Search : 1000 result(s)
From Strategy to Reality: What Will It Take to Disarm Hezbollah?
Natasha Metni Torbey 01/08 15:30 - Reading : 8 minute(s)
Hezbollah United Nations European Union Internal Security Forces Israel
The question of disarming Hezbollah in Lebanon, long a political taboo, is now back at the heart of both political and diplomatic discussions. This shift comes amid mounting international pressure and a changing balance of power in the region. Although the topic remains deeply divisive within Lebanon’s political class, experts believe there are ...
Bedouins, Not So Nomadic After All
Natasha Metni Torbey 23/07 16:50 - Reading : 9 minute(s)
Clashes between Bedouin tribes and Druze factions in Syria’s Sweida province have reignited attention on the political and militarized role of these communities. But across the border in Lebanon, another question emerges: Who are the Lebanese Bedouins? The issue takes on renewed urgency amid reports that several of them, notably from Wadi ...
WE4LEAD Drives Real Change for Gender Equality at Universities
Sana Richa Choucair 27/07 18:30 - Reading : 8 minute(s)
Lebanese University WE4LEAD Gender equality Erasmus
Two Years After Its Launch in 2023, Where Does the Euro-Mediterranean Project Women’s Empowerment for Leadership and Equity in Higher Education Institutions (WE4LEAD) Stand? The project’s mission is to increase the representation of women in key academic leadership roles by transforming institutional practices and fostering a genuine culture ...
Unseen and Unspoken: The Enigma of Pregnancy Denial
David Sahyoun 24/07 22:55 - Reading : 6 minute(s)
Women Children Motherhood Mothers
Some births occur without anticipation, as if the child arrived out of time. Pregnancy denial is neither deception nor performance. It is a psychic reality that takes shape without words, a pregnancy the body conceals and the mind excludes. This clinical enigma raises profound questions about motherhood, the female body, generational transmission ...
From Sweida to Hasbaya: The Druze Soul Under Strain
Katia Kahil 31/07 13:00 - Reading : 6 minute(s)
While Syria’s Sweida province remains on edge following July’s deadly clashes, the reverberations are deeply felt across the border in Hasbaya. In this part of southern Lebanon—as elsewhere in the Druze world—identity transcends borders. The people of Hasbaya have lived this tragedy as their own, with Druze Sheikh al-Aql, Sami Abi ...
The Politics of Frozen Conflicts and Their Antidotes
Charles Chartouni 28/07 09:00 - Reading : 6 minute(s)
Iran Israel Yemen Lebanon Hezbollah United States Syria
Paradoxically enough, the strategic contexts throughout the Middle and Near East extending between Iran and Gaza are in a state of volatility, and none of the security issues at stake have been addressed in a conclusive manner — or were ever meant to be. After the consecutive defeats that have unraveled the strategic and political realms of ...
The Druze of Syria: A Minority Seeking Stability in the Post-Assad Transition
Natasha Metni Torbey 24/07 13:00 - Reading : 6 minute(s)
Damascus Israel Druze Minority
Since July 13, deadly clashes in Syria’s southern province of Sweida have left more than 1,300 people dead, including at least 630 local residents, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The violence erupted after the abduction of a merchant from the Druze community, triggering a wave of bloodshed that underscores the region’s ...
For Visitors from Abroad: Don’t Bother Trying to Make Sense of Lebanon!
Marc Saikali 22/07 09:30 - Reading : 5 minute(s)
Lebanon tourism visitors expatriates summer vacation
For everyone planning to spend their vacation in Lebanon, here is your survival guide to a country where nothing works, yet somehow everything does. First of all, getting to Lebanon is no small feat. Plane tickets cost so much, you might as well be booking a business-class trip to Mars. Let’s say you sold your house in France or Canada and ...
UNIFIL Mandate Shift Could Ignite Region: Will the US Push Back on Israeli Demands?
Philippe Abi-Akl 29/07 08:30 - Reading : 5 minute(s)
United Nations Israel UNIFIL USA France
One month separates Lebanon from a critical juncture, one of the most sensitive in its modern history. At the end of August, the United Nations Security Council will decide whether to renew the mandate of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) for another year. The decision could either reaffirm the mission’s role or mark its ...
Barrack to This is Beirut: There Is a Sense of Readiness in Lebanon Towards Normalisation with Israel
Tylia El Helou 23/07 14:15 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
United States Tom Barrack Syria Hezbollah Israel Lebanon
As Lebanon teeters on the edge of another potential war, with Hezbollah’s arms drawing the country closer to full-scale conflict with Israel, a more existential question arises: Why does the Lebanese state continue to abdicate its constitutional responsibilities? Why is the government still unwilling, decades after the Taif Agreement, to assert ...
