Lebanon

Jaber: $150 Million Loan to Modernize Lebanon’s Administration

Finance Minister Yassine Jaber announced on Tuesday that Lebanon is in advanced talks with the World Bank for a $150 million loan aimed at modernizing the country’s public administration. The loan would fund a comprehensive digital transformation across ministries and state institutions, improving service delivery, increasing transparency and ...

Lebanon Activates Civil Aviation Authority 22 Years After Law Passed

More than two decades after the legal framework was put in place, Lebanon is finally taking steps to activate its General Directorate of Civil Aviation. Public Works and Transport Minister Fayez Rasamny has officially reopened the candidacy process for key leadership positions within the authority, 22 years after the passage of Law No. 481, which ...

UAE Delegation in Beirut to Boost Economic and Strategic Cooperation

Economic cooperation between Lebanon and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) advanced on Tuesday with the arrival of a high-level Emirati delegation in Beirut, building on the momentum of President Joseph Aoun’s recent meeting with UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Abu Dhabi. The delegation, led by Abdullah Nasser Lootah, ...

Between the Bill and the Blackboard: Lebanon’s Tuition Dilemma

Growing concern surrounds the possibility of tuition fee hikes in private schools across Lebanon, prompting questions from parents and the wider public. Many schools have yet to provide clear answers, leaving families unsure of what to expect in the upcoming academic year. When contacted, several schools stated that they are still uncertain about ...

Zeidan Elected Head of Beirut Municipality

Ibrahim Zeidan was elected on Tuesday as the new head of the Beirut Municipality, in a session attended by Beirut Governor Judge Marwan Abboud and members of the newly elected municipal council. Ragheb Haddad was elected vice-president. Following his election, Zeidan pledged to prioritize citizen services and address long-standing deficiencies. ...

Bidding War: Municipal Unions Up for Grabs

When Michel Aoun returned from French exile in 2005, he arrived with sweeping slogans and the confidence of a man fully in control of his political momentum. This tone gradually diminished once he became the head of state. At the time, he championed stronger Christian representation and pushed the boundaries of the powers allotted to him under ...

At Dubai Media Summit, Nawaf Salam Outlines Vision for Reform, Sovereignty, and Technological Innovation

During a visit to the United Arab Emirates to attend the 2025 Arab Media Summit in Dubai, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam reaffirmed the core principles shaping the government’s political agenda. At the heart of his message were state sovereignty, institutional reform, and a determined embrace of emerging technologies. In a notable ...

Time to Resettle Palestinians Outside Lebanon

Lebanon has announced a plan to disarm Palestinian refugee camps, a step in the right direction. But disarmament is not enough. Lebanon needs a hard divorce from the Palestinians and their cause and should ask the UN to resettle 174,000 Palestinians, classified as refugees, in a third country. The founding literature of the UN Relief and Works ...

June 15 Set for First Phase of Palestinian Weapons Handover

The first phase of the Palestinian weapons handover in the camps is set to begin on June 15. According to Palestinian sources, the Palestinian Authority (PA) has set both the date and the camps included in this initial phase: Mar Elias, Shatila, and Burj al-Barajneh in Beirut. The PA has also scheduled a second phase for July 1, covering the Jalil ...

President Aoun Meets Raad Amid Arms Handover Tensions

President Joseph Aoun received MP Mohammad Raad, the head of the Loyalty to the Resistance Bloc, at the Presidential Palace in Baabda on Monday, as Lebanon moves forward with its plan to disarm Palestinian camps by mid-June. The issue of weapons and the restoration of full Lebanese sovereignty was at the heart of their meeting, which lasted ...

Salam Vows to Assert State Authority Over Arms

Prime Minister Nawaf Salam declared on Monday that Lebanon will no longer tolerate the presence of weapons outside the state’s control, marking a firm stance on national sovereignty and the rule of law. “We will not remain silent about the existence of any arms outside the authority of the state,” Salam said in an exclusive interview with ...

Israel Reconfigures Northern Border Defenses

Six months after the November 2024 ceasefire with Lebanon, Israel is adjusting its military deployment along the northern frontier, signaling a shift toward a more routine defensive posture. According to Israeli military radio, the Israeli Army Northern Command has reassigned control of the Lebanese border to the 91st Division, also known as the ...