WindowTaylor Swift, Love, Diamonds and Pop: Everything She Touches Turns to Gold

Marie-Christine Tayah 14/10 16:00 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Taylor Swift Music Culture Economy Art Star

Dominating music charts, Taylor Swift leads in multiple areas, establishing herself as a worldwide sensation. The American star creates rare ripple effects across music, fashion and even finance. At 35, after announcing her engagement to American football player Travis Kelce this summer, Swift triggered an immediate reaction from millions of fans ...

Numbers & FiguresLebanon Still Charms, but Tourism Numbers Fall

Christiane Tager 14/10 12:30 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Saudi Arabia United Arab Emirates Tourism Economy Lebanon

In the 2010s, Lebanon ranked among the world’s top tourist destinations, celebrated for its festivals, crowded beaches, boutique hotels and award-winning cuisine. Tourism then accounted for nearly a fifth of GDP and was at the very heart of the economy. Today, that postcard-perfect image has faded. Two years after a brief recovery, the sector ...

US Tariffs on Timber, Furniture Take Effect

This is Beirut 14/10 09:15 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Donald Trump USA Shipping Tariffs

US  fresh tariffs on imported wood, furniture and kitchen cabinets took effect Tuesday, a development likely to fuel building costs and pile pressure on homebuyers in an already challenging market. The duties were imposed to boost US industries and protect national security, according to the White House, and they broaden a slate of ...

Mobile Telecom Workers Union Appeals NSSF Decree Extension

This is Beirut 13/10 12:05 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Alfa Touch lebanon NSSF

In a strongly worded statement, the union representing employees in the mobile telecommunications sector (Alfa and Touch) announced that it had filed an appeal on October 13, 2025, before the Council of State against the government’s decision of October 6, 2025, which extended by one year the validity of the National Social Security Fund (NSSF) ...

Figure of the weekQaraoun Lake: Lebanon’s Silent Ecological Disaster

Liliane Mokbel 11/10 14:00 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Banks

Every year, an estimated 50 million cubic meters of domestic wastewater are discharged into Lake Qaraoun. Added to this are 2 million cubic meters of industrial wastewater, as well as waste from Syrian migrant camps established by the state along the riverbanks. This toxic mix is putting one of Lebanon’s largest freshwater reservoirs at serious ...

US Gas: Washington Secures Its Place in Europe’s Energy Market

Christiane Tager 10/10 21:30 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Europe USA Washington Donald Trump European Union

For more than two years, Europe has sought to reduce its reliance on Russian gas, an effort accelerated by the war in Ukraine and rising geopolitical tensions. According to RFI, European firms, long hesitant to commit to long-term deals, are now turning to US liquefied natural gas (LNG) to secure reliable supplies. This shift represents a ...

Tesla Strikes Back at BYD with More Affordable Models

This is Beirut 10/10 20:30 - Reading : less than a minute

United States Tesla BYD car Elon Musk

After being overtaken in 2025 by Chinese giant BYD, now the world’s leading electric vehicle manufacturer, Tesla is moving to regain lost ground. According to Reuters, Elon Musk’s company has launched new “Standard” versions of its flagship models in the United States: the Model 3 starting at $36,990 and the Model Y at $39,990. The ...

Paris Fashion Week: Where Style Pays Off

This is Beirut 10/10 19:55 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Paris Fashion Week mode economy

Every year, the French capital doesn’t just host the world’s top fashion shows; it drives the industry’s economy. According to the Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode, Paris Fashion Week generates around €1.2 billion in economic impact for the city. Over several weeks, more than 110 haute couture and ready-to-wear shows unfold, ...

China’s Pure Gold: From Luxury to Investment

Liliane Mokbel 10/10 19:50 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Gold China

Could there be synthetic gold, distinct from naturally mined gold, similar to lab-grown diamonds? The question is intriguing, and the answer is nuanced. China has developed a new type of gold called “Hard Pure Gold,” a breakthrough that could transform the global jewelry market and strengthen Beijing’s influence in the gold trade. With a ...

Foreign Competition Chokes Lebanese Agriculture

Christiane Tager 10/10 11:30 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Lebanon economy agriculture poultry market exports

With fields overflowing and fridges full, Lebanon’s potato and poultry producers are pleading with the government: curb chaotic imports, reopen land exports to Arab markets and guarantee fair prices to ensure their survival. The situation is both serious and absurd. In the agricultural sector, the talk is no longer about the weather but about ...

Lebanon Connects to the Stars with Starlink

Christiane Tager 09/10 21:05 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

starlink internet lebanon

In a country where a simple power outage can plunge entire neighborhoods offline, this marks a major turning point for a telecommunications sector long lagging behind and an ambitious gamble: connecting a fragmented country, from southern villages to northern towns and through downtown Beirut, not with cables but with stars. On Wednesday, October ...

Commercial Leases: Pharmacists Call for Amendments to Prevent Chaos

Liliane Mokbel 09/10 14:00 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

The recently enacted commercial lease law in Lebanon is far from being universally welcomed, particularly among pharmacists, who have voiced strong opposition to its provisions. In late October, the Lebanese Order of Pharmacists submitted a proposal to the Parliamentary Committee on Administration and Justice, seeking amendments to what they view ...