AIDS: In the Footsteps of a Major Scientific Scandal (2/2)

Alain E. Andrea 2024-12-05 14:35 - Reading : 6 minute(s)

AIDS Health France United States

At the end of the 20th century, AIDS, previously unknown, spread rapidly, plunging the world into an unprecedented public health crisis. Researchers worked diligently to uncover the causes of this mysterious disease. In May 1983, Luc Montagnier and his team at the Pasteur Institute in Paris published an article in Science announcing that they had ...

"We’re Starting from Scratch": Shops Reopen in Southern Beirut Suburbs

This is Beirut 2024-12-04 17:45 - Reading : less than a minute

Nawaf Salam Hezbollah ceasefire shops

Despite the massive destruction, shopkeepers in the southern suburbs of Beirut are trying to reopen their stores following the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. Credit: AFP

Lebanese Forces Urge Hezbollah to Legalize All Its Institutions

This is Beirut 2024-12-04 10:05 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Lebanon Central Bank of Lebanon Hezbollah Lebanese Forces

The Lebanese Forces (LF) have urged Hezbollah to “incorporate” itself into the state by legalizing all its institutions, particularly the financial entity al-Qard al-Hassan. The institution recently announced the reopening of 16 branches across various regions in Lebanon, just days after a ceasefire was declared on November 27. In a press ...

Madame Lucie: Manicurist to Cairo's Golden Age Stars

Beatrice Moreau 2024-12-02 18:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Egypt Cairo Stars Manicure

Nestled inconspicuously in a narrow alley branching off from one of Cairo's main thoroughfares, Madame Lucie's manicure salon has managed to survive the relentless march of time and progress that has transformed much of the Egyptian capital. Flanked by sleek modern cafes, trendy fashion boutiques, and ubiquitous fast food chains, the little shop's ...

The End of an Era

Charles Chartouni 2024-12-02 09:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam Lebanon Iran Middle East Hezbollah Hamas

The Iranian revolutionary imaginary and its strategic projections are gradually coming to an end with the unraveling of the proxies tapestry, the destruction of its operational platforms and the debunking of its political mythologies. The conjunction of internal crises with the demise of the imperial dominion is no hazard; it’s the outcome of ...

Israel's Credit Rating Downgraded Over Gaza War

This Is Beirut 2024-08-13 16:54 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

US credit rating agency Fitch has downgraded Israel a notch, warning that its ongoing conflict against Hamas in Gaza could last "well into 2025" and weigh on economic activity. Fitch lowered Israel's rating from "A+" to "A." "The conflict in Gaza could last well into 2025 and there are risks of it broadening to other fronts," Fitch said in a ...

EDL: Strike Suspended

This Is Beirut 2024-08-12 18:03 - Reading : less than a minute

The Electricité du Liban (EDL) employees' union officially announced on Monday the suspension of the strike, the resumption of activities, and the commitment of workers and employees to respect the institution's official working hours starting tomorrow, Tuesday, August 13. The Ministry of Finance has agreed, following discussions and meetings, ...

Trump Says 'No Guarantees' Gaza Truce Will Hold

This is Beirut 2025-02-03 22:10 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam Donald Trump United States Gaza Ceasefire Hamas

US President Donald Trump said on Monday there were "no guarantees" that a fragile ceasefire in Gaza will hold, as he prepares to discuss its future with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Netanyahu was in Washington for talks with the new Trump administration on a second phase of the truce with Hamas, which has not yet been ...

After the War: Why Lebanon's Shia Must Be Freed from Tehran

Marwan El Amine 20/03 12:20 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Lebanon Tehran Donald Trump Hezbollah Israel

Unlike the June 2025 conflict, the current U.S.-Israeli military campaign against the Iranian regime is poised to reshape the region, with significant consequences for Tehran’s proxies, foremost among them Hezbollah. The fates of Iran and Hezbollah have become defining questions of the regional war. Hezbollah did not hesitate to open a front ...

Breaking the Cycle: Lebanon, Israel, and the Case for a New Strategic Approach

Marwan El Amine 25/03 12:35 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Lebanon Israel Nawaf Salam Hezbollah Joseph Aoun

Since Hezbollah plunged Lebanon into war, key questions have emerged about the country’s domestic future. Foremost among them: how will the Lebanese state address Hezbollah’s arsenal, and what will Israel pursue in its campaign against the group? In the months leading up to the new war, it became clear that the Lebanese state had not fully ...

