Iraq Says Won't Remain Silent Following Attack on PMF Base

This is Beirut 25/03 17:15 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Israel UN Security Council United Nations United States USA

Iraq warned on Wednesday that its armed forces “will not remain silent” following a deadly airstrike that killed seven soldiers at a site linked to the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), a coalition of Iran-backed militias integrated into Iraq’s regular armed forces, according to an article in the Times of Israel. In a statement posted on ...

Cautious Optimism as Oil Prices Decline and Stock Markets Rebound

This is Beirut 25/03 16:15 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Donald Trump European Union Middle East New York Tehran

Oil prices continued to decline on Wednesday, leading to a rebound in stock markets, as traders appeared willing to believe in the possibility of a peace plan proposed by Donald Trump to Iran. “Market movements are driven by narratives and headlines: today, everything revolves around the prospect of a ceasefire,” summarized Neil ...

Hezbollah Leader Urges National Unity to Confront “Israeli-American Aggression”

This is Beirut 25/03 15:45 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Hezbollah Iran Israel USA Lebanon War

Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem called for “national unity” in Lebanon on Wednesday, framing it as essential in confronting what he described as a year-long campaign of Israeli-American aggression. In his address, Qassem presented Lebanon as facing a stark choice between “surrender” and ...

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 ...

Fresh Strike on Base in Western Iraq Kills Seven

This is Beirut 25/03 12:30 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

USA

A new strike in western Iraq killed seven security personnel, the defence ministry said Wednesday, a day after a deadly attack on the same base targeted the former paramilitary Hashed al-Shaabi. Iraq has been unwillingly pulled into the war sparked by US and Israeli strikes against Iran on February 28, and which has since engulfed much of the ...

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 ...

New Wave of American Troops Heads to the Middle East

This is Beirut 25/03 11:35 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Middle East Donald Trump Bahrain Israel Kuwait

Tensions in the Middle East are spiking as the United States ramps up its military presence while diplomatic efforts with Iran falter. Thousands of troops are on the move, and the region braces for potential escalation. Thousands of U.S. Marines are slated to arrive imminently, signaling heightened strategic pressure. According to U.S. officials, ...

AI and Employment: A Process of Creative Destruction

Paul Guillot 2025-10-07 11:15 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Europe International Monetary Fund New York United States USA

AI is hailed for boosting efficiency, speed, and productivity. But behind the hype, a global concern looms: could it put millions of jobs at risk? From Salesforce headquarters to Amazon warehouses, from New York offices to emerging markets, one question dominates: is AI a ticking social time bomb? A Subtle but Global Threat The IMF estimates ...

US, Qatar, Turkey to Join Third Day of Gaza Peace Talks in Egypt

This is Beirut 2025-10-08 08:50 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam Palestine Turkey USA Qatar Egypt

Qatar's prime minister and senior delegates from the United States and Turkey will join Hamas and Israeli negotiators on Wednesday for a third day of talks aimed at ending the Gaza war. Israel and Hamas are holding indirect negotiations in the Egyptian resort town of Sharm El-Sheikh, based on a 20-point plan proposed by US President Donald Trump ...

Saudi Bases Open to U.S. Despite Hormuz Operation Disagreement

This is Beirut 08/05 15:45 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Hormuz SaudiArabia USA Trump Gulf USIranWar

U.S. forces have access to Saudi airspace and bases despite being told not to use them for the now suspended operation to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, two Saudi sources told AFP on Friday. Earlier this week, U.S. President Donald Trump announced a pause in the two-day-old "Project Freedom" to guide ships through the Strait after a flare-up with ...

UFC Star McGregor Suspended 18 Months Over Missed Drug Tests

This is Beirut 2025-10-08 16:55 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Conor McGregor UFC

Mixed martial arts star Conor McGregor has been issued an 18-month suspension after missing three drug tests in a 12-month period, anti-doping authorities said Tuesday. Irishman McGregor, 37, a former Ultimate Fighting Championship featherweight and lightweight champion, has accepted the suspension, Combat Sports Anti-Doping (CSAD) said in a ...

