Lebanon’s Endless Summer Blackouts: A Crisis on Repeat

Christiane Tager 2025-08-11 20:20 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Lebanon Electricity Electricité du Liban Blackouts Heat wave

On the night of August 10 to 11, just after midnight, Lebanon plunged once again into total darkness. A “serious technical incident,” now a familiar phrase, struck the main Zouk power plant, a source at Électricité du Liban (EDL) told This is Beirut. The cause: a breakdown of insulation in a connection insulator, triggered by a dangerous ...

Cabinet Session Wednesday on Energy, Technology, and Beirut Port Recovery

This is Beirut 2025-08-12 14:00 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Lebanon Cabinet WorldBank Energy Technology Beirut

The Cabinet will convene on Wednesday at the Grand Serail to debate a set of high-impact national issues, with a major focus on securing international financing and advancing critical infrastructure projects. At the forefront is a $250 million loan agreement with the World Bank to fund the Renewable Energy and Power System Enhancement Project. ...

Danielle Spencer, the 'What’s Happening!!' Star, Dies After Battle with Breast Cancer

This is Beirut 2025-08-13 13:10 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Actress Heritage Culture Art Death Danielle Spencer

Danielle Spencer, best known for her role as the sassy pre-teen Dee Thomas on the groundbreaking sitcom What’s Happening!!, has died at the age of 60. Spencer passed away on August 11, 2025, at a hospital in Richmond, Virginia, her former co-star Haywood Nelson confirmed. Nelson shared the news on Instagram, remembering her as “brilliant” ...

‘In Women’s Words:’ The Unheard Voices of Iranian Art

Marie-Christine Tayah 2025-08-13 14:00 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Women Iran Exhibition Culture Art Freedom

In the hushed galleries of the Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art (TMoCA), colors, forms and textures speak with a force that eclipses any speech or manifesto. The exhibition In Women’s Words is more than an artistic retrospective – it is a collective voice that defies decades of silence, bringing to light stories that could not always be ...

Renowned Egyptian Novelist Sonallah Ibrahim Dies at the Age of 88

This is Beirut 2025-08-14 18:07 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Writer Obituary Sonallah Ibrahim   Egypt Culture

Egyptian novelist Sonallah Ibrahim, famed for his critiques of political repression, neoliberalism and Western hegemony, has died at the age of 88, the culture ministry announced on Wednesday. Ibrahim "passed away today, leaving behind an immortal literary and humanitarian legacy," Culture Minister Ahmed Fouad Hanno said in a tribute, calling the ...

Ortagus and Graham Call for Support of the Lebanese State and Disarmament of Hezbollah

This is Beirut 2025-08-26 11:30 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Lebanon Hezbollah United States

A private dinner was held Monday evening by Lebanese MP Ragy el-Saad and businessman Tarek Ghali at a Beirut restaurant in honor of U.S. Special Envoy Morgan Ortagus and U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham. More than fifty diplomatic, political, and media figures attended the event. During the dinner, both Morgan Ortagus and Lindsey Graham expressed ...

'The Lord of the Rings:' Novel of the Century… Typed with Two Fingers

Bélinda Ibrahim 2025-08-16 18:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

The Lord of The Rings Tolkien USA Novel Story

We tend to picture The Lord of the Rings as a towering monument of modern fantasy, which it is, unquestionably. But what we often forget is that this masterpiece is not only the product of an Oxford professor’s fertile imagination and passion for ancient languages. It was forged through relentless, profoundly manual work, carried out in solitude ...

Hezbollah’s Threats: A Misreading of Lebanon’s Real Fabric

Michel Touma 2025-08-18 10:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Hezbollah Joseph Aoun Tehran United States Karbala

In a country that truly upholds the rule of law, Hezbollah’s secretary-general, Sheikh Naim Qassem, would have faced prosecution for undermining national security, inciting sedition, and threatening civil peace. As the figurehead of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards’ outpost in Lebanon, he has reached new heights of recklessness, veering into ...

Lebanon, a Transit Hub for Iraqi Oil

Liliane Mokbel 2025-08-18 11:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Lebanon Gulf Turkey iraq syria

Will Iraqi oil once again flow through Tripoli, capital of North Lebanon? The project is back on the table, but its outcome remains uncertain. Baghdad is signaling determination. Oil Minister Hayan Abdel Ghani confirmed that the option is under serious study. To show goodwill, he also mentioned the possible rehabilitation of Kirkuk-Baniyas ...

