Israeli Minister Calls for Abbas’s Arrest if UN Vote Endorses Palestinian State

This is Beirut 2025-11-17 23:05 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

United Nations Donald Trump Benjamin Netanyahu Palestine UN Security Council

Israel's far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir on Monday called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to arrest Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas if the UN Security Council votes in favor of Palestinian statehood. "If they accelerate the recognition of this fabricated state, if the UN recognizes this, you, Mr. Prime Minister, must ...

Football – Asia 2027: Brunei Ahead, Lebanon One Step Away From Qualification

Makram Haddad 2025-11-18 08:55 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Lebanon Brunei Football Asian Qualifiers

On Tuesday at 2:15 p.m. (Beirut time), at the Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium, Lebanon visits Brunei for Matchday 5 of Group B in the third qualifying round for the 2027 Asian Cup. Sitting atop the group with 10 points, the Lebanese are targeting a fourth victory that would put qualification within reach — a draw against Yemen on March 31, ...

Pope Decries Lack of Political will on Climate Change

This is Beirut 2025-11-18 09:20 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Climate COP30 UN Brazil Pope Leo XIV

Pope Leo XIV on Monday urged "concrete actions" on climate change and complained that some leaders lacked the will to act, as he addressed religious dignitaries on the sidelines of the COP30 summit. The Vatican released the American pope's address to churches of the southern hemisphere assembled on the sidelines of the UN climate talks in Belem, ...

UNIFIL Begins Withdrawal as Europe Weighs Replacement Force

Bassam Abou Zeid 2025-11-18 10:00 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Europe Lebanon Hezbollah Israel Palestine UNIFIL

No one can predict what southern Lebanon will look like after UNIFIL withdraws at the end of 2026. Will Lebanon have succeeded in disarming Hezbollah? Will it be able to fully control the south, particularly the area south of the Litani River? And what role will the international presence play in the region? UNIFIL has already begun reducing its ...

Why Normalization with Israel Will Revive Saudi Arabia

Hussain Abdul-Hussain 2025-11-18 10:25 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Saudi Arabia Israel United States MBS Donald Trump Qatar LAF

Saudi Arabia is rapidly losing regional relevance, with Sunni rivals Qatar and Turkey encroaching on its traditional leadership roles. The Kingdom’s economy remains mired in second gear, unable to transition from oil dependency to a knowledge-based model. Riyadh’s repeated promises of financial windfalls to the U.S. now appear to be ...

Sale of F-35s to Riyadh: A New Test for U.S. Alliances in the Middle East

Mario Chartouni 2025-11-18 14:45 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Middle East Donald Trump Israel Saudi Arabia Mohammed ben Salman US

On the eve of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s visit to Washington, Donald Trump announced Monday his intention to approve the sale of F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia. “We are going to sell F-35s,” the president declared from the White House, praising ties with Riyadh and describing the kingdom as “a great ally.” The announcement ...

Papal Visit Funding: Where Does Lebanon Stand?

Natasha Metni Torbey 2025-11-18 16:10 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Lebanon The Vatican Papal visit Pope Leo XIV Bkerke Roger Zaccar

With less than two weeks to go before Pope Leo XIV’s visit to Lebanon at the end of the month, preparations have entered their final stage. Roger Zaccar, head of the visit’s financial committee, told This is Beirut that nearly 80% of the required funds have already been secured, with the remaining 20% are still needed to complete the ...

'Below the Clouds': Gianfranco Rosi’s Meditative Portrait of Naples

This is Beirut 2025-11-18 17:40 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Film Gianfranco Rosi Italy Culture

If the regular recipe for success in the modern entertainment industry or on social media is being loud, attention-seeking, and a prolific creator of "content," Italian filmmaker Gianfranco Rosi has carved out a career doing the exact opposite. The work of the award-winning documentary producer is everything our contemporary culture is not: slow, ...

Trump and MBS Seal Major Economic and Military Partnerships

This is Beirut 2025-11-18 18:25 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Donald Trump Gulf Israel Middle East Palestine

Donald Trump received Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) on Tuesday with full protocol honors, marking his first visit to Washington since 2018. The U.S. president and the de facto leader of the Saudi kingdom made multiple announcements during a joint press conference, covering massive investments, the sale of advanced weaponry, and ...

Said El Mala: The Lebanese-German Talent Now at the Top of Barcelona’s List

Pierre Daccache 2025-11-18 20:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Lebanon Germany Football Said El Mala FC Barcelona

A Childhood Between Two Worlds Born in Krefeld in 2006 to a Lebanese father, Mohammed, and a German mother, Sabrina, El Mala grew up in a home shaped by two cultures and one obsession: football. His father played at an amateur level and passed on both the passion and the ambition. Said and his twin brother, Malek, learned early to move between ...

