PSG Fightback Denies Strasbourg in Six-Goal Ligue 1 Thriller

This is Beirut 2025-10-18 01:05 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Football PSG France Ligue 1

Paris Saint-Germain produced a second-half fightback to draw 3-3 with an impressive Strasbourg on Friday as Luis Enrique's injury-hit side held on to top spot in Ligue 1. Bradley Barcola gave reigning French and European champions PSG an early advantage at the Parc des Princes, but Strasbourg came roaring back to lead 3-1 thanks to a Joaquin ...

Behind Bars, On Screen: Inside the San Quentin Film Festival

This is Beirut 2025-10-30 14:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Film Festival Prison Hollywood Redemption Culture

Held inside a notorious prison among some of California's most dangerous felons, the San Quentin Film Festival is not your typical Hollywood affair. Red-carpet interviews take place just yards (meters) away from a now dormant execution chamber where hundreds of death-row inmates met grisly ends. Convicted murderers sit alongside famous actors ...

From Ribbons to Robots: Does AI Have a Role in Breast Cancer Screening

Alissar Boulos 2025-10-31 11:00 - Reading : 6 minute(s)

LAU Breast Cancer Screening AI Mammogram

Breast cancer doesn’t behave the same way in every woman, and it certainly doesn’t behave the same way across borders. From access to screening technology to the age and frequency of recommended mammograms, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach. Can artificial intelligence (AI) help make breast cancer screening smarter, more personal, and ...

Trump and MBS Seal Major Economic and Military Partnerships

This is Beirut 2025-11-18 18:25 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Donald Trump Gulf Israel Middle East Palestine

Donald Trump received Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) on Tuesday with full protocol honors, marking his first visit to Washington since 2018. The U.S. president and the de facto leader of the Saudi kingdom made multiple announcements during a joint press conference, covering massive investments, the sale of advanced weaponry, and ...

What Next After Iraq's General Election?

This is Beirut 2025-11-11 09:50 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

US Supreme Court Iraq Iran USA

Iraqis head to the polls on Tuesday to elect a new parliament for a four-year term in a vote that will be closely watched in Washington and Tehran. Here is a look at what could come next and what the regional impact could be.  What happens after the vote?  Iraq's Supreme Court must first ratify the election results. Two weeks later, the ...

Papal Visit Funding: Where Does Lebanon Stand?

Natasha Metni Torbey 2025-11-18 16:10 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Lebanon The Vatican Papal visit Pope Leo XIV Bkerke Roger Zaccar

With less than two weeks to go before Pope Leo XIV’s visit to Lebanon at the end of the month, preparations have entered their final stage. Roger Zaccar, head of the visit’s financial committee, told This is Beirut that nearly 80% of the required funds have already been secured, with the remaining 20% are still needed to complete the ...

Wicked Sequel Expands Oz With Depth, Music And Magic

This is Beirut 2025-11-18 13:00 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Film Cinema Premiere NYC Culture Art

When Universal Pictures split its musical adaptation of Wicked into two films, the move was derided by some critics as a cynical — if spectacularly successful — money grab. But with Wicked: For Good out in theaters around the world this week, its stars and filmmakers say the decision has freed them up to expand the Wizard of Oz prequel ...

Two Newly Discovered Bach Organ Works Unveiled in Germany

This is Beirut 2025-11-18 10:30 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Music Johann Sebastian Bach Germany Culture

Two long-lost organ pieces written by a teenage Johann Sebastian Bach were unveiled in Germany on Monday in a discovery described as a "great moment for the world of music." The two solo organ works, written while Bach was working as an organ teacher in the town of Arnstadt in Thuringia early in his career, first caught the attention of ...

Box Office Weekend Surprises Audiences with 'Now You See Me'

This is Beirut 2025-11-17 10:30 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Movies Cinema Box office Culture Art

Now You See Me: Now You Don't — the third installment in the crime-heist franchise about a group of magicians — debuted atop the North American box office, besting the Glen Powell-fronted remake of The Running Man, industry estimates showed Sunday. Lionsgate's Now You See Me — which reunites Jesse Eisenberg, Isla Fisher, Dave Franco and ...

Saudi Prince, Eyeing Defence Pledge, to Meet Trump After Long US Absence

This is Beirut 2025-11-15 12:45 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Donald Trump USA Bahrain Gulf Hamas Israel Saudi Arabia

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman will press for security guarantees while US President Donald Trump will urge him to normalise ties with Israel when the de facto Saudi ruler breaks a seven-year absence from Washington this week. Saudi Arabia is unlikely to agree to normalisation at this stage, with Prince Mohammed's priority set for firmer US ...