The Female Body: Object of the Gaze, Forbidden Subject (1/2)
David Sahyoun 23/07 18:00 - Reading : 5 minute(s)
Female Body Psychoanalysis Object Subject Fantasy Desire
The female body is never simply a body. It carries myth and memory. It feeds both fantasy and repression. It often appears where it is least expected, slips through language, escapes definition and resists categorization. From cave paintings to fashion runways, from fairy tales to biology textbooks, the female body has been spoken about, ...
Azerbaijan: The Triumph of Pragmatism over Religious Identity
Mario Chartouni 31/07 19:05 - Reading : 5 minute(s)
European Union Damascus Israel Middle East Tehran
In the heart of the Caucasus, Azerbaijan stands out for its unconventional geopolitical alignments. Though predominantly Shia in religious composition, this secular post-Soviet republic has positioned itself as one of Israel’s closest allies and a strategic partner to the West, all while maintaining a strained relationship with neighboring ...
The Fantasized Body: When the Image Erases the Woman (2/2)
David Sahyoun 30/07 18:00 - Reading : 5 minute(s)
Psychoanalysis Female Body Fantasy Image
In today’s world, the female body is under constant pressure. It must be smooth, toned, youthful, desirable but not vulgar, slim but not unhealthy, maternal yet flawless. On social media, in advertising and in television shows, a single ideal takes hold: a body that is controlled, edited and put on display. The ideal is now algorithmic. It is ...
Trump Envoy to Inspect Gaza Aid as Pressure Mounts on Israel
This is Beirut 01/08 13:55 - Reading : 5 minute(s)
President Donald Trump's envoy met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday ahead of a visit to inspect aid distribution in Gaza, as a deadly food crisis drove mounting international pressure for a ceasefire. Steve Witkoff, who has been involved in months of stalled negotiations for a ceasefire and hostage release deal, met ...
Lebanon’s Hidden Underwater Mysteries
Natasha Metni Torbey 29/07 14:20 - Reading : 6 minute(s)
An entire city, named Saidoun, emerged from the depths: monumental walls, sacred chambers, freshwater wells, marble slabs and massive stone blocks dating back to around 1370 BCE, nearly 4,000 years ago. To this day, this excavation remains one of the most significant breakthroughs in the underwater exploration of southern Lebanon. Yet, since then, ...
Thomas Barrack: When Diplomacy Moves in Circles and Lebanon Follows
Natasha Metni Torbey 29/07 09:30 - Reading : 5 minute(s)
Hezbollah Israel Joseph Aoun Saudi Arabia Lebanon Tom Barrack
Listening to Thomas Barrack, one might think Lebanon is close to redemption or on the edge of a cliff, perhaps both at once. For months now, the American special envoy has issued statements that are sometimes hopeful, sometimes threatening, often confusing, and always repetitive. With every tweet and announcement, the same message comes through: ...
Trump Orders Tariffs on Dozens of Countries in Push To Reshape Global Trade
This is Beirut 01/08 05:25 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
Donald Trump United States Tariffs
President Donald Trump unveiled new tariffs Thursday on nearly 70 countries -- including a blistering 35 percent on neighbor Canada -- as he seeks to reshape global trade to benefit the US economy. However, in a minor reprieve that opens the door to further negotiations, the White House said the measures will take effect in a week for most ...
Elation as Pope Arrives by Helicopter to Open-Air Youth Vigil in Rome
This is Beirut 18:05 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
Hundreds of thousands of young faithful cheered Pope Leo XIV Saturday as he arrived by helicopter for an open-air prayer vigil outside Rome, in a rock star welcome for the new head of the Catholic Church. Pilgrims began crying and cheering when the white military helicopter descended over the sprawling, dusty, open-air site in Rome's eastern ...
August 4: Families Revive Memory With Olive Trees
Bélinda Ibrahim 01/08 18:25 - Reading : 5 minute(s)
August 4 Port of Beirut Beirut Blast Lebanon Olive Trees Lebanon
When justice falters, memory remains. A memory planted with bare hands into a soil still shaken by anger and silence. For five years, families of August 4, 2020 explosion victims have waited in vain, expecting answers, accountability, and convictions. But waiting led nowhere. So, some have stopped waiting. Not out of vengeance, but to stand their ...
Trump’s Tariffs: Protection or Risky Bet for the US Economy?
Mario Chartouni 01/08 18:40 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
United States Donald Trump Tariffs China
Tariffs have once again taken center stage in American trade policy. On Thursday, the White House announced a major overhaul of customs duties, marking a new chapter in President Donald Trump’s protectionist agenda. In an official statement, the White House emphasized that these measures aim to “protect American workers” and to “secure ...
