Selena Gomez: When Intimacy Becomes Performance

Bélinda Ibrahim 11:46 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Selena Gomez Social Media Culture Instagram

Not long ago, Selena Gomez was, for many, simply Disney’s newest rising star. Classic recipe: a soft voice, a radiant smile, hits perfectly calibrated for global youth. But behind the pop persona, another figure slowly emerged, one that ran counter to celebrity convention: a woman who reveals her fragilities, shares her storms, and speaks to her ...

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

Makram Haddad 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 ...

Beirut, an Endless Summer

Yara Germany 31/10 10:30 - Reading : less than a minute

Beirut Fall Summer Sun Climate Change

In Beirut, autumn shines like summer. By the sea or on a terrace, 25 degrees make you forget the season, but not climate change.

Halloween Comes Alive in Beirut

Maroun Chahine 31/10 17:20 - Reading : less than a minute

Beirut Halloween Pumpkins Costumes

In Beirut, shop windows are decked out, and colorful costumes and spooky accessories delight kids and adults alike. Despite the economic challenges, stores are buzzing with families, excited children, and even those who don’t usually celebrate Halloween but come just to enjoy dressing up. Looking for a bit of escapism and some fun, Halloween is ...

NBA Champs Thunder Roll Past Wizards, Bucks and Spurs Win

This is Beirut 31/10 10:35 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Basket-ball NBA Miami Wembanyama

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander delivered another dominant performance as the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder remained perfect in the young NBA season with a 127-108 victory Thursday over the Washington Wizards. Gilgeous-Alexander, the reigning NBA Most Valuable Player and Finals MVP, scored 31 points with three rebounds and seven assists before ...

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

Alissar Boulos 31/10 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 ...

No-State Zones in Lebanon: The Bekaa and the Shadow of the Clans (2/3)

Natasha Metni Torbey 31/10 12:00 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Baalbeck Damascus Hezbollah United Nations Baalbeck

Along the road from Zahleh to Hermel, portraits of former clan leaders, imams, and martyrs adorn the buildings, set among auto repair shops and fields of cannabis. In this fertile valley, crossed by the Orontes River and framed by the Anti-Lebanon mountains, the state’s presence gradually fades as the road stretches north. In the Bekaa, clan ...

Israel Returns Remains of 30 More Palestinians to Gaza

This is Beirut 31/10 12:00 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Hamas Israel Palestine USA Hostage

Israel has returned the bodies of 30 more Palestinians to Gaza as part of an ongoing exchange deal under a US-brokered ceasefire plan, a hospital told AFP on Friday. The Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Yunis told AFP that "the bodies of 30 Palestinian prisoners were received from the Israeli side as part of the exchange deal". Under the truce, ...

Lebanon's Industry: Resilient Yet Transforming

Christiane Tager 31/10 12:15 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Banks European Union

In Lebanon, industry remains both a social buffer and a key provider of foreign currency. Yet its macroeconomic footprint has shrunk, reflecting an economy battered by currency collapse, weak domestic demand, and high energy costs. Caught between export momentum and fragile profit margins, the “made-in-Lebanon machine” moves forward ...

Richard Linklater Says AI Can’t Capture Human Genius in Film

This is Beirut 31/10 13:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

AI Film Broadway Cinema Culture Art

Can great art be made without human genius and all its flaws? It's a vital question at a time when artificial intelligence threatens to subsume Hollywood. Through new movies Nouvelle Vague and Blue Moon, director Richard Linklater offers an answer—delving into the lives of two brilliant, volatile men whose films and plays shaped French New Wave ...

Aoun: Lebanese Army Is the Sole Guarantee of Sovereignty

This is Beirut 31/10 13:30 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Hezbollah Israel Lebanese Army lebanon Germany berlin Joseph Aoun

President Joseph Aoun reaffirmed on Friday that the Lebanese Army (LAF) remains “the only guarantee for protecting Lebanon’s sovereignty and ensuring its defense,” stressing that “there can be no sustainable security without it.” During a meeting at Baabda Palace with German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul, Aoun said “Lebanon is ...

Key Dates in the Fall of Britain's Former Prince Andrew

This is Beirut 31/10 13:45 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

United States USA Prince Andrew London King Charles III

Key dates in the life of Andrew, King Charles III's younger brother, who has been stripped of his royal titles over allegations stemming from his friendship with US sex offender Jeffrey Epstein: - February 19, 1960: Born Prince Andrew Albert Christian Edward at Buckingham Palace in London, the third child of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince ...

