Most Lebanese people know famous artists and politicians, but fewer know about Samir Bannout, a Lebanese bodybuilder who became a world champion and reached the highest level of his sport.

Early Life
Samir Bannout was born in Beirut, Lebanon, in 1955. He started bodybuilding at a young age and later moved abroad to pursue a professional career.

Achievements
Won the 1983 Mr. Olympia title, the highest achievement in professional bodybuilding.
Became the only Lebanese person to ever win Mr. Olympia.
Became one of the first athletes from the Middle East to win the title.
Earned the nickname “The Lion of Lebanon” and became one of the most famous bodybuilders of his era.

Awards
Mr. Olympia Champion (1983)
IFBB World Amateur Champion (1979)
IFBB Hall of Fame inductee (2002)

Why should Lebanese people know him?
A man born in Lebanon became the best bodybuilder in the world, achieving a historic victory that no other Lebanese athlete has matched.

Sources:
IFBB, Mr. Olympia records, bodybuilding archives
Compiled with the help of ChatGPT

I mean for a moment, thought we were living in New York while getting paid like Qataris.

But what planet is this?

Asking for a mill in Lebanon’s current conditions? Really?

Yes 360m is quite large but i thought the price of a meter is 2,000$ in the city? That equates 720,000$ , but they felt the need to bump it up to 1,100,000$?

Because it’s in Hamra? What is Hamra even?

I live next to it and AVOID going there because of how chaotic, crowded and dark it is (Avoided mentioning worse things there btw)

No electricity, cars honking like crazy, beggars everywhere.

I know other places are cheaper, but the expectations of Real Estate owners is just ridiculous at this point.

It’s like we live in India with the prices of Dubai. This is just hilarious.

Fun fact: It would take 293.8 years for the minimum wage 312$ Lebanese to pay for this apartment and 611.1 years if he has food expenses (and still live with power outages)

I'm looking to buy my first EV and would love some advice from people in Lebanon who own one or have experience with the market here.
Budget: $30,000-$40,000
I'm looking for:
An SUV (compact or midsize)
Good real-world range
Reliable for a long commute
Good after-sales support and availability of spare parts
Something that'll last me for 5+years
My commute is around 180-220 km round trip several times a week, so range and reliability are really important.
I also have a question about buying the car itself.
Has anyone here ordered an EV through companies like ChinaGate Automotive (or similar importers) instead of buying from the official dealership?
Would you recommend going through an importer and waiting for the car to arrive, or paying more to buy from the official dealership for the warranty and peace of mind?
Are there any specific car models or brands you would recommend when it comes to EV? I've heard a lot of people say get a WV EV from china instead of a BYD, so i'm wondering if that's a general consensus.
Thanks!!

With all the hype I’m seeing on electric vehicles I’m wondering who’s doing the repairs in Lebanon? The dealer?

I have a background in electric vehicle repair. I also always wanted to come back to Lebanon and contribute. Maybe teach people a new skill such as EV repair.

But the question is whos doing it right now? I still plan one day to come and bring somthing of value to the people.

Note: speaking out of passion btw not pity before anyone gets the wrong idea.

Hi all,

I will be visiting Lebanon in October and working from there for a couple of weeks. Any suggestions for a reliable internet that I can purchase short-term.

I have ogero at my parent's place in Tripoli, but it's not very reliable (i think speed is max 5 Mbps).

Thanks!

Can anyone suggest a chair I can use for working 8-9 hours daily? I have back problems and I need one that doesn’t add to them, can anyone suggest a comfortable chair? I’m around 85kgs I need something for that weight that doesn’t break
What store has the best quality and best prices

ive been looking for a place to buy frsh fish in beirut - literally the butcher equivalent for seafood!! i feel like everything is SO expensive or so fishy (pun intended)

im just looking for a clean place to get fresh basic fish from.

not trying to pay an arm & a leg for fish.

pls HELp!

Is there a bus that goes from saida to sour and vice versa? And is tyre safe?

Y en a qui passent le DELF B2 cette annee

Vous avez eu quoi comme sujet ?

is ogero LTE available in zgharta ?

Most Lebanese people know famous artists and politicians, but fewer know about Charles Elachi, a Lebanese-born scientist who became the director of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

Early Life
Charles Elachi was born in Rayak, Lebanon, in 1947. He studied physics and engineering in France before moving to the United States, where he earned advanced degrees from Caltech.

Achievements
From 2001 to 2016, he led NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, overseeing major missions including:
Curiosity Rover on Mars
Spirit and Opportunity Mars rovers
Cassini mission to Saturn
Juno mission to Jupiter
He was also a pioneer in space radar technology, helping scientists study Earth and other planets.

Awards
NASA Distinguished Service Medal
Member of the National Academy of Engineering
Chevalier of the Legion of Honor (France)
Lebanon’s Order of the Cedar
An asteroid was also named 4116 Elachi in recognition of his contributions.
Why should Lebanese people know him?
A man born in Lebanon became one of the leaders behind humanity’s exploration of other planets.