How Trump’s Plan Tries to Rewire the Middle East’s Deterrence Map

Salam El Zaatari 2025-10-09 11:00 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam Hamas Hezbollah Gaza Donald Trump

In a region addicted to repetition, President Donald Trump is once again attempting to rewrite the script. His new “Gaza Peace Plan,” a 20-point proposal for a ceasefire, hostage exchange and technocratic governance under a US-chaired “Board of Peace,” is more than a humanitarian play. It’s a geopolitical lever meant to corner Tehran, ...

Mesotherapy: Radiance Boost or Overhyped Procedure?

Bélinda Ibrahim 2025-10-09 10:55 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

A tired-looking face, lacking radiance, paired with the promise of an immediate “refresh:” mesotherapy has become a staple in aesthetic clinics, praised for its micro-injections of revitalizing cocktails. The concept is simple: tiny amounts of vitamins, non-crosslinked hyaluronic acid, trace elements or peptides are injected into the upper ...

Exosomes: The Next Cellular Hype

Bélinda Ibrahim 2025-10-09 10:50 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

USA

From aesthetic clinics to Instagram feeds, exosomes are everywhere. Celebrated as the next breakthrough in cellular rejuvenation, these microscopic vesicles derived from stem cells are said to boost skin regeneration, refine texture, and restore firmness, all without surgery. But what exactly are exosomes? They are nanoparticles naturally ...

Mr. Trump, There Are Still Hostages Left…

Marc Saikali 2025-10-09 08:30 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam Lebanon Donald Trump Hezbollah USA

Yes, we are the four and a half million Lebanese – prisoners of a country that has been hijacked. We live trapped in the open, under the rule of a militia that has seized a nation, its people and the state itself. Hezbollah is no force of resistance. It is an occupying power from within. It decides when Lebanon goes to war, whom it must obey ...

Trump Says May go to Middle East at End of Week

This is Beirut 2025-10-08 23:39 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam Donald Trump United States Gaza Hamas

US President Donald Trump said Wednesday he may travel to the Middle East later this week, as negotiators in Egypt reported "encouraging" progress toward a deal to end the Gaza war. Trump, whose 20-point peace proposal forms the basis of the talks in the resort town of Sharm El-Sheikh, said a peace deal between Israel and Palestinian ...

Iran Releases Franco-German Accused of Spying

This is Beirut 2025-10-08 18:05 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Iran France Jean-Noel Barrot Lennart Monterlos

Iran has released a 19-year-old Franco-German national days after throwing out spying charges against him, the French foreign minister told AFP on Wednesday. "Lennart Monterlos is free," said Jean-Noel Barrot, with sources close to the case saying the young man would travel to France on Thursday. "We are relieved that our son will return to us," ...

Hamas Says 'Optimism Prevails' in Gaza Talks With Israel

This is Beirut 2025-10-08 15:55 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam Hamas Palestine Gaza truce

Hamas said Wednesday that "optimism" was prevailing in indirect talks with Israel aimed at ending the Gaza war, with the militant group submitting a list of prisoners it wants released in exchange for freeing Israeli hostages under a deal. The talks aim to thrash out a plan to implement a 20-point peace proposal put forward last month by US ...

Israeli Cabinet to Vote Thursday on Gaza Ceasefire and Hostage Deal

This is Beirut 2025-10-09 12:45 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam Donald Trump Benjamin Netanyahu Ceasefire Hostage

After nearly two years of war in Gaza, Israel and Hamas have agreed to a ceasefire and the release of hostages in what is being hailed as a historic step toward ending the conflict. The agreement, brokered through intense negotiations in Egypt with the support of the United States, Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey, represents the first phase of US ...

NBA Back In China After Six-Year Absence Sparked By Democracy Tweet

This is Beirut 2025-10-08 12:55 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

NBA China

The NBA returns to the lucrative China market this week with two pre-season games following a six-year absence after a team official tweeted his support for pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong. The Brooklyn Nets and the Phoenix Suns will play sell-out games on Friday and Sunday in Macau, a special administrative region of China close to Hong ...

Is ChatGPT Doomed to Hallucinate in Order to Survive?

Bélinda Ibrahim 2025-10-08 11:00 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

ChatGPT AI Artificial Intelligence Science World Hallucinate

Like other generative models, ChatGPT revolutionized our relationship with information while continuing to deliver confident factual errors. OpenAI, the company behind the famous chatbot, published a new study that doesn’t dispel doubts but instead reveals how deeply the problem is rooted in the system’s design. These so-called hallucinations ...

