Lebanon

SpotlightUrban Furnaces or Cool Oases: The Choice Lies Inside Our Walls

Bélinda Ibrahim 14/08 19:00 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Heatwave Cities Buildings Greening Cooling

Heat is no longer just a summer inconvenience. With extreme heatwaves becoming more frequent, it is now a risk factor for health, the economy and quality of life. In a country like Lebanon, where urbanization has surged without climate adaptation planning, heatwaves often become an ordeal. Many buildings are made of heat-retaining materials, ...

Beirut Officials Unite to Tackle Port Truck Traffic Crisis

This is Beirut 14/08 18:40 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Beirut Port Trucks Congestion Lebanon Traffic

Beirut’s port and traffic authorities are joining forces to untangle the gridlock choking the city’s streets. On Thursday, a joint meeting at the Port of Beirut, called by Minister of Public Works and Transport Fayez Rasamny and Minister of Interior and Municipalities Ahmad al-Hajjar, brought together top officials, port managers, customs ...

HighlightWater Shortages Plague Beirut as Low Rainfall Compounds Woes

This is Beirut 14/08 18:20 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Lebanon Water Climate Shortage

People are buying water by the truckload in Beirut as the state supply faces its worst shortages in years, with the leaky public sector struggling after record-low rainfall and local wells running dry. "State water used to come every other day, now it's every three days," said Rima al-Sabaa, 50, rinsing dishes carefully in Burj al-Baranjeh, in ...

Families of Tleil Explosion Victims Hold Sit-In Demanding Justice

This is Beirut 14/08 16:50 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Tleil Explosion Akkar Justice Lebanon

On the fourth anniversary of the Tleil fuel tank explosion in Akkar, families of the victims gathered on Thursday in front of the Beirut Palace of Justice, demanding an expedited trial and accountability for those responsible. Carrying photographs of their loved ones, the protesters called for justice, a full investigation, and punishment of the ...

LAF Arrest Suspect in Pascal Suleiman Kidnapping Case

This is Beirut 14/08 15:55 - Reading : less than a minute

Lebanese Army Lebanese Forces lebanon Pascal Sleiman Syria

The Lebanese Army (LAF) Intelligence Directorate arrested B.J., a suspect implicated in the 2024 kidnapping and killing of Pascal Sleiman. In a press release issued Thursday, LAF described the operation as “precision-targeted,” noting that B.J. was among the most wanted individuals, with dozens of arrest warrants for kidnapping, theft, ...

Forest Fire Ravages Al-Bira Amid Heatwave

This is Beirut 14/08 15:10 - Reading : less than a minute

Civil Defense lebanon Akkar fires

A large fire on Thursday swept through the forests of al-Bira in the northern Akkar Governorate, destroying vast areas of olive groves. Local authorities and firefighting teams worked to contain the blaze, which caused significant environmental and agricultural damage. The incident occurred amid an extreme heatwave gripping Lebanon, expected to ...

Aoun: Lebanon’s Main Problem Is Corruption, Not Bankruptcy

This is Beirut 14/08 14:35 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Joseph Aoun lebanon Abu Dhabi economy business

President Joseph Aoun on Thursday emphasized that Lebanon’s primary challenge is corruption, “because there has been no accountability.” Speaking at a meeting with a delegation from the Lebanese Business Council in Abu Dhabi, Aoun noted that “today, there is a judiciary, cases are being opened, and there are no prohibitions or red lines ...

Inmate Death Sparks Unrest at Roumieh Prison

This is Beirut 14/08 14:25 - Reading : less than a minute

Internal Security Forces lebanon Roumieh Prison Islamists

Tensions flared at Roumieh Prison on Thursday after the death of Syrian inmate Osama Al-Jaour, known as “Abu Hussein,” who reportedly suffered a fatal heart attack in the wing housing Islamist detainees. Videos circulating on social media showed prisoners chanting loudly and rattling cell doors in a display of anger over the incident. In May ...

EDL: Years of Neglect Behind Lebanon’s Power Cuts

This is Beirut 14/08 12:40 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Beirut Port EDL lebanon Beirut

In a statement released Thursday, Electricité du Liban (EDL) said Lebanon’s electricity network continues to struggle after years of neglect and chronic underinvestment, with key infrastructure destroyed in the 2020 Beirut Port explosion still unreplaced. EDL identified three main causes for the recurring power cuts: production capacity at ...

Op-edIran’s Shadow in Beirut: Larijani’s Visit and Lebanon’s Tightrope Walk

Salam El Zaatari 14/08 11:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Lebanon Iran Hezbollah Joseph Aoun

On August 13, 2025, Beirut became the stage for one of the most charged diplomatic performances in years. Ali Larijani, Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, arrived at Rafic Hariri International Airport to a reception that looked less like a state visit and more like a triumphant homecoming. Thousands of Hezbollah supporters ...

EditorialI Could Have Told You… But You Already Know

Marc Saikali 14/08 08:30 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Hezbollah Tehran UN Security Council

When putting together an editorial, you spend a lot of time mulling things over before settling on what we in the business call an “angle.” But sometimes, there are so many angles, overlapping in every direction, that you end up going in… circles (I know, not the most mathematically precise image). I could have told you about Ahmad ...

HighlightLebanon’s Waste Crisis: A Never-Ending Saga

Mario Chartouni 13/08 21:10 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Waste management Crisis Municipality Environment

The Parliamentary Environment Committee met on Wednesday under the chairmanship of MP Ghayath Yazbeck, joined by Minister of Environment Tamara el-Zein and Minister of Finance Yassine Jaber. Lawmakers discussed amending Article 28 of Law No. 80/2018 to allow municipalities to charge for waste treatment at actual cost in the currency currently in ...