Lebanon

From Paul VI to Leo XIV: The Vatican’s Bond with Lebanon
WindowFrom Paul VI to Leo XIV: The Vatican’s Bond with Lebanon

From Paul VI to Benedict XVI, Lebanon has welcomed historic visits from popes, each carrying a message of peace, unity, and intercommunal dialogue. As the country continues to face crises, Pope Leo XIV’s upcoming visit follows this tradition and underscores the unique bond between the Vatican and the Land of the Cedars. Since 1964, three ...

Lebanon–Cyprus Agreement: Strategic Breakthrough or Maritime Concession?
Behind the ScenesLebanon–Cyprus Agreement: Strategic Breakthrough or Maritime Concession?

As the debate over border demarcation in Lebanon reopened widely following the maritime agreement with Israel and ongoing efforts to define both land and sea borders with Syria, Lebanon has reached a final agreement with Cyprus on the maritime boundary. The move comes after the government approved the draft agreement and referred it to the ...

Papal Visit: Routes and Security Measures
Papal Visit: Routes and Security Measures

The official commission in charge of organizing Pope Leo XIV’s visit held a press briefing on Tuesday to inform citizens and the media about the planned logistical, security-related and media arrangements. It also detailed the routes that the papal convoy will follow during the three-day visit to Lebanon (November 30-December 2). The conference ...

The Clock Ticks on Lebanon's Empty Promises
Op-edThe Clock Ticks on Lebanon's Empty Promises

One year on from Lebanon’s signing of the November 27, 2024 Cessation of Hostilities with Israel, Beirut’s agreement to enforce UN Security Council Resolution 1701 and disarm Hezbollah looks less like a commitment and more like theater. Lebanon has announced deadlines, staged symbolic troop deployments, and assured the world that Hezbollah’s ...

Lebanese Red Cross’s Final Sprint Ahead of the Pope’s Visit
Lebanese Red Cross’s Final Sprint Ahead of the Pope’s Visit

Ahead of Pope Leo XIV’s visit to Lebanon, scheduled from November 30 to December 2, the Lebanese Red Cross (LRC) shared with This is Beirut details of the unprecedented medical and logistical setup designed to ensure the safety of anticipated crowds. Through its Emergency Medical Services Sector (EMS), the Red Cross says it is fully prepared to ...

South Lebanon Ceasefire: One Year On, Life in Limbo
FocusSouth Lebanon Ceasefire: One Year On, Life in Limbo

One year after the ceasefire, south Lebanon remains a land fraught with tension. Even when the strikes seem to ease, the shadow of war lingers. Israel’s sporadic bombardments never truly stop, and each moment of calm feels like a brief pause in an invisible countdown. Life here is fragile, shaping a population caught between the urgent need ...

PM Hands Over the Drafting of the Gap Law to Kulluna Irada
Behind the ScenesPM Hands Over the Drafting of the Gap Law to Kulluna Irada

This Is Beirut has learned that the legal committee tasked by Prime Minister Nawaf Salam—in coordination with Finance Minister Yassine Jaber—with drafting the financial gap law is composed of a three-member team operating within the orbit of the Kulluna Irada organization. The committee includes attorney Ali Zbib, Judge Rana Al-Akkoum, ...

Peace with Israel Is Not a Taboo
VideosPeace with Israel Is Not a Taboo

“Peace with Israel.” A sentence once unspeakable in Lebanon—now said out loud. The national taboo is cracking, and politics will never sound the same.

From Hermitage to Prayer: Annaya, a Path of Spirituality
VideosFrom Hermitage to Prayer: Annaya, a Path of Spirituality

Nestled in the mountains of Annaya, the monastery and hermitage of Saint Charbel draw thousands of pilgrims every year. Born in 1828, Saint Charbel lived a life of prayer and solitude, leaving behind a legacy of faith and miracles. Today, Annaya remains a sanctuary of hope, where visitors and the faithful come seeking peace, healing, and spiritual ...

Pressures and Calculations on Lebanon's Southern Border
Pressures and Calculations on Lebanon's Southern Border

Israeli defense officials increasingly fear that the relative quiet along the northern border may mask conditions for a rapid escalation. According to Ynet and Yedioth Ahronoth, on Monday, senior Israeli army officers say Hezbollah has continued to reinforce its military infrastructure in Lebanese villages deeper inside the country, despite almost ...

Who Was Haitham Tabatabai, the Hezbollah No. 2 Targeted by Israel?
Who Was Haitham Tabatabai, the Hezbollah No. 2 Targeted by Israel?

Born in Lebanon in 1968, Haitham Ali Tabatabai, also known as Abu Ali, is believed to be of an Iranian father and a Lebanese mother. He reportedly grew up in southern Lebanon and joined Hezbollah at a young age. A former commander of the Radwan Force, Hezbollah’s elite unit, Tabatabai operated in both Syria and Yemen, where he provided ...

The Last Calligrapher
VideosThe Last Calligrapher

Arabic calligraphy is one of the oldest art forms in the Arab world, long regarded as a sacred discipline that blends beauty, spirituality, and knowledge. Today, this manual craft is gradually fading, overshadowed by technology and digital production. Mohieddine Sabra, one of the few artisans still preserving this precious art in Lebanon, shares ...