This is Beirut - Lebanon

Lebanese Officials Condemn Israeli Strikes on Damascus

This is Beirut, 16/07 18:20 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Sweida Syria Walid Jumblatt Israel Joseph Aoun Lebanon

Israeli strikes on Damascus and escalating sectarian violence in Sweida on Wednesday drew sharp reactions from top Lebanese officials, who voiced strong condemnation and urged de-escalation. President Joseph Aoun condemned Israel’s strikes as "a flagrant violation of the sovereignty of a sister Arab state" and warned that continued aggression ...

Asia Cup – Basketball: Lebanon Falls with Honor Against the Philippines

Makram Haddad, 16/07 17:00 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Lebanon Basketball Asia Cup China

They believed until the very end. In Shenzhen on Wednesday, the Lebanese women’s basketball team gave its all against the Philippines, falling just short (73-70) in a nail-biting contest that wrapped up Group B play at the FIBA Women’s Asia Cup 2025. A painful defeat, as the upset came down to a single free throw or rebound. And yet, despite ...

The Endless Countdown: Lebanon’s Ceasefire Deadlock and the Impossible Disarmament

Natasha Metni Torbey, 16/07 15:55 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Ceasefire Lebanese Army Benjamin Netanyahu Hezbollah Lebanon Israel

Sixty days—no more! That was the confident, oft-repeated promise declared at the signing of the ceasefire agreement between Lebanon and Israel in November 2024. This now-mythic deadline was then heralded as the decisive countdown to peace in Lebanon. What followed? Everything but peace: extensions, postponements, shifting timelines and a ...

Parliament Renews Confidence in Salam's Government After Heated Debate

This is Beirut, 16/07 14:05 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Lebanese Army Nawaf Salam lebanon parliament government confidence

Parliament renewed confidence in Prime Minister Nawaf Salam’s government on Wednesday, as it concluded a two-day session dedicated to the general policy debate. The vote of confidence was called for by MP and leader of the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) Gebran Bassil. The majority of the 82 MPs present at the closing session, notably 69 ...

Lebanon Launches National Conference on Legal Cannabis Cultivation

This is Beirut, 16/07 10:55 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam lebanon Nizar Hani Cannabis

The Grand Serail hosted a national conference on Wednesday titled “Cannabis Cultivation: Between Reality and Aspiration,” marking a key milestone in the path toward legalizing and regulating the cultivation of cannabis for medical and industrial use. The event, sponsored by Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, brought together key ministers, lawmakers ...

CGTL Suspends Strike After Meeting President Aoun

This is Beirut, 16/07 10:55 - Reading : less than a minute

Joseph Aoun CTGL lebanon

The General Confederation of Labor (CGTL) announced on Wednesday that it is suspending its nationwide strike following a meeting with President Joseph Aoun. Speaking after the talks, CGTL head Bechara al-Asmar said the decision came after the president pledged to place the union’s demands on the agenda of Thursday’s Cabinet session in ...

Lebanese Hockey Comes to Life... from Montreal

Makram Haddad, 16/07 10:15 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Lebanon Canada Hockey

They have no standard-sized ice rink, nor a local championship. But on the ice in Canada, Lebanese hockey players are proving that passion can melt borders. And perhaps even draw new ones. With their elbows up, their blades sharpened and the cedar tree embroidered on their chests, they skate for much more than a score. In Montreal, Lebanese ...

Cosmetic Counterfeits: Lebanon Grapples with the Surge of Fake Beauty Products (2/3)

Bélinda Ibrahim, 15/07 21:16 - Reading : 6 minute(s)

Lebanon Cosmetic Counterfeits Beauty Products Skin Care Health

On Instagram, just a few clicks on reseller accounts or sponsored stories plunge you into a sleek, alluring world where top brands — Lancôme, Estée Lauder, Guerlain, Dior, La Roche-Posay — are sold at slashed prices. Descriptions sound convincing: “imported from the US,” “end-of-line stock before ...

Parliament Debates Security, Sovereignty and State Reforms

This is Beirut, 15/07 20:40 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Hezbollah United Nations lebanon Nabih Berri Samy Gemayel

Parliament reconvened on Tuesday afternoon to resume discussions on the government’s general policy agenda, following a break announced by Speaker Nabih Berri earlier in the day. The morning session had opened at 11 AM in the presence of Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, cabinet ministers and MPs. Although the session was largely calm and orderly, a ...

How Effective Is UNIFIL?

Mario Chartouni, 15/07 16:40 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Hezbollah Israel UN Security Council UNIFIL Lebanon

With its mandate set to expire on August 31, 2025, the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) is once again facing scrutiny over its effectiveness in fulfilling its mission. Enlarged under UN Security Council Resolution 1701 in 2006 to prevent the presence of armed groups south of the Litani River, UNIFIL has struggled to enforce its ...

Cannabis in Lebanon: Danger on Every Level or Real Opportunity?

Makram Haddad, 15/07 10:30 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Baalbeck Lebanon Cannabis

In the medical world, cannabis is no longer a taboo. Its derivatives, such as CBD or THC, are used in several countries to relieve chronic pain. A Plant with Proven Medical Virtues Medical cannabis is prescribed in many countries to relieve chronic pain resistant to standard treatments, notably in patients with cancer, HIV or neurological ...

Hezbollah Is a State within the State, Not Only “Heavy and Medium” Weapons

Hussain Abdul-Hussain, 15/07 10:20 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Lebanon Hezbollah Syria Iraq Israel United States

In policy, simplicity is valuable; naiveté is catastrophic. Lebanon has by now diluted UNSCR 1701 from dismantling Hezbollah’s militia, arms production, and illicit funding to merely surrendering “heavy and medium” weapons, or as U.S. Envoy Tom Barrack frames it: Hezbollah must hand over weapons that threaten Israel. Such oversimplification ...

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