Intense Israeli Airstrikes Hit Msayleh

This is Beirut 2025-10-11 17:41 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam Lebanon Hezbollah strike

At around 3:45 AM, Israeli warplanes carried out twelve air raids targeting the area surrounding the Msayleh–Najariya highway and the adjacent valley, causing extensive destruction and cutting off the main road. The strikes destroyed more than 300 heavy machines, including bulldozers and excavators, among them over 100 small ...

Fencing: Ghadi el-Chemali, the Lebanese Blade Charging Toward Olympus

Makram Haddad 2025-10-15 12:00 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

AUB Bahrain

There are talents who burst onto the scene blade in hand, mask down, eyes locked on the future. Ghadi el-Chemali is one of them. Born in 2005, this fencing prodigy has carved out a name for himself on the Lebanese scene… and is beginning to make his mark internationally. Six training sessions a week under the guidance of national coach Mahmoud ...

Disarming Hamas: How Could Gaza Be Demilitarized?

Natasha Metni Torbey 2025-10-15 20:00 - Reading : 7 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam Hamas Palestine Donald Trump Turkey

The peace plan co-signed on Monday in Sharm el-Sheikh by US President Donald Trump and the leaders of Egypt, Qatar and Turkey raises a crucial question: How would Hamas be disarmed? The Trump plan lays out a stark reality: Gaza must be demilitarized. To achieve this, a stabilization force will need to be created. On paper, the plan seems ...

On the Sidewalk of Forgetfulness: Lebanon’s Street Children Forced to Survive

Maria Chami 2025-10-18 10:30 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

At an age when they should be playing and learning, these children are weighed down by harsh realities. One hand offers chewing gum, flowers or tissues for sale; the other carries the burden of a childhood stolen too soon. School is a distant dream. Safety is out of reach. Innocence is lost. A UNICEF and Save the Children report reveals that ...

Ignatius Maloyan, Martyr of the Armenian Genocide, to Be Canonized This Sunday in Rome

This is Beirut 2025-10-19 09:00 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Bechara Rai Joseph Aoun The Vatican Canonization Ignatius Maloyan pope Leo XIV

Archbishop Ignatius Maloyan, a prominent figure of faith and martyrdom during the Armenian Genocide, will be canonized this Sunday at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome by Pope Leo XIV. The ceremony will be attended by official delegations from Lebanon, including President Joseph Aoun and Maronite Patriarch Bechara Rai, alongside representatives from ...

Canonization of Ignatius Maloyan at the Vatican in the Presence of President Aoun

This is Beirut 2025-10-19 14:40 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Lebanon Joseph Aoun Pope Francis catholic church armenia

President Joseph Aoun and First Lady Naamat Aoun attended the solemn Mass during which Blessed Bishop Ignatius Maloyan, of the Armenian Catholic Church, was proclaimed a saint on the altars of the Catholic Church. The ceremony, celebrated on Sunday morning in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican, was presided over by Pope Leo XIV in the ...

Between a Rock and a Hard Place: The Delicate Position of Iran’s Jews

Marie de La Roche Saint-André 2025-10-19 19:10 - Reading : 6 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam Donald Trump Middle East Palestine Tehran

With around 10,000 members, Iran’s Jewish community is the second largest in the Middle East. Its presence is discreet but tangible in a nation marked by pronounced hostility toward Israel, most recently expressed during 12 days of open conflict last June. The Jewish presence in the lands of present-day Iran dates back to the eighth century ...

China Hawk Takaichi Named Japan's First Woman PM

This is Beirut 2025-10-21 09:15 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Sanae Takaichi Japan China Prime Minister

Japan got its first woman prime minister on Tuesday after Sanae Takaichi, a China hawk and social conservative, forged an 11th-hour coalition deal. Japan's fifth premier in as many years will lead a minority government and has a bulging in-tray, not least a scheduled visit by US President Donald Trump next week. The lower house of parliament ...

Internet Services Cut for Hours by Amazon Cloud Outage

This is Beirut 2025-10-21 09:20 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Europe AWS Amazon Cloud Outage

Popular internet services ranging from streaming platforms to messaging services to banking were offline for hours Monday due to an outage in Amazon's crucial cloud network, illustrating the extent to which internet life depends on the tech titan. The disruption affected streaming platforms, including Amazon's Prime Video service and Disney+, as ...

Online Search a Battleground for AI Titans

This is Beirut 2025-10-23 09:50 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

AI Technology Google OpenAI Atlas

Tech firms battling for supremacy in artificial intelligence are out to transform how people search the web, challenging the dominance of the Chrome browser at the heart of Google's empire. Chatbots that started out as AI-powered assistants have gradually merged with web browsers and can independently scour the internet for detailed answers to ...

