Lebanon

Larijani and the Original Sin
Op-edLarijani and the Original Sin

Ali Larijani, Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, is among the closest officials to the Supreme Leader Khamenei and a successor to figures like Qassem Suleimani, who shaped Iran’s regional security and political influence. Larijani’s latest visit to Lebanon, coming after recent Lebanese government decisions and ...

Four-Stage Military Plan Begins in Awali River Area
Four-Stage Military Plan Begins in Awali River Area

Lebanon’s army is preparing a detailed security plan expected to unfold over four or more stages. The plan will likely be presented at the next government session scheduled for Tuesday, September 2, unless an urgent issue requires it to be moved to Thursday, September 4. The operation is expected to begin in the area around the Awali River and ...

Starlink in Lebanon: Hopes, Fears and the Battle for the Digital Sky
Behind the ScenesStarlink in Lebanon: Hopes, Fears and the Battle for the Digital Sky

On Wednesday, Telecommunications Minister Charles Hage removed from the Cabinet agenda a draft law aimed at regulating Starlink’s entry into Lebanon. Officially, the move allows for further study. Unofficially, the issue is already fueling political tensions and heated debate: Is it a threat to digital sovereignty or an opportunity to ...

The Court of First Instance in Mount Lebanon Allows the Lifting of Seizures on Bank Assets
SpotlightThe Court of First Instance in Mount Lebanon Allows the Lifting of Seizures on Bank Assets

The Court of First Instance in Mount Lebanon, through its Third Chamber handling real estate matters and composed of judges Yamen El-Hajjar (presiding), Elissia Abou Jaoudeh, and Fatima Bazzi, issued a key ruling in a case filed by Mrs. Sara Audi Attaya, represented by her attorney Riad Hallaj, challenging a decision by the Baabda Land Registry ...

Private Generators in Lebanon: The Toll of a Profitable, Highly Polluting Industry
SpotlightPrivate Generators in Lebanon: The Toll of a Profitable, Highly Polluting Industry

On Wednesday, the Lebanese government announced a crackdown on one of the most visible symbols of the country’s failed public electricity sector: private generators. During a ministerial meeting chaired by Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, operators were given a maximum of 45 days to comply with legal and environmental standards. After that ...

When Roads Become Death Traps
SocialWhen Roads Become Death Traps

During a visit to Beirut’s municipal police on Thursday, Interior Minister Ahmad Hajjar stressed that road safety is a collective responsibility of all relevant authorities—not just law enforcement—and urged stronger coordination to improve traffic in the capital and across Lebanon. Just days earlier, on August 6, the National Road Safety ...

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

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
Beirut Officials Unite to Tackle Port Truck Traffic Crisis

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 ...

Water Shortages Plague Beirut as Low Rainfall Compounds Woes
HighlightWater Shortages Plague Beirut as Low Rainfall Compounds Woes

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
Families of Tleil Explosion Victims Hold Sit-In Demanding Justice

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
LAF Arrest Suspect in Pascal Suleiman Kidnapping Case

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, ...