As the U.S. deadline for disarming Hezbollah approaches, Lebanon remains deadlocked on next steps
Lebanese President, Joseph Aoun, meets with U.S. Ambassador to Turkey and Special Envoy to Syria, Tom Barrack, in the presence of U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon, Lisa Johnson, Beirut, July 7,…
From Mouneh to Takeout: How Beirut Ate My Teta’s Recipes
When I first moved to Beirut seven years ago, I didn't go looking for coffee shops or galleries. I was after something more elemental, more urgent: a butcher, or rather my butcher.…
Tatreez: How Palestinian women weave their cultural heritage
In Palestine and across the diaspora, Palestinian women “cross-stitch” to connect with who they are and where they’ve come from. In 2021, the art of tatreez in Palestine was recognized…
How Israel is exploiting Lebanese sectarian rifts in its assault on Beirut and southern Lebanon
Israel is deepening Lebanese social rifts by bombing areas that have been considered historically "safe" from Israeli attacks, dissuading the residents of those areas from sheltering displaced people from the…
The Struggle for Mental Health Care in Lebanon’s Multiple Crisis Setting
In one of the biggest private hospitals in the country, Hotel Dieu de France (HDF), Professor Rami Bou Khalil spends much of his professional time negotiating with patients. There are…
Sewage irrigation: Akkar farmers’ use of raw sewage
This is Part 1 of a four-part series on water in Lebanon, covering its unsavory substitutes, its uses and misuses, the origin story of its crisis, and finally, its weaponization.…
Sound and the Fury: Living With Noise Pollution in Beirut
In the absence of people-centric urban planning and amid systematic neglect from the government, Beirut's residents are exposed to relentless noise pollution. “My children jump out of fear every time…
Parallel seasons: How Lebanon hides from reality
Beirut, Lebanon - As Israel bombed southern Lebanon, no one was in the mood for a full-scale celebration of Christmas despite the religious, emotional and economic significance of the season. Despite…
No way out: On civil marriage and religious authorities in Lebanon
“My choice is still the same today and I don’t see it changing in the future; I’m adamant on having a civil marriage despite how…
High-cost retirement: Dignified retirement inaccessible to most
Inside a car repair shop in Bourj Hammoud, Avedis Demirjian, 76, turns to catch just the right angle of the dim winter sunlight filtering through the open door. With no…
The wonderful world of antiques
Most pieces around him in the shop are reproduced Islamic artworks dating back to the Ottoman era. Harb remains mesmerised by the artistic creativity of that time, not to mention…