Michelle Yeoh to Receive Lifetime Achievement Honor at 2026 Berlin Film Festival

This is Beirut 2025-11-15 10:30 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Film Berlinale Festival Michelle Yeoh Award Germany Culture

Malaysian actress Michelle Yeoh will be honored with a lifetime achievement award at next year's Berlinale film festival, organizers said Friday. Yeoh, 63, will receive the Honorary Golden Bear in recognition of her "outstanding achievements in film and cinema," the festival said in a statement. "Michelle Yeoh is a visionary artist and performer ...

YouTube Star MrBeast Brings 'Beast Land' to Riyadh Season Festival

This is Beirut 2025-11-14 17:40 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

YouTuber Superstar MrBeast Entertainment Saudi Culture

MrBeast, the world's most followed YouTuber with over 450 million subscribers, opened a temporary amusement park in Riyadh on Thursday, the latest celebrity drawn to Saudi Arabia as it aspires to become a major entertainment hub. Eager for a chance to meet the social media star, families and teenagers gathered at "Beast Land," a venue featuring ...

Jeita Grotto: The Hidden Truth the State Refuses to See

Natasha Metni Torbey 2025-11-14 16:05 - Reading : 6 minute(s)

Instead of properly closing a case that should never have existed, the report published on November 13 about the Jeita Grotto incident only deepens the concern, revealing a far more troubling reality. Institutional and scientific oversight is disturbingly lax. Procedures are improvised, responsibilities evaporate, decisions are made without a ...

Bad Bunny Dominates Latin Grammys With Landmark Wins

This is Beirut 2025-11-14 10:00 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Music Culture Art Bad Bunny Prize Grammy Latino

Puerto Rican superstar Bad Bunny enjoyed a victory lap Thursday night at the Latin Grammys, the biggest celebration of Spanish- and Portuguese-language music. The reggaeton star won five awards from 12 nominations, including the coveted Best Album prize — a category in which he is also competing at the 68th Annual Grammy Awards in February. Bad ...

EU Chief Insists Using Russian Assets Best Way to Fund Ukraine

This is Beirut 2025-11-13 11:05 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Ukraine Russia Conflict EU Budget Loan

EU chief Ursula von der Leyen insisted Thursday that using frozen Russian assets to fund a new loan was the "most effective way" to finance Ukraine, as she laid out other options after opposition from Belgium. The 27-nation bloc is scrambling for funds to help Kyiv plug looming budget black holes as Russia's war drags on towards a ...

The Power Cartel: Inside, a State Run on Generators

Natasha Metni Torbey 2025-11-12 15:55 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Lebanon EDL electricity generators Mafia

Lebanon is trapped in an opaque, sprawling energy system that keeps the country locked in an outdated model. Massive fuel imports, a relentless reliance on private generators, a fragile or even nonexistent national sovereignty, and a perpetually postponed shift to renewable energy all feed chronic dependency and block meaningful reform. This ...

Syria and Israel in Direct Talks, Sharaa Says Damascus Ready for ‘New Chapter’ With U.S.

This is Beirut 2025-11-12 09:00 - Reading : 8 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam Donald Trump Gulf United States US Congress

Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa confirmed that Syria and Israel have begun direct negotiations for the first time in half a century, signaling a major diplomatic shift in the Middle East as Damascus also seeks to rebuild relations with the United States after decades of hostility. In an interview with The Washington Post after his meeting with ...

David Szalay Wins Booker Prize For Powerful Novel

This is Beirut 2025-11-11 10:20 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Booker Prize David Szalay Literature Culture Art Novel

British-Hungarian writer David Szalay won the Booker Prize on Monday for his novel Flesh, a tortured story of a Hungarian emigre who makes and loses a fortune. Szalay beat five other shortlisted authors, including Indian novelist Kiran Desai, who won in 2006, and Britain's Andrew Miller, to claim the £50,000 ($65,500) award at a ceremony in ...

Sebastian Gorka’s Visit and Lebanon’s Financial Crossroads

This is Beirut 2025-11-10 19:35 - Reading : 6 minute(s)

Lebanon BDL Banks Economy IMF

The Senior Director for Counterterrorism Sebastian Gorka’s visit to Lebanon over the past two days has added an unexpected but timely dimension to the country’s search for economic and political stability. His meetings with local officials and policy advisors reportedly centered on policies to cut off ...

WASL: Riyadi Aims For the Four-peat, Sagesse Kicks Things Off, Arakji’s Shadow Looms

Makram Haddad 2025-11-02 11:00 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Beirut WASL Basket-ball La Sagesse

A pan-regional clubs competition organized by FIBA, the West Asia Super League (WASL) brings together the heavyweights of West Asia and the Gulf in a format designed for the truth of the court: a single group of five teams (Riyadi, Sagesse, Shahrdari Gorgan, Al Wahda, BC Astana), a home-and-away round robin until February 19, then best-of-3 ...