Sudan's RSF says Arrests Fighters Accused of Abuses in El-Fasher

This is Beirut 31/10 14:57 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

United Nations El-Fasher Sudan Darfur

Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces said they had arrested several of their fighters accused of committing abuses during the capture of the city of El-Fasher, including a man identified by AFP in multiple execution videos. The RSF, at war with the army since April 2023, seized El-Fasher -- the army's last stronghold in western Darfur -- on ...

Two Hezb Members Killed in South Lebanon

This is Beirut 31/10 16:40 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Hezbollah South Lebanon Lebanese Army United Nations lebanon Israel

Tensions sharply escalated across southern Lebanon on Friday as Israeli drone and warplanes struck target in the Nabatiyeh and Bint Jbeil districts, leaving several casualties. In one incident, an Israeli drone launched a guided missile at a motorcycle in Talat Shukain, in the Nabatieh caza, killing the driver instantly. Ambulances rushed to the ...

Lagos Fashion Week Spotlight: Onalaja Puts Nigerian Heritage at the Heart of Fashion

This is Beirut 31/10 17:00 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Fashion Lagos Heritage Runway Adire Nigeria Culture

Models strutted down the runway, their beaded and sequined dresses evoking the traditional facial scarring still done in some parts of Nigeria. Others donned outfits paying homage to adire, a traditional Yoruba indigo fabric long prized for its craftsmanship. Kanyinsola Onalaja's show kicked off Lagos Fashion Week in style, in what has been a ...

Turkey to Hold Gaza Peace Plan Meeting for Muslim States

This is Beirut 31/10 18:30 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Turkey Gaza

Turkey will on Monday host a meeting of foreign ministers from Muslim countries to discuss a US peace plan for Gaza, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said. Fidan told reporters on Friday that the Istanbul meeting would "evaluate our progress and discuss what we can achieve together in the next stage". A ministry spokesman said ministers from Egypt, ...

Israel and Hezbollah Reject Egypt’s Initiative

Bassam Abou Zeid 01/11 15:50 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Hezbollah Israel Lebanese Army US Egypt Lebanon

Lebanon remains caught in Israel’s escalation zone as disagreements persist with both Israel and the United States, and Hezbollah still resists disarmament. Official Lebanese sources say Israel’s main demand centers on direct negotiations with Lebanon, even suggesting a possible meeting between President Joseph Aoun and Israeli Prime Minister ...

Kim Kardashian: Queen of Visibility

Bélinda Ibrahim 31/10 19:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Kim Kardashian Social Media Instagram Exposure Culture

In the early 2000s, Kim Kardashian lingered on the edges of the celebrity world, known for her influential friends and low-key ventures. Everything changed in 2007 with the launch of Keeping Up with the Kardashians, which transformed family intimacy into a public drama. It was no longer just about appearances; it had become a lifestyle staged as a ...

Trump Awakens Old Nuclear Testing Fears

This is Beirut 31/10 19:02 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

United States Donald Trump Nuclear Weapons

Despite deliberately vague statements about resuming nuclear weapons testing, U.S. President Donald Trump is raising the specter of renewed nuclear proliferation, with China potentially the main beneficiary, according to experts. This comes at a time when the international arms control framework is already fragile. “We are already in the ...

The Filibuster: A Key Tool of Obstruction in America’s Political Crisis

Mario Chartouni 31/10 20:05 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Donald Trump Republicans Democrats United States US Congress

At the end of October, as the U.S. federal government entered its 30th day of shutdown, President Donald Trump made a forceful call to eliminate the filibuster, arguing that Republicans should be able to pass legislation without Democratic support. He claimed it was time to invoke the so-called “nuclear option” and revert to a simple majority ...

Hezbollah’s Resurgent Arsenal: Borders, Ports, and Clandestine Workshops

Natasha Metni Torbey 01/11 09:00 - Reading : 6 minute(s)

Hezbollah Lebanese Army UN Security Council United Nations Baalbeck

Warnings mount over Hezbollah’s rearmament. After years of focus on Iranian financial backing, Washington and Tel Aviv are increasingly concerned about how quickly Lebanon’s Shia movement is rebuilding its arsenal. A Wall Street Journal investigation published Thursday found that Hezbollah, far from adhering to the November 2024 ceasefire ...

