'I thought I was going to die,' Kardashian tells in Paris robbery trial

This is Beirut 2025-05-13 16:00 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam Trial Kim Kardashian Robbery Paris Culture

American celebrity Kim Kardashian told a Paris court on Tuesday she feared she was going to be killed by masked men who robbed her at gunpoint of millions of dollars of jewellery during the French capital's fashion week. Ten suspects have been on trial since late April over the armed robbery in 2016, which saw jewellery worth some $10 million ...

Beirut-Beqaa: Tensions at the Ballot Box—Is Parity Threatened?

Elie Ziadé 2025-05-16 20:55 - Reading : 6 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam Free Patriotic Movement Lebanese Forces Baalbeck Hezbollah

{{MAP:14}}   The capital is ready. So is the Beqaa.  After Mount Lebanon and North Lebanon, it’s now the turn of voters in Beirut and the Beqaa to cast their ballots for municipal councilors and mukhtars. A total of 1,220,922 Lebanese will elect 172 municipal councils—2,220 councilors—and 722 ...

Cannes Behind the Scenes: Red Carpet, Silent Hands

Bélinda Ibrahim 2025-05-20 17:00 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Festival Cannes Cinema Red Carpet France

In Cannes, everything seems to float. Spectacular gowns, knowing glances and intense spotlight beams. Yet, beneath this radiant veneer, hundreds of anonymous figures move quietly behind the scenes. They don’t climb the steps or feature in Instagram stories. But without them, the red carpet would simply be a piece of red fabric. Every ...

Five Things to Know About the K-Pop Juggernaut

This is Beirut 2025-06-10 12:55 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

South Korea Music BTS K-Pop Culture

All the members of South Korea's most lucrative boyband BTS are set to finish their military service this month, paving the way for the K-pop super-group to release new music. The news has prompted a fan frenzy, with speculation rife about forthcoming releases and even tours. AFP takes a look at what is going on: Who Are they? The ...

Municipal Elections in Southern Lebanon: Clinging to Power

Elie Ziadé 2025-05-23 16:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

South Lebanon Amal Free Patriotic Movement Lebanese Forces Gebran Bassil Hezbollah

Tomorrow, Saturday, May 24, 2025, nearly one million voters (993,582) in Southern Lebanon will cast their ballots to elect 3,486 municipal councilors and 781 mukhtars across 272 municipal councils. This Saturday also marks the end of this municipal election month, the first in 9 years; the last elections were held in ...

Iran Summons French Diplomat over Minister's Cannes Remarks

This is Beirut 2025-05-25 19:42 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Iran Cannes Film Festival France

France's envoy in Tehran was summoned Sunday over "insulting" comments by France's foreign minister after an Iranian film won the top prize at the Cannes Film Festival, state media reported. In a post on X after dissident filmmaker Jafar Panahi won the Palme d'Or on Saturday, Jean-Noel Barrot called his victory "a ...

Filmmaker Panahi Cheered on Return to Iran After Cannes Triumph

This is Beirut 2025-05-26 15:00 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Iran Jafar Pahani Film Cannes 2025 France Culture

Iranian filmmaker Jafar Pahani was given a hero's welcome on his return to Tehran Monday by supporters after winning the top prize at the Cannes Film Festival, footage posted on social media showed. After being banned from leaving Iran for years, forced to make films underground and enduring spells in prison, Panahi attended the French ...

Fast, Fearless, Female: France’s Stunt Star Conquers Hollywood

This is Beirut 2025-05-27 16:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Suntwoman Film Sarah Lezito Entertainment France Culture

When Sarah Lezito began messing around with motorbikes at 13 she never dreamed that one day she would become the stunt double of some of Hollywood's biggest stars. The French winemaker's daughter has stood in for Scarlett Johansson - twice - on Avengers 2 and Black Widow and appeared in a dozen films including The Batman. The 32-year-old is one ...

Eurovision 2025: 166 Million Viewers, Record Audiences, and Viral Peaks

This is Beirut 2025-05-28 19:55 - Reading : less than a minute

Eurovision 2025 Music Television Streaming Record Audiences Culture

The Eurovision Song Contest confirmed its place as the world's biggest live televised music event, with 166 million viewers in 37 countries watching the 2025 edition, organizers said Wednesday. Three million more people watched this year's 69th edition in Basel, Switzerland, than last year's contest in Malmo, Sweden, said the European ...