From Raves to Roots: Saudi Arabia Spotlights its Heritage

This is Beirut 2025-08-18 17:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Saudi Arabia Culture Heritage Music Concert Art

First, deeply religious Saudi Arabia opened its doors to Western raves and music festivals. Now it's turning to long-neglected Saudi traditions as it seeks to draw tourists and reshape its national identity. In Terhal, a lavish stage show in Riyadh, an actor in a red-and-white headdress gallops on a white horse, exploring the kingdom's heritage ...

Vanished Masterpieces: The Art of the Perfect Crime

Bélinda Ibrahim 2025-08-19 18:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Europe Masterpieces Art Heists Mona Lisa Munch

When a masterpiece disappears, a void opens in collective memory. Visitors pause before the empty frame, whispering stories and imagining the audacity of the theft. The moment art slips into shadow, legend takes over. Disappearance grants a fame no peaceful exhibition could ever match. An art theft is never just another crime. It strikes at the ...

Fading Faces: Why Young Hindu Women in Pakistan Are Abandoning Traditional Tattoos

This is Beirut 2025-08-20 10:30 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Art Culture Índia Tattoo Pakistan

Grinding charcoal with a few drops of goat’s milk, 60-year-old Basran Jogi peers at the faces of two young Pakistani sisters preparing for their first tattoos. The practice of elder women needling delicate shapes onto the faces, hands, and arms of younger generations stretches back centuries in the Hindu villages that dot the southern border ...

Trump, Putin and the Future of Europe: A Deal that Could Redraw the Map

Salam El Zaatari 2025-08-21 11:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Russia Ukraine Europe United States Donald Trump

On August 18, 2025, the White House became the stage for a meeting that may be remembered as a turning point in modern geopolitics. US President Donald Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and a cadre of European leaders gathered to discuss the Russia-Ukraine war. Europe’s top leaders crammed into the Oval Office, listening in silence ...

Leon XIV to Visit Lebanon 'by December,' Pending Official Confirmation

Fady Noun 2025-08-22 10:30 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Lebanon Pope Francis Hezbollah Middle East Maronite

The announcement quickly sparked a media storm in both Lebanon and Italy: Pope Leo XIV is expected to visit Lebanon “by December.” According to Patriarch Rai, the trip would mark the Pope’s first journey outside Italy since his election. “We are waiting for the Vatican to announce the exact date of the visit,” he told ...

Underwater Archaeology in Lebanon: Exploring Origins and Unveiling Discoveries

Natasha Metni Torbey 2025-08-22 14:30 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

At the crossroads of civilizations for thousands of years, Lebanon holds a largely unexplored underwater heritage. Behind the beauty of ancient wrecks lie pressing geopolitical stakes, alarming environmental concerns and a troubling lack of legal oversight. Safeguarding these submerged riches means charting a course through maritime law, disputed ...

Semi-Permanent Manicure at Risk: TPO Classified as Carcinogenic

Bélinda Ibrahim 2025-08-25 15:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

European Union Manicure Semi-Permanent Cancer TPO

For years, semi-permanent nail polish has captivated a growing clientele, attracted by the promise of glossy, chip-resistant nails that last for weeks. But under the UV lamps of beauty salons, a small revolution is looming. As of September 1, 2025, both Switzerland and the entire EU will prohibit the sale and use of these polishes if they contain ...

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 ...

Lebanon Pushes Ahead with Reconstruction

This is Beirut 2025-08-25 19:45 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Lebanon Reconstruction Nawaf Salam World Bank

The Ministerial Committee for Reconstruction and Economic Recovery, chaired by Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, met on Monday at the Grand Serail with Finance Minister Yassine Jaber, Energy and Water Minister Joe Saddi, Social Affairs Minister Haneen Sayed, Telecommunications Minister Charles Hage, Public Works and Transport Minister Fayez Rasamny and ...

YASA Sounds the Alarm Over Lebanon’s Road Accident Toll

This is Beirut 2025-08-26 10:15 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Lebanon YASA Security

After a concerning surge in road accident victims in Lebanon, the Youth Association for Social Awareness (YASA) association has issued an urgent appeal to the authorities. According to its data, fatalities from traffic collisions have risen by more than 30 percent compared with last year. August has been particularly deadly, with 56 people ...

Lebanese Cabinet Approves Starlink Agreement and Appoints Regulatory Authorities

This is Beirut 2025-09-11 19:15 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Lebanon Starlink cabinet reform parliamentary elections

The Lebanese Cabinet, in its regular session on Thursday, approved the licensing of Starlink Lebanon to provide internet services across the country via satellites operated by SpaceX. The Cabinet also approved the long-awaited appointments of regulatory bodies in both the telecommunications and electricity sectors, 20 years after their creation ...