Basketball: Sagesse or the Runner-Up Curse

Makram Haddad 2025-10-08 10:15 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Lebanon Basketball Sagesse

Sagesse knocked on the door of the title once again. And, once again, the lock held firm. Beaten 101-93 by Kuwait Club after a roller-coaster final at the Rashid bin Humaid hall, the Greens unwillingly extend the “runner-up curse.” But the underlying message tells another story: a team that’s getting tougher, that knows how to come back, and ...

From Beirut to Mecca: Ali Wehbi, 50 Marathons for 50 Children

Makram Haddad 2025-10-08 09:30 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Lebanon Saudi Arabia Ali Wehbi Marathon Autism

He has crossed deserts where the silence hits hard, tamed polar nights where the frost bites, and trained… in supermarket freezers to prepare his body for the Arctic. For 21 years, Ali Wehbi has pushed the boundaries of endurance. The “International Lebanese Desert Runner” has covered more than 18,000 kilometers across the globe, come close ...

Trump Talks up Canada Trade Deal Chances With ‘World-Class’ Carney

This is Beirut 2025-10-08 05:10 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

United States Donald Trump Canada Diplomacy

President Donald Trump said Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney would be "very happy" after their trade talks at the White House Tuesday, but offered no immediate concessions on lifting steep US tariffs. Striking a friendly tone in the Oval Office, Trump praised Carney as a "world-class leader" adding that the former central ...

Saudi Arabia Hosts its First Riyadh Comedy Festival

This is Beirut 2025-10-07 18:00 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Comedy Riyadh Comedy Festival Saudi Art Culture

Jokes about geriatric sex and endless profanity have been embraced by Saudi fans at the Riyadh Comedy Festival even as foreign comedians face a backlash for taking part. The star-studded event, backed by a Saudi government body, has driven a wedge through the stand-up scene, as comics who staunchly defend free speech in the West are accused of ...

Retirement or Marketing Gimmick? Cryptic LeBron Video Sets Internet Buzzing

This is Beirut 2025-10-07 13:25 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Lakers Basketball LeBron James NBA

A cryptic video shared by LeBron James set the Internet abuzz on Monday, with fans wondering if the NBA superstar was preparing to announce his retirement or simply another commercial venture. The 10-second video posted on James' social media channels teased that the Los Angeles Lakers star would reveal the "decision of all decisions" at 1600 GMT ...

Hyaluronic Acid: The Art of Volume… and Excess

Bélinda Ibrahim 2025-10-09 11:00 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Volumizing, hydrating, natural: hyaluronic acid has become the star of facial fillers. But behind its popularity lie potential complications: delayed reactions, migration, granulomas and product choice… In Lebanon, an early surge in demand has also been reported by Professor Roland Tomb, Honorary Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at Saint Joseph ...

What we Know About the New Gaza Deal

This is Beirut 2025-10-09 14:11 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam Palestine Donald Trump Benjamin Netanyahu Hamas

  Israel and Hamas on Thursday agreed a ceasefire deal to free the living hostages in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails. Here is what we know so far about the agreement that was reached in indirect talks in Egypt:  Hostage, prisoner releases  Hamas will release 20 living hostages in one go as ...

Trump and Artificial Intelligence: Reclaiming America’s Lead

Paul Guillot 2025-10-07 11:25 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Donald Trump United States White House

In January 2025, barely back in the White House, Donald Trump set the tone: artificial intelligence would not be merely a technological challenge but a strategic instrument to secure American supremacy. The Executive Order 14179, Removing Barriers to American Leadership in Artificial Intelligence, marked a turning point. Regulatory constraints ...

International Sanctions: Mechanisms, Loopholes and Limits

Élie-Joe Kamel 2025-10-10 17:45 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

United Nations Donald Trump Europe European Union G7

Despite a major military setback suffered by the Iran-aligned axis in its war against Israel and the sanctions imposed on it, Hezbollah reportedly continues to receive $60 million per month in transfers from Iran. That is according to US envoy Thomas Barrack, who made the claim on September 22 in an interview with Sky News. In this context, a ...