Israel-Lebanon border tension raises fears of bloody escalation

The Israeli-Lebanon front line holds ever-present risks of a new and devastating conflict. More »

Macron to Lebanese leaders: reform swiftly or face consequences

BEIRUT/PARIS (Reuters) – French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday gave Lebanese politicians until the end of October to start delivering on reforms, saying financial aid would be withheld and sanctions imposed further down the line if corruption gets in the... More »

Macron marks Lebanon’s centenary as nation teeters on brink

BEIRUT (Reuters) – French President Emmanuel Macron marked Lebanon’s centenary on Tuesday by planting a cedar tree, the emblem of the Middle East country that is collapsing under the weight of a crippling economic crisis. In his second trip to Lebanon in less ... More »

Payment holiday parachute might COVID-proof government bonds, top fund says

LONDON (Reuters) – The option of a one-time payment holiday during times of intense crisis might enable countries to pandemic-proof their bonds, a prominent debt fund believes. Economic fallout from COVID-19 has triggered a record number of sovereign defaults ... More »

Lebanon needs two-week lockdown after COVID-19 spike, health minister says

BEIRUT (Reuters) – Lebanon should be locked down for two weeks after a spike in COVID-19 infections, the caretaker government’s health minister was quoted as saying on Monday. “We declare today a state of general alert and we need a brave decision to close (th... More »

A life’s work shattered: stained glass artist counts cost of Beirut blast

BEIRUT (Reuters) – Two decades of Maya Husseini’s work to restore stained glass windows destroyed in the Lebanese civil war was lost in an instant in the seismic port explosion in Beirut. “I can say that in this blast, 20 years of my professional life was on t... More »

WHO seeking $76 million for Lebanon after Beirut blast, concerned about coronavirus

CAIRO (Reuters) – The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Wednesday it had appealed for $76 million in aid for Lebanon after last week’s massive explosion in Beirut destroyed or damaged hospitals, clinics and medical supplies. Lebanon was already strugglin... More »

Beirut residents mourn destruction amid transformed cityscape

BEIRUT (Reuters) – Curtains flutter through broken windows, piles of debris block the streets and top-floor apartments with their roofs blown off are exposed to the sky. As the residents of Beirut try to pick up their lives after an explosion that shook the co... More »

Beirut police fire tear gas as protesters regroup and two ministers quit

BEIRUT (Reuters) – Lebanese police fired tear gas to try to disperse rock-throwing protesters blocking a road near parliament in Beirut on Sunday in a second day of anti-government demonstrations triggered by last week’s devastating explosion. Fire broke out a... More »

‘They are not just numbers’: Missing Beirut silo worker’s family clings to hope

BEIRUT (Reuters) – Before he went missing on Aug. 4, Ghassan Hasrouty, an employee of Beirut’s giant grain silos for 38 years, thought he was working in the safest place in the city. The reinforced concrete walls and underground rooms were his shelter for many... More »

Iran says Beirut blast should not be politicised

DUBAI (Reuters) – Iran said on Monday that countries should refrain from politicising the massive blast in Beirut last week, and that the United States should lift sanctions against Lebanon. “The blast should not be used as an excuse for political aims … the c... More »

Lebanese foreign minister quits over lack of reform as crisis spirals

BEIRUT (Reuters) – Lebanese Foreign Minister Nassif Hitti resigned on Monday, blaming a lack of political will to enact reforms to halt a financial meltdown which he warned could turn Lebanon into a failed state. Foreign donors have made clear there will be no... More »

Exchange of fire across Israel-Lebanon border, Israeli media reports

JERUSALEM (Reuters) – The Israeli military said a there has been a “security incident” on Israel’s northern border with Lebanon on Monday and ordered residents in the area to remain indoors. Israel’s N12 TV News reported an exchange of fire between Israeli for... More »

Lebanese film director keeps faith after COVID-19 dashes Cannes dreams

BEIRUT (Reuters) – Many directors would have been devastated when their plans to show their first feature at the Cannes Film Festival were wrecked by the spread of COVID-19. But Lebanon’s Jimmy Keyrouz said he took heart from the themes of his movie “Broken Ke... More »

