Football: At 38, Champion and Two-Time MVP, Messi Refuses to Slow Down

Makram Haddad 2025-12-10 14:30 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

United States lionel Messi MLS Inter Miami Football

At 38 years old, Lionel Messi has just delivered the first title in Inter Miami’s history in Major League Soccer, while also securing a second consecutive MVP trophy. Champion, best player, record-breaker: even in exile in Florida, the Argentine continues to push the limits of time and statistics. Lionel Messi did not cross the Atlantic to ...

Aoun Sends Well-Wishes to Al-Sharaa During Airspace Transit

This is Beirut 2025-12-09 21:35 - Reading : less than a minute

Damascus Joseph Aoun Lebanon Ahmad Al-Sharaa Syria Oman

Syrian state news agency SANA reported Tuesday that President Ahmed al-Sharaa received a diplomatic cable from Lebanese President Joseph Aoun as Aoun’s aircraft transited Syrian airspace on its way to the Sultanate of Oman. The gesture came as Damascus marked the first anniversary of its liberation from the former Assad regime. In his ...

Iranian Filmmaker Jafar Panahi Sentenced in Absentia Amid Cannes Triumph

This is Beirut 2025-12-02 13:00 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Film Jafar Panahi Justice Iran Culture

Iran has sentenced Palme d'Or-winning filmmaker Jafar Panahi in absentia to one year in prison and a travel ban over "propaganda activities" against the country, his lawyer told AFP on Monday. The sentence includes a two-year travel ban and prohibition of Panahi from membership in any political or social groups, lawyer Mostafa Nili told AFP, ...

'One Battle After Another' Leads Golden Globes Noms With Nine

This is Beirut 2025-12-09 09:50 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Golden Globes Movie Nominations

Paul Thomas Anderson's politically charged "One Battle After Another" leads with nine nominations for the Golden Globes, organizers announced Monday, as the race to the Oscars kicked into high gear. Norwegian family dramedy "Sentimental Value" was second with eight, followed by period horror movie "Sinners" with seven and Shakespeare family drama ...

Farewell to Martin Parr, Britain’s Relentless Chronicler in Colour

This is Beirut 2025-12-08 15:40 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Martin Parr Photographer Death Culture Britain

Celebrated British documentary photographer Martin Parr has died at his home in the western English city Bristol, his foundation announced on Sunday. He was 73. Famous for his kitschy colour-saturated images capturing all aspects of life in Britain and beyond, Parr had a sharp eye for mundane oddities, whether it was the rich at play or ...

Hollywood Awards Race Heats up With Golden Globes Nominations

This is Beirut 2025-12-08 09:50 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Wicked Hamnet Sinners Golden Globes

Hollywood's awards season shifts into high gear Monday when nominations for the Golden Globes are unveiled, with hit musical "Wicked: For Good," Shakespeare family tragedy "Hamnet" and period horror movie "Sinners" leading the charge. Paul Thomas Anderson's politically charged "One Battle After Another," starring Leonardo DiCaprio, and ...

Hollywood Awards Season Kicks Off: 'Sinners' Tops Critics’ Choice Nominations

This is Beirut 2025-12-06 11:30 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Film Critics Choice Nominations US Culture

Sinners topped the slate of nominees for the Critics’ Choice Awards in Los Angeles on Friday, as the movie industry's awards season starts to take shape. The acclaimed period horror drama, written and directed by Ryan Coogler, received a whopping 17 nods, including one for best picture, giving it early momentum as Hollywood gears up for the ...

Iran Filmmaker Panahi to Return Home Despite Prison Sentence

This is Beirut 2025-12-05 19:15 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Cinema Jafar Panahi Justice Iran Culture

Dissident Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi has said he plans to return to Iran despite being sentenced to a year in prison and a travel ban earlier this week, a report said Thursday. The 65-year-old is currently touring to promote his latest Oscar-nominated film, It Was Just an Accident, which won top prize at the Cannes Film Festival this ...

Israel's Netanyahu Picks Military Secretary as New Mossad Chief

This is Beirut 2025-12-04 19:50 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Benjamin Netanyahu Israel Hamas Hezbollah

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday picked his military secretary, a general with no background in intelligence, as the next head of the country's foreign intelligence agency Mossad. In a statement, Netanyahu's office announced the decision to appoint Major General Roman Gofman as head of the spy agency, saying he would ...

‘Peter Hujar’s Day’ Leads Spirit Awards Nominations

This is Beirut 2025-12-04 11:00 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Film Award Spirit US Culture

Biopic Peter Hujar's Day on Wednesday topped the nominations for the Spirit Awards, which also saw singer SZA given a nod for her debut film role. The awards honor lower budget movies and are among the first significant pre-Oscars galas to unveil their shortlists. Peter Hujar's Day, which premiered at Sundance this year, bagged five nods, ...

