Mbappe and Madrid Denied in Mallorca Draw

This Is Beirut 2024-08-19 09:39 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Kylian Mbappe was left frustrated on his Real Madrid La Liga debut on Sunday as a resilient Real Mallorca held the Spanish and European champions to a 1-1 draw in their title defense opener. The French superstar was thwarted by Mallorca goalkeeper Dominik Greif. After Rodrygo Goes sent Madrid ahead early on, the hosts levelled in the second half ...

Chelsea, Lyon Dominate Women's Champions League Quarter-Finals

This Is Beirut 2024-03-20 10:06 - Reading : less than a minute

In the first-leg quarter-final clashes of the women's Champions League, Chelsea dominated Ajax with a resounding 3-0 victory, while Lyon secured a 2-1 win over Benfica. Chelsea's Lauren James opened the scoring against Ajax, followed by Germany's Sjoeke Nusken netting two goals which sealed Chelsea's commanding performance. Chelsea manager Emma ...

The Israeli Trap Set for Hezbollah

Tilda Abou Rizk 2024-09-19 16:26 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Almost everything has been said about the methods Israel has used to deliver a painful double blow to Hezbollah, both militarily and psychologically, through two deadly attacks involving booby-trapped pagers and walkie-talkies, targeting thousands of the group's members. The main question that comes up now is whether Hezbollah’s pledged ...

'Endurance': In the Footsteps of a Legendary Shipwreck

This is Beirut 2024-10-17 18:00 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Film History

A century after the sinking of the Endurance, the famous ship of Anglo-Irish explorer Ernest Shackleton, a documentary titled Endurance reveals the “breathtaking” preservation conditions of the wreck, discovered two years ago at a depth of 3,000 meters in the Weddell Sea, off Antarctica. Produced by National Geographic, Endurance showcases ...

Al-Qard Al-Hassan: Is Hezbollah's 'Bank' in Jeopardy? (2/2)

Maurice Matta 2024-10-16 08:30 - Reading : 8 minute(s)

Lebanon Economy Al Qard Al Hassan Hezbollah

Many legal experts agree on the idea that "the Al-Qard Al-Hasan Association is a loophole in Lebanese law." The change in terminology does not alter the legal nature, which means that it is, in essence, a bank under legal reality and cannot be considered a non-profit charity organization, as it identifies itself. Specific circulars about Al-Qard ...

Telecom Ministry Clarifies Mobile Screen Symbols

This is Beirut 2024-10-08 13:45 - Reading : less than a minute

The Ministry of Telecommunications released a statement on Tuesday to reassure mobile phone users about certain symbols that may appear on their screens, showing the names of the two mobile network operators, Touch and Alfa. The ministry emphasized that these symbols are not a cause for concern and there are no hacking attempts targeting users’ ...

War and the Pitfalls of Truce

2024-09-30 09:08 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

  Lebanon is in a state of war, and this reality should be acknowledged if we are to cope with its manifold consequences. The first question to be raised is with whom, because it’s the starting point before engaging the issues that attach to it: the war is between the State of Israel and Hezbollah and not between Israel and Lebanon. The ...

Israeli Infiltration of Airport Communications, Iranian Plane Landing Banned

This Is Beirut 2024-09-28 13:08 - Reading : less than a minute

The Israeli media Haaretz reported that Israel hacked the control system in Beirut airport and warned an Iranian passenger plane not to land there. Moreover, Caretaker Minister of Public Works and Transport Ali Hamieh instructed Beirut-Rafic Hariri International Airport on Saturday to request the Iranian plane, which was headed to the airport, ...

Hezbollah’s Telecom Network Reportedly Remains Fully Intact

2024-09-23 18:48 - Reading : 9 minute(s)

Hezbollah’s telecom network, which reportedly spans nearly the entire national territory, is believed to be used almost exclusively by its military wing and activated only in times of combat or large-scale conflict. Israel's dramatic twin assault using booby-trapped transmission devices on Tuesday, September 17, and Wednesday, September 18, ...

Lebanese Officials Receive Threats Amid Alleged Israeli Communications Interference

This Is Beirut 2024-09-23 11:58 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

The office of the caretaker Minister of Culture, Judge Mohammad Mortada, received a call on Monday from a person speaking in formal Arabic, warning of the need to evacuate the office as it was being targeted. Additionally, the office of the caretaker Minister of Information, Ziad Makary, also received a voice threat from an automated message, ...

