A dedicated English entry point for Libnanews translated articles across society, economy, culture and dossiers.
Before Beiteddine, here was the heart of the emirate. From Maan to Chehab, from the mosque of Fakhreddine (1493) to engravings of the period of 1836 and 1860, to the khan which became the French Institute..
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On Tuesday, 11 August 2026, the Lebanese Parliament adopted the new media law without changing the text submitted to the vote. After more than 16 years of work, the reform modernizes the sector's framework, particularly for digital media, source protection and regulation. However, a provision allowing up to three years in prison for certain publications remains highly contested. Information Minister Paul Morcos officially registered his opposition and announced future amendments.
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The debate on the general amnesty law took place Tuesday, 11 August 2026 in the Lebanese Parliament. Gebran Bassil and Ibrahim Kanaan requested that Defence Minister Michel Menassa be able to present the Lebanese Army's observations prior to the vote, in particular because of the crimes committed against military personnel. Nawaf Salam claims to have simply wanted to present a single governmental position. Paula Yacoubian believes that the army had already been heard in commissions, triggering a new exchange with Elias Bou Saab.
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The dispute between Nawaf Salam and Michel Menassa over the general amnesty had begun before the sitting of Parliament. The day before, the Minister of Defence provided Elias Bou Saab with written comments from the Lebanese Army on the amendments to the text. On Tuesday, Salam objected to Menassa presenting to the deputies a statement expressing the position of the army. The tone went up, Menassa left the meeting and the military command then intervened to ask him to deliver his speech.
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On Tuesday, 11 August 2026, the Lebanese Parliament adopted the law abolishing the death penalty, following a number of amendments, including amendments to replace the death penalty. Pre-reform crimes will be punishable by life imprisonment, while aggravated life is provided for crimes committed after its entry into force. Lebanon had not carried out any executions since 2004. Unlike some early dispatches, however, it is not the first abolitionist Arab country, Djibouti having abolished the death penalty in 1995.
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Joseph Aoun states that negotiations between Lebanon and Israel are progressing and remain preferable to a new war. The President assured that Beirut would not accept the retention of any Israeli soldier in its territory and noted a decrease in attacks since the signing of the framework agreement. His statements, however, took place at a time when direct discussions had been suspended since the seventh meeting in Rome, concluded without further Israeli withdrawal and without an agreed date between the parties for the next session.
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Lebanese Civil Defence officers were targeted on Tuesday, 11 August 2026 by a drone attributed to Israel as they extinguished a grass fire in the Nabatiyah area. No first aid workers were injured, but the teams had to stop their intervention and get sheltered. The incident occurred in the aftermath of a targeting against a Lebanese Army position and in a context of growing tensions around negotiations between Beirut and Israel.
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In an unprecedented initiative, Life for Relief and Development launched a global humanitarian campaign to find sponsors for 60,000 orphans in the Gaza Strip to support children who lost one or both of their parents following the war. The aim is to meet their basic needs [...]
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The House of Representatives began its consideration of the bill to abolish the death penalty in Lebanon on Tuesday, 11 August 2026 in Beirut. The country has not carried out any executions since 2004, but the courts can still impose capital sentences. After several months of committee work and a first review prevented in July by the loss of quorum, MPs now have to decide how to remove the penalty and how to replace it.
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The eighth round of negotiations between Lebanon and Israel, planned for early September 2026 under American mediation, is now surrounded by uncertainty. After the failure of the Rome meeting to secure a new Israeli withdrawal and the continued bombing in the South, Beirut demanded three measures before returning to the table: the cessation of military operations, the cessation of destruction and the creation of a new pilot zone in Bint Jbeil or Khiam.
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On 11 August 1969, an Israeli air attack struck several villages in southern Lebanon, causing civilian deaths and injuries. Beirut urgently seized the Security Council, denouncing a 1949 Armistice violation. The crisis led to resolution 270, condemning the operation.
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Israel reportedly made a particular request in the ongoing negotiations with Lebanon: the transfer of remains of Jews buried in Lebanon, including Beirut and Saida, to cemeteries in Israel. According to Al-Akhbar, this issue is linked to discussions regarding the release of Lebanese civilians detained by Israel. Prisoners [...]
