This is Beirut

Stormy Start to the 13th Session to Elect a President

This is Beirut, 09/01 11:15 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Saudi Arabia USA parliament presidential electio Joseph Aoun

The thirteenth session for the election of a President of the Republic opened with a dispute between those who contest the election of the Commander-in-Chief of the Army, General Joseph Aoun, who enjoys a large parliamentary majority, and those who want Lebanon to finally have a President. MP Melhem Khalaf, an ally of the Speaker of the House, ...

Shifting Alliances: The Evolution of US Foreign Policy in Lebanon and the Road Ahead

Salam El Zaatari, 09/01 10:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Lebanon Presidency Hezbollah USA

The United States’ involvement in Lebanese politics has intensified, particularly in efforts to counteract Hezbollah's influence. Recent events suggest that the US is attempting to influence Lebanon's presidential election, backing candidates like General Joseph Aoun to potentially weaken Hezbollah's grip. This involvement underscores the US’s ...

Hady Habib Makes History as the First Lebanese Competitor at the Australian Open

This is Beirut, 09/01 09:15 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

United States USA

Hady Habib has become the first Lebanese tennis player to qualify for the Grand Slam tournament after winning the final round at the Australian Open qualifiers on Thursday. For Habib, this achievement transcends personal success—it is a tribute to his homeland. “It means the world to me. Representing Lebanon—a country and people I love so ...

Deadly Los Angeles Wildfires Threaten Hollywood

This is Beirut, 09/01 09:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Los Angeles USA

Wildfires threatened to engulf parts of Hollywood on Wednesday as a growing number of blazes raged across Los Angeles, forcing tens of thousands of people to flee their homes and claiming at least five lives. Fast-moving flames fanned by powerful winds have levelled 1,500 structures, many of them multi-million dollar homes in a rolling tragedy ...

US says Forces struck Houthi Weapons Stores in Yemen

This is Beirut, 08/01 15:05 - Reading : less than a minute

Houthi USA

The US military said Wednesday its forces hit weapons storage facilities used by Houthis to attack American warships and commercial vessels. The operation involved "multiple precision strikes", US Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a statement, adding "there were no injuries or damage to US personnel or equipment". The statement did not specify ...

Gaza: Between Truce Hopes and Deadly Escalation, Doha Leads Talks

Soumia Benmerzoug, 08/01 10:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Gaza Israel Hamas Qatar USA

As indirect talks between Israel and Hamas unfold in Doha, violence escalates in the Gaza Strip, with at least 31 killed in 24 hours. Facilitated by Qatar and backed by the United States and Egypt, these negotiations falter in securing a lasting truce, deepening the Palestinian enclave's plight. As the Israel-Hamas conflict enters its ...

Former US President Carter Lies in State After Somber Washington Procession

This is Beirut, 08/01 09:50 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

USA Washington Donald Trump Republicans US Congress

The body of late US president Jimmy Carter was transferred Tuesday in a grand and solemn military ceremony to the US Capitol, where it will lie in state until a national funeral later this week. Carter, who died on December 29 at the age of 100, served a single term from 1977-1981 and was widely praised for his post-presidential humanitarian ...

Iran Rejects Macron's Remarks on its Role in Region as 'Baseless'

This is Beirut, 08/01 09:15 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Emmanuel Macron Donald Trump USA Middle East Tehran

Iran on Wednesday rejected as "baseless" French President Emmanuel Macron's claim that Tehran was the main strategic and security challenge in the Middle East. Foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei described the comments as "baseless, contradictory, and speculative," and called for France "to reconsider its non-constructive approaches to ...

Wildfire Sparks Panicked Evacuations in Los Angeles Suburb

This is Beirut, 08/01 09:05 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Los Angeles Donald Trump United States USA

A ferocious wildfire in a Los Angeles suburb devoured buildings and sparked panicked evacuations Tuesday, as hurricane-force winds tore through the region. Frightened residents abandoned their cars on one of the only roads in and out of the upscale Pacific Palisades area, fleeing on foot from the almost 3,000-acre (1,200-hectare) blaze engulfing ...

The Caesar Act: A Long And Winding Road

Mario Chartouni, 08/01 09:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Syria USA Sanctions

For over thirteen years, Syria has been at the heart of one of the bloodiest civil wars of the past half-century. While the fighting has subsided with the fall of Bashar al-Assad – overthrown on December 8, 2024, by a coalition of rebels led by the group Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) – the country remains mired in an unprecedented economic and ...

Quake in China's Tibet Kills 126 With Tremors Felt in Nepal, India

This is Beirut, 07/01 16:25 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

USA China

A devastating earthquake in China's remote Tibet region killed at least 126 people and destroyed "many buildings" on Tuesday, state media reported, with tremors also felt in neighboring Nepal's capital Kathmandu and parts of India. Videos published by China's state broadcaster CCTV showed houses destroyed with walls torn ...

ESEC Launches 'January 7 Call' to Push for the Election of a President

This is Beirut, 07/01 16:10 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

USA

On Tuesday, the French Economic, Social and Environmental Council (ESEC) launched its “January 7 Call” to push for the election of a President of the Republic during the parliamentary electoral session on Thursday, January 9. ESEC argued in this appeal for a return to the fundamental ideas of the rule of law, “which cannot exist without a ...

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