To Beirut, with love: Young poet to represent Mideast in world competition

Rabab Chamseddine, a 21-year-old Lebanese poet, is headed for Paris for the World Poetry Slam next year after winning the Beirut Poetry Slam with works that tackled notions of self and country.

Lebanon

Small Lebanese craft brewers introduce big new tastes in beer

Micro and craft breweries are paving the way for locally made Lebanese beer by working around the lack of traditional ingredients and doing what they can to avoid contributing to the Lebanon's persistent environmental problems.

Lebanon

Entrepreneur brings blueberries to Lebanon

Talal Nassereddine's Tout Berry Farms aims to make berry cultivation a big business in Lebanon and the broader Middle East.

Lebanon

New IDF strategy to focus on missiles

Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman intends to establish a new military corps dedicated to missiles and rockets to counter growing threats from Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Syrian army.

Israel

Russia shows no signs of ditching Iran over Syria

Turkey rallies jihadi armed groups to its side in Idlib; Lebanon backs Russian plan for Syrian refugees.

Lebanon

Hezbollah's role evolving in Syria as Assad nears victory

As the forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad move in on the last major rebel stronghold, speculation is turning to what the future might hold for Hezbollah in Syria.

Israel

Russia eyes refugee return as centerpiece of next policy move in Syria

Moscow claims it's making progress in talks with Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey over the return of Syrian refugees; yet getting international organizations and the United States to cooperate on the refugee return and the reconstruction of Syria proves more challenging.

Jordan

Culture alert: Music mixed with history in August

Some of the August festivals in the Middle East take place in spectacular settings, from Cairo to Byblos to Troy.

Egypt

Lebanon looks for economic lift from cannabis

Lebanon’s parliament is set to discuss a bill to legalize the production of industrial hemp as part of efforts to boost the country’s ailing economy.

Lebanon

Lebanese divided over efforts to repatriate Syrian refugees

In the absence of a unified government plan ensuring the displaced Syrians’ return to their country, Hezbollah moved to facilitate the return, which some parties welcomed while others prefer the Lebanese state take charge of this dossier.

Lebanon

Israel prepares for Assad’s return to the border

Israeli security experts claim that the return of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to the Golan Heights is not necessarily bad news for Israel.

Israel

Congress rebukes Lebanon over Syrian refugee transfers

Congress is asking the State Department to weigh in on Lebanon’s dispute with the UN refugee agency as it seeks to repatriate thousands of Syrian refugees.

Lebanon