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The vote on the media bill by joint parliamentary committees goes far beyond the professional press. Depending on its final wording, the text may affect citizens who publish on Facebook, X, Instagram or TikTok. The main risk lies in too wide a scope, vague concepts such as false news or infringement of institutions, and a regulatory authority that can become a tool for political control.
Read articleThe vote on the media bill by joint parliamentary committees goes far beyond the professional press. Depending on its final wording, the text may affect citizens who publish on Facebook, X, Instagram or TikTok. The main risk lies in too wide a scope, vague concepts such as false news or infringement of institutions, and a regulatory authority that can become a tool for political control.
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The project to revive the Hedjaz railway, carried by Turkey with Saudi Arabia, goes far beyond the economic framework. By connecting Turkey with the Gulf through Syria and Jordan, Ankara is seeking to become again a central player in regional traffic. This corridor competes with projects linking the Emirates and Saudi Arabia to the Israeli port of Haifa. It also worries Israel, already concerned about Turkish influence in Syria, and puts Riyadh in the face of a contradiction: to cooperate with Ankara while not trusting its report to the Muslim Brotherhood.
Read articleThe project to revive the Hedjaz railway, carried by Turkey with Saudi Arabia, goes far beyond the economic framework. By connecting Turkey with the Gulf through Syria and Jordan, Ankara is seeking to become again a central player in regional traffic. This corridor competes with projects linking the Emirates and Saudi Arabia to the Israeli port of Haifa. It also worries Israel, already concerned about Turkish influence in Syria, and puts Riyadh in the face of a contradiction: to cooperate with Ankara while not trusting its report to the Muslim Brotherhood.
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No, the spectre of civil war is not back in Lebanon.This is a beautiful lure that the Lebanese have understood what the trap of a civil war costs. No, Israel's irresistible temptation to incrust in the South did not end.Yes, in its negotiation with America, the Islamic Republic of Iran continues to enunciate only the south of the [...]
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The framework agreement signed between Lebanon, Israel and the United States may encounter several institutional locks. Article 52 of the Constitution raises the question of passage through Parliament. Article 65 imposes two thirds on the Council of Ministers on fundamental matters. In the House, the quorum is 65 deputies and the vote on a law is public. The debate was also political: Taif imposed the dissolution of the militias, but its part on the liberation of the South served to legitimize the resistance against Israel.
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The total solar eclipse of Wednesday 12 August 2026 will not be visible from Lebanon, not even in partial form. The entire band will cross the Arctic regions, Greenland, Iceland, the Atlantic and part of Spain, while much of Europe will observe a partial eclipse. Beirut and all Lebanese territory will remain outside the lunar darkness. Lebanese observers will have to wait until 2 August 2027 to see a new solar eclipse directly.
Read articleThe total solar eclipse of Wednesday 12 August 2026 will not be visible from Lebanon, not even in partial form. The entire band will cross the Arctic regions, Greenland, Iceland, the Atlantic and part of Spain, while much of Europe will observe a partial eclipse. Beirut and all Lebanese territory will remain outside the lunar darkness. Lebanese observers will have to wait until 2 August 2027 to see a new solar eclipse directly.
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Lebanon faces a sustained increase in cancer that now exceeds the capacity of oncology services alone. International estimates show 13,034 new cases and 7,307 deaths in 2022, while 33,576 people were diagnosed in the previous five years. Breast, lung, prostate, colorectal and bladder cancer are among the main locations. To this increase is added the cost of drugs, unequal access to care and inadequate screening.
Read articleLebanon faces a sustained increase in cancer that now exceeds the capacity of oncology services alone. International estimates show 13,034 new cases and 7,307 deaths in 2022, while 33,576 people were diagnosed in the previous five years. Breast, lung, prostate, colorectal and bladder cancer are among the main locations. To this increase is added the cost of drugs, unequal access to care and inadequate screening.
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By Tasneem Elridi Thousands of Lebanese families continue to suffer the consequences of an increasingly serious humanitarian crisis, despite the announcement of a ceasefire. According to the latest reports published by the United Nations and international organizations, the number of internally displaced persons now exceeds 1.049 million, while more than [...]
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CNRS Infographic 2026 shows that 24 Lebanese beaches are bathed, but seven sites between Beirut and Jounieh are prohibited from bathing due to extreme pollution. The analysis reveals regional disparities, the impact of wastewater and microplastics, and gaps in infrastructure and governance. Solutions exist but require collective commitment.
