This is Beirut - Government

Hezbollah vs. the State: A Sisyphus Moment at Raouche

Natasha Metni Torbey, 26/09 15:30 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Hezbollah Hassan Nasrallah Amal Israel Government

In a bold display of power that lays bare Lebanon’s fragile balance of forces, Hezbollah flouted every law and directive, trampling both state decisions and promises to its own allies. On Thursday evening, despite an explicit ban from Beirut Governor Marwan Abboud, the Pigeon Rock in Raouche, an iconic national and tourist landmark, was ...

Chad Signs Peace Deal With 'Last' Gold Region Militia

This is Beirut, 24/09 13:10 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Chad Militia Peace Government Gold

Chad's government has struck a peace deal with an armed group in the north of the country, ending years of conflict over gold deposits in the region, a mediator said on social media. It sees "the definitive return of peace in (the town of) Miski and the entire province of Tibesti", Ibrahim Edji Mahamat, who acted as a facilitator for talks, told ...

Cabinet Approves 2026 Budget Without Salary Adjustments

This is Beirut, 22/09 21:05 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Lebanon Budget Cabinet Taxes Salaries Government

The Council of Ministers approved the draft 2026 state budget Monday evening, with officials emphasizing fiscal discipline, revenue compliance and accountability. Information Minister Paul Morcos stated that the budget includes no new broad-based taxes, relying instead on stricter enforcement of existing laws and improved revenue estimation. One ...

French Parliament Set to Eject PM in Blow to Macron

This is Beirut, 08/09 09:05 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Emmanuel Macron France Francois Bayrou Government Confidence

France's parliament is expected to oust Prime Minister François Bayrou on Monday after just nine months in office, plunging the key EU member into new political uncertainty and creating a painful dilemma for President Emmanuel Macron. Bayrou blind sided even his allies by calling a confidence vote to end a months-long standoff over his austerity ...

Ex-Presidents, Premiers, Back Government Position On Weapons Control

This is Beirut, 15/08 18:25 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Lebanon Weapons Government Hezbollah Israel

Two former Lebanese presidents, Amin Gemayel and Michel Sleiman, along with three former prime ministers, Najib Mikati, Fouad Siniora and Tammam Salam, issued a joint statement on Friday backing the government’s position over the state’s exclusive control of weapons. The leaders praised the government’s efforts to restore full state ...

What Options for Hezbollah After Lebanon's Decision to Disarm It?

This is Beirut, 07/08 09:15 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Hezbollah Israel Joseph Aoun Tehran Government

Lebanon's government has decided to task the army with setting a plan to disarm Hezbollah, a thorny issue decades after the last time the country had made factions give up their weapons. AFP looks at how the government's decision may be implemented, and whether the Iran-backed militant group can still block it. Why is the move ...

Lebanon Sets Year-End Deadline for Militia Disarmament

This is Beirut, 05/08 22:55 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Lebanon Disarmament Hezbollah Militias Politics Government

Lebanon has set a deadline of the end of this year for the disarmament of all militias, based on a disarmament roadmap to be prepared by the Lebanese Army and submitted to the Cabinet for review before August 31. The announcement was made by Prime Minister Nawaf Salam following a nearly six-hour cabinet session held at the Baabda Presidential ...

Commercial Leases: Government Caught in a Tight Spot

Liliane Mokbel, 24/07 14:45 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Lebanon Government Residential rents

The Constitutional Council largely upheld the new law on old commercial leases, passed in April 2024, dismissing a legal challenge brought by thirteen members of parliament. Yet, it struck down one key provision: paragraph (d) of Article 10 was ruled unconstitutional for violating the constitutional principles of equality and fairness. The legal ...

Parliament Renews Confidence in Salam's Government After Heated Debate

This is Beirut, 16/07 14:05 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Lebanese Army Nawaf Salam lebanon parliament government confidence

Parliament renewed confidence in Prime Minister Nawaf Salam’s government on Wednesday, as it concluded a two-day session dedicated to the general policy debate. The vote of confidence was called for by MP and leader of the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) Gebran Bassil. The majority of the 82 MPs present at the closing session, notably 69 ...

Will Beirut’s Last Green Spaces Be Saved?

Vanessa Kallas, 31/05 15:50 - Reading : less than a minute

Lebanon Green Spaces Crisis Government Climate change

Long vital to the city’s health and identity, Beirut’s public green spaces are disappearing. As Beirut’s parks are swallowed by concrete, environmental advocates warn of rising heat, pollution and social decline. The new government faces a pivotal choice: preserve what’s left or accept irreversible loss.

Lebanon Activates Civil Aviation Authority 22 Years After Law Passed

This is Beirut, 27/05 18:00 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Lebanon Aviation Rasamny Recruitement Government Reform

More than two decades after the legal framework was put in place, Lebanon is finally taking steps to activate its General Directorate of Civil Aviation. Public Works and Transport Minister Fayez Rasamny has officially reopened the candidacy process for key leadership positions within the authority, 22 years after the passage of Law No. 481, which ...

Army Retirees Threaten to Escalate Pressure for Better Pension

This is Beirut, 28/04 13:15 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

lebanon military retirees Military Retirees Movement government

Amid growing frustration over deteriorating living conditions, the Military Retirees Movement announced a shift to a new phase of confrontation, warning of wide-ranging protests if the government fails to meet their demands. “After exhausting all means of dialogue and peaceful expression, and facing deafening silence and humiliating disregard ...

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