'We Love It': Marseille Discovers New Banksy Artwork

This is Beirut 2025-05-30 17:55 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Marseille Banksy Street-Art France

A new mural depicting a lighthouse by world-famous street artist Banksy has appeared on a wall in the southern French city of Marseille, with AFP confirming its location on Friday. The anonymous artist known as Banksy revealed the new work on Instagram on Thursday, but its location had not been disclosed. The words "I want to be what you ...

Screen Addiction: Understanding the Message Behind the Symptom

David Sahyoun 2025-06-04 18:00 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Psychoanalysis Addictions Therapy Culture

The underlying logic of “mindset therapy” is the reinforcement of the self. It urges individuals to push their limits, reinvent themselves, “raise their vibration” – as if the essence of psychic life were a relentless pursuit of performance. But for Freud and Lacan, desire is never aligned or resolved. It remains blocked, unstable, ...

Pharmaceutical Counterfeiting: Lebanon Sick from Its Own Medicines

Makram Haddad 2025-06-06 11:00 - Reading : 6 minute(s)

Lebanon Medicines Mounjaro Pharmaceutical Counterfeiting

It heals; it soothes; it saves. Or at least, that’s what we think. Because not all medicines sold in Lebanon are what they claim to be. Many products escape control: copies without active ingredients, or made from toxic substances disguised in a reassuring appearance. A Medicine Almost Like Any Other The World Health Organization’s ...

Troops Sent by Trump Reach Protest Hit Los Angeles Over Governor's Wishes

This is Beirut 2025-06-08 10:10 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Donald Trump Los Angeles Republicans United States USA

Hundreds of National Guard troops took up positions in Los Angeles Sunday on the orders of US President Donald Trump, a rare deployment over the head of the state governor, afer unruly protests against immigration raids.  The US military said 300 soldiers from the 79th Infantry Brigade Combat Team had been sent to three separate locations in ...

Anas Albraehe’s Sleeping Characters at the Saleh Barakat Gallery

Zeina Nader 2024-01-27 11:48 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

The Saleh Barakat Gallery is currently hosting a remarkable and deeply meaningful exhibition titled The Turn, a solo work by the young and talented Syrian artist Anas Albraehe, who now resides in Lebanon. Albraehe boasts a record of solo and group exhibitions in Lebanon, Jordan, the United States and other countries. In search of authenticity and ...

Georges Chakra’s Fashion Show Illuminates Paris’ Cathedral

2024-01-25 18:07 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

"An homage to the extraordinary at the heart of the ordinary." Such is the essence of Georges Chakra's Spring-Summer 2024 fashion show. On January 23, 2024, his collection, imbued with dreamlike realism, transformed the American Cathedral in Paris, the quintessential fashion capital, into an artistic immersion. The Spring-Summer 2024 couture show ...

Gaza Rescuers say Israeli Forces Kill 20 Including Six Aid Seekers

This is Beirut 2025-06-25 10:35 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam Palestine United Nations Hamas

Gaza's civil defense agency said Israeli fire killed at least 20 people on Wednesday, including six who were waiting to collect food aid in the war-ravaged Palestinian territory. The latest in a string of deadly incidents near aid distribution sites came after the United Nations had condemned the "weaponization of food" in the Gaza Strip, where a ...

France: Macron, Bayrou and a Perilous Political Rentrée

Soumia Benmerzoug 2025-08-27 16:30 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Emmanuel Macron Europe France

France’s political rentrée promises to be fraught with tensions. The Prime Minister is staking the government’s survival on a controversial austerity plan, while nationwide strikes scheduled for September 10 are already casting doubt on the country’s stability. With a fractured National Assembly and growing public anger, the executive is ...

Washington Makes Military Aid Overtures to Sahel Juntas

This is Beirut 2025-08-25 09:15 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Washington Donald Trump USA Ukraine United States

Under President Donald Trump the United States has reset relations with West Africa's military leaders on a mutual back-scratching basis, bartering help fighting jihadists for the Sahel region's mining riches, experts say. While Joe Biden was in office the US suspended most of the development and military aid it sent to Burkina Faso, Mali and ...

How Trump Can Save Lebanon from Iran's Influence

Mike Pompeo 2025-08-25 16:10 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam Lebanon Hezbollah United States Donald Trump

Hezbollah disarmament must come before any governance reforms can succeed.   Lebanon stands at a crossroads. After decades of Iranian manipulation and Hezbollah's stranglehold on the country, President Donald Trump has a historic opportunity to help the Lebanese people reclaim their nation while advancing key American interests. But success ...

