lebanon

Joumblatt Delivers 13-Point Memorandum to Al-Sharaa

Following Sunday’s visit to Syria by the former head of the Progressive Socialist Party (PSP), Walid Joumblatt, a 13-point memorandum was submitted to Syria’s new leader, Ahmad al-Sharaa. The memorandum focuses on establishing “healthy and stable relations” between Beirut and Damascus. It also provides a potential roadmap for addressing ...

Lebanon and Syria, the Tangled Web

The political evolutions in both countries are quite ambivalent since they usher in a new political era beset by the pitfalls and the dirty arcane of domestic and regional power politics. The downfall of Hezbollah and the Assad regime is dawning a new chapter in the life of both Lebanon and Syria, notwithstanding their societal and political ...

Israeli Women Mobilise Against Ultra-Orthodox Military Exemptions

Exhausted by more than 14 months of war, the wives and mothers of Israeli soldiers are uniting in protest against exemptions from conscription for ultra-Orthodox men. For several Saturday evenings, the bridge over a key highway that runs between Bnei Brak, an ultra-Orthodox suburb of Tel Aviv, and Givat Shmuel, a bastion of religious Zionists ...

Kataeb Party Welcomes Syria's Shift Toward Balanced Relations

The Kataeb Party issued a statement on Sunday welcoming recent remarks by Ahmed al-Sharaa, the General Commander of Syria’s new administration, about Lebanese-Syrian relations. The party described the remarks as a “positive turning point” and a crucial step toward “balanced relations that respect the sovereignty and independence of both ...

Akram Halabi Re-Elected: A New Impetus for Lebanese Basketball

In a context where stability is crucial for the development of sports in Lebanon, Akram Halabi was reelected on Sunday as president of the Lebanese Basketball Federation for a third four-year term. The election was marked by record club participation and unanimous confidence in his list, elected by acclamation during the general assembly held at ...

This is Holidays: Day 7

This Is Beirut invites you to follow its special Christmas bulletin during the festive season. Here's what the newsroom has in store for you on Sunday, December 22. Don’t forget to check our website and discover today’s Christmas recipe; try it, send us a photo and we will share it on our page!  

Al-Sharaa met Joumblatt, vows country will not negatively interfere in Lebanon

Syria's new leader Ahmed al-Sharaa told Lebanese Druze leaders on Sunday that his country  would not negatively interfere in Lebanon and would respect its neighbour's sovereignty. Syria will no longer exert "negative interference in Lebanon at all -- it respects Lebanon's sovereignty, the unity of its territories, the ...

Rai: Lebanon Needs a President Capable of Navigating This Exceptional Historical Moment

Ahead of the presidential election session scheduled for January 9, Maronite Patriarch Bechara Rai expressed hope that a president capable of navigating this exceptional historical period would be elected. “The country needs a president who enjoys both domestic and international trust, one who believes in institutions and revitalizes them, who ...

Mikati Discusses Humanitarian Aid and Southern Tensions with UN Delegates

Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati received the United Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon, Janine Hennis-Plasschaert, at his residence. The discussions focused on current developments, particularly the situation in southern Lebanon and the ongoing Israeli violations of the ceasefire agreement. The Prime Minister also met with ...

Petram Chalach's 'Stereo Vision': Distilling Reality's Complexity

Lebanese self-taught artist Petram Chalach's ongoing solo exhibition "Stereo Vision" at Galerie Janine Rubeiz in Beirut showcases his unique ability to distill events, images and collective experiences into captivating painterly metaphors. The exhibition, which opened on December 18, 2024, and runs until January 17, 2025, marks Chalach's third ...

This is Holidays: Day 6

This is Beirut invites you to follow its special Christmas bulletin during the festive season. Here's what the newsroom has in store for you on Saturday, December 21st.  Don’t forget to check our website and discover today’s Christmas recipe; try it, send us a photo and we will share it on our page!  

Hankache Discusses Presidential Election and Proposes Reconciliation Conference

MP Elias Hankache, a member of the Lebanese Kataeb parliamentary bloc, is "hopeful today." "We are reassured by efforts to confine weapons to the state and the shifting regional dynamics favoring the establishment of a real state in Lebanon, starting with the presidency," he told Radio Free Lebanon. Building a State Hankache argued that ...