Who Is Behind the New Phase of SMS Warfare in Lebanon and Israel?

Vanessa Kallas 2024-09-21 08:40 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

  If you’re a citizen of southern Lebanon, you may have received a chilling message from an unknown number: “It has become clear to us that you are a big supporter of Hassan Nasrallah, so you will be rewarded by meeting him in hell.” These are not harmless pranks. Although it is not clear who is behind these messages, signs point to ...

The New Warfare: A Digital Checkmate in the Age of Conflict

Salam Zaatari 2024-09-19 08:59 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

  Never in the history of modern warfare have we witnessed such an attack. On Tuesday, Israel simultaneously detonated thousands of pagers, killing 25 people, including two children, and injuring more than 3,000. This attack targeted Hezbollah members in Lebanon and Syria. Codenamed “Below the Belt,” the operation caused injuries ...

Iran Probe Finds Raisi Helicopter Crash Caused by Weather

This Is Beirut 2024-08-21 21:40 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Iran's investigation into the May helicopter crash that killed former President Ebrahim Raisi has found it was caused by bad weather and overloading, Iranian media said on Wednesday, citing an official. The helicopter carrying 63-year-old Raisi and his entourage came down on a fog-shrouded mountainside in northern Iran, killing the president and ...

The Pager Operation: Key Details and Pressing Questions

2024-09-18 14:57 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Without firing a single shot, Israel managed to remove thousands of Hezbollah fighters from the battlefield in southern Lebanon. Some will be out of action for days, others for months, while some may never return to combat or their duties due to the severity of their injuries, which could permanently prevent them from resuming their ...

What Is a Pager?

Malo Pinatel 2024-09-17 17:22 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Hundreds of Hezbollah fighters were injured on Tuesday in Dahiyé, the Bekaa Valley, and southern Lebanon. The cause: the explosion of their pagers, likely after being hacked by Israel. Predecessor to Mobile Phones A pager, or beeper, is a mobile communication device widely used before the rise of mobile phones. Its main purpose is to receive ...

'Shogun' Shatters Emmy Records With 18 Awards

2024-09-16 14:00 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Shogun triumphed at the Emmy Awards, breaking records with 18 trophies and becoming the first non-English series to win. The 76th Emmy Awards ceremony saw a groundbreaking win for Shogun, which took home 18 trophies, making it the first non-English language series to claim the Best Drama award. This adaptation of James Clavell’s novel, set in ...

Venezuelan Opposition Leader Left to Spain for Asylum

This Is Beirut 2024-09-08 11:08 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

The Venezuelan government said on Saturday that opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, who disputed President Nicolas Maduro's July 28 reelection, has left the country to seek asylum in Spain. Gonzalez Urrutia had been in hiding for a month, ignoring three successive summons to appear before prosecutors, saying attending the hearing could ...

Arrest Warrant for Venezuelan Opposition Leader, the US Seize One of Maduro's Planes

This Is Beirut 2024-09-03 04:36 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

A Venezuelan court granted an arrest warrant Monday for opposition presidential candidate Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, who claims to have rightfully won July elections that authorities awarded to incumbent Nicolas Maduro. The court, the prosecutor's office said on Instagram, had granted its request for a warrant for Gonzalez Urrutia for "serious ...

A Decaying Near-East and the Purview of Negotiations

2024-08-26 11:21 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

  The striking fact about the ongoing truce negotiations is the nature of their stakes, their partners and their projected outcomes. After 10 months of open-ended wars on three battlefronts, we are left with one successful truce, the comeback of an unhindered course of violence, the looming hazards of a total war destroying whatever is left ...

Southport: What Do Racist Riots Reveal About British Far Right Reality?

Ali A. Hamadé 2024-08-24 17:54 - Reading : 6 minute(s)

  Everything seemed to indicate that the Southport tragedy would remain a significant topic in public debate, particularly regarding illegal immigration. However, the far-right's cynical exploitation of a single crime, portraying it as a racially and Islamist-motivated act, changed everything. This disgraceful manipulation triggered weeks of ...