The Takaichi Shock: Taiwan Reshapes the Power Balance

Moncef Ait-Kaci 2025-11-19 21:15 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

USA China Pacific Japan Taiwan

The Statement That Sparked the Storm It began with a brief remark. On November 7, speaking to Japanese lawmakers, Sanae Takaichi warned that military action against Taiwan could threaten “Japan’s survival” and urged consideration of the “worst-case scenario.” Her comments quickly crossed the Taiwan Strait. Beijing responded almost ...

Lebanon Faces Donor Backlash After Decision Extending Disability Benefits to Hezbollah Fighters

Tylia El Helou 2025-11-18 20:30 - Reading : 8 minute(s)

Lebanon Hezbollah United States U.S. Treasury Sanctions

Lebanon is facing mounting diplomatic backlash after the Ministry of Social Affairs (MoSA) extended state and donor-funded disability benefits to the thousands of Hezbollah fighters wounded in Israel’s September 2024 operation targeting Hezbollah’s communication devices. What the ministry described as a humanitarian exemption is now being ...

Nuclear Partnership and F-35 Sale Cement Saudi Arabia’s New Non-NATO Ally Status

This is Beirut 2025-11-19 09:20 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Saudi Arabia Israel Middle East Mohammed bin Salman Donald Trump

The United States and Saudi Arabia announced a series of significant agreements spanning civil nuclear cooperation, advanced weapons sales, and strategic defense coordination during Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s high-profile visit to the White House. The meetings marked the Saudi leader’s first official White House visit in more than ...

Roblox Game Platform Launches Age Checks for Chat

This is Beirut 2025-11-19 09:50 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Roblox Technology Gaming Face recognition

Gaming giant Roblox Corp. says it will roll out compulsory facial recognition or ID checks from next month for players wanting to access its chat features. It aims to stop under-nines from chatting without parental consent and to curb conversations between adults and minors online by placing users into six age bands ranging from under-nines to ...

Football – Asia 2027: Lebanon in Full Control, Qualification in Sight

Makram Haddad 2025-11-19 10:10 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Lebanon Football Asian Qualifiers Brunei

The ideal script for a potentially tricky trip. At the Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium, Miodrag Radulović’s side killed the suspense early, navigated the heat and time-zone shock, and stuck to their plan: high block, clean ball circulation, regained efficiency. Just three minutes in, Malek Fakhro opened the scoring with a long-range lob after ...

EU Court Confirms Amazon Subject to Bloc's Digital Rules

This is Beirut 2025-11-19 12:45 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

European Union USA Amazon Law

An EU court on Wednesday rejected an Amazon challenge against the bloc's digital content law, confirming that the tech giant must comply with its strict rules. Amazon was seeking to overturn its designation as a "very large online platform," which is subject to tougher rules than smaller players under the European Union's behemoth Digital ...

Triathlon: Mia Sahioun Rises to the Top of West Asia

Makram Haddad 2025-11-19 13:00 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Lebanon Triathlon Mia Sahioun Abu Dhabi

At just 15 years old, triathlete Mia Sahioun is already collecting national titles and international medals. From Kfarchima to Abu Dhabi, passing through Jounieh, Bahrain, and Fujeirah, Lebanon’s “golden girl” of triathlon has climbed to the very top of the West Asian rankings… with Asia, Dakar, and perhaps one day the Olympic Games now in ...

The Digital Dollar: Hezbollah’s New Financial Weapon

Liliane Mokbel 2025-11-19 13:50 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Hezbollah Lebanon US Treasury Digital Dollar Cryptocurrency USDT

Hezbollah’s financing continues to raise serious concerns. A clash is unfolding between international law and the militia, which is using multiple strategies to protect its resources. According to several sources, the group has even turned to digital dollars, particularly Tether, to secure its financial survival. Last week, a US Treasury ...

When the IMF’s Agenda Takes Over Decision-Making, Depositors Foot the Bill

This is Beirut 2025-11-19 15:15 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

BDL Banks Lebanon Economy

A cautiously tense meeting brought together Finance Minister Yassine Jaber and a delegation from the Association of Banks in Lebanon (ABL), dedicated to discussing the points related to the Financial Gap Law. The talks focused on how the banks, the Lebanese state, and the Central Bank would handle the existing gap and on reassessing the banks’ ...

UK warns Putin as Russian Military Ship Enters its Waters

This is Beirut 2025-11-19 15:25 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

United Kingdom Vladimir Putin Russia Ship

The UK government warned the Kremlin on Wednesday after saying a Russian military ship had entered British waters and directed lasers at UK pilots. Defense Secretary John Healey told reporters in London that the ship had "entered" UK waters for the second time this year, following an earlier incursion back in January. "The Yantar is on the edge ...

