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 ...

Top US Military Commander Visits Gaza, Reaffirms No US Troops to be Deployed There

This is Beirut 2025-10-11 16:42 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam Gaza United States CENTCOM Hamas

The head of the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said Saturday he visited Gaza to discuss post-conflict stabilization and insisted no US troops will be deployed to the Palestinian territory. Admiral Brad Cooper wrote on X that he just returned from a trip to Gaza to discuss the creation of a CENTCOM-led "civil-military coordination center" ...

U.S. Says Warplane Disabled Ship that Tried to Break Iran Port Blockade

This is Beirut 20:55 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Tehran United States Washington Hormuz

A U.S. Navy warplane fired on and disabled the rudder of an oil tanker that tried to break Washington's blockade of Iranian ports, the U.S. military said on Wednesday. It is the second time the U.S. military has fired on a ship it said was attempting to violate the blockade, which has been in place since April 13. U.S. forces warned the ...

UN Chief Urges Iran to Provide Medical Care to Nobel Laureate Amid Abuse Reports

This is Beirut 05/05 14:00 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Tehran United Nations

UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Monday called on Iran to ensure urgent medical care for imprisoned Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi, amid mounting reports of severe health deterioration and alleged abuse in custody. Guterres expressed concern over Mohammadi’s condition, urging Iranian authorities to guarantee she receives ...

Hegseth warns of ‘overwhelming’ response as Hormuz tensions rise despite ceasefire

This is Beirut 05/05 16:00 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Middle East Tehran United States Washington strait of Hormuz

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Tuesday a ceasefire with Iran remains in place despite rising tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, where Washington has deployed forces to protect commercial shipping. Speaking at the Pentagon alongside Joint Chiefs Chairman Dan Caine, Hegseth said the United States is “not seeking a wider conflict” in ...

Israeli FM: Israel Seeks Normalization with Lebanon

This is Beirut 05/05 20:00 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Lebanon Hezbollah Israel Lebanese Army

At a joint press conference on Tuesday, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar said Israel intends to pursue a diplomatic track with Beirut, stating, “We will work with the Lebanese government toward a path of peace and normalization.” He also underscored Israel’s security priorities in the north, stating, “We are ...

U.S. Announces $10 Million Reward for Iraqi Militia Leader

This is Beirut 05/05 20:10 - Reading : less than a minute

The U.S. Department of State’s Rewards for Justice program announced on Tuesday a reward of up to $10 million for information on Akram ‘Abbas al-Kabi, identified as the founder and leader of the Iraqi militia group Harakat al-Nujaba (HAN). In its official statement the program said, “Akram ‘Abbas al-Kabi is the founder and leader of ...

Syria Announces Dismantling of New Hezbollah-Linked Cell

This is Beirut 05/05 21:55 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Lebanon Damascus Hezbollah

The Syrian Ministry of Interior announced on Tuesday the dismantling of a cell linked to Hezbollah that was allegedly preparing the assassination of government officials, while the pro-Iran Lebanese movement denounced what it called repeated “baseless accusations.” In a statement, the ministry said Syrian security forces had foiled “a ...

Rubio Says Lebanon-Israel Peace Deal “Imminently Achievable”

This is Beirut 05/05 23:05 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Lebanon Hezbollah Israel Lebanese Army

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Tuesday a peace deal between Lebanon and Israel is “imminently achievable” and emphasized that the Lebanese Armed Forces must have both the will and capability to directly confront Hezbollah’s arms.  Rubio said there is no fundamental conflict between the Lebanese and Israeli ...

Trump Says Pausing Hormuz Operation in Push for Iran Deal

This is Beirut 09:50 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Donald Trump US Secretary of State Gulf Israel Middle East

President Donald Trump said Tuesday he was halting the US military operation to escort ships through the Strait of Hormuz after just one day, in a bid to reach a deal with Iran to end the Middle East war. Trump's so-called "Project Freedom" to help vessels leave the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow chokepoint to the Gulf where Iran has seized control ...

Crude Falls for Second Day as Trump Signals Possible Iran Deal

This is Beirut 11:15 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Donald Trump Middle East Tehran

Oil prices fell for a second straight session on Wednesday as easing geopolitical tensions and renewed hopes for a U.S.-Iran agreement raised expectations that constrained Middle East supply could soon return to global markets.  Brent crude futures dropped $1.69, or 1.5%, to $108.18 a barrel as of 06:40 GMT, after falling 4% in the previous ...

