How Would Hezbollah Respond to U.S.-Iran Escalation?
Claudia Groeling 27/01 22:40 - Reading : 6 minute(s)
Hezbollah Donald Trump Lebanon Israel Middle East
On Tuesday, Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem said in an address that the pro-Iranian militant group would not remain neutral in the event of any aggression against Iran, stressing that Hezbollah is prepared to defend itself and would determine the timing and nature of any response. Hezbollah “will not remain silent about ...
Hezbollah Allegedly Strengthens Hold on Beirut Port Amid Disarmament Doubts
Michael al-Andary 2025-12-22 13:25 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
Beirut Port Hezbollah Nawaf Salam Beirut International Airport Lebanese Army Israel United States
Despite the Lebanese cabinet’s move to impose a firm deadline for the disarmament of militias, developments on the ground point to a “lack of seriousness” in enforcing the decision against Hezbollah, a security source told This is Beirut on condition of anonymity, questioning whether the government’s commitment is backed by concrete ...
Leo XIV in Lebanon: A Rich and Symbolic Program
Michael al-Andary 2025-11-30 11:00 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
Lebanon welcomes Pope Leo XIV for his first apostolic visit since his election. Described by the Vatican as “a message of peace and resilience,” this visit comes at a time when the country continues to face severe economic, political, and social challenges. Over the course of three days, November 30 to December 2, the program ...
From Hermitage to Prayer: Annaya, a Path of Spirituality
Michael al-Andary 2025-11-24 14:00 - Reading : less than a minute
Annaya Lebanon Saint Charbel Hermitage
Nestled in the mountains of Annaya, the monastery and hermitage of Saint Charbel draw thousands of pilgrims every year. Born in 1828, Saint Charbel lived a life of prayer and solitude, leaving behind a legacy of faith and miracles. Today, Annaya remains a sanctuary of hope, where visitors and the faithful come seeking peace, healing, and spiritual ...
Harissa: Where Lebanon’s Spirit Comes Into View
Michael al-Andary 2025-11-23 11:00 - Reading : less than a minute
Harissa Lebanon Sanctuary Lady
Perched 650 meters above the Bay of Jounieh, Harissa stands as one of Lebanon’s most iconic landmarks. For over a century, the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lebanon has welcomed pilgrims and visitors of all faiths, drawn by its towering statue and breathtaking panoramic view. Blending spirituality, history, and national identity, Harissa remains a ...
Lebanon Shaken by 5.2-Magnitude Earthquake Originating from Cyprus
Michael al-Andary 2025-11-12 13:50 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
Lebanon Turkey Cyprus earthquake
As if Lebanon hadn’t endured enough “quakes,” residents of Beirut and Tripoli felt another tremor on Wednesday — a 5.2-magnitude earthquake centered near Cyprus, the National Center for Geophysical Research (NCGR) in Bhannes confirmed. The tremor, which struck the Mediterranean Sea, briefly terrified residents along Lebanon’s coast, ...
A War Still Without End: Why Russia and Ukraine Remain Locked in Conflict
Michael al-Andary 2025-11-04 12:35 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky Donald Trump Vladimir Putin Russia NATO
On February 24, 2022, Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, marking the most significant military conflict in Europe since World War II. The decision was rooted in a blend of political, strategic, and ideological motives that had been building for years. At the core of Moscow’s reasoning was the determination to prevent Ukraine, a ...
NYC Voters Decide Between Experience and Idealism
Michael al-Andary 2025-11-03 13:25 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
New York Donald Trump Republicans United States
New Yorkers head to the polls Tuesday in a mayoral contest that has become one of the city’s most unpredictable in decades. Voters are weighing three very different candidates: a youthful leftist with national attention, a scandal-tainted former governor, and a Republican outsider. The outcome will determine leadership for a metropolis of 8.5 ...