Semaan Douaihy Joins the World Futsal Board

Makram Haddad 2025-10-09 11:25 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Lebanon Semaan Douaihy Futsal Sports

A global whistle for a local builder. FIFA has officially appointed Semaan Douaihy to its Futsal Committee for the 2025-2029 term. A backseat position? No. Rather, it is a technical box from which the direction, formats, regulations, development, and roadmap of a rapidly growing discipline are decided. For Lebanon, it is a flag planted in the ...

Mesotherapy: Radiance Boost or Overhyped Procedure?

Bélinda Ibrahim 2025-10-09 10:55 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

A tired-looking face, lacking radiance, paired with the promise of an immediate “refresh:” mesotherapy has become a staple in aesthetic clinics, praised for its micro-injections of revitalizing cocktails. The concept is simple: tiny amounts of vitamins, non-crosslinked hyaluronic acid, trace elements or peptides are injected into the upper ...

Venice Film Festival 2025: 21 Films Compete for the Golden Lion

This is Beirut 2025-08-25 15:35 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Movies 82nd Venice Film Festival Documentaries Italy Culture

As the leading international cinema event of the fall, the Venice Film Festival welcomes a flurry of stars and a strong selection of films, many with a distinctly political tone. 21 Films Competing for the Golden Lion Among the 21 films vying for the Golden Lion, the most anticipated include: Le mage du Kremlin, by Olivier Assayas An ...

Macron Scrambles to Find New French PM after Bayrou Ousted

This is Beirut 2025-09-08 23:18 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

France François Bayrou French National Assembly Confidence Vote

President Emmanuel Macron will accept the resignation of Prime Minister Francois Bayrou on Tuesday after his government was ejected in a confidence vote, with the French leader rushing to find a successor and stave off a new political crisis. On Monday, Bayrou suffered a crushing loss in a confidence vote he had himself called, plunging France ...

Macron Names Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu New Prime Minister

This is Beirut 2025-09-09 22:30 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

France Emmanuel Macron Sebastien Lecornu Francois Bayrou

French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday named defence minister and his close ally Sebastien Lecornu as the new prime minister to resolve a deepening political crisis as protests loom in the next days. In choosing Lecornu, 39, to replace Francois Bayrou as the seventh premier of his mandate, Macron has plumped for one of his closest allies ...

The Creator of ‘The Da Vinci Code’ Returns With Ambitious New Thriller

This is Beirut 2025-09-09 14:35 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam Literature Books Dan Brown Culture

Best-selling American author Dan Brown, creator of the publishing phenomenon The Da Vinci Code, released his latest thriller Tuesday in 16 languages simultaneously. The Secret of Secrets, which runs to nearly 700 pages in English, marks Brown's return eight years after his last novel, Origin. Brown called it "by far the most intricately plotted ...

Dwayne Johnson’s Oscar Journey Begins at Toronto Premiere

This is Beirut 2025-09-09 13:30 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Cinema Toronto International Film Festival Canada The Rock Dwayne Johnson Actor

Wrestler-turned-actor Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson's surprise Oscars campaign for his first arthouse role in The Smashing Machine barreled into the Toronto Film Festival Monday. Johnson, 53, who has earned rave reviews playing fighter Mark Kerr, sat down with an audience before the movie's North American premiere to reflect on a unique ...

Super Mario’s Global Impact: A Phenomenon in Numbers

This is Beirut 2025-09-09 10:30 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Super Mario Nintendo Games Art Hit Bookstores

Nintendo's chirpy Italian mascot Mario has run and jumped his way to four decades of global stardom, broadening the appeal of the video game industry as one of its most beloved characters. 40 Million Cartridges The original Super Mario Bros. cartridge game was released in 1985 for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) console in the United ...

Macron Scrambles to Find New French PM After Bayrou Ousted

This is Beirut 2025-09-09 09:20 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Emmanuel Macron France Bayrou

President Emmanuel Macron will accept the resignation of Prime Minister Francois Bayrou on Tuesday after his government was ejected in a confidence vote, with the French leader rushing to find a successor and stave off a new political crisis. On Monday, Bayrou suffered a crushing loss in a confidence vote he had himself called, plunging France ...

Will Lebanon Disarm Hezbollah, or Not?

Hussain Abdul-Hussain 2025-09-09 09:00 - Reading : 6 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam Lebanon Hezbollah United States

The Lebanese cabinet heard, on Friday, a presentation from Army Chief Rodolphe Haykal on a confidential plan to monopolize arms, as tasked by the government on August 5. The cabinet then issued a statement, and Information Minister Paul Morcos held a press conference. The vague responses left observers divided, with each side interpreting the ...