Ortagus and Graham Call for Support of the Lebanese State and Disarmament of Hezbollah

This is Beirut 2025-08-26 11:30 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Lebanon Hezbollah United States

A private dinner was held Monday evening by Lebanese MP Ragy el-Saad and businessman Tarek Ghali at a Beirut restaurant in honor of U.S. Special Envoy Morgan Ortagus and U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham. More than fifty diplomatic, political, and media figures attended the event. During the dinner, both Morgan Ortagus and Lindsey Graham expressed ...

Barrack: Lebanon Is on the Right Track

This is Beirut 2025-08-26 13:30 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam Benjamin Netanyahu Hezbollah Joseph Aoun Tom Barrack Morgan Ortagus

“Lebanon is on the right track,” US envoys Tom Barrack and Morgan Ortagus affirmed Tuesday during their visit to Baabda, where they were received by President Joseph Aoun. Ortagus and Barrack delivered Israel’s response to Lebanon’s proposals on the US roadmap and held discussions with President Aoun on the next steps for ...

Morgan Ortagus’s Visit: A Strategic Boost for Lebanon’s Sovereignty and Stability

Tylia El Helou 2025-08-26 19:30 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Lebanon United States Hezbollah

In a critical moment for Lebanon, the recent visit by U.S. Special Envoy Morgan Ortagus—alongside Senator Lindsey Graham—offered more than just diplomatic formalities. It sent a clear, resounding message: the United States stands firmly with the Lebanese state, its institutions, and its people. Beyond the headlines, Ortagus’s visit marked a ...

YASA Warns of Flood Risks Ahead of Rainy Season

This is Beirut 2025-08-27 09:55 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Lebanon YASA Security Flooding Sewage

With the rainy season approaching, the Youth Association for Social Awareness (YASA) has sounded the alarm over the recurring winter disasters in Lebanon caused by clogged rainwater drainage networks and the absence of preventive maintenance. In a statement, YASA recalled that in past years, Lebanon witnessed scenes of chaos: cars and citizens ...

Politicians File Complaint Against Hezbollah’s Naim Qassem

This is Beirut 2025-08-27 12:30 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

politicians criminal complaint Hezbollah Naim Qassem

A group of politicians and public figures filed a criminal complaint at the Palace of Justice on Wednesday against Hezbollah’s Secretary-General, Sheikh Naim Qassem, for inciting civil war and sectarian tensions. Elie Mahfoud, the head of the Change Movement, emphasized, “This is not a mere incident report, but a direct complaint accompanied ...

Salam in Cairo: Lebanon and Egypt Commit to Deepening Bilateral Cooperation

This is Beirut 2025-08-27 14:30 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam Egypt Nawaf Salam Sissi

Lebanon and Egypt have agreed to strengthen their cooperation across a range of sectors, with Cairo expressing its readiness to support the reconstruction of areas devastated by the ongoing conflict between Hezbollah and Israel. Egypt also pledged assistance in reinforcing state authority throughout Lebanon’s national territory. The decision ...

Counterfeit Gold: Arrests and a Practical Guide for Cautious Buyers

Liliane Mokbel 2025-08-27 18:10 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Lebanon Gold Counterfeirt gold

On August 20 in Jounieh, a sweep by the Internal Security Forces led to the arrest of several members of a network selling counterfeit gold. While the operation highlights the need for vigilance, political, security and economic uncertainty continues to push Lebanese citizens toward the precious metal. But how can one tell a fake ounce from a ...

Trump, Intel Announce Deal Giving US a 10% Stake in Chipmaker

This is Beirut 2025-08-23 12:04 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

United States Donald Trump Intel

Chipmaker Intel has agreed to give the US government a 10-percent stake in its business, the company and President Donald Trump announced Friday. The deal came after Trump's administration said Intel should give Washington an equity stake in exchange for large grants committed when Joe Biden was president. Under the agreement, the US government ...

Trump Moves to Limit US Stays of Students, Journalists

This is Beirut 2025-08-28 11:25 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Donald Trump United States Education Media

President Donald Trump's administration moved Thursday to impose stricter limits on how long foreign students and journalists can stay in the United States, the latest bid to tighten legal immigration in the country. Under a proposed change, foreigners would not be allowed to stay for more than four years on student visas in the United ...

Van Gogh Museum Faces Closure Without Urgent State Funding to Preserve Cultural Legacy

This is Beirut 2025-08-28 11:50 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Van Gogh Museum Netherlands Heritage Art Culture

The Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam warned Wednesday that it faced closure without more state funding, saying a 104-million-euro ($120 million) renovation was vital to protect its masterpieces. The museum, which holds the world's biggest collection of the artist's work, said the