Hezbollah: Lebanese government rescue plan marks ‘big step’ forward

BEIRUT (Reuters) – Hezbollah’s leader hailed the Lebanese government’s crisis plan as a “big, important step” on Monday and said any talks with the IMF must not blindly surrender the country to terms it can not bear. In a televised speech, Sayyed Hassan Nasral... More »

Renault, Nissan chief engineers to meet, revive R&D projects: sources

PARIS (Reuters) – Renault’s (RENA.PA) engineering boss will meet his counterpart at Nissan (7201.T) in Japan this week, two sources close to Renault said, as the carmakers seek to revive projects crucial to an alliance left reeling by the Carlos Ghosn affair. ... More »

Clashes rock Beirut as security forces fire tear gas at protest

BEIRUT (Reuters) – Tear gas engulfed central Beirut as security forces chased protesters near Lebanon’s parliament on Sunday in a second night of street clashes that wounded dozens of people. Protesters had returned despite a fierce crackdown by security force... More »

Burst of social unrest tests emerging market risk models

LONDON (Reuters) – A wave of social unrest across developing countries this year has caught many investors off-guard and is challenging models designed to gauge political risk for investors, prompting some to pull money out. That has led to worries that a with... More »

Timeline: Lebanon’s ordeal – Economic and political crises since civil war

BEIRUT (Reuters) – Demonstrations against Lebanon’s ruling elite have plunged the country into political turmoil at a time of acute economic crisis, driven by deepening anger at sectarian politicians who have dominated the government since the 1975-90 civil wa... More »

Lebanese bank employee union calls strike over safety concerns

BEIRUT (Reuters) – A Lebanese bank employees’ union called on bank staff to go on strike from Tuesday because of safety concerns, the president of the Federation of Syndicates of Banks Employees said. George al Hajj said the decision had been taken on Monday a... More »

Protesters block roads in Beirut, other parts of Lebanon

BEIRUT (Reuters) – Protesters blocked roads in Beirut and other parts of Lebanon on Monday, pressing a wave of demonstrations against the ruling elite that have plunged the country into political turmoil at a time of acute economic crisis. The nationwide prote... More »

IMF stresses urgency of reforms in Lebanon to restore economic stability

DUBAI (Reuters) – The International Monetary Fund (IMF) said it is assessing an emergency reform package announced by Lebanon’s government last week and stressed reforms should be implemented urgently given the country’s high debt levels and fiscal deficits. L... More »

Lebanon’s Hariri agrees to reforms amid nationwide protests over economic crisis

BEIRUT (Reuters) – Lebanese Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri agreed on Sunday a package of reforms with government partners to ease an economic crisis that has sparked protests aimed at ousting a ruling elite seen as riddled with corruption and cronyism. Official... More »

Lebanon cabinet to meet at presidential palace amid protests: NNA

BEIRUT (Reuters) – Lebanon’s cabinet will convene on Monday at the Baabda palace, the National News Agency said as protests grip the country in the biggest show of dissent against the ruling elite in decades. Officials told Reuters on Sunday that Prime Ministe... More »

Kushner’s economic plan for Mideast peace faces broad Arab rejection

RIYADH/AMMAN/CAIRO (Reuters) – Arab politicians and commentators greeted U.S. President Donald Trump’s $50 billion Middle East economic vision with a mixture of derision and exasperation, although some in the Gulf called for it to be given a chance. In Israel,... More »

Explainer: Money talks in Trump’s Mideast plan. But can it pave way…

JERUSALEM (Reuters) – More than two years after U.S. President Donald Trump first proposed a plan to revive the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, its first phase will be formally unveiled on Tuesday at an economic workshop in Bahrain. The ‘Peace to Prosperity... More »

From Batman to Holy Land, comics artist sees heroes on all sides

OFRA, West Bank (Reuters) – An American comic book illustrator once feted for a portfolio including Batman and Wonder Woman covers has found a new calling in the Holy Land – drawing the everyday good and bad guys he sees on all sides. Michael Netzer’s own life... More »

Iraq’s racy TV in Ramadan revives an industry – and draws censure

BAGHDAD (Reuters) – On a studio set in Baghdad, a director watches the star of his TV series hold a knife against the neck of a fellow actor, in a dramatic revival of fortunes for Iraq’s entertainment industry. Filmed in Iraq where the entertainment industry h... More »