Maestro Christoph von Dohnányi Dies in Munich Aged 95

This is Beirut 2025-09-08 13:25 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Music Obituary Christoph von Dohnanyi Conductor Germany Culture

German conductor Christoph von Dohnányi, hailed as one of the greats of his generation, has died aged 95, public broadcaster NDR said Monday. Dohnanyi, who was long music director of the Cleveland Orchestra, died in Munich "a few days before his 96th birthday", which would have been Monday, NDR said. Dohnanyi was principal conductor of the NDR ...

Elina Garanca Defends Opera Amid Digital Age Challenges

This is Beirut 2025-09-10 13:30 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Elina Garanca Vienna Mezzo-soprano Netflix Opera Music

In her decades-long career, star Latvian mezzo-soprano Elina Garanca has seen the ups and downs of the music industry first hand. But the business has changed drastically with the rise of social media, even impacting the way many people inside and outside the industry approach classical music — namely "without patience or time", she told ...

Alcaraz Outshines Rival Sinner to Win Second US Open

This is Beirut 2025-09-08 10:20 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

USA US Open Tennis Carlos Alcaraz Jannik Sinner

Carlos Alcaraz beat Jannik Sinner in four sets on Sunday to win the US Open and reassert his dominance of an era-defining rivalry in a final delayed by the visit of President Donald Trump. The 22-year-old Alcaraz won 6-2, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 to capture his second US Open crown and sixth Grand Slam title, avenging his lone defeat in a major final by ...

Ariana Grande Wins Top Prize at MTV Video Music Award

This is Beirut 2025-09-08 09:30 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

MTV Video Music Awards Music Adriana Grande Culture Art Winner

Ariana Grande won the MTV Video Music Awards' top honor on Sunday, taking home Video of the Year for Brighter Days Ahead, which also claimed Best Pop Song at the ceremony near New York City. Visibly emotional while accepting the evening's most prestigious award, the 32-year-old singer-songwriter and actor delivered an extended thank you to her ...

Disarmament: Where There’s a Will, There’s a Way

Michel Touma 2025-09-08 08:30 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

European Union Gulf Hezbollah Joseph Aoun Tehran

The political decision has been made. What matters now is to move to the essentials, cutting through the media noise stirred up by Hezbollah for domestic consumption. From this point forward, it is bold action on the ground that will test the executive branch’s real determination to implement the disarmament of all militias, Lebanese and ...

Verstappen Puts Brakes on McLaren with Record-Breaking Italian GP Victory

This is Beirut 2025-09-07 19:50 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Formula One F1 Max Verstappen Ferrari Lando Norris

Max Verstappen slowed McLaren's Formula One dominance on Sunday with a phenomenal display of driving on his way to victory at the Italian Grand Prix, the fastest ever race in the sports history. Starting from pole, reigning world champion Verstappen completed a magical weekend at Monza which included the fastest lap ever in F1 in Saturday's ...

Jim Jarmusch Wins Venice Gold with 'Father Mother Sister Brother'

This is Beirut 2025-09-07 08:00 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Venice Film Festival Italy Cinema Culture Art Jim Jarmusch

At the end of a politically charged edition, the 82nd Venice Film Festival awarded its top prize on Saturday to Jim Jarmusch’s quiet, independent film about family, while giving a strong runner-up nod to The Voice of Hind Rajab by Kaouther Ben Hania. To the audience’s surprise, Jarmusch’s Father Mother Sister Brother took home the coveted ...

Matthew McConaughey and Jamie Lee Curtis Bring Paradise Wildfire Heroism to Life

This is Beirut 2025-09-06 17:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Cinema Matthew McConaughey Canada Festival Toronto International Film Festival Culture

For Hollywood stars Matthew McConaughey and Jamie Lee Curtis, making an action film about the deadliest wildfire in California history hits close to home. The Lost Bus tells the harrowing true story of a school bus driver who risked his life to save 22 children from the inferno that destroyed the town of Paradise in 2018. The movie's world ...

Budget 2026: 1,051 Pages, Zero Tax Reform, Spending on the Rise

Liliane Mokbel 2025-09-06 11:30 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Central Bank of Lebanon

The 2026 draft budget spans 1,051 pages and 50 articles, yet still avoids any real tax reform. Distributed to ministers within the constitutional deadline, it relies almost entirely on indirect taxation, the most unfair burden for low- and middle-income households. In essence, it offers nothing new, repeating the same approach as the 2025 budget ...

Lecornu: Macron's Discreet 'Loyal Soldier'

This is Beirut 2025-09-09 22:35 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

France Sebastien Lecornu

Sebastien Lecornu, named Tuesday as France's new prime minister, has served as defense minister for over three years during much of Russia's invasion of Ukraine and is seen as a deeply loyal, if discreet, ally of President Emmanuel Macron. Still just 39, Lecornu has been one of the few faces of continuity in the French cabinet at a time of ...