'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’ ...

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, ...

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 ...

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 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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

UK's Ministry of Defense Targeted in Large-scale Cyberattack

This Is Beirut 2024-05-07 11:55 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

United Kingdom

Britain's defense ministry has been the target of a large-scale cyberattack involving the names and banking details of members of the armed forces, a government minister confirmed on Tuesday. Former minister Tobias Ellwood said a third-party payroll system used by the defense ministry had been targeted and bore the hallmarks of a Chinese ...

‘Juror #2’: Clint Eastwood's Moral Dilemma at 93

Bélinda Ibrahim 2024-04-24 20:30 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Born on May 31, 1930, in San Francisco, Clint Eastwood is a towering figure in cinema. As an actor, director, producer and composer, he has left an indelible mark on the history of film over a career spanning more than six decades. Now, at 93, he is set to take on a final challenge with his 40th feature film as a director, Juror #2, a legal ...

Jacques Audiard’s 'Emilia Perez' Leads Golden Globes Nominations

This is Beirut 2024-12-10 10:30 - Reading : 9 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam Culture Film Cinema GoldenGlobes

Jacques Audiard’s Emilia Perez is the leading contender at the 82nd Golden Globes, securing an impressive ten nominations across various categories. The nominations were revealed on December 9, 2024, at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills. The musical comedy tells the story of a Mexican drug lord, played by transgender actress Karla ...

Zelensky Appeals to the US for Military Aid

This Is Beirut 2023-12-12 23:13 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

military Military Funding Russia Russian army Ukraine Ukraine Army United States Vladimir Putin Volodymyr Zelensky

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky initiated discussions in Congress and the White House on Tuesday, seeking increased military assistance from the United States. Meanwhile, Russia asserted progress on the battlefield and derisively downplayed the significance of Western support for Kyiv. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky began talks in ...

Any Pilot on Board?

Alissar Boulos 2024-01-08 21:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

The cyberattack at Beirut's Rafic Hariri Airport on Sunday afternoon caused major disturbance, both in terms of security and on social media, with internet users speculating about the reasons and consequences. But the essential question to ask at this moment is: is anyone really in control? At around 5 PM on Sunday, the flight information ...

Airport Screens Hacked to Display Anti-Hezbollah Message

This Is Beirut 2024-01-07 18:26 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

The situation at Beirut International Airport is back to normal on Sunday evening, following the hacking of the Departure and Arrival Screens that displayed an anti-Hezbollah message and lasted for one hour. According to sources close to This Is Beirut, three people were arrested by authorities for suspected involvement. At around 5 PM local ...

DiGen Art: A New Era for Digital Art in Lebanon

This Is Beirut 2023-12-31 13:23 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Alex Rayes BEIRUT Camille Hajjar

The vibrant Hamra district of Beirut recently became the stage for a significant event in Lebanon’s art world with the inauguration of DiGen Art, the country’s first gallery entirely dedicated to digital art. Founded by Alex Rayes and Camille Hajjar, DiGen Art—short for Digitally Generated Art—positions itself as a catalyst in the digital ...

Bombings and Raids Continue in South Lebanon

This Is Beirut 2023-12-28 18:53 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Exchanges between Israel and Hezbollah once again escalated on Thursday throughout the afternoon, following a precarious calm that prevailed in the morning along the border. As the night begins, raids and bombings continue relentlessly, with Israeli fighter jets constantly flying over the region. It is practically the same sectors and villages ...

Dilemmas of Truce and the Unfinished War 

2023-12-25 09:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Dilemmas

The moral and strategic equivocations of the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas, far from being incidental, are inherent to the political narrative and the military purview that underlie the massacres of October 7, 2023. The nihilistic attack reflects Hamas's political vision and concurs with the strategic objectives of Iranian power politics: ...

Wolves Inflict Christmas Misery on Chelsea

This Is Beirut 2023-12-24 17:32 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Chelsea Christmas Eve Premier League

Wolves inflicted a fourth defeat in six matches on Chelsea on Sunday, beating the London side 2-1 in the first Christmas Eve Premier League match since 1995. Mauricio Pochettino's men dominated possession at Molineux but wasted their chances in a captivating game, littered with careless mistakes by the visiting side. Mario Lemina and Matt ...

Lebanon's First Digital Art Gallery Opens Its Doors

This Is Beirut 2023-12-20 19:38 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

DiGen Art, the first digital art gallery in Lebanon, is set to open its doors on Thursday, December 28, at 5:00 PM. Located in Hamra, this pioneering establishment marks a significant milestone in the region's cultural landscape. DiGen Art gallery's first exhibition, spanning from January to March 2024, serves as a comprehensive introduction to ...

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 ...

LF Website Hacked in Major Cyberattack

2024-01-10 11:31 - Reading : less than a minute

The Lebanese Forces website was subjected to a major cyberattack on Tuesday night, causing it to go offline for several hours. The LF head of the cultural department in the media and communication department, George Hayek, wrote on his X account on Wednesday, "The cowards and enemies of free speech attempted to hack the Lebanese Forces' website, ...

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 ...

Jazz Correia: The Gilded Cage

Bélinda Ibrahim 2025-11-09 19:00 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Jazz Correia JLC Family Instagram

In JLC Family, Jazz’s home becomes the set of a real-life series. Her children take part in the performance, and her relationship unfolds in front of the camera, episode by episode. What viewers see is carefully edited and designed for Snapchat, Instagram, or YouTube. Gradually, the line between reality and fiction fades. Emotions become raw ...

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 ...

AWS Outage Disrupts Major Apps and Services Worldwide

This is Beirut 2025-10-20 12:21 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

USA Amazon Web Services Outage Internet

A widespread outage at Amazon Web Services (AWS) has caused significant disruptions across many of the world’s most popular apps, websites, and online services from social media platforms like Snapchat to government websites such as the UK’s HMRC. The issue, which began around midnight Pacific time (10 a.m. Beirut Time) on Monday, ...