Reports of Ghalibaf–Trump Channel Trigger Political Turmoil in Tehran

This is Beirut 25/03 12:15 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Iran Trump USA USIranWar Israel Ghalibaf

Reports suggesting potential backchannel contacts between U.S. officials and Iran’s parliament speaker Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf have ignited a political storm in Tehran, exposing deep sensitivities within Iran’s leadership as the war continues. The controversy followed remarks by former U.S. President Donald Trump and subsequent ...

Washington and Tehran Disagree on the Status of Negotiations

This is Beirut 23/03 17:55 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Trump Iran USA Israel USIranWar

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday that Washington and “representatives” from Tehran had held “very good and productive conversations” over the past two days, and he had subsequently instructed the Department of Defense to postpone military strikes on Iranian power plants for five days—emphasizing that current ...

Smotrich Calls for Occupying Half of Lebanon as Israel Intensifies Infrastructure Strikes in the South

This is Beirut 23/03 17:30 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Lebanon Hezbollah Israel Iran USA War

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich’s call to occupy half of Lebanon, setting the Litani River as a new boundary, comes as Israel intensifies a systematic campaign targeting critical infrastructure in southern Lebanon, a strategy that is increasingly raising concerns over its military objectives and legal implications. The remarks, made ...

Trump to Postpone Strikes on Iran Power Plants After ‘Productive’ Talks

This is Beirut 23/03 15:30 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Donald Trump Gulf Israel Middle East Tehran

Trump announced on Monday that the United States and Iran have engaged in what he described as “very good and productive” talks over the past two days, aimed at achieving a comprehensive resolution to ongoing tensions in the Middle East. Citing the constructive tone of the discussions, Trump said he has ordered a temporary five-day ...

Iranian Missiles Sow Panic, Destruction in Israeli Towns

This is Beirut 22/03 07:10 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Benjamin Netanyahu Banks Israel Middle East United States

Sheltering from an Iranian missile attack on his town in southern Israel on Saturday, 17-year-old Ido Franky heard "terrifying" blasts like nothing he had experienced before. An Iranian missile hit Franky's town of Arad, hours after another struck Dimona -- home to a nuclear facility -- wounding dozens and leaving entire apartment ...

Roots of Radicalization: The Lebanese Immigrant Behind the Michigan Attack

Claudia Groeling 19/03 12:50 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Lebanon Hezbollah Israel USA Washington

A Lebanese immigrant to the U.S. last Thursday drove a truck laden with explosives into a synagogue in Michigan, as Israel fought a war with Hezbollah thousands of miles away, a group to which the assailant’s brother reportedly has ties. The FBI described Ayman Ghazali’s attack as a “targeted act of violence against the Jewish community.” ...

Lebanon Kids Struggle to Keep Up Studies as War Slams School Doors Shut

This is Beirut 29/03 05:40 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Lebanon USA Banks Hezbollah Israel

In a classroom turned shelter for displaced families, teenager Ahmad Melhem follows a recorded lesson on a tablet as the war between Hezbollah and Israel interrupts education for hundreds of thousands of students in Lebanon. "I don't want to regret not finishing my studies despite the difficult circumstances," said Melhem, whose ...

Israel Says Killed Iran National Security Chief Larijani

This is Beirut 17/03 12:20 - Reading : 6 minute(s)

Iran Israel Larijani Khamenei USA USIranWar

Israel said Tuesday it had killed Iran's powerful national security chief, Ali Larijani, in what would be a huge blow to the Islamic republic as fresh strikes rocked the Middle East from Tehran to Baghdad. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said Larijani was "eliminated last night," although this has not been confirmed by ...

Trump Pressures NATO, China over Iran's Closure of Hormuz

This is Beirut 16/03 12:15 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Donald Trump Emmanuel Macron Lebanon Europe Gulf

President Donald Trump urged NATO partners and China to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz, the critical conduit for crude that Iran has effectively closed, as major economic players began releasing oil reserves on Monday to ward off supply disruptions. Global oil prices have surged by 40 to 50 percent after Iran choked off the waterway and ...

U.S. Intelligence Says Iran’s Late Leader Had Doubts About Son’s Succession

This is Beirut 15/03 16:30 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

USA Iran Khamenei Trump Israel USIranWar

U.S. intelligence assessments presented to President Donald Trump suggest that Iran’s late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei had reservations about his son Mojtaba Khamenei succeeding him as the country’s top authority, according to sources familiar with the briefings. Officials told CBS News that intelligence agencies recently briefed Trump and a ...

