This is Beirut 21/10 22:55 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
ChatGPT-maker OpenAI on Tuesday announced an "Atlas" search browser, leveraging its artificial intelligence prowess in a direct challenge to Google Chrome. "This is an AI-powered web browser built around ChatGPT," OpenAI chief Sam Altman said in a streamed presentation. OpenAI has ramped up its challenge to Google, which has responded by rapidly ...
This is Beirut 21/10 18:00 - Reading : less than a minute
Lebanon’s Consumer Price Index rose 0.6% in September 2025, compared with August 2025, according to official data. Year-on-year inflation reached 15.06%. At the governorate level, monthly increases varied significantly: Mount Lebanon, +0.90%; Beqaa, +0.69%; Nabatieh, +0.64%; Beirut, +0.27%; South Lebanon, +0.22%; and North Lebanon, ...
Christiane Tager 20/10 20:50 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
Middle East Pope Francis Pope Leo XIV
With the historic visit of Pope Leo XIV, scheduled from November 30 to December 2, 2025, drawing near, Lebanon is experiencing a surge in travel bookings. Airlines report a strong rise in demand, while the hotel sector is still waiting to see tangible gains. The announcement of Pope Leo XIV’s first trip to the region has generated widespread ...
Rayan Chami 20/10 17:25 - Reading : less than a minute
Stocks Nasdaq Tech Debt Global Markets
In 2025, global markets are under intense pressure. Stocks are soaring to record highs, fueled by the AI boom, but one spark could send them tumbling. Here’s a breakdown.
This is Beirut 20/10 09:40 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
USA AI ChatGPT Nvidia Broadcom
OpenAI is ordering hundreds of billions of dollars worth of chips in the artificial intelligence race, raising questions among investors about how the startup will finance these purchases. In less than a month, the San Francisco startup behind ChatGPT has committed to acquiring a staggering 26 gigawatts of sophisticated data processors from ...
Christiane Tager 18/10 16:00 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
The frenzy that gripped the cocoa market seems to be fading. In December 2024, the price per ton hit nearly $12,000, a historic high driven by fears of a worldwide shortage. However, since the summer of 2025, prices have dropped below $6,000, reaching their lowest point since February 2024, according to Bloomberg. This shift signals the end of a ...
Liliane Mokbel 18/10 14:30 - Reading : 1 minute(s)
Lebanon is overwhelmed with gas stations. The country has 3,500 gas stations spread over 10,452 km². This amounts to one station for every 1,428 people, a ratio unique in the region and in Europe. For comparison: In France, one station serves 6,235 people. In Germany, one station serves 5,975 people. When considering land area, ...
Christiane Tager 17/10 12:15 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
International Monetary Fund Markets economy stocks
Since January, major stock indices such as the S&P 500, Nasdaq and Euro Stoxx have shattered records. Fueled by surging optimism around artificial intelligence, global finance seems to be reliving its golden era. Yet beneath this spectacular rise, the ground is quaking. Every peak is followed by a dark day. In just hours, billions of dollars could ...
This is Beirut 16/10 18:10 - Reading : 1 minute(s)
Lebanon International Monetary Fund Central Bank of Lebanon Washington Middle East Karim Souhaid
The Governor of Lebanon’s Central Bank (BDL), Karim Souhaid, held a series of high-level meetings in Washington with officials from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), according to a statement issued by his press office on Thursday. Souhaid was accompanied by Deputy Governors Salim Shahine and Gaby Shnouzian, along with the Chairman of the ...
Liliane Mokbel 16/10 13:45 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
As Lebanon gradually emerges from a period marked by deep political, economic, and humanitarian turmoil, the World Bank’s latest MENAAP (Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan, and Pakistan) Economic Report, published in October 2025, gives encouraging prospects for the country. Despite ongoing fragility, particularly in public finances and ...
Christiane Tager 15/10 20:40 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
Under the southern Lebanese sun, banana trees proudly stretch their lush green leaves, standing tall against climate challenges, crises and conflict. In this fertile, humid region, bananas have become more than a crop; they are a national specialty. “We produce between 80,000 and 100,000 tons a year, and demand keeps rising,” says a grower ...
This is Beirut 15/10 19:50 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
Port of Beirut management issued a statement on Wednesday to clarify the reasons behind delays in the electronic processing of port transactions, emphasizing that these were not due to a work stoppage but to a temporary malfunction in the “Najm” system, which is used to transmit data to the Customs Directorate. According to the statement, ...