From Protection to Precaution: Reassessing Pandemic-Era Chemicals
Michael al-Andary 2025-10-22 10:55 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
European Union USA corona cancer Covid-19 Ethanol ECHA WHO BPR
Some of the chemicals widely used for protection during the 2020 – 2021 coronavirus pandemic are now raising concerns among scientists, with new research suggesting they may have posed unexpected health risks. According to a recent report published by the Financial Times on Tuesday, the European Union (EU) is considering classifying ...
From Sport to Crime: Lebanon’s Hunting Freeze
Michael al-Andary 2025-10-06 15:25 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
Lebanon Hunting Litani Elie Mazraani Lebanese Hunting Club
Hunting, long regarded worldwide as the “sport of kings,” has become an illegal pastime in Lebanon following recent government decisions aimed at protecting wildlife. On September 22, 2025, the Ministries of Environment, Agriculture and Interior and Municipalities issued a joint circular banning all wild bird hunting nationwide, citing the ...
Lebanon Eyes Long-Awaited Judicial Appointments
Michael al-Andary 2025-04-01 14:50 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
Lebanon Adel Nassar Judicial appointments The Supreme Judicial Council
After finalizing security appointments and selecting a new central bank governor, the Lebanese Cabinet’s attention has now turned to complete long-overdue judicial appointments, pending since 2020. Minister of Justice Adel Nassar emphasized that the judiciary is “entering a new phase,” and confirmed in a recent interview that ...
Lebanon Blanketed by Snow Storm ‘Acil’
Michael al-Andary 2025-02-06 14:45 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
Lebanon is grappling with severe winter conditions as storm ‘Acil’ sweeps through the country, bringing heavy snowfall, torrential rains, and freezing temperatures. Snowfall began in the early hours of Thursday at altitudes as low as 900 meters, covering several mountainous regions with a light layer, while intense rainfall in the Bekaa ...
TikTok Faces Possible Ban in the US After January 19
Michael al-Andary 2025-01-14 13:10 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
USA Tik Tok Donald Trump US Congress
A regulation that might ban TikTok in the United States unless it finds an American buyer by January 19 has been upheld by a federal court. The ruling requires TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, to either sell its US business or shut down in the country. Therefore, the well-known application which is currently used by 170 million Americans, ...
Detained ‘Islamists:’ Towards a Solution or a New Problem?
Michael al-Andary 2024-12-17 14:50 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
“Islamist” detainees in Lebanon who were arrested following the “Arab Spring” movement in 2011 represent a dormant case that is being readdressed today after the collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s rule on December 8, 2024. Mediator and head of a sectarian conflict resolution group Lea Baroudi raised the concern, revealing that “there are ...
Rojava, Syria's Kurdish Enclave Under US Shield
Michael al-Andary 2024-12-10 12:55 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
Nawaf Salam Turkey UN Security Council Kurds Syria
People of Kurdish descent make up the majority of the population of northeastern Syria. The Kurdish enclave, often called Rojava, is home to an estimated 2 million Kurds, making it the country’s largest ethnic minority. Rojava encompasses three cantons: Kobane in the middle, Cizre to the east and Afrin in the west. In the past, the three ...
Hezbollah Shifts from Military Tactics, Targeting Media, Opinion Leaders
Michael al-Andary 2024-12-09 15:50 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
Nawaf Salam Damascus Hezbollah Lebanese Forces Palestine USA
Hezbollah appears to be pivoting its strategy from direct military confrontation with Israel to targeting journalists and opinion leaders in Lebanon. This shift was highlighted recently by the assault on journalist Daoud Rammal, who was attacked by suspected Hezbollah members while visiting his parent's grave in Doueir, located in the ...
2024: The Era of Sorrow in Martyrs’ Square
Michael al-Andary 2024-11-06 11:05 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
Beneath the ruins of a Christmas tree dating back to the days of feasts and prosperity in Lebanon resides a displaced family in Martyrs’ Square, Downtown Beirut. “God bless the Christian hands that put this tree here,” shouts an old man, most likely a member of the family living under the “iron bars.” “If this tree were not here, we ...