Israeli Warplanes Drop Leaflets Over Beirut, Causing Panic

This Is Beirut 13/03 16:10 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Lebanon Hezbollah Palestine

Israeli planes dropping propaganda leaflets over Beirut on Friday caused a number of loud booms in the sky, terrifying residents of the Lebanese capital. AFP correspondents heard four successive booms at short intervals, before clouds of paper leaflets appeared high in the air. State media said the noise was "caused by Israeli aircraft flying at ...

Lebanon Plea: A Peace Initiative or a Lifeline for Hezbollah?

Amal Chmouny 13/03 11:50 - Reading : 6 minute(s)

Lebanon Hezbollah Lebanese Army Israel Joseph Aoun

Lebanon’s call for direct negotiations with Israel and its pledge to disarm Hezbollah are being framed in Beirut as historic. But it may instead be a delayed response, too late to stop the war, too weak to change its course, and potentially giving Hezbollah room to maneuver. On Monday, President Joseph Aoun urged an immediate ceasefire and ...

U.S. and Israel Said to Prepare Post-War Plan for Iran, Report Claims

This is Beirut 12/03 11:20 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

USA Israel Iran Trump USIranWar

The United States and Israel are reportedly working on a plan for the period following the war in Iran, aimed at creating conditions that could eventually lead to political change in Tehran, according to Israeli media reports citing informed sources. According to a report published by the Israeli newspaper Israel Hayom, officials in Washington ...

Hamas Operates Under Hezbollah Tutelage in Lebanon, Documents Reveal

This is Beirut 26/03 18:30 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Lebanon Hamas Hezbollah Hassan Nasrallah Israel

The IDF released a cache of Hamas internal documents found in the Gaza Strip, giving formal proof that Hamas operates under Hezbollah supervision in Lebanon. The documents, dated to the period prior to Hamas’s October 7th terror attacks, show that Hezbollah agreed to assist the group with “equipment, training, and facilities" and that Hamas ...

Gulf Allies Privately Urge Trump to Press War on Iran: Report

This is Beirut 31/03 12:05 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Trump Gulf USA Israel USIranWar

Gulf Arab allies are privately urging President Donald Trump to intensify the war against Iran and avoid a premature settlement, even as the White House considers scaling back its military campaign without securing full control over the Strait of Hormuz, according to a report by the Times of Israel. According to U.S., Gulf, and Israeli officials, ...

The Lebanese Army Goes Rogue

Hussain Abdul-Hussain 09/03 14:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Lebanese Army Lebanon Damascus Hezbollah Israel

The Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF), under its commander Rodolphe Haykal, has defied the state it is sworn to serve, effectively siding with Hezbollah at a moment when Lebanon teeters on the edge of the abyss. After Hezbollah drew Lebanon back into war on March 2, the Lebanese cabinet rushed into an emergency meeting and banned the militia’s ...

U.S.-Iran Truce Hangs in Balance as War Flares in Lebanon

This is Beirut 09/04 01:40 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Lebanon Donald Trump Benjamin Netanyahu Bahrain Gulf

The fragile two-week truce between Iran and the United States was hanging in the balance on Wednesday, with Tehran threatening to resume hostilities as Israel launched a major bombardment of Lebanon. Washington and Tehran both claimed victory after agreeing to a two-week ceasefire and negotiations aimed at ending a war that has killed thousands ...

U.S. Says Ball in Iran's Court as Push Grows to End War

This is Beirut 14/04 12:20 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

USA Donald Trump Emmanuel Macron Gulf New York

The United States said "the ball is in the Iranian court" on ending the Mideast war, as diplomats accelerated efforts on Tuesday towards a new round of peace talks after weekend negotiations failed to produce a deal. US Vice President JD Vance had left talks hosted by Pakistan on Sunday, saying he had handed Tehran the "final and best offer".Iran ...

Qassem Urges Lebanese Government to Cancel Negotiations with Israel

This is Beirut 13/04 20:15 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Benjamin Netanyahu Lebanon Hezbollah Israel USA

Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem delivered a televised address tonight, his sixth since the militant group initiated this round of fighting on March 2. He spoke one day before Lebanese and Israeli envoys are set to begin negotiations at the U.S. State Department on April 14, a watershed moment in the history of ties between the two ...

Mideast Prepares for More Fighting as Talks Fail

This is Beirut 12/04 19:00 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Donald Trump USA Gulf Middle East Saudi Arabia

A sense of dread spread across the Middle East after talks between the US and Iran collapsed, as fears of renewed fighting rattled an already tense region with Donald Trump ordering a naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. Following more than 20 hours of talks in the Pakistani capital Islamabad, US Vice President JD Vance admitted the yawning ...