King Charles, Pope Leo Pray Together in Historic First

This is Beirut 2025-10-23 16:44 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

King Charles III Vatican Pope Leo XIV Anglican Catholic

King Charles III, the head of the Church of England, became the first British monarch Thursday to pray publicly with a pope in a Vatican service led by Leo XIV. The ceremony in the Sistine Chapel, broadcast live by the Vatican's official news service, came during a state visit by the 76-year-old monarch and his wife, Queen Camilla. It was the ...

Italian Luxury Faces Turmoil as Armani Era Closes

This is Beirut 2025-09-27 13:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Fashion Italy Giorgio Armani Heritage Culture Art

The first Milan Fashion Week without Giorgio Armani marks the end of an era in Italian luxury, at a time when houses across the sector are already in transition. After defending his independence throughout his life, the legendary designer, who died this month aged 91, entrusted his heirs with the task of selling his group. He cited French ...

Nigerian Leather, from Local Workshops to Luxury Brands

This is Beirut 2025-09-26 15:45 - Reading : less than a minute

Nigerian leather is already coveted by top luxury houses such as Gucci, Prada, Hermès and Louis Vuitton. But more and more local designers want to go further: they aim to give “Made in Nigeria” leather its own identity and true added value.

Israeli Forces Raid Exchange Office in West Bank's Ramallah

This is Beirut 2025-08-26 19:55 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam Ramallah West Bank

Israeli forces raided the occupied West Bank city of Ramallah on Tuesday, targeting a currency exchange and, according to the Red Crescent, leaving dozens of Palestinians wounded. Israel carries out frequent raids across the West Bank, where tensions have remained high throughout the Gaza war, but incursions into central Ramallah, the seat of the ...

‘Block Everything:’ Same Recipe, Same Poison in France and Lebanon

Marc Saikali 2025-09-11 08:30 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Hezbollah Beirut Paris

In Paris, it’s the grand carnival of chaos. They call it a “day of action,” as if the country needed a prescribed dose of disorder. In reality, it’s La France Insoumise (LFI) running the show, dragging along its far-left satellites and leaving the Black Blocs lurking in the shadows to do the dirty work. Unable to seize power at the ballot ...

Israel Army Launches Operation in West Bank's Nablus

This is Beirut 2025-08-27 13:55 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam Palestine West Bank Nablus

The Israeli military on Wednesday launched an operation involving dozens of soldiers and armoured vehicles in the old city of Nablus, in the northern occupied West Bank, witnesses and Palestinian officials said. The Israeli military confirmed to AFP that it was conducting an operation, without specifying its purpose. The raid began at around ...

Byblos Comes Alive with the Launch of Its First International Film Festival

This is Beirut 2025-08-27 20:27 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Film Festival Launching Jbeil Culture

The Byblos International Film Festival (BIFF) is set to kick off its inaugural edition from August 29 through August 31, 2025, bringing a new cinematic celebration to one of the world’s oldest continuously inhabited cities. The festival will take place in the atmospheric open-air setting of the Jardin des Artisans in Jbeil’ historic Old Souk, ...

Russia Hits Kyiv with 'Massive' Deadly Overnight Strikes

This is Beirut 2025-08-28 09:20 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Ukraine Russia War Strike Kyiv

Russian forces launched a "massive" attack on Kyiv on Thursday, hitting the Ukrainian capital with strikes that killed at least fourteen people and wounded around 30 others, Ukrainian officials said. The attack came as Moscow and Kyiv traded blame over an impasse in diplomatic efforts towards a peace deal spearheaded by US President ...

Lebanese Ministries Push to Integrate AI in Public Administration

This is Beirut 2025-08-28 11:55 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Lebanon AI Public Administration Ministry of Technology and Artificial Intelligence Ministry of Public Works and Transport

Lebanon is stepping up efforts to modernize public administration and infrastructure through artificial intelligence (AI) and digital technology. A high-level workshop held at the Ministry of Public Works and Transport brought together Minister of State for Technology and Artificial Intelligence Kamal Shehadeh, Minister of Public Works Fayez ...

Hope and Hate: How Migrant Influx has Changed Germany

This is Beirut 2025-08-29 13:00 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Ukraine Syria Migrants Germany Middle East

Men sit outside shisha bars and women in hijabs push strollers past Middle Eastern restaurants and pastry shops in Berlin's Sonnenallee, a wide avenue which has become a symbol of how much Germany has changed in the last decade. Many came during the huge migrant influx of 2015, when a million people arrived in a matter of months -- mostly from ...