Venezuela High Court Confirms Maduro's Reelection

This Is Beirut 2024-08-22 21:19 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Venezuela's Supreme Court, which observers say is loyal to the government of President Nicolas Maduro, on Thursday declared him the winner of the disputed July 28 election amid opposition claims of widespread vote fraud. In its ruling read by presiding judge Caryslia Rodriguez, the court said it had "indisputably certified election materials and ...

Barcelona and PSG Triumph in Women's Champions League Away Matches

This Is Beirut 2024-03-21 10:34 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Defending champions Barcelona faced a tough challenge against Norwegian side Brann, securing a narrow 2-1 victory in the first leg of their Women's Champions League quarter-final clash on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Paris Saint-Germain also clinched a 2-1 win on the road against Hacken in Sweden. Barcelona dominated the match with an impressive 34 ...

Chelsea Survive Leicester Scare to Reach FA Cup Semi-Finals

This Is Beirut 2024-03-17 18:52 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Carney Chukwuemeka rescued Chelsea with a stoppage-time strike that inspired a 4-2 win over 10-man Leicester in an FA Cup quarter-final thriller on Sunday. Mauricio Pochettino's side were fortunate to survive a stirring fightback from Championship promotion chasers Leicester amid a mutinous atmosphere at Stamford Bridge. Chukwuemeka netted in the ...

US Probing Leak of Classified Israeli Plans to Strike Iran

This is Beirut 2024-10-22 19:21 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

United States Iran FBI Pentagon

The FBI and the Pentagon are investigating a leak of classified United States intelligence on Israel's plans for a retaliatory strike against Iran. "The FBI is investigating the alleged leak of classified documents and working closely with our partners in the Department of Defense and Intelligence Community," the FBI said in a statement on ...

The Hermes Kelly: Elegance Inspired by Grace Kelly

Bélinda Ibrahim 2025-12-07 18:30 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Bags Culture Grace Kelly Hermès Kelly Fashion

In the exacting world of luxury leather goods, few pieces have left as profound a mark on collective memory as the Hermes Kelly. No other bag so effortlessly unites French equestrian heritage with international glamour. Originally created in the late 19th century as a “Haut à Courroies” for carrying saddles, it evolved in 1935 into the ...

Barca Loan Star Felix Makes Atletico Pay in Title Race

This Is Beirut 2023-12-04 09:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Atlético Barcelona Joao Felix Real Madrid

Joao Felix's superb dinked finish earned Barcelona a vital 1-0 win over Atletico Madrid on Sunday in the La Liga title race. The Portuguese forward, on loan at Barca from Atletico, made no secret of his pleasure to escape the Spanish capital this summer and made his parent club pay at the Olympic Stadium. Felix was criticised by some Atletico ...

Will Lebanon Repeal Its Law Criminalizing Contact With Israel?

Kaline Antoun 24/04 20:20 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Lebanon Israel Donald Trump Washington White House

As Lebanese and Israeli officials conclude their second round of U.S.-brokered talks in Washington, a contradiction is becoming harder for Beirut to ignore. The state is now negotiating with Israel, while its citizens can still face prosecution for far less. Following Thursday’s meeting between Lebanese and Israeli envoys at the White House, ...

UAE-Iran Ties Deteriorate as Tehran-Linked Hospital Ordered Shut in Dubai

This is Beirut 21/03 17:00 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

United Arab Emirates Gulf Hezbollah Israel Tehran

The United Arab Emirates has ordered the closure of an Iranian state-linked hospital in Dubai, three employees at the facility told AFP, as ties between the two neighbors deteriorate and Tehran continues its aerial campaign against Gulf states. Since the United States and Israel began striking Iran on February 28, Tehran has launched waves of ...

Iranian Authorities Arrest Several Prominent Reformist Figures: Fars News Agency

This is Beirut 09/02 09:35 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Tehran

Iranian authorities on Sunday arrested three reformist figures including the head of Iran's Reform Front coalition, Azar Mansouri, the Fars news agency reported. "Azar Mansouri, Ebrahim Asgharzadeh, and Mohsen Aminzadeh were arrested by security and judicial institutions," the agency said. "The accusations against these individuals include ...

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 ...