The Fall of the Captagon Empire: Assad’s Regime and the Drug Trade

The Assad regime has fallen, leaving behind the largest Captagon empire in the world. For years, the regime relied on the multibillion-dollar Captagon market to finance its war efforts, support allied militias like Hezbollah and circumvent international sanctions. Recent seizures of Captagon factories and pills in former regime strongholds ...

Rebels Capture Hama Days After Seizing Aleppo

Rebel forces, led by Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, captured Hama on Thursday, overrunning government troops and taking key sites, including the central prison. This follows the opposition’s capture of most of Aleppo last Saturday, the first major assault on the city since 2016.

Forbes ME's 30 Under 30: The Minds Behind Tick'It

Three young visionaries – Cedric, Marc and Ralph – are reshaping Lebanon's event industry. As the driving force behind Tick’it, they are featured in Forbes 30 Under 30, demonstrating that innovation can thrive even in the toughest times.

Gasping for Air: Respiratory Issues Soar Amid Relentless Beirut Raids

Since September, Israeli raids have targeted Lebanese territory almost daily, leaving behind a dense cloud of smoke for people to inhale. Combined with existing pollution from Lebanon’s overreliance on generators, the smoke is slowly endangering the health of the Lebanese population. Breathless in Beirut Manal lives in Ain El Remmaneh, a ...

War Diary: Day 393

- This is Beirut brings you a daily recap of the war and its repercussions on the region. Here are the main highlights for November 2, 2024.

Naim Qassem in Nasrallah's Shoes

Hezbollah announced in a press release on Tuesday that it had elected Naim Qassem to head the pro-Iranian group. Qassem succeeds Hassan Nasrallah, killed on September 27 by an Israeli strikeon Beirut's southern suburbs. Just after Nasrallah’s death was confirmed, the group announced that the Deputy Secretary General Naim Qassem would ...

War Diary: Day 385

This is Beirut brings you a daily recap of the war and its repercussions on the region. Here are the main highlights for October 25, 2024.

War Diary: Day 380

This is Beirut brings you a daily recap of the war and its repercussions on the region. Here are the main highlights for October 20, 2024.  

War Diary: Day 379

This is Beirut brings you a daily recap of the war and its repercussions on the region. Here are the main highlights for October 19, 2024.

War Diary: Day 375

This is Beirut brings you a daily recap of the war and its repercussions on the region. Here are the main highlights for October 15, 2024.

War Diary: Day 370

This is Beirut brings you a daily recap of the war and its repercussions on the region. Here are the main highlights for October 10, 2024.

War Diary: Day 367

#ThisIsBeirut brings you a daily recap of the war and its repercussions on the region. Here are the main highlights for October 7, 2024.

Surge in Passengers: How MEA Is Navigating Lebanon’s Crisis

To leave or to stay? A question long entrenched in the minds of the common Lebanese folk. After a deadly spate of Israeli strikes last week, that targeted multiple Lebanese regions, resulting in over 500 deaths, thousands injured, and tens of thousands displaced, the answer for many has become clear: leave Lebanon while you still can, if you ...

Who Is Behind the New Phase of SMS Warfare in Lebanon and Israel?

  If you’re a citizen of southern Lebanon, you may have received a chilling message from an unknown number: “It has become clear to us that you are a big supporter of Hassan Nasrallah, so you will be rewarded by meeting him in hell.” These are not harmless pranks. Although it is not clear who is behind these messages, signs point to ...

Lebanon’s Demographic Crisis: Omen of an Aging Population

  Lebanon’s ongoing economic crisis and the growing threat of war have resulted in a new phenomenon: fewer children in Lebanese households. Health professionals in particular have observed this trend firsthand. “Five years ago, I used to deliver 100 babies a year; now I deliver only 30,” Dr. Miled Rizk, a gynecologist at the Middle ...

War Diary: Day 346

From Gaza to Lebanon, This is Beirut brings you a daily recap of the war between Hamas and Israel and its repercussions on the region. Here are the main highlights for September 16, 2024.

War Diary: Day 332

From Gaza to Lebanon, This is Beirut brings you a daily recap of the war between Hamas and Israel and its repercussions on the region. Here are the main highlights for September 2, 2024.