomed Mahmoud Abbas at the Baabda Presidential Palace during a pivotal visit focused on security and refugee issues. Abbas backed placing all weapons under Lebanese state control, as he discussed with President Aoun efforts to disarm armed groups in Palestinian refugee camps.

Joseph Aoun and Mahmoud Abbas: No More Weapons Outside State Control in Lebanon

This is Beirut 21/05 15:00 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Lebanon Palestine Mahmoud Abbas Joseph Aoun Security Refugee camps

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun stressed during their meeting on Wednesday that “there would no longer be any weapons outside the control of the state in Lebanon.” This is a key decision since the Lebanese government does not exert authority over Palestinian refugee camps. Mahmoud Abbas, who met ...

Maronite Bishops Urge Peace, Reform, Local Development in Lebanon

This is Beirut 21/05 14:20 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Lebanon Bkerke Maronite Reform Gaza Elections

During their monthly meeting held on Wednesday in Bkerke, presided over by Maronite Patriarch Bechara Rai, the Maronite bishops declared that Lebanon is facing a rare opportunity for recovery, one that must not be missed. In their closing statement, the bishops urged Lebanese officials to take tangible steps to restore state authority and ...

Property Owners Slam Institutional Chaos Over Commercial Lease Law

This is Beirut 21/05 12:50 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

commercial lease rent law Lebanon Property rights Landlords

In a statement issued following the Constitutional Council's decision on May 20, 2025, the Syndicate of Property Owners of Leased Buildings responded to the ruling concerning the new law on commercial leases. The syndicate clarified that the Constitutional Council did not rule on the content of the law, which aimed to liberalize long-standing ...