This is Beirut - Lebanon

'Pays amer': Georgia Makhlouf Revives the Memory of the Pioneers

Bélinda Ibrahim, 18:00 - Reading : 7 minute(s)

Lebanon Novel Georgia Makhlouf Interview Culture

Pays amer (Presses de la Cité, 2024) is Georgia Makhlouf’s third novel. It weaves together the stories of two Lebanese female photographers, separated by a century. One narrative unfolds in the 1920s, a time when Lebanon is shaping its future, while the other centers on Mona, a woman in 2020, navigating a country in crisis. Oscillating between ...

What Should America Do About Syria?

David Hale , 18:00 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Syria USA America Gaza Lebanon

While Lebanese are focused intently on developments in Syria, the topic is absent in Washington. Yet what is happening there is one of the landmark geo-strategic developments of the Middle East of our times, the demise of a long-standing problematic regime for America and its friends and part and parcel of the reversal of fortunes of a major ...

Basketball: A First-of-Its-Kind Degree at Antonine University

Makram Haddad, 16:45 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Lebanon Basket-ball Antonine

Antonine University and the Lebanese Basketball Federation (LBF) have inaugurated a university degree program for basketball coaches, a first of its kind in the Middle East. The ceremony took place at the university’s main campus in Baabda-Hadath, in the presence of leading sports and academic figures. A Structured Academic Program Father ...

David Lefort: French Melody and a Ray of Hope for Lebanon

Alain E. Andrea, 16:45 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Lebanon France Music Art

Between August 2024 and February 2025, Beit Tabaris was enveloped in a forced silence – one of waiting, anxiety, uncertainty and agony. The kind imposed by wars that crush souls and dictate their laws. Alas. Where, not long ago, music gathered souls, only the rubble of a broken harmony remained. Beirut, the eternal beloved, seemed to be quietly ...

Jaber: No Increase in Customs Fees or Taxes

This is Beirut, 15:30 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Lebanon Iran Beirut Banque du Liban Custom fees

Finance Minister Yassine Jaber assured that there will be no increase in customs fees or taxes, while emphasizing that the state will ensure the collection of all its dues. Jaber emphasized that one of the prerequisites for an agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is combating customs fraud. He added that the state must strengthen ...

Consumer Prices Increase by 1.1% in January

This is Beirut, 15:25 - Reading : less than a minute

lebanon price index economy

The Central Administration of Statistics (CAS) reported on Friday that Lebanon’s Consumer Price Index for January 2025 recorded a 1.1% increase, following a 0.18% decline in September 2024 compared to August 2024. This was the first increase in over a year, after record surges in 2023 (33.27% in March and 5.35% in May). However, the index saw a ...

BDL Reserves at $10.526 Billion, $3.2 Billion Disbursed Through Circulars 158 and 166

Maurice Matta, 11:00 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Lebanon Economy Central Bank

In line with the Lebanese Central Bank (BDL) policy to raise withdrawal limits, and following consultations with President General Joseph Aoun, House Speaker Nabih Berri, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and Finance Minister Yassine Jaber, BDL’s Central Council decided earlier this week to increase the ceiling under Circular No. 158 to $500 per month ...

Abolition of Political Sectarianism: Is It the Right Time?

Johnny Kortbawi, 09:00 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Hezbollah sectarianism Taif Agreement Lebanon

Prime Minister Nawaf Salam’s call for the abolition of political sectarianism and the formation of a national commission for this purpose can be understood in light of his secularist stance and his well-known legal and political background. If anyone has the right to push for this socio-political shift in Lebanon, it is Nawaf Salam. However, it ...

After the Withdrawal Limit Increase: What About BDL Reserves?

Christiane Tager, 20/02 22:30 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Lebanon Economy Banks Central Bank

In a highly anticipated move, Lebanon’s Central Bank (BDL) announced on Wednesday an increase in the withdrawal limits for Circulars 158 and 166, raising them to $500 and $250 per month, respectively, effective March 1. While the decision was welcomed by depositors, it has sparked concerns over its cost and potential impact on BDL’s reserves ...

Exclusive: Dr. Matthew Levitt: A Majority of Lebanese Are Annoyed by Hezbollah's Entry into War with Israel

Tylia El Helou, 20/02 21:45 - Reading : less than a minute

Lebanon Hezbollah USA Israel Lebanese Army

In an exclusive interview, Dr. Matthew Levitt, the Director of the Reinhard Program on Counterterrorism and Intelligence at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, explained how the Lebanese Army exceeded Washington’s expectations in its deployment in South Lebanon. He also explained that Lebanon and Israel should start discussing peace ...

Lebanon-Syria: Smuggling Thrives on Fuel

Liliane Mokbel, 20/02 21:18 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Lebanon Trafficking Syria

The illegal trafficking of goods between Lebanon and Syria has been a longstanding issue. Despite the collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s regime, little progress has been made, even with the United Kingdom’s assistance to Lebanon in securing its borders, notably through the construction of surveillance towers along the northern and eastern ...

The World Bank Recommends the Creation of a Transparent Reconstruction Fund

This is Beirut, 20/02 17:50 - Reading : less than a minute

dollars lebanon

Lebanon has received key recommendations from the World Bank (WB) concerning the country’s reconstruction efforts. According to information reported by LBCI, in a recent meeting at the Grand Serail, members of the WB delegation stressed the need to establish a dedicated reconstruction fund, along with reforms to ensure financial ...

Lebanon