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The Tom & Jerry of Politics: When Enemies Become Friends

Have you ever watched that episode of Tom & Jerry when Jerry befriended Tom to plot against their common enemy, the bulldog Spike? This phenomenon, which is much more common than people think, has been around for centuries across various fields, particularly politics. Among the most unusual and controversial friendships out there, we find the ...

Royal Honors and Fault Lines: Donald Trump’s Highly Anticipated Visit to London

This Tuesday, London is preparing to welcome Donald Trump for his second state visit; an unprecedented honor for a US president and, more broadly, for a non-royal head of state. By accepting a fresh invitation from the Crown, a privilege exceedingly rare in the history of international relations, the American president is receiving what he likely ...

Why Qatar and Turkey Are Seen as 'Next in Line' for Conflict with Israel

The Israeli airstrike on September 9, 2025, against Hamas leaders in Doha shocked the Middle East, not only for its audacity but also for its symbolism: Israel was willing to strike inside the territory of a US ally, Qatar, long considered a safe haven for Hamas’ political leadership. The strike has since fueled speculation that Qatar, and by ...

Struggling Back to School in Southern Lebanon’s Border Villages

In a world where going to school is a basic right, stepping into a classroom in southern Lebanon requires courage. The 2025–2026 school year is far from being ordinary. In the border villages of Taybeh, Mays al-Jabal, Rmeish, Khiam and Bint Jbeil, returning to classes feels like navigating through the remnants of recent conflict. Each lesson ...

Al-Sharaa’s High-Stakes Test in New York: Iran Wagers on His Downfall

Even as Prime Minister Nawaf Salam’s government implements the army’s plan to enforce the decision that all weapons be held exclusively by the state—monitoring progress monthly—and follows up on Syrian detainees in Lebanese prisons as well as displaced Syrians in preparation for their return, concern over border demarcation remains strong ...

Council of Ministers: A Moment of Truth on Disarmament

The Council of Ministers will meet today to examine the Lebanese Army’s plan for militia disarmament. Despite the uncertainty, three points are clear before the session: the meeting will take place, ministers from the Shia duo will attend, and the army’s plan will be formally submitted to the government. However, serious doubts remain that ...

Lebanon’s Marian Consecration in a Fractured World

At the end of August, in a Lebanon beset by crisis, Maronite Patriarch Cardinal Bechara Rai stood once more before the altar to renew the nation’s consecration to the Heart of Mary. First Lady Nehmat Aoun joined the faithful in this solemn act, a gesture first made in 2012 during Pope Benedict XVI’s Synod on the Middle East, and again in 2017 ...

The Unconscious in the Digital Age: What Freud and Lacan Would Have Seen on Our Screens

Freud repeatedly insisted that the unconscious cannot be grasped directly; it reveals itself instead through slips of the tongue, dreams, fantasies, and symptoms. Today, the web provides a stage where these formations of the unconscious assume new forms. Each Google search, each video watched on repeat, each story posted—or deleted—becomes the ...

PSG Fear Impact of Injuries as They Put Champions League Title on The Line

There is the sense that the new season gets up and running for real this week for Paris Saint-Germain as they begin their defense of the Champions League title amid doubts as to how much longer their squad can handle being pushed to the limit by a crowded calendar. PSG host Atalanta on Wednesday for their first game in Europe, three and a half ...

Expired Medications: Lebanon Sitting on a Health and Environmental Time Bomb

"An expired medication can be just as dangerous as a counterfeit one," says Joe Salloum. A shocking statement, almost a cry of alarm, meant to shake the authorities and shine a spotlight on a long-neglected problem. Yet behind this deliberately dramatic tone, scientific reality calls for more nuance: an expired medication is not always toxic, but ...

Mental Load: The Silent Symptom of Feminine Desire

In contemporary discourse, “mental load” refers to the invisible burden carried largely by women. It is the ongoing effort of planning, monitoring, remembering and worrying on behalf of others. Many describe it as a weight that never leaves the mind. From a psychoanalytic perspective, this phenomenon goes beyond domestic imbalance. Mental ...

Israel sets Gaza 'on Fire' as Rubio Warns Days Left for Deal

Israel unleashed a massive new bombing campaign on Gaza City on Tuesday after visiting US Secretary of State Marco Rubio backed the ally's goal of eradicating Hamas and warned that only days may be left for a diplomatic solution. Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said early Tuesday that Gaza City, the territory's main urban hub, was ...

Qatar PM Says Reserves the Right to Respond to Israeli Attack

Qatar’s Prime Minister said Tuesday that the country reserves the right to respond to the Israeli attack on its territory, calling it a “turning point” for the Middle East. “Qatar reserves the right to retaliate against this blatant attack,” Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said. “We believe today marks a pivotal moment. There ...

Le Drian in Beirut: Priority Given to Supporting the Lebanese Army

French President Emmanuel Macron’s special envoy for Lebanon, Jean-Yves Le Drian, visited Beirut to discuss international coordination, particularly between Paris, Washington and Riyadh, as well as preparations for two major conferences on Lebanon. Support for the Lebanese Army was one of the central issues on the agenda. “This visit ...

