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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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

UNIFIL Mandate Shift Could Ignite Region: Will the US Push Back on Israeli Demands?

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 ...

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 ...

The Fantasized Body: When the Image Erases the Woman (2/2)

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 ...

Lebanon’s Hidden Underwater Mysteries

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

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: ...

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 ...

Exploring and Excavating Underwater Heritage

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 ...

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, ...

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 ...

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 ...

1957: A Crash, Gold and Shadows of Mystery

This is the story of the Curtiss C-46 operated by Air Liban, which crashed off the coast of Beirut in 1957 with around 30 passengers on board. According to witness accounts and expert testimony, the aircraft was transporting a shipment of gold estimated between 400 and 450 kilograms, bound for Kuwait. While the crash itself raises questions, what ...

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 ...

The Old Continent in Turnberry: Strategic Compromise or Keen Submission?

A new trade agreement between the European Union (EU) and the United States was reached on Sunday in Turnberry, Scotland, after weeks of tense negotiations. The pact sets a 15% tariff on most European goods exported to the US market, narrowly avoiding a trade war, but leaving a bitter taste in Brussels. While it marks a tariff truce, the deal has ...

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 ...

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 ...

Replacing Iran with Turkey Is a Recipe for Disaster in Syria

The Syrian revolution was not an uprising for liberty, freedom, or democracy. It was a manifestation of Sunni Islamists, backed by Turkey and Qatar, venting their rage against the rule of Assad, supported by Shia Islamist Iran. Syria’s Sunni Islamists did not care that Assad was a brutal dictator; they sought to replace him with their own ...

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 ...

When Losing a Dog Hurts More Than Losing a Loved One

“It’s only a dog.” This phrase, often said with a hint of condescension, can feel like a harsh blow to those who have just lost their four-legged companion. Yet growing scientific evidence shows that grieving a pet – especially a dog – can be just as intense as, and sometimes even more profound than, mourning a human loved one. The ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...