Houthis Claim Israeli Airstrikes Killed Yemen’s Prime Minister, Vow Revenge

This is Beirut 2025-08-30 19:15 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam Houthi Movement Yemen

Yemen's Houthi vowed on Saturday to avenge the killing of their prime minister Ahmad Ghaleb Nasser Al-Rahwi and other political leaders in Israeli strikes on Thursday. "We promise to God, to the dear Yemeni people and the families of the martyrs and wounded that we will take revenge," the head of the group's supreme ...

Star Power and Legacy Shine at Venice: "The Rock" and Kim Novak Share Spotlight

This is Beirut 2025-09-01 14:40 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Film Venice Festival Stars Italy Culture

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson was set to thunder into the Venice Film Festival on Monday, with the wrestler-actor appearing in a tailor-made role in Benny Safdie's latest movie The Smashing Machine. The 53-year-old will be the star attraction at one of Europe's most prestigious film festivals, which promotes independent arthouse movies alongside a ...

The Rock Stuns Venice With Heartfelt Turn In 'The Smashing Machine'

This is Beirut 2025-09-02 13:00 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Venice Film Festival Italy Cinema Culture Art Venice

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson said Monday he had turned his heavily muscled back on action movie roles to be able to express himself as an actor in his latest film The Smashing Machine, which premiered in Venice. The 53-year-old was the day's star attraction at the Venice Film Festival — his first appearance at a European festival — where he mixed ...

Portugal Holds Day of Mourning as Crash toll Rises to 17 Dead

This is Beirut 2025-09-04 18:10 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Lisbon Portugal Funicular Accident

Portugal held a day of national mourning on Thursday as the death toll from the derailment of one of Lisbon's iconic funiculars rose to 17 people, with 21 injured. The accident Wednesday evening in one of the capital's most popular tourist spots saw the yellow Gloria funicular veer off a steep stretch of tracks near Liberty Avenue and crash into ...

Pope Officially Declares Italian Teen Carlo Acutis a Saint

This is Beirut 2025-09-07 14:35 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Pope Leo XIV Carlo Acutis Vatican

Pope Leo XIV on Sunday officially proclaimed Italian teenager Carlo Acutis the Catholic Church's first millennial saint, to applause from thousands of faithful gathered at the Vatican. Acutis, who died of leukemia in 2006 at the age of 15, has been dubbed "God's Influencer" for his efforts to spread the Catholic faith online. Tens of thousands ...

Giorgio Armani’s Family Bids Private Farewell at Historic Rivalta Church

This is Beirut 2025-09-08 14:45 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Fashion Luxury Funeral Giorgio Armani Italy Culture

The private funeral of fashion legend Giorgio Armani was set to take place Monday in a picturesque village near Piacenza, in the northern Italian region where the designer grew up. Only about 60 people were expected at the 3:30 pm (1330 GMT) ceremony, according to local media, at the 14th-century Church of San Martino in Rivalta, south of ...

Where Is Hezbollah’s Arsenal Still Hidden?

Mario Chartouni 2025-09-09 18:30 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam Hezbollah Lebanese Army Baalbeck Internal Security Forces

Since the November 2024 ceasefire and Hezbollah’s crushing military defeat by Israel, the question of the pro-Iranian group’s arsenal has once again moved to the forefront in Lebanon. Caught between international pressure, internal fragility and a government determined to reassert control over weapons, Hezbollah appears weakened. Yet its ...

Mbappe Shines as 10-Man Real Madrid Defeat Real Sociedad

This is Beirut 2025-09-13 20:15 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Football Liga Real Madrid

Kylian Mbappe was at his brilliant best as Real Madrid showed grit to claim a 2-1 win at Real Sociedad in La Liga on Saturday, despite playing for an hour with 10 men after Dean Huijsen's red card. Mbappe and Arda Guler's first-half goals were enough for Los Blancos to maintain their 100 percent record, with Mikel Oyarzabal pulling one back for ...

Jounieh Highway: When Public Land Becomes Private Property

Liliane Mokbel 2025-09-25 15:15 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Lebanon economy infrastructure Jounieh Highway expropriation

Widening Jounieh Highway will not happen overnight. The project is expected to take 36 to 40 months. As the saying goes, “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” Funding for the project is secured, Minister of Public Works and Transport Fayez Rasamny told the press, though he provided no further details. Sources close to the ...

Struggling Back to School in Southern Lebanon’s Border Villages

Katia Kahil 2025-09-14 10:02 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Lebanon Southern Lebanon Back to school

In a world where going to school is a basic right, stepping into a classroom in southern Lebanon requires courage. The 2025–2026 school year is far from being ordinary. In the border villages of Taybeh, Mays al-Jabal, Rmeish, Khiam and Bint Jbeil, returning to classes feels like navigating through the remnants of recent conflict. Each lesson ...