Trump Threatens 'Higher Level' Bombing of Iran if Deal Not Agreed

This is Beirut 15:45 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Trump USA Iran USIranWar Negotiations Pakistan

President Donald Trump issued an ultimatum Wednesday for Iran to accept a deal to end the war or face renewed, more intense U.S. bombing, in the latest of a series of abrupt policy shifts. "Assuming Iran agrees to give what has been agreed to, which is perhaps a big assumption, the already legendary Epic Fury will be at an end," Trump posted on ...

Beirut to Further Develop Plan for State Control of All Weapons, Says PM Salam

This is Beirut 17:45 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Lebanon Hezbollah Disarmament Israel Beirut

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam announced Wednesday that Beirut will “review and further develop” its plan to place all weapons under state control.  The remarks came as Salam also confirmed on Wednesday that the tender process for the long-delayed René Moawad Airport project in Qlayaat, northern Lebanon, will ...

How Hezbollah's Coordination Unit Continues to Influence Lebanese Security

Ralph Atrach 20:10 - Reading : 6 minute(s)

Hezbollah Lebanon Amal Lebanese Army Internal Security Forces

The Lebanese Armed Forces’ (LAF) recent raids in a southern suburb of Beirut to apprehend gunmen were coordinated with Hezbollah’s Liaison and Coordination Unit, a security source told This Is Beirut, highlighting the unit’s continuing influence over security measures in Lebanon. In a tense standoff Sunday, Hezbollah supporters blocked ...

Israel Strikes Beirut’s Southern Suburbs for First Time Since Ceasefire

This is Beirut 20:35 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Lebanon Hezbollah

Israel carried out a strike Wednesday night on Beirut’s southern suburbs, marking the first attack on the Dahiyeh since the ceasefire that came into effect on April 17 and was later extended under U.S.-backed mediation efforts. The strike targeted a senior commander in Hezbollah’s elite Radwan force, according to a joint statement issued by ...

Trump to Push Netanyahu on Gaza Peace Plan at White House

This is Beirut 2025-09-29 15:12 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Donald Trump Benjamin Netanyahu White House United Nations Gaza

US President Donald Trump will host Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House on Monday for high-stakes talks aimed at sealing an elusive Gaza peace agreement. Trump says a deal to end the nearly two-year war, free hostages held by Hamas and disarm the Palestinian militants is effectively done following talks with Arab and ...

Moscow Talks: Syria and Russia Confront Sensitive Issues

Mario Chartouni 2025-10-02 16:40 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam Damascus European Union Gulf Turkey

Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa will visit Moscow on October 15 to attend the Russia-Arab League summit, according to al-Hadath. This marks the first high-level meeting between Syria’s new leadership in Damascus and the Kremlin. The visit comes as several sensitive issues remain unresolved, including the future of Russian military bases in ...

BDL Leads Financial Recovery and Reassures Depositors

Liliane Mokbel 2025-09-29 19:05 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Lebanon Central Bank of Lebanon Banks International Monetary Fund economy deposits BDL

At a luncheon debate hosted by the École supérieure des affaires (ESA), Karim Souhaid, the Governor of Lebanon’s Central Bank (BDL), presented his assessment of the country’s economic situation – “slowly but surely moving in the right direction” – to around 40 members of the Mouvement des entreprises de France (MEDEF), currently on ...

Trump’s Gaza Plan Wins Netanyahu Backing, but Hinges on Hamas

This is Beirut 2025-09-29 23:20 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam Donald Trump United States Benjamin Netanyahu Gaza

US President Donald Trump secured Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's backing for a wide-ranging Gaza peace plan Monday, as the two leaders warned that Israel would "finish the job" against Hamas if the Palestinian militant group rejects the deal. Hamas had yet to give its judgment on the proposal that Trump unveiled at the White ...

Donald Trump Attends Unusual Gathering of Hundreds of US Generals and Admirals Near Washington

This is Beirut 2025-09-30 06:20 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

United States Donald Trump Army

Donald Trump will attend a meeting on Tuesday bringing together hundreds of American generals and admirals from around the world, unusually summoned to a military base near Washington. No official has explained the purpose of this meeting, which comes amid a political tightening of control over the U.S. military, marked by troop deployments in ...

