This is Beirut - Lebanon

Civil Defense on Maximum Alert Ahead of Municipal Elections

This is Beirut, 02/05 13:40 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Civil Defense Mount Lebanon lebanon Ahmed Hajjar

The Directorate General of Civil Defense announced on Friday that it has raised its operational readiness to 100% ahead of the first phase of Lebanon’s municipal elections, set to kick off this weekend in the Mount Lebanon Governorate. The heightened alert will be in effect from 8:00 AM on Saturday, May 3, through 8:00 AM on Monday, May 5. In ...

Higher Defense Council: National Security and Electoral Integrity

This is Beirut, 02/05 12:55 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Hamas Joseph Aoun lebanon Nawaf Salam Lebanese Army

For the first time under President Joseph Aoun’s leadership, the Higher Defense Council convened on Friday at the Baabda Palace, where it issued a strong warning to Hamas following rocket launches from Lebanon toward Israel on March 22 and 28. At the conclusion of the session, the Council stated that any military use of Lebanese territory ...

Press Syndicate Urges Media Reform and Justice on Press Freedom Day

This is Beirut, 02/05 10:40 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

lebanon Press Freedom Day Syndicate of Press Editors

On Friday, the Syndicate of Lebanese Press Editors marked World Press Freedom Day by honoring journalists killed or injured in the line of duty. In a statement, the Syndicate called for justice, media reform and renewed commitment to journalistic ethics and independence. Moreover, the Syndicate condemned the ongoing impunity for crimes against ...

Sun on the Horizon, Rough Skies Ahead: Summer 2025 Takes Off

Christiane Tager, 01/05 20:50 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Lebanon Tourism

As Lebanon gears up for the 2025 summer tourist season, it looks forward to sunny days but remains wary of potential challenges. With the return of expatriates, regional tensions, Israeli ceasefire violations and an economy seeking stability, the Lebanese tourism sector finds itself navigating turbulent waters. Yet, as the saying goes, “After ...

Abi al-Muna Urges Arab Action to Stop Violations Against Druze in Syria

This is Beirut, 01/05 18:35 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Syria Druze Walid Bukhari KSA lebanon

Sheikh Sami Abi al-Muna, the spiritual leader of Lebanon’s Druze community, spoke over the phone with Saudi Ambassador to Lebanon Walid Bukhari on Thursday. Abi al-Muna briefed him on the alarming developments in the town of Ashrafiyat Sahnaya and surrounding areas near Damascus, Syria, where clashes are still ongoing between Druze and Sunni ...

Beirut Souks’ Comeback

Rayan Chami, 01/05 18:00 - Reading : less than a minute

Beirut Souks Lebanon Downtown Beirut

After years of closure, Beirut Souks is welcoming back shoppers and international brands, marking a step toward reviving the city’s commercial and social scene. Come discover the capital’s latest!

Lebanon Registers Highest Commercial Electricity Tariffs in Arab World

This Is Beirut, 01/05 17:20 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Kuwait United Arab Emirates Morocco lebanon

Lebanon now ranks among the Arab countries with the highest commercial electricity tariffs, according to recent data from the Global Petrol Prices (GPP) website, underscoring the toll of the country’s prolonged energy crisis on its struggling business sector. With a commercial electricity rate of $0.247 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) in 2025, Lebanon ...

Jounieh: An Electoral Battle That Reshapes National Alliances

Élie-Joe Kamel, 01/05 12:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Free Patriotic Movement Lebanese Forces Hezbollah municipal elections Lebanon Jounieh

Jounieh’s upcoming municipal elections, scheduled for May 4, are shaping up to be a decisive political showdown. A broad coalition has formed to challenge the outgoing municipal council, which is closely aligned with the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM). The stakes are high in Jounieh, once hailed as the “pearl of the Mediterranean” and one of ...

President Aoun’s Official Visit to the UAE Yields Strong Bilateral Commitments and a Travel-Ban Lift

This is Beirut, 01/05 11:25 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

UAE Lebanon Joseph Aoun bilateral relations economic cooperation Diplomatic ties

Lebanese President General Joseph Aoun's official visit to the United Arab Emirates concluded positively on Thursday, marked by key bilateral agreements and a pledge of increased support from Abu Dhabi to Beirut. During his visit, President Aoun was received at the Al Shati Palace in Abu Dhabi by Emirati President Mohammad bin Zayed Al ...

Retired Military Personnel to Protest Over Government’s Inaction

This is Beirut, 01/05 11:10 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Retired military personnel Lebanon Council of Ministers Protest

Retired military personnel have announced a series of planned road closures and blockades for Friday, May 2, from 7:00 to 9:00 AM, to protest the government’s failure to address their social and salary-related demands. In a statement issued Thursday, the group described this protest as “the first wave of anger” and warned that it would be ...

From Bsharre to Al-Mina: Lebanese Women Break Political Ground in Municipal Elections

Nisrine Merheb, 01/05 10:30 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Women Lebanon municipal elections

Women's participation in Lebanese politics remains strikingly low, both in municipal and parliamentary elections. In the 2022 elections, only eight women were elected out of 115 candidates. Misogynistic rhetoric continues to plague women in politics, reflecting a persistent societal resistance to female leadership. During the 2016 municipal ...

It Goes on, Over and Over Again...

Marc Saikali, 01/05 08:30 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Hezbollah Israel Joseph Aoun Lebanon Disarmament

There was a time when the “army, people, resistance” triptych formula served as little more than a fig leaf, masking Hezbollah’s grip on Lebanon and its role as a proxy for Iran and its now shattered expansionist ambitions. This illusion has collapsed: the militia has lost the war. For years, Hezbollah claimed that its weapons were meant ...

Lebanon