Lebanese illustrator challenges views of Arab women through art

BEIRUT (Reuters) – Lebanese artist Christina Atik has produced a series of digital pictures to illustrate sentences commonly used in Arab countries to criticize women with the aim of empowering Arab women. The project tackles issues of female freedom, beauty a... More »

War photographer McCullin’s retrospective shows ‘appalling things’…

LONDON (Reuters) – From the battles of the Vietnam War to starving African villages and the destitute streets of London, photographer Don McCullin has documented violence, suffering and deprivation for more than half a century.His pictures brought home to the ... More »

Play depicts Lebanon as building at risk of collapse

BEIRUT (Reuters) – The squabbling residents of a dilapidated building at risk of collapse serve as an allegory for Lebanon’s political and religious divisions in a new drama by satirical playwright Georges Khabbaz. The play “Only If – Something Changes” is int... More »

In Beirut play, audience relives stories of rape survivors

BEIRUT (Reuters) – As a child, Riham would wake up at night to her half-brother molesting her. Now she is one of seven women recounting their suffering in a play about sexual violence in Lebanon. Recordings of the women’s voices ring out as the audience moves ... More »

Israel launches U.S.-backed missile shield on Syria frontier,…

JERUSALEM (Reuters) – Israel launched its newest air defense system on Monday on the Syrian frontier, where Damascus’s Russian-backed forces have been routing rebels, as Moscow sent envoys for what it called “urgent” talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin ... More »

Lebanese army kills suspected drug dealer, seven others in raid:…

BEIRUT (Reuters) – The Lebanese army killed a suspected drug dealer and seven others during a raid in northeast Lebanon on Monday, the army said. During the raid, which took place near the town of Brital, not far from the border with Syria, soldiers were fired... More »

Japan’s ‘Shoplifters’ steals the show to win Cannes Palme d’Or

CANNES, France (Reuters) – Japanese director Hirokazu Kore-eda won the Palme d’Or at Cannes on Saturday for “Shoplifters”, a critically acclaimed family drama with unguessable plot twists. The award, to a director who has won prizes at the festival before, def... More »

Hezbollah allies gain in Lebanon parliament: unofficial results

BEIRUT (Reuters) – The Iran-backed Shi’ite group Hezbollah and its political allies won more than half the seats in Lebanon’s first parliamentary election in nine years, according to unofficial preliminary results cited by politicians and Lebanese media. The r... More »

Israeli minister says ‘Lebanon equals Hezbollah’ after election

JERUSALEM (Reuters) – Hezbollah’s gains in the Lebanese election on Sunday show that the state is indistinguishable from the Iranian-backed Shi’ite group and that Israel should not distinguish between them in any future war, an Israeli security cabinet ministe... More »

What could Iran do if Trump pulls out of nuclear deal?

BEIRUT (Reuters) – President Donald Trump is expected to pull the United States out of the Iran nuclear agreement on May 12. Tehran signed the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, with China, France, Germany, Russia, Britain, and the United States in 2015. Iran... More »

Lebanese cleric’s piano playing strikes wrong note for some

BEIRUT (Reuters) – A Muslim cleric has been expelled from his seminary in Lebanon after a video of his piano playing, posted online, drew criticism from conservatives who felt it was undignified behavior for a man of the cloth, he said. Shi’ite Muslim Sayed Hu... More »

Oasis of calm in shattered region, Dubai steps out as art hub

DUBAI (Reuters) – As traditional centers of modern Arab art in Damascus and Baghdad have imploded amid disastrous wars, the sheeny city-state of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates has stepped into the vacuum as a major hub for art sales. But at the annual Art D... More »

Syria’s Douma faces catastrophe, says council, as assault grinds on

FILE PHOTO: A boy is seen in the besieged town of Douma, Eastern Ghouta, in Damascus, Syria March 8, 2018. REUTERS/Bassam Khabieh/File Photo AMMAN/BEIRUT (Reuters) – Syria’s rebel-held city of Douma faces a “catastrophic” situation after becoming the main have... More »

In Ghouta’s shelters, terrified Syrians await the next bomb

People hold a warning leaflet dropped by plane entitled “Keep yourself and your family aware” in the besieged town of Douma, Eastern Ghouta, in Damascus, Syria March 11, 2018. REUTERS/ Bassam Khabieh BEIRUT (Reuters) – As the Syrian army pushes deeper into eas... More »