Lebanon’s Battle for Wheat: Between Aid, Loans and Food Security

Christiane Tager 2025-09-13 08:20 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Lebanon Wheat

Lebanon, which is already weakened by an unprecedented economic collapse, has for years faced a vital challenge: ensuring steady access to wheat. The destruction of Beirut Port’s silos in the August 4, 2020, explosion laid bare Lebanon’s food insecurity, erasing a vital storage hub and turning every shipment and agreement into a matter of ...

Lebanon Tackles Traffic Woes with Urgent Measures

This is Beirut 2025-08-06 17:40 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Internal Security Forces

Lebanese officials agreed on Wednesday on a series of urgent actions aimed at alleviating the escalating traffic congestion in Beirut and nationwide. Key measures include repairing malfunctioning traffic lights at critical intersections and upgrading road infrastructure ahead of winter and the schools’ reopening. Expanding public transportation ...

Matthieu Blazy Launches Chanel’s New Era With Starry Paris Debut

This is Beirut 2025-10-07 13:00 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Chanel Paris Fashion Week Culture Fashion Luxury

New Chanel designer Matthieu Blazy unveiled his first sumptuous collection on Monday in front of a crowd of admirers and stars sitting beneath giant glowing planets during Paris Fashion Week. Ahead of the most anticipated show of the season, some had wondered how much the 41-year-old would dare change the classic designs of the French ...

US Govt Shutdown Begins after Congress Fails to Reach Deal

This is Beirut 2025-10-01 10:21 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

United States Economy Politics Shutdown

The US government began shutting down Wednesday after lawmakers and President Donald Trump failed to break a budget impasse during acrimonious talks that hinged on Democratic demands for health care funding. Republicans and Democrats immediately blamed each other for the deadlock that will impact hundreds of thousands of government workers and ...

Taylor Swift Turns Showgirl Magic Into Global Pop Spectacle

This is Beirut 2025-10-01 15:30 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Taylor Swift Album Music Culture Concert Art

With the meticulously planned release of Taylor Swift's 12th album this Friday, the country singer-turned-pop star demonstrates again that she is as business savvy as she is musically adept. From hints dropped during her last tour in 2024 to movie screenings this coming weekend to accompany the new album's release, "Taylor Swift has perfected ...

Jonathan Anderson Makes Bold Dior Womenswear Debut at Paris Fashion Week

This is Beirut 2025-10-01 20:15 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Luxury Paris Fashion Week Jonathan Anderson Dior France Culture

Northern Irish designer Jonathan Anderson drew a standing ovation from a celeb-packed crowd as he launched a bold first women's ready-to-wear collection for Dior on Wednesday during Paris Fashion Week. The show, held in the Tuileries Garden in central Paris, was one of the most highly anticipated moments of the Spring-Summer 2026 Fashion Week, ...

The IMF’s Lebanon Framework: Balancing State Debt with Depositor Rights

This is Beirut 2025-10-02 11:50 - Reading : 9 minute(s)

Lebanon IMF Central Bank Banks Depositors

As Lebanon faces multiple challenges with economic and financial recovery from the country’s 2019 economic collapse, two interconnected issues remain particularly controversial: recovering the money of Lebanese who lost access to their bank deposits and holding those responsible for squandering their money ...

Ministry of Finance: No Containers Blocked at Tripoli Port

This is Beirut 2025-10-02 17:05 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Lebanon Tripoli port container economy Ministry of Finance

The Ministry of Finance has denied, in a statement issued by its press office, rumors circulating on social media claiming that Minister Yassine Jaber blocked the entry of containers at Tripoli Port. These accusations, the statement says, have been presented through a sectarian lens and are “misleading.” The statement clarifies that no ...

When Art Becomes a Safe Haven

Christiane Tager 2025-10-03 10:30 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Lebanon New York economy art investment

In an uncertain economic landscape, art is no longer just about decorating walls. For some, it represents a financial refuge where value can literally skyrocket in just a few years. A canvas like Pablo Picasso’s Les Femmes d’Alger (Version ‘O’) sold for more than $179 million, while Jean-Michel Basquiat’s Untitled (1982) fetched $110 ...

Building Modern, Accessible Digital Finance for All

Liliane Mokbel 2025-10-03 16:30 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Lebanon Economy Yassine Jaber Finance Taxes Digital

At a press conference on Friday at the Ministry’s headquarters, Finance Minister Yassine Jaber unveiled a roadmap to establish a digital financial administration that is efficient, transparent and citizen-focused. This transformation is built around four key pillars: Electronic Notifications Registered taxpayers now receive all official ...