Rubio Promises 'Unwavering Support' for Israel in Gaza Goals

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Monday that Washington was steadfast in its support for its ally Israel's pursuit of the Gaza war and called for the eradication of Hamas. "The people of Gaza deserve a better future, but that better future cannot begin until Hamas is eliminated," Rubio told reporters at a joint press ...

Israel Launches Ground Assault on Gaza City

Israel launched its long-anticipated ground assault on Gaza City at dawn Tuesday, a day after winning backing from its top ally, the United States, despite mounting international alarm. A United Nations probe charged Israel with committing "genocide" in the Palestinian territory and accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other senior ...

Disarming Hezbollah: The Easy Way vs. The Hard Way

The Lebanese government has yet to fully grasp the seismic shift in Israel’s defense doctrine from containment to preemption. Hezbollah, even if armed with rudimentary weapons like slingshots, will not be tolerated. Beirut must disarm and disband the Iran-backed militia immediately and will be given one final chance to do so. This is the Easy ...

White House Vows To Take on Left-Wing ‘Terror’ Movement After Kirk Killing

Senior White House official Stephen Miller vowed Monday that the Trump administration would dismantle an alleged "vast domestic terror movement" that he linked to the killing of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk. Miller, the White House deputy chief of staff, made the comments on Kirk's podcast, which Vice President JD Vance hosted ...

China 'Unstoppable', says Xi with Kim, Putin at his Side

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russia's Vladimir Putin flanked Xi Jinping at a massive parade in Beijing on Wednesday, capping a week of diplomatic grandstanding by the Chinese president and his allies against the West. In unprecedented scenes, Xi shook both their hands and chatted with the pair as they walked down a red carpet by Tiananmen ...

Kremlin Says Ukraine Peace Talks on Pause as Zelensky Warns of Putin’s Aims

Moscow said Friday that peace talks with Kyiv were on "pause" as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned that his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin still had plans to try to capture the whole of Ukraine. US President Donald Trump warned meanwhile that he was fast running out of patience with Putin, who has shown no intention of ...

BDL, Lebanon’s Anchor of Trust on the Path to Recovery

In a country where figures are often subject to interpretation and fiscal data remains scarce or unreliable, Lebanon’s Central Bank (BDL) seeks to reaffirm its role as a reference point for institutional investors and international markets. It also aims to provide citizens with clear benchmarks to better understand the rationale and direction ...

Will Lebanon Disarm Hezbollah, or Not?

The Lebanese cabinet heard, on Friday, a presentation from Army Chief Rodolphe Haykal on a confidential plan to monopolize arms, as tasked by the government on August 5. The cabinet then issued a statement, and Information Minister Paul Morcos held a press conference. The vague responses left observers divided, with each side interpreting the ...

Carlo Acutis and Pier Giorgio Frassati Canonized: Watchers of the Same Dawn

Two young men, Carlo Acutis (1991–2006) and Pier Giorgio Frassati (1901–1925), are to be canonized together in Rome on Sunday, September 7, 2025. Both owe their “elevation to the glory of the altars” to two remarkable miracles officially recognized by the Church, too detailed to recount here. Carlo Acutis and Pier Giorgio Frassati were ...

"The Dead Dance": Gaga and Burton Spotlight Mexico’s Haunted Doll Island

On the Island of the Dolls in Mexico City, hundreds of plastic toys wearing little more than rags hang from trees, their glass eyes staring down at visitors. The macabre site may spook many, but it intrigued gothic film director Tim Burton and pop superstar Lady Gaga, who used the island as the backdrop for the music video they shot together, The ...

UNGA 2025 and the Middle East

This month brings world leaders together to mark the annual opening of the United Nations General Assembly.  Their formal speeches in front of the assembly vary in interest, as many contain more pious platitudes than meaty information. The real work of interest often happens behind-the-scenes, as world leaders meet bilaterally or in small groups ...

Rubio Visits Israel in Aftermath of Qatar Strike

Top US diplomat Marco Rubio prayed at Jerusalem's Western Wall Sunday as he opened his visit to Israel, reaffirming the Trump administration's steadfast support in its war with Hamas despite backlash over a strike in Qatar. The trip is taking place after President Donald Trump rebuked Israel over the unprecedented attack against Hamas ...

Russia rejects Western security guarantees for Ukraine after coalition pledges force

Russia rejected the notion of Western security guarantees for Ukraine on Friday, after more than two dozen countries pledged to join a "reassurance" force to deploy in the war torn country after any eventual peace deal with Moscow. On Friday morning, Putin said any Western troops in Ukraine would be target for Russian army. A force to deter ...

Robert Redford, Legendary Actor, Director, and Activist, Dies at 89

Robert Redford, the legendary actor-turned-director, founder of the Sundance Film Festival, and lifelong environmental activist, died Tuesday at his home in Utah. He was 89. Redford wasn’t just a Hollywood heartthrob; he was a visionary who reshaped American film, amplified independent voices, and fiercely advocated for the planet. His career ...

Liverpool Sign Isak in British Record Deal as Transfer Window Shuts

Liverpool signed striker Alexander Isak for a British record fee of £125 million ($169 million) from Newcastle as the Premier League transfer window closed with a flurry of blockbuster moves on Monday. Isak agreed to a reported six-year contract with the English champions after they finally convinced Newcastle to accept an improved bid. "Me ...