Rachida Dati’s Plan to Protect France’s Cultural Crown Jewel

This is Beirut 01/11 10:30 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Museum Louvre Security Rachida Dati France Culture

France's culture minister said Friday anti-ramming devices would be set up around The Louvre by year's end, after a high-profile heist at the famed museum reignited debate over its security. The announcement comes after four thieves parked a truck with a moving lift under one of its windows during opening hours on October 19, then used cutting ...

No-State Zones in Lebanon: Hezbollah’s Parallel State in Southern Lebanon and Beirut’s Southern Suburbs (3/3)

Natasha Metni Torbey 01/11 11:00 - Reading : 6 minute(s)

Hezbollah South Lebanon Hassan Nasrallah Dahyeh Israel

Two flags still fly side by side on some hills in southern Lebanon: The Lebanese flag and Hezbollah’s yellow flag. The first symbolizes a weakened state, the second a parallel power that has filled the void left by the Republic. Here, official authority often ends where the Shia group’s control begins. A Fully Administered Territory From the ...

UN Security Council Backs Morocco’s Plan for W. Sahara Autonomy

This is Beirut 01/11 12:15 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Morocco UN Security Council Western Sahara

The UN Security Council voted Friday in favor of a resolution brought forward by the United States backing Morocco's autonomy plan for Western Sahara as the "most feasible" solution for the disputed territory, despite Algeria's opposition. The Western Sahara is a vast mineral-rich former Spanish colony that is largely controlled by Morocco but ...

Imagery Shows Killings Persist in Sudan as German FM Decries 'Apocalyptic' Crisis

This is Beirut 01/11 12:25 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Sudan El-Fasher Germany Darfur

Satellite imagery suggests mass killings are likely continuing in and around Sudan's El-Fasher, Yale researchers said, as Germany's top diplomat on Saturday described the situation there as "apocalyptic." At war with the regular army since April 2023, the Rapid Support Forces seized El-Fasher on Sunday, pushing the military out of its last ...

Israel Army Says Gaza Bodies Received Friday Not Hostages

This is Beirut 01/11 13:40 - Reading : less than a minute

Gaza Hamas Israel Israeli Hostages

Israel's military said Saturday that three bodies it received from Gaza via the Red Cross the previous night were not hostages held in the Palestinian territory. The Israeli military told AFP that a forensic analysis revealed the bodies were not those of any of the 11 deceased captives still to be handed over as part of a US-brokered ceasefire ...

135 Million Dollars a Year: The High Cost of Lebanon’s State Rentals

Liliane Mokbel 01/11 14:30 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Every year, the Lebanese state spends 135 million dollars to house its ministries, administrations, and public institutions in rented buildings across the country. This astronomical sum could have been largely saved. With better management of public finances, successive governments could have grouped several ministries under one roof, as is the ...

Funk Legend George Clinton Brings Psychedelic Energy to Paris Gallery

This is Beirut 01/11 14:30 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Art Music Paris France Culture Africa

At 84, George Clinton is a funk legend, ubiquitous hip-hop sample source, father of psychedelic Afrofuturism — and now, a painter with a show opening in Paris. Through it all, the self-taught American artist, the force behind the celebrated groups Parliament and Funkadelic, has hewed to his signature vision: “Gotta have that funk.” A life ...

Laura Massaad: Sensuality as a Path to Self-Love

Yara Germany 01/11 15:00 - Reading : less than a minute

Sensuality Dance Taboo Femininity Woman

What if sensuality were a way to reconnect with yourself? Laura Massaad helps women reclaim their bodies, set themselves free, and learn to love who they are. For her, dance is a form of healing. Beyond taboos, discover the story of a woman and her studio… an ode to femininity.

Syria: Arrest of Nemir al-Assad and Qossay Ibrahim

This is Beirut 17/10 18:05 - Reading : less than a minute

Syria Assad security arrests

Syrian Interior Minister Anas Khattab announced the arrest of Nemir al-Assad and Qossay Wajih Ibrahim, the former commander of the Mountain Brigade under the ousted regime of Bashar al-Assad. In a post on X, Khattab said, “Nemir al-Assad and his terrorist group, as well as the criminal Qossay Wajih Ibrahim, former commander of the Mountain ...