Orbiting: The Subtle Dance Around the Other

David Sahyoun 2025-11-19 18:00 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Psychoanalysis Orbiting Social Media Culture Relationships

Drawing from the evolving grammar of digital interfaces, we encounter the neologism orbiting. It describes the behavior of someone who cuts off all direct contact - no messages, no invitations, no meetings - yet continues to “circle around” you. They watch your stories, like your posts, track your digital movements, and ...

Is Hamas Rebuilding Its Military Presence in Lebanon?

Natasha Metni Torbey 2025-11-19 20:00 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Lebanon Hamas Hezbollah Israel

The Israeli strike that targeted the Palestinian refugee camp of Ain al-Hilweh in southern Lebanon on Tuesday night has brought back into focus a question that had mostly stayed out of the spotlight in the conflict, at least since the November 27, 2024 ceasefire, which shifted attention primarily to Hezbollah: Is Hamas in the process of rebuilding ...

Trump and MBS Seal Massive Deals

Paul Guillot 2025-11-19 21:13 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Donald Trump Saudi Arabia MBS USA Deals

The Saudi crown prince, welcomed to a lavish ceremony at the White House, revealed that the initial six hundred billion dollars in mega-deals would expand to nearly one trillion dollars, aiming to support Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 and reinforce strategic ties with the United States. Donald Trump, emphasizing his business deal skills, hailed the ...

Award-Winning Filmmaker Panahi: Iran Protests “To Move History Forward”

This is Beirut 02/01 21:05 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Filmmaker Jafar Panahi Protests Economy Opposition Iran

Award-winning Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi said Wednesday that protests, which have gripped his country in recent days, aimed "to move history forward." "Shared pain has now become a cry in the street," said the director who won the Cannes Film Festival's top prize this year and has been nominated for an Oscar for his film It Was Just an ...

Rubio Vows to Eliminate Hezbollah from Venezuela After Maduro Capture

This is Beirut 05/01 09:10 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Lebanon Hezbollah Israel South Lebanon

Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced Sunday that Hezbollah will no longer have operations in Venezuela after elite U.S. forces captured wanted narco-terrorist and former Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro in Caracas.  Speaking on CBS' "Face the Nation," Rubio said, "It's very simple, OK? In the 21st century, ...

U.S. Limits Pause on Iran Strikes to Energy Targets as Talks Remain Disputed

This is Beirut 24/03 12:55 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

USA Iran Israel Negotiations USIranWar

The United States has clarified that its temporary pause on strikes against Iran applies only to energy infrastructure, while military operations targeting defense and strategic capabilities continue, underscoring the limited scope of the announced de-escalation. A U.S. official told Semafor that the five-day suspension ordered by President ...

Southern Lebanon: Mikati Denies Allegations Made About Compensations for Victims

This Is Beirut 2024-03-22 22:21 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

The Caretaker Prime Minister, Najib Mikati, denied on Friday statements attributed to him by pro-Hezbollah media, according to which his government intended to pay compensation to the victims of Israeli attacks in southern Lebanon. He clarified that it is impossible, under the current circumstances, to take any measures to assess and determine the ...

Can Lebanon's Military Court Break Free of Hezbollah's Shadow?

Kaline Antoun 02/04 09:45 - Reading : 6 minute(s)

Lebanon Hezbollah Lebanese Army Israel Joseph Aoun

Lebanon’s Military Court has drawn scrutiny for its handling of detainees linked to Hezbollah, reigniting long-standing criticism over its politicization and expansive legal authority. On March 9, the Military Court controversially ordered the release of three individuals arrested by the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) on charges of illegally ...

UAE Signals Willingness to Join Military Effort in Hormuz: Report

This is Beirut 02/04 10:10 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

United Arab Emirates United Nations Bahrain Gulf Saudi Arabia

The United Arab Emirates is preparing to support a potential military operation led by the United States and its allies to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, Arab officials told the Wall Street Journal. If confirmed, the move would mark the first time a Gulf state has formally entered the conflict with Iran. Emirati officials are pushing for a United ...

Hezbollah's Fallback Strategy as the Resistance Axis Unravels

Marwan El Amine 03/04 08:35 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Hezbollah Lebanese Army UN Security Council Lebanon Israel

Hezbollah is coming under immense pressure on all fronts. Its regional backer Iran stands on the threshold of a new political phase that points to a retreat from its regional strategy, with profound implications for Hezbollah in Lebanon. There, Israel is escalating its military efforts against Hezbollah, with the campaign likely to intensify ...