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The Lebanese Government is preparing for the passage of Iraqi crude oil and petroleum products through the national territory. In the first phase, Lebanon should serve as a storage and re-export centre, with transport by tankers. Roads, border crossings and oil installations must be adapted. Behind this operation is a broader issue: to put Tripoli on the new energy routes between Iraq and the Mediterranean, while Baghdad is seeking to reduce its dependence on exports by the Gulf.
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China has established itself as Lebanon's leading supplier and could already be at the forefront of its individual trading partners. Trade reached $2.8 billion in 2025, according to Chinese Ambassador Chen Chuandong, and then $1.29 billion in the first half of 2026 despite the regional war. Behind this spectacular increase, however, is a strong imbalance: Lebanon buys a lot from China but sells little to it. The next challenge is to attract Chinese investment and further open the Chinese market to Lebanese companies.
Read articleChina has established itself as Lebanon's leading supplier and could already be at the forefront of its individual trading partners. Trade reached $2.8 billion in 2025, according to Chinese Ambassador Chen Chuandong, and then $1.29 billion in the first half of 2026 despite the regional war. Behind this spectacular increase, however, is a strong imbalance: Lebanon buys a lot from China but sells little to it. The next challenge is to attract Chinese investment and further open the Chinese market to Lebanese companies.
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يح Whilst المر Whilst اللروبي للنحاهر في لبنان من وه的ا من لعدال
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Alfa activated 5G in several areas of Beirut and its suburbs, before an announced expansion to 75 additional stations. This launch marks a first step for a long-standing Lebanon away from the modernization of mobile networks. However, the success of the project will depend on the quality of fibre optics, electricity, regulation, prices and the ability of the authorities to extend coverage beyond the main urban areas.
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The Parliamentary Finance Committee finalized the review of the bank restructuring bill before a final meeting scheduled for Monday. For its president, Ibrahim Kanaan, this reform cannot restore confidence without a law guaranteeing the return of deposits. Financing these repayments and the effective implementation of future reforms now appear to be the main challenges of Lebanese economic recovery.
Read articleOn 11 August 1969, an Israeli air attack struck several villages in southern Lebanon, causing civilian deaths and injuries. Beirut urgently seized the Security Council, denouncing a 1949 Armistice violation. The crisis led to resolution 270, condemning the operation.
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In Gilgamesh's epic, the king of Uruk and his companion Enkidu go to the cedar forest to face Humbaba, his guardian. The story is Mesopotamian, but its imaginary looks towards the high mountains of the Levant, where the cedar of Lebanon becomes both richness, divine symbol and stake of conquest. Before being a [...]
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Less known than Adonis in Byblos or Melqart in Tyre, Beroe gives Beirut a singular place in ancient mythology. At Nonnos de Panopolis, the city becomes a nymph, born of the love of Aphrodite and Adonis, disputed by Dionysos and Poseidon, and associated with the sea, beauty and the law. Beirut often [...]
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With the disappearance of Kavinsky, French electronic music loses one of its most singular creators. Behind this pseudonym was Vincent Belorgey, a discreet artist who became a world reference thanks to an immediately recognizable universe made of analog synthesizers, neons, desert roads and Ferrari Testarossa launched in the night. His character, inspired [...]
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The Unesco World Heritage Committee has placed Tyre on the World Heritage List at risk, at the request of the Lebanese government. This decision recognizes that the conditions necessary for the conservation of the site are no longer in place, owing to the damage already observed and the continuing threat of hostilities. The Minister of Culture, Ghassan Salamé, now hopes to mobilise Member States, obtain expertise and speed up safeguard measures.
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The Israeli plan to dynamit a network of tunnels in the Beaufort Ridge raises serious concerns for Qalaa al-Shaqif. Israel claims to be targeting a Hezbollah military infrastructure, but has not published any independent geological study or detailed risk assessment. This threat comes after a series of attacks on Lebanese heritage since October 2023, from Tyre to Baalbeck, including Nabatiyah, Chamaa, Mhaibib and several historic villages in southern Lebanon.
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Le média citoyen francophone du Liban a été fondé en 2006 et présente l’actualité politique, économique, judiciaire, culturelle et sociale du Pays des Cèdres.
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