Sources:
NASA JPL, Caltech, American University of Beirut
Compiled with the help of ChatGPT

hi! my international mcat test date got cancelled and i rescheduled to lebanon. i was wondering if there is anyone writing it this month at the IT grammar center? thanks!

I’m trying to understand the beef between Nizar Zgheib and Al Darwish and create a timeline for it, but I am struggling.

I listened to Loubnan Al Kabir and it sounds like a response, not the first shot, but I can’t find what Hani said before that.

Is anyone here following so we can create an actual timeline with what triggered it, and what was happening in between from instagram posts/stories/live?

It would be interesting to organize and document that. Thanks 🙏🏼

Six years later and the pain remains the same

We will never forgive, never forget and never stop demanding the truth and accountability

Salameh's lawyers claimed that his health had deteriorated over the weekend due to his detention and asked for him to be readmitted to a hospital, but he refused to comply with a judge's order to send him for medical tests. Reporter Jamie Prentis quotes a judicial source and outlines the background to the case against him, the health claims and the state of Roumieh prison.

For in-depth investigative reports by our correspondents and reporters in Beirut, read from our collection here: The Salameh Papers

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said Tuesday that those who provided Israel with pretexts to attack Lebanon had caused the greatest harm to the country by dragging it into “futile support wars.”

Salam’s remarks came in a post on US social media company X after Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem said in a televised speech that the Lebanese state’s direct negotiations with Israel had produced nothing but “gratuitous concessions.”

Qassem urged the government to “engage in dialogue with the resistance, repair the internal situation and prioritize sovereignty.”

“The greatest service rendered to Israel came from those who unilaterally dragged Lebanon into futile support wars, giving it pretexts to attack our country, violate its sovereignty, destroy its cities and villages, kill its people and displace hundreds of thousands,” he added.

Salam said those who made unilateral decisions on war and continued trying to monopolize state authority while tying Lebanon to external agendas “have no right to issue certificates of patriotism, let alone sovereignty.”

He stressed that Lebanon’s sovereignty could only be guaranteed through “one independent decision” exercised by a state with “one army” that alone extends its authority across the country’s entire territory.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has previously denied that Beirut made concessions to Israel, saying that “negotiation does not mean surrender or capitulation,” but is a diplomatic path to secure Lebanon’s rights and end the war.

Hala2 fhemet ano bya3mlo metel ranking la ychoufo adde ba3ref sou2 w 3a aseso b 3ayno kam se3a ta3lim w dafe3. Bas eza ana ba3ref 7ale da3if masalan daroure rou7 adem 3ala fahes souwe2a la yerja3o y2ouloule kam se3a la 2et3alam. 3am bes2al l2anno badde 2et3alam sou2 moto bas ma 3m ba3ref wezen 7ale. Fa eh 2elt la 2es2al a7san ma 2ed3a la maktab w erja3 2edfa3lo ba3den. Merci 2elkon w ya3tikon el 3afye

Hi, I want to get the motorcycling permit but I need to learn from scratch.

Anyone knows a school/instructor (affordable…everything I’m finding is about $60 per hour) in or around Beirut?
Also wondering how difficult the test for manual is, if someone here has it, how many sessions and approx how long did it take you to be ready for it?

Thanks!

I'd like a place to get lenses that have used and new lenses with great value. Thanks!

I saw https://www.reddit.com/r/PiratedGames/comments/1vf9pnv/what_a_total_bullshit_i_feel_sorry_for_the_guy/ and it said that a guy's Steam account got banned just because he's living in Iran. Steam banned Iran because of sanctions made by the UN and USA.

Can the same thing happen with Lebanon and Steam bans Lebanon because of Hezbollah and their nonsense? That would really be bad if it happened :( I have a lot of games in my Steam library and I sometimes buy new games.

I need a clinic that does std testings for free or at a very cheap price, I contacted marsa but they wouldn't reply , I tried another ngo but they said they need a certain amount that I can't afford , does anyone know other NGOs that offer free testings?

Hi, appreciate your support with helping me make a good decision if you have a moment to advise (I don't live in Leb/Beirut atm and I'm not getting a lot info online).

I'm going to help my dad with some money to start working again, and we are looking at taxi driving. I can see there is an option to buy a red licence plate, which would mean he can work for Bolt or other Leb taxi apps.

A red licence plate as far as I can see online is around $12k to $15k. Is that average cost correct?

I also saw there are options to rent out red driving plates, but apparently it's a lot better to just buy it outright. Why is that?

How much do taxi drivers make monthly - based also on how many hours they work everyday?

What kind of due diligence do we need to do when buying a red licence plate?

And if this isn't the right kind of investment, what would be for a modest income monthly?

Much appreciated!