In Iran, France blends hard talks with soft power at Louvre exhibit

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani shakes hands with French Foreign Affairs Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, in Tehran, Iran, March 5, 2018. President.ir/Handout via REUTERS TEHRAN (Reuters) – After a day of tough talking in Tehran on Monday, France’s foreign minist... More »

Syrian Observatory: one third of Syria’s Ghouta enclave taken by…

A handicapped man rides a bicycle past damaged buildings in the besieged town of Douma in eastern Ghouta in Damascus, Syria, March 1, 2018. REUTERS/Bassam Khabieh BEIRUT (Reuters) – The Syrian army and its allies have captured more than a third of the rebel en... More »

Careem acquires Middle East online restaurant listing platform, to…

An employee shows the logo of ride-hailing company Careem on his mobile in his office in the West Bank city of Ramallah July 17, 2017. Picture taken July 17, 2017. REUTERS/Mohamad Torokman DUBAI (Reuters) – Careem, a Middle East competitor to Uber Technologies... More »

Lebanon speaker: U.S. proposal on Lebanon-Israel disputed waters…

Lebanese parliament speaker Nabih Berri said on Friday that U.S. proposals regarding the disputed Lebanon-Israel maritime border were "unacceptable", state news agency NNA said. More »

Lebanon detains suspect in murder of British embassy worker -source

BEIRUT (Reuters) – Lebanese security forces have arrested a Lebanese taxi driver suspected of killing Rebecca Dykes, a British woman who worked at the British embassy in Beirut and was found dead on Saturday, a security source said. The security source said pr... More »

Multi-summit Macron burns energy in hunt for results

French President Emmanuel Macron arrives to attend the EU summit in Brussels, Belgium, December 14, 2017. REUTERS/Eric Vidal BRUSSELS (Reuters) – If European leaders earned points for the amount of time they spend at summits, French President Emmanuel Macron w... More »

Major powers to push Saudis, Iran to stop interfering in Lebanon

FILE PHOTO: Hezbollah and Syrian flags flutter on a military vehicle in Western Qalamoun, Syria August 28, 2017. REUTERS/Omar Sanadiki/File Photo PARIS (Reuters) – Major powers will try to shore up Lebanon’s stability on Friday by pushing Saudi Arabia and Iran... More »

France’s Macron says external powers must stop interfering in Lebanon

French President Emmanuel Macron speaks during a news conference in Doha, Qatar December 7, 2017. REUTERS/Naseem Zeitoon PARIS (Reuters) – French President Emmanuel Macron called on all foreign powers to stop interfering in Lebanese politics and urged all Leba... More »

Saudi Crown Prince calls Iran leader ‘new Hitler’: NYT

FILE PHOTO: Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman attends the Future Investment Initiative conference in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia October 24, 2017. REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed/File Photo DUBAI (Reuters) – Saudi Arabia’s powerful Crown Prince called the Supreme Leade... More »

EU says Hariri must return to Lebanon, warns against Saudi interference

The European Union on Monday urged Saad al-Hariri to return to Lebanon, calling on all political forces inside the country to focus on the domestic agenda and warning Saudi Arabia against meddling. More »

U.S.`s Tillerson concerned over Saudi purge, monitoring Hariri situation

Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's recent political purge raises concerns and remains unclear but does not appear to amount to mass arrests, U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson told reporters on Friday. More »

Global stocks dip on U.S. tax doubts

World stocks edged lower on Friday on signs that U.S. tax reforms could be delayed after Senate Republicans offered a plan that differed significantly from the House of Representatives' version. More »

Iran provided capability for missile attacks from Yemen: U.S. Air Force

Iran provided the capability for ballistic missile attacks launched from Yemen, a senior U.S. Air Force official said on Friday. More »

In Beirut, play about Syria`s war gets as close to home as it can

A play about Syria's war, told through one family's tragedy, made its Lebanon debut on Friday, the closest it will ever get to being staged on home soil, its Syrian director said. More »

Drained of cash and riven by rivalries, UNESCO seeks leader to revive fortunes

When Israel's envoy told UNESCO delegates last July that fixing the plumbing in his toilet was more important than their latest ruling, it highlighted how fractious geopolitics are paralyzing the workings of the agency. More »

Lebanon embarks on long-delayed reforms but debt problems mount

Lebanon has begun reforms to repair its fragile economy after years of paralysis in decision-making but is under pressure to do more to prevent its rising debt spinning out of control. More »

Clooneys to help 3,000 Syrian refugees go to school in Lebanon

Cast member George Clooney and his wife Amal leave the Festival Palace after the screening of the film “Money Monster” out of competition at the 69th Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France, May 12, 2016. George and Amal Clooney said on Monday they would help 3... More »

Old cinemas find new life in Lebanon as cultural hubs

A negative of an old film is seen at Al-Ahram, a derelict cinema in Tripoli, Lebanon July 5, 2017. Picture taken July 5, 2017. With paint peeling from the ceiling and crumbling plasterwork, renovating an abandoned picture house in the northern Lebanese town of... More »

Russia, Curacao suspend Colombian beef shipments due to foot and mouth

Russia and Curacao, two of Colombia’s biggest beef buyers, have suspended shipments from the Andean nation after an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease, Colombian officials said on Tuesday. More »

Lebanon kicks off renowned Baalbek music festival

Lebanese singer Rami Ayach performs at the opening of Baalbek International Festival, in Baalbek, Lebanon July 7, 2017. REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir Thousands of music fans will pour into the stadium of the Roman Temple of Bacchus in Lebanon’s Baalbek on Friday nigh... More »

Syrian army and allies step up bombing of rebels in Deraa city

Smoke rises after shelling on a rebel-held area of Deraa, Syria, June 4, 2017. REUTERS/Alaa Al-Faqir Khalidi More »

UK police reveal names of London attackers, say one investigated before

Two of the men shot dead by police following the attack on London Bridge and Borough Market on Saturday are seen in this undated combination image of two photographs, received in London via the Metropolitan Police in London on June 5, 2017. On left is Khuram S... More »

Who`s your mummy? Genetic secrets of ancient Egypt unwrapped

Scientist Verena Schuenemann is shown examining the lower jaw bone of an ancient Egyptian mummy at the Palaeogenetics Laboratory at the University of Tuebingen in Germany in this undated handout photograph obtained by Reuters May 30, 2017. Johannes Krause/Hand... More »

Israel strikes arms depot near Syrian capital`s airport: sources

Syrian rebel and intelligence sources said Israel struck an arms supply hub on Thursday operated by the Lebanese Hezbollah group near Damascus airport where weapons from Tehran are regularly sent by commercial and military cargo planes. More »

Israeli strike hits Iranian arms supply depot in Damascus: source

An Israeli strike on Thursday hit an arms supply hub operated by the Lebanese Hezbollah group near Damascus airport where regular supplies of weapons from Tehran are sent by commercial and military cargo planes, a regional intelligence source said. More »

Tillerson accuses Iran of `alarming provocations` as U.S. reviews policy

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson attends a news conference with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov following their talks in Moscow, Russia, April 12, 2017. REUTERS/Sergei Karpukhin U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Wednesday accused Iran of ‘al... More »

Evacuations begin, under deal for Shi`ite and Sunni towns in Syria – monitor

The transfer of the Shi’ite populations of two Syrian towns, in exchange for moving Sunni rebels and civilians out of two others, has started, under an evacuation deal between warring parties, a monitor said on Friday. More »

Ai Weiwei calls on Gulf states to do more to help Syrian refugees

Chinese dissident artist Ai Weiwei takes a selfie with women at the Islamic Art Museum in Doha, Qatar, April 11, 2017. Picture taken April 11, 2017. REUTERS/Tom Finn Chinese artist Ai Weiwei called on wealthy Gulf Arab states to take in more Syrians displaced ... More »

White House accuses Russia of Syria chemical attack `cover up`

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson disembarks from a plane upon his arrival at Vnukovo International Airport in Moscow, Russia April 11, 2017. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov President Donald Trump’s administration accused Russia on Tuesday of trying to shield Syria’s go... More »

Conservative news site sole media outlet on Tillerson Asia trip

FILE PHOTO – U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson speaks on issues related to visas and travel after U.S. President Donald Trump signed a new travel ban order in Washington, U.S. on March 6, 2017. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque/File Photo U.S. Secretary of State Rex ... More »

AFC postpones Malaysia v North Korea match in Pyongyang

Malaysia’s 2019 Asian Cup qualifier against North Korea due to be played in Pyongyang later this month has been postponed, the Asian Football Confederation announced on Friday. More »

Amnesty says Trump`s `poisonous` rhetoric makes world a darker place

U.S. President Donald Trump pauses at the Dr. Ben Carson exhibit at the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, U.S., February 21, 2017. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst Amnesty International said on Wednesday U.S. President Donald Trump’s... More »

French far-right`s Le Pen refuses to wear headscarf to meet Lebanon`s Grand Mufti

Marine Le Pen, French National Front (FN) political party leader and candidate for French 2017 presidential election, rejects a headscarf for her meeting Lebanon’s Grand Mufti Sheikh Abed el-Lateef Daryan in Beirut, Lebanon February 21, 2017. REUTERS/Aziz Tahe... More »

Trump steps up attack on judge, court system over travel ban

Demonstrators in support of the immigration rules implemented by U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration, rally at Los Angeles international airport in Los Angeles, California, U.S., February 4, 2017. REUTERS/Ringo Chiu President Donald Trump on Sunday ra... More »

Syrian opposition will only discuss ceasefire at Kazakhstan talks, spokesman says

A car is parked in front of Rixos President Hotel, the venue that hosts Syria peace talks, in Astana, Kazakhstan, January 23, 2017. REUTERS/Mukhtar Kholdorbekov Khalidi More »

Explosion kills local official in northern Lebanon: NNA

An explosion killed a local official in Lebanon’s northern Bekaa Valley region on Wednesday, the National News Agency (NNA) said. More »

Aleppo evacuations resume after stand-off over villages

Evacuees from rebel-held east Aleppo arrive at the town of al-Rashideen, which is held by insurgents, Syria December 19, 2016. REUTERS/Ammar Abdullah Convoys of evacuees traveled from a rebel-held area of Aleppo and from two Shi’ite villages besieged by insurg... More »

Air strikes pound rebel-held Aleppo districts

A man walks on the rubble of damaged buildings after an airstrike on the rebel held al-Qaterji neighbourhood of Aleppo, Syria September 25, 2016. REUTERS/Abdalrhman Ismail Dozens of air strikes hit rebel-held areas of the northern Syrian city of Aleppo overnig... More »

Syria rebels guardedly agree on truce but battles persist

A fighter from the Free Syrian Army’s Al Rahman legion walks past damaged buildings in the rebel held Jobar, a suburb of Damascus, Syria September 6, 2016. Picture taken September 6, 2016. REUTERS/Bassam Khabieh Government troops and insurgents fought in sever... More »

Turkish army thrusts deeper into Syria, monitor says 35 villagers killed

Turkish armoured personnel carriers drive towards the border in Karkamis on the Turkish-Syrian border in the southeastern Gaziantep province, Turkey, August 27, 2016. REUTERS/Umit Bektas Turkey’s army and its allies thrust deeper into Syria on Sunday, seizing ... More »

Lebanese alt-rock band confronts post-Orlando divisions during U.S. tour

WASHINGTON Accustomed to generating controversy in their native Middle East with lyrics tackling love, sex and political apathy, members of Lebanese alt-rock band Mashrou’ Leila thought a summer U.S. tour would bring them a welcome respite. Instead, as news sp... More »

Saudi-owned newspaper Beirut office attacked after cartoon

BEIRUT Protesters attacked the Beirut office of Saudi-owned newspaper Asharq al-Awsat on Friday in response to a cartoon published by the paper criticizing the Lebanese state. The cartoon depicted the Lebanese flag with the words “an April fool…” written above... More »

TV channel closes office and newspaper attacked amid Saudi tensions with Lebanon

BEIRUT The Saudi-owned television news channel Al Arabiya shut its offices in Lebanon and dismissed 27 employees, two of its journalists said on Friday, in a sudden move that comes amid political tensions between Riyadh and Beirut. Protesters also attacked the... More »

Death toll up to 70 from Islamic State Damascus attack: monitor

BEIRUT The death toll from a suicide attack in Damascus on Sunday that was claimed by the Islamic State militant group has risen to more than 70, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. A car bomb and two suicide bombers attacked the Sayeda Zeinab distri... More »

Aid convoys depart for besieged Syrian town, villages: Red Cross

BEIRUT Aid convoys headed for a besieged Syrian town where thousands are trapped and the United Nations says people are reported to have died of starvation. Trucks headed for Madaya, near the Lebanese border, and two villages in the northwest of the country on... More »

After Paris, Republicans hit refugee plan and Clinton stance

WASHINGTON The deadly attacks in Paris pushed terrorism and the Syrian refugee crisis to the center of the U.S presidential campaign on Sunday, as Republicans hammered Obama administration plans to take in more refugees as well as Democratic front-runner Hilla... More »

Beirut art museum reopens to tell a troubled city’s history

BEIRUT A stone’s throw from dramatic street protests shaking central Beirut, art lovers gathered to celebrate the reopening of a museum of modern art which they hailed as a symbol of the Lebanese capital’s resilience through conflict and turmoil. The Sursock M... More »

Rebels see tougher war with Russians in Syria, evoke Afghanistan

AMMAN/BEIRUT Rebels who have inflicted big losses on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad say Russia’s intervention in support of its ally will only lead to an escalation of the war and may encourage the rebels’ Gulf Arab backers to pour in more military aid. Russ... More »

Lebanon’s rubbish crisis exposes political rot

BEIRUT The overpowering stench of the rubbish piling up in Lebanon’s streets has become a potent symbol of the political rot protesters blame not only for the garbage crisis but a gridlocked sectarian power system unable to meet citizens’ most basic needs, fro... More »

Two killed in clashes at Palestinian camp in Lebanon

BEIRUT Two people were killed in a Palestinian refugee camp in Lebanon in renewed overnight clashes between the mainstream Palestinian faction Fatah and hardline Islamists, security sources said. The two sides exchanged heavy gunfire in Ain al-Hilweh refugee c... More »

Rebel rockets hit Damascus ahead of visit by Iranian minister

BEIRUT Rebels fired dozens of rockets at central Damascus on Wednesday, a monitor and state media said, ahead of an expected visit to the Syrian capital by Iran’s foreign minister. The bombardment killed at least one person and injured more than 20 others, the... More »

Drama helps Lebanese to bridge their city’s divides

BEIRUT Young people from two warring districts in the Lebanese city of Tripoli are taking to the stage in a comedy inspired by their own lives, trying to turn their backs on old rivalries inflamed by Syria’s civil war. “Love and War on the Rooftops” played to ... More »

From Israel perch, U.S. vows to help counter Iran proxy threat

HUSSEIN LOOKOUT, Israel As U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter walked along an Israeli lookout near the border with Lebanon, Israel’s Defence Minister Moshe Yaalon turned to him and said: “Probably Hezbollah is watching us.” Israel warned during Carter’s visit o... More »

Crime and gangs: the path to battle for Australia’s Islamist radicals

SYDNEY (Reuters) – The children of refugees who fled Lebanon’s civil war for peaceful Australia in the 1970s form a majority of Australian militants fighting in the Middle East, according to about a dozen counter-terrorism officials, security experts and Musli... More »

Thousands of Syrian refugee children in Lebanon forced to work: aid group

BEIRUT (Reuters) – At least 50,000 Syrian refugee children in Lebanon are working, often in dire conditions and for 12 hours a day, to pay for food and shelter for their families, aid organization CARE said. More than a million Syrian refugees live in Lebanon,... More »

Damascus detainees languish while Syria envoys talk

DAMASCUS (Reuters) – It was three in the afternoon when Lulu’s phone stopped working somewhere in east Damascus near the Air Force Intelligence building, one of Syria’s most feared security agencies. That was last November. The 30-year-old had been shopping in... More »

Suicide car bomb kills three in Hezbollah stronghold near Syria

HERMEL, Lebanon (Reuters) – A suicide car bomber killed three people in a Hezbollah stronghold on Lebanon’s northern border with Syria on Thursday, the latest sign of the Syrian civil war’s creeping impact on its small Mediterranean neighbor. The blast came as... More »

Beirut bomb may have been suicide attack: minister

BEIRUT (Reuters) – The death toll from a car bomb which ripped through the southern Beirut stronghold of Lebanon’s militant group Hezbollah rose on Friday to 24, and the government said it was investigating whether the blast was a suicide attack. Interior Mini... More »

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