Bulatov, Pillar of Russian Contemporary Art Scene, Dies at 92

This is Beirut 2025-11-10 17:35 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Painter Erik Bulatov Obituary Contemporary Art Russia Culture

Erik Bulatov, a pillar of Russia's contemporary art scene known for works mocking Soviet propaganda, has died in Paris at the age of 92, the Russian Academy of Fine Arts told AFP Monday. Bulatov was best known as one of the creators of the Sots Art movement that made use of Soviet slogans and shot him to fame in the final years of the USSR. "One ...

Syrian President to Visit White House for Landmark Talks

This is Beirut 2025-11-10 08:55 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam White House Donald Trump United Nations Syria Ahmad al-Sharaa

Syria's President Ahmed al-Sharaa is to meet US President Donald Trump at the White House on Monday for unprecedented talks, just days after Washington removed him from a terrorism blacklist. Sharaa, whose rebel forces ousted longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad late last year, will be the first Syrian leader to visit the White House since the ...

Syrian President Arrives in US for Landmark Visit

This is Beirut 2025-11-09 14:50 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam Syria Ahmad al-Sharaa United States Donald Trump

Syria's President Ahmed al-Sharaa arrived in the United States on Saturday for a landmark official visit, his country's state news agency reported, a day after Washington removed him from a terrorism blacklist. Sharaa, whose rebel forces ousted longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad late last year, is due to meet US President Donald Trump at the ...

Unveiling Key Nominees for the 2026 Grammy Awards

This is Beirut 2025-11-08 10:00 - Reading : 6 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam Music Nominees Grammys Award Culture

Here is a list of nominees in the major categories for the 68th annual Grammy Awards, which will be handed out on February 1, 2026, in Los Angeles. Rapper Kendrick Lamar leads all nominees with nine, followed by Lady Gaga with seven, and a trio of artists tied at six, Bad Bunny, pop princess Sabrina Carpenter and R&B singer-songwriter Leon ...

Kendrick Lamar Dominates 2026 Grammy Nominations with Nine Nods

This is Beirut 2025-11-07 19:55 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam Music Grammy Awards Kendrick Lamar Culture

Rapper Kendrick Lamar leads the nominations for the 2026 Grammy Awards, music's highest honors, with nine, the Recording Academy announced Friday, fresh off winning five golden gramophones at the last gala. Lady Gaga ranked second among performers with seven nods for her Mayhem album, followed by a trio of artists tied at six, Bad Bunny, pop ...

Boukra Nour: Healing the Future, Training Adults, Rebuilding Hope

Makram Haddad 2025-11-07 14:40 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Lebanon Lea Jabre Boukra Nour NGO

A modest room, chairs in a circle, guided breathing. At the end of the workshop, a middle-school girl scribbles “I feel lighter” on a sticky note. An ordinary scene in a pilot center of Boukra Nour, an NGO recently founded by Lea Jabre, Georges Debbas, and Me Nada Abdelsater. Their challenge: help children and adolescents reweave emotional ...

Former Jihadist Syrian Leader Makes Unprecedented White House Visit

This is Beirut 2025-11-07 14:40 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam White House Donald Trump United Nations Syria Ahmad al-Sharaa

President Ahmed al-Sharaa will become Syria's first leader to pay an official visit to the White House on Monday, a crowning achievement for the ex-jihadist who, since taking power, has ended his country's isolation. Sharaa, whose rebel forces ousted longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad late last year, will meet President Donald Trump during the ...

Japan to Screen #MeToo Film 'Black Boxes Diaries' Months after Oscar Nomination

This is Beirut 2025-11-07 13:00 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Documentary Japan MeToo Film Oscars Culture

Japan will for the first time screen a documentary directed by a prominent campaigner in the country’s #MeToo movement, months after it was nominated for an Oscar. Shiori Ito won a landmark 2019 civil case against a Japanese TV reporter accused of raping her — a charge he denies — and turned her ordeal into a film screened worldwide. But ...

Star Designer Rousteing Quits Fashion Group Balmain

This is Beirut 2025-11-06 13:00 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Fashion Balmain Olivier Rousteing France Culture

Star designer Olivier Rousteing announced Wednesday he was quitting as artistic director of French fashion house Balmain after 14 years in which he revolutionized the luxury group. Rousteing was the first Black designer to lead a major Paris fashion house and is credited with helping make luxury fashion more accessible, recruiting Kim Kardashian ...

From Baghdad to Russia: A Deadly Bet

This is Beirut 2025-11-05 15:15 - Reading : 9 minute(s)

Tik Tok Iraq Russia War Ukraine mercenary

Smiling broadly and clad in military fatigues, young Iraqi Mohammed Imad's last TikTok post was in a field carved up with heavy vehicle tracks in what appeared to be Ukraine. Smoke was rising behind him. "Pray for me," read the caption next to a Russian flag. That was in May. Months went by without a word, only rumors. Mohammed had been taken ...