US Deploying Nuclear Submarines in Response to 'Provocative' Russian Comments
This is Beirut 01/08 20:15 - Reading : 5 minute(s)
Donald Trump Nuclear Submarines Russia United States
US President Donald Trump ordered the deployment of two nuclear submarines Friday in an extraordinary escalation of what had been an online war of words with a Russian official over Ukraine and tariffs. Trump and Dmitry Medvedev, the deputy chairman of Russia's security council, have been sparring on social media for days. Trump's post ...
Invisible but Unbroken: Women Fighting Iran’s Repression
Soumia Benmerzoug 23/07 10:00 - Reading : 6 minute(s)
Iran women repression Tehran Khamenei
Repression of women in Iran is not new. Since the Islamic Revolution of 1979, their freedoms have been tightly controlled by an institutionalized patriarchal system that monitors every aspect of their lives, such as education, work, movement and expression. The veil, often internationally seen as the symbol of this oppression, is only the most ...
The Grammar of a Bungled Transition
Charles Chartouni 21/07 09:00 - Reading : 5 minute(s)
Syria Lebanon United States Israel Hezbollah
The interpretation of political events can often lead to misunderstandings and confusion. It is crucial to establish clear communication and guidelines to navigate such complexities effectively. Without these measures, the potential for misinterpretation increases, which can exacerbate tensions and hinder progress. Therefore, fostering an ...
The Fearless Genius Is Gone: Ziad Rahbani Carries Lebanon’s Memory Into the Beyond
Marie-Christine Tayah 26/07 20:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
Ziad Rahbani Music Heritage Fairuz Culture Lebanon
Born on January 1, 1956, in Lebanon, Ziad Rahbani embodied the rebellious, artistic and restless soul of his nation. Raised in a musical dynasty, he built his own identity note by note, word by word. At only 17, he composed Sa’alouni el-Nass, a politically charged and deeply emotional work that marked the beginning of a prolific, independent ...
Germs, Pollution, Junk Food: Lebanon’s Summer of All Dangers
Makram Haddad 24/07 12:00 - Reading : 5 minute(s)
A Feverish Country, Citizens Out of Breath A morning like any other in Beirut. Unusual lines at the pharmacy, overwhelmed medical offices, worried parents in pediatric waiting rooms. Fever, cough, diarrhea, vomiting… For several weeks, Lebanese citizens have been falling ill. Gastroenteritis, rotavirus, summer flu, COVID and lung infections are ...
Exploring and Excavating Underwater Heritage
Natasha Metni Torbey 29/07 14:25 - Reading : 6 minute(s)
Before any underwater excavation begins, one fundamental question must be answered: Should the findings be brought to the surface? “In some cases – particularly when dealing with a submerged city – preserving the site’s integrity means leaving everything untouched,” explains marine biology expert Marcos Hado. “But when valuable ...
Trump Orders Firing of US Official as Cracks Emerge in Jobs Market
This is Beirut 13:19 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
United States Donald Trump Economy
President Donald Trump said Friday he has ordered the firing of a key economic official, accusing her of manipulating employment data for political reasons after a new report showed cracks in the US jobs market. US job growth missed expectations in July, Labor Department data showed, and revisions to hiring figures in recent months brought them ...
Trump and Netanyahu Vow “Alternative Options” After Talks with Hamas Break Down
This is Beirut 25/07 19:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
Donald Trump Gaza Hamas Israel
US President Donald Trump accused Hamas on Friday of not wanting to reach a ceasefire deal in Gaza as Israel said it would explore "alternative options" to rescue hostages after negotiations had collapsed. An Israeli official, meanwhile, told AFP air drops of aid would resume soon over the Gaza Strip, where aid groups warned of surging numbers of ...
Ziad Is Gone, the Drama Isn’t
Salam El Zaatari 31/07 10:00 - Reading : 6 minute(s)
Ziad Rahbani Music Fairouz Culture Lebanon
Ziad Rahbani, Lebanon’s most brilliant satirist and musical artist, was finally laid to rest. But instead of a dignified farewell fitting of the man who gave voice to a nation’s contradictions, his funeral devolved into a spectacle, an unintentional parody of the plays he once wrote. Some mocked Dima’s presence, others sneered at Majida’s ...
Western Nations Call for Immediate End to Gaza War as Israel Expands Offensive
This is Beirut 21/07 22:55 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
Gaza United Kingdom Canada Australia France Italy
More than two dozen Western countries called for an immediate end to the war in Gaza on Monday, saying suffering there had "reached new depths" as Israel's military expanded its operations to the central city of Deir el-Balah. After more than 21 months of fighting that have triggered catastrophic humanitarian conditions for ...