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Bedouins, Not So Nomadic After All

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

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 ...

The Politics of Frozen Conflicts and Their Antidotes 

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 ...

When the Body Speaks: The Truth Behind Self-Harm

Once treated as a fringe concern in psychiatry, self-harm has become far more visible in recent decades. Clinical and epidemiological studies agree that it primarily affects adolescents and young adults, with a marked prevalence among girls and young women. It appears in hospitals, schools and prisons, but also across digital spaces. On platforms ...

Unseen and Unspoken: The Enigma of Pregnancy Denial

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 ...

The Druze of Syria: A Minority Seeking Stability in the Post-Assad Transition

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 ...

Cosmetic Counterfeits: Lebanon Grapples with the Surge of Fake Beauty Products (2/3)

On Instagram, just a few clicks on reseller accounts or sponsored stories plunge you into a sleek, alluring world where top brands — Lancôme, Estée Lauder, Guerlain, Dior, La Roche-Posay — are sold at slashed prices. Descriptions sound convincing: “imported from the US,” “end-of-line stock before ...

The Fearless Genius Is Gone: Ziad Rahbani Carries Lebanon’s Memory Into the Beyond

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 ...

For Visitors from Abroad: Don’t Bother Trying to Make Sense of Lebanon!

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 ...

Barrack to This is Beirut: There Is a Sense of Readiness in Lebanon Towards Normalisation with Israel

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)

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, ...

UN to Use 'Humanitarian Pauses' to Try to Reach Gaza's Starving

The United Nations said it would try to reach as many starving people as possible in Gaza after Israel announced it would establish secure land routes for humanitarian convoys. The UN's World Food Program (WFP) said it had enough food in, or on its way to, the region to feed the 2.1 million people in the Gaza Strip for almost three ...

From Empire to Nation

In the Levant, Islam took root in the major Mediterranean coastal cities—Jaffa, Haifa, Acre, Sidon, Beirut, Tripoli, Tartus and Latakia. Surrounded by Christian and Jewish hill communities or overshadowed by dominant Christian mountain ranges, these urban populations never felt isolated. Instead, they saw themselves as fully integrated into the ...

Trump Arrives in Scotland for Trade Talks, Golf, and Controversy

US President Donald Trump landed in Scotland on Friday for a five-day visit set to mix diplomacy, business, and leisure, as a huge UK security operation swung into place amid planned protests near his family-owned golf resorts. The president, whose mother was born in Scotland, will split his time between two seaside golf courses bearing his name, ...

Invisible but Unbroken: Women Fighting Iran’s Repression

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 

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 ...

Syria: Israeli Strikes Hit Presidential Palace and Syrian Army HQ in Damascus

Israel bombed the Syrian army's headquarters in Damascus on Wednesday after warning the Islamist-led government to leave the country's Druze minority alone, as authorities announced a ceasefire in the community's southern heartland after deadly sectarian clashes. Syrian government forces entered the majority-Druze city of Sweida on ...

Germs, Pollution, Junk Food: Lebanon’s Summer of All Dangers

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 ...

Defending Champions England Beat Spain on Penalties to Win Women's Euro 2025

Chloe Kelly converted the decisive kick as England beat Spain 3-1 on penalties to win the Women's Euro 2025 after Sunday's final had finished 1-1 at the end of extra time, allowing the Lionesses to avenge their defeat in the World Cup final of two years ago and retain their continental crown. It looked as though Spain would repeat their victory ...

Syrian Forces Accused of 'Executions' in Druze Area as Israel Launches Strikes

Syrian authorities were accused on Tuesday of carrying out summary executions of civilians in the predominantly Druze province of Sweida, where Israel said it had launched strikes against government forces in defense of the religious minority. Damascus deployed troops to the area after clashes between Druze fighters and Bedouin tribes killed ...

In Our National Life, Forgiveness Requests a Name

In every human being, there is a child who demands a story before falling asleep. The need for fiction is universal. But sometimes, as the title of a long-lost book once said, “Reality Surpasses Fiction.” Some true stories exceed in “unlikeliness” even the wildest inventions. Lebanon’s history is not far from illustrating this idea. ...

Trump and Netanyahu Vow “Alternative Options” After Talks with Hamas Break Down

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 ...

US-China Set to Meet with Extension of Tariff Pause on the Cards

Top economic officials from the United States and China are set to renew negotiations Monday -- with an extension of lower tariff levels on the cards -- as President Donald Trump's trade policy enters a critical week. Talks between the world's top two economies are slated to happen over two days in the Swedish capital Stockholm, and they come as ...

European Union Resigned to 15 Percent US Tariff

The United States and the European Union clinched a trade agreement on Sunday that will see EU exports taxed at 15 percent, in a bid to resolve a transatlantic tariff stand-off that threatened to explode into a full-blown trade war. US President Donald Trump emerged from a high-stakes meeting with European Commission President Ursula von der ...

Israel Says Opening Routes into Gaza to Increase Food Aid

Israel declared a "tactical pause" in fighting in parts of Gaza on Sunday and said it would allow the UN and aid agencies to open secure land routes to tackle a deepening hunger crisis. The military also said it had begun air-dropping food into the Palestinian territory and dismissed allegations of using starvation as a weapon against ...

Israel Declares Gaza Fighting Pause Amid Deepening Hunger Crisis

Israel declared a "tactical pause" in fighting in parts of Gaza on Sunday and said it would allow the UN and aid agencies to open secure land routes to tackle a deepening hunger crisis. The military also said it had begun air-dropping food into the territory and angrily rejected allegations it was using starvation as a weapon against Palestinian ...

Western Nations Call for Immediate End to Gaza War as Israel Expands Offensive

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 ...

Trump Secures "Massive" Trade Deal with Japan as Deadline Looms for Global Tariff Threats

Donald Trump announced Tuesday a "massive" trade deal with Japan, marking a key breakthrough for major US trade partners as they scramble to strike agreements before the end of the month. In an attempt to slash his country's colossal trade deficit, the US president has vowed to hit dozens of countries with punitive "reciprocal" tariffs if they do ...

Syria: Bedouin Tribes Mobilize, Damascus Redeploys Troops, Israel Delivers Humanitarian Aid

Tensions continue to rise in the predominantly Druze province of Sweida in southern Syria. A spokesperson for the Syrian Interior Ministry said that government forces were preparing to redeploy to the city of Sweida in order to put an end to the ongoing clashes between Druze and Bedouin communities. Meanwhile, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon ...