On Sunday, Lebanese voters get their first chance to pass judgment on lawmakers since the economy fell apart. Few expect things to improve.
Tag Archives: Lebanon
Mideast Feels the Pinch of Rising Food Prices as Ramadan Nears
Russia’s war on Ukraine has driven up the prices of staple foods and energy across the Middle East and North Africa ahead of the Muslim holy month of daytime fasting and nighttime feasting.
Ukraine War Strains North Africa Economies
Egypt imports most of its wheat from Russia and Ukraine, and is looking for alternative suppliers. And Tunisia was struggling to pay for grain imports even before the conflict.
First Arabic Film by Netflix Stirs Fierce Morality Debate
Critics argued that the remake of the Italian film “Perfect Strangers” flouted moral standards by projecting Western norms out of sync with the largely religious public across much of the Arab world.
32 Years After Civil War, Mundane Moments Trigger Awful Memories
Cards. Candles. Sunsets. For this New York Times correspondent and other children of Beirut in the 1980s, traumatic reminders of the war are still there in everyday activities.
On Syria’s Ruins, a Drug Empire Flourishes
Powerful associates of Syria’s president, Bashar al-Assad, are making and selling captagon, an illegal amphetamine, creating a new narcostate on the Mediterranean.
Strike on U.S. Base Was Iranian Response to Israeli Attack, Officials Say
Iran has not acknowledged the attack, but U.S. and Israeli officials said it was retaliation for Israeli airstrikes, drawing the U.S. into Iran’s shadow war with Israel.
Gulf States Withdraw Ambassadors to Lebanon Over Criticism of Yemen War
With a few stray comments from a minor minister, Lebanon once again found itself caught in the rivalry between Saudi Arabia and Iran, underscoring just how vulnerable it is to the whims of its more powerful neighbors.
Beirut, a City Where Everyone Gets By, Revisits Sectarian Violence
Lebanon’s capital thrives on its religious diversity, but sectarian tensions and memories of civil war lurk just beneath the surface.
Lebanon Observes Day of Mourning After Sectarian Clashes Kill 6
Beirut’s streets were quiet a day after gun battles between Christian and Shiite Muslim militias erupted amid tensions over an investigation into the port explosion last year.
Deadly Clashes in Beirut Escalate Fears Over Lebanon’s Dysfunction
The fighting further traumatized the small Mediterranean country, a patchwork of sects that has tumbled into an abyss of devastating political and economic crises.
Electricity Is Restored in Lebanon, as Army Supplies Emergency Fuel
It was a temporary reprieve for a grid that has been supplying only a few hours of electricity per day, as Lebanon’s collapsing economy struggles to import fuel.
With Fuel from Iran, Hezbollah Steps In Where Lebanon Has Failed
The militant group trucked more than 1 million gallons of diesel into Lebanon, flouting U.S. sanctions and billing itself as savior to a suffering population.
Lebanon Gets New Prime Minister Amid Economic Meltdown
The billionaire Najib Mikati’s new cabinet is Lebanon’s first empowered government in more than a year. It faces the immediate challenge of a collapsing economy.
Lebanon’s Economy Has Collapsed. And So Has Our Way of Life.
The standards by which “normal” or “acceptable” living conditions are measured have long been discarded.
Refugees Are Suffering. This Novelist Won’t Look Away.
Rabih Alameddine writes about topics many would rather forget. In his new book, “The Wrong End of the Telescope,” he tells the story of a transgender doctor attempting to care for people fleeing war-torn Syria.
America’s Afghan War: A Defeat Foretold?
Recent history suggests that it is foolish for Western powers to fight wars in other people’s lands and that the U.S. intervention was almost certainly doomed from the start.
Maker of Popular Covid Test Told Factory to Destroy Inventory
One of the leading producers of rapid tests purged supplies and laid off workers as sales dwindled. Weeks later, the U.S. is facing a surge in infections with diminished capacity.
My Sister Remembers Her Past Life. Somehow, I Believe Her.
Living with my sister during the pandemic taught me to suppress my cynicism and embrace her belief in reincarnation.
As Lebanon Collapses, Riad Salameh Faces Questions
People can’t get their money from banks, the currency has crashed and Riad Salameh’s reign at the central bank is facing allegations of fraud.
As Lebanon’s Crisis Deepens, Lines for Fuel Grow, and Food and Medicine Are Scarce
The World Bank said the financial crisis could rank among the world’s three worst since the mid-1800s. The currency has lost more than 90 percent of its value and unemployment has skyrocketed.
In France’s Military, Muslims Find a Tolerance That Is Elusive Elsewhere
In a nation wary of the growth of Islam, France’s military has embraced and integrated its Muslim soldiers by facilitating their religious practice.
A Ramadan Closer to Normal for 2021
Compared with last year, when mosques around the world were closed because of the coronavirus, this Holy Month has limits, but friends and family, too.
Lebanon’s Financial Collapse Hits Where It Hurts: The Grocery Store
The country’s currency has sunk to a new low against the dollar, sending prices for once affordable foods soaring out of reach.
What We Learned From Mubarak
Regimes that muzzle their people’s voices eventually push people into venting their frustrations from muzzles of a different sort.
A Decade After the Arab Spring, Autocrats Still Rule the Mideast
The popular uprisings of 2011 mostly failed, but they gave the region a taste for democracy that continues to whet an appetite for change.
Prominent Lebanese Critic of Hezbollah Is Killed
Lokman Slim was a rare Shiite Muslim who openly criticized the extremist group for its militancy in Lebanon and the Middle East. He was found dead in a car with multiple bullet wounds.
Bassam Saba, Renowned Proponent of Arabic Music, Dies at 62
A skilled multi-instrumentalist, Mr. Saba co-founded the New York Arabic Orchestra and directed Lebanon’s national conservatory of music. He died of complications of Covid-19.
Lebanese Officials Try to Limit Inquiry Into Deadly Beirut Blast
Months after a huge explosion in Beirut’s port, the investigation has become mired in politics as powerful forces band together to block efforts to hold leaders accountable.
Hezbollah Member Sentenced in Absentia in Hariri Assassination
A United Nations-backed tribunal in The Hague handed down the symbolic life sentence in connection with the 2005 assassination of Rafik Hariri.
Lebanon Prime Minister Charged With Negligence in Beirut Blast
An investigating judge named the caretaker prime minister, Hassan Diab, a suspect, a significant step toward holding the top levels of power accountable in the August explosion that killed 200.
Syria Seeks Return of Refugees, but They Fear Leader’s Wrath
President Bashar al-Assad said the millions of citizens who fled during the war have been blocked from coming back. But he left out the main reason they are staying away: Mr. al-Assad himself.
Preserving Food, Preserving Myself
This fall, the chores in my kitchen have become a way to stay connected to my Lebanese identity.
Saad Hariri, Lebanon’s Ex-Prime Minister, Could Again Lead the Country
Saad Hariri, who stepped down amid antigovernment protests last year, could return as the head of the government amid multiple crises.
‘If There Were No Hashish Here, You Wouldn’t See a Single House’
A village in Lebanon, where cannabis grows everywhere, has long counted on hashish for income. But the country’s economic crisis has farmers reconsidering the crop.
‘Call Me a Dreamer’: A Shattered Beirut Neighborhood Rebuilds
Many worry that a full recovery won’t be possible, but residents of one of Beirut’s most diverse and cosmopolitan areas are moving back in and trying to repair the damage from the August explosion.
Lebanon and Israel, Officially Enemies, Agree to Talks on Sea Border
The negotiations will be their first on nonsecurity issues in three decades but officials do not expect them to lead to peace talks.
‘Agricultural Jihad’: A Hungry Lebanon Returns to Family Farms to Feed Itself
With a tanking economy, and imported food costs soaring, leaders are urging the Lebanese to wage a campaign of self-sufficiency. “I never thought I’d do this in my life, but I have to survive.”
Lebanon Taps a New Prime Minister Amid Swirling Crises
The country’s president has designated a diplomat, Mustafa Adib, to form a government that must address an economic meltdown and the aftermath of the Beirut explosion.
Desperate to Leave Beirut, Young Lebanese Are Also the Ones Fixing It
The young people leading the huge volunteer effort after the recent blast are bringing hope, but have lost it themselves. “I want to at least have Beirut on its feet before I go,” one said.
Beirut’s Shiites Like the Idea of Change, but Like Hezbollah More
In a Shiite stronghold, people agree that the political system is dysfunctional and needs replacing, but not if that means Hezbollah ceding its power.
Beirut’s Youngest Cancer Patients Lose Care Options After Blast
Many children undergoing chemotherapy in Lebanon now have nowhere to turn for treatment after an explosion destroyed hospitals and wiped out medicine stockpiles.
After the Beirut Explosion, Lebanon’s Whole Cabinet Resigned. Now What?
A week after a devastating explosion shook its capital, Lebanon is in political limbo. Here is what you need to know.
Lebanon’s Government Set to Resign, Minister Announces, After Beirut Blast
Cabinet members are expected to step down amid anger over the devastating explosion last week in Beirut, according to the country’s health minister.
Beirut Blast Hit 3 Disparate Neighborhoods. Now They’re United in Rage.
The demands for a change in Lebanon’s leadership are growing louder.
After Beirut Explosion, Protests Erupt as Lebanon’s Anger Boils Over
The demonstration was fueled by fury over the corruption and negligence of the country’s ruling elite. Security forces fired tear gas to push back the protesters.
As Lebanon Reels, Long-Awaited Hariri Assassination Verdicts Loom
A U.N.-backed court will soon pronounce verdicts in a 15-year-old bombing in Beirut that roiled the Middle East. But critics say the court’s protracted deliberations and huge expense have undermined its original purpose.
Beirut on the Potomac
The American spirit gets a Lebanese makeover.
‘Now You Are Going to Die’: Beirut Bride Recounts Moment of Blast [Video]
Israa Seblani was posing for her wedding video when the camera captured the instant a deadly blast tore through the city.
Beirut Bride’s Wedding Video Records Explosion
Israa Seblani was posing for her wedding video when the camera captured the instant a deadly blast tore through the city.