Hezbollah's Raoucheh Message: Overthrowing Salam, Overturning the State

Philippe Abi-Akl 2025-09-30 08:30 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Lebanon Hezbollah Hassan Nasrallah Joseph Aoun Nawaf Salam Raouche rock

The uprising of Hezbollah’s “parallel state” against the rule of law dominated Lebanese discussions over the weekend, with sovereigntist forces seeing it as another May 7-style move against Prime Minister Nawaf Salam: a potential coup and a shift from coexistence to confrontation. As local appeasements failed to contain the fallout from ...

New UAE Ambassador Arrives in Beirut

This is Beirut 2025-09-30 21:10 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Gulf Joseph Aoun United Arab Emirates

The United Arab Emirates ambassador, Salem Fahd al-Kaabi, arrived in Beirut on Tuesday evening. He was greeted upon arrival by Consul Rodrigue Khoury, representing the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. His presence in Beirut marks the restoration of relations between Lebanon and the UAE, announced by Emirati President Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan ...

Paris Becomes Romantic Stage in 'The Summer I Turned Pretty' Series

This is Beirut 2025-10-01 13:00 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam Series Paris France Culture Art

Emily is no longer the only doe-eyed American in Paris: Isabel "Belly" Conklin, lead character in global TV phenomenon The Summer I Turned Pretty, has also moved to the French capital, burnishing its reputation for romance and escapism. The third series of the show ranked first in 120 countries on Amazon Prime when it kicked off in July — ...

Ethiopia Church Scaffold Collapse Kills 36

This is Beirut 2025-10-01 16:42 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Ethiopia

Makeshift scaffolding set up at a church in Ethiopia collapsed Wednesday, killing at least 36 people and injuring more than 200, state media said. The incident occurred at around 7:45 am in the town of Arerti, roughly 70 kilometers (40 miles) east of the capital, Addis Ababa, when a group was visiting for an annual Virgin Mary festival. District ...

US Envoy Ortagus to Attend Lebanon Ceasefire Talks

This is Beirut 2025-10-01 20:25 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam Lebanon Ortagus Ceasefire Military Diplomacy

Lebanon is preparing to receive US envoy Morgan Ortagus on October 14, ahead of her participation in the third meeting of the Ceasefire Monitoring Committee scheduled for October 15, according to a diplomatic source speaking to MTV on Wednesday. The visit comes at a sensitive time, as both Washington and Beirut navigate the challenges of ...

White House Says Firings 'Imminent' as Plan to Reopen Government Collapses

This is Beirut 2025-10-01 22:11 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Donald Trump United States Government Shutdown

Efforts to swiftly end the US government shutdown collapsed Wednesday as Democrats in Congress rejected proposals to resolve an acrimonious funding standoff with President Donald Trump, and the White House threatened public sector jobs. With the government out of money after Trump and lawmakers failed to agree on a deal to keep the lights on, ...

Trump Offers Security Guarantees to Qatar After Israel Strikes

This is Beirut 2025-10-01 23:50 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam United States Qatar Hamas Gaza

US President Donald Trump has signed an order vowing to defend key ally Qatar against attacks, the White House said Wednesday, in an extraordinary move following Israeli strikes on the Gulf state last month. The Israeli strike angered Washington and spurred Trump to push Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu into accepting a Gaza peace deal ...

Philippine Quake Toll Rises to 72 as Search Winds Down

This is Beirut 2025-10-02 09:24 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Philippines Bantayan Cebu Earthquake

The death toll from a powerful earthquake in the central Philippines rose to 72 on Thursday, officials said, as the search for the missing wound down and rescuers turned their focus to the hundreds injured and thousands left homeless. The bodies of the three victims were pulled from the rubble of a collapsed hotel overnight Wednesday in the city ...

ADDS Energy Projects Terminated, New York Funding Freeze

This is Beirut 2025-10-02 12:35 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

New York Donald Trump Republicans USA Democrats White House

Efforts to swiftly end the US government shutdown collapsed Wednesday as Democrats in Congress went home without resolving a funding stand-off with President Donald Trump and the White House threatened public sector jobs. Federal funding expired at midnight after Trump and lawmakers failed to agree on a deal to keep the lights on, prompting ...

Monet’s Venetian Masterpieces Shine Bright at Brooklyn Museum

This is Beirut 2025-10-11 16:00 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Exhibition Monet Brooklyn Painting Culture Art

Claude Monet did not want to travel to Venice in 1908—at the time, he was 68 and working on his famed Water Lilies paintings, and only reluctantly agreed to accompany his wife Alice Hoschede. But his time spent there became one of his most prolific, resulting in 37 paintings, many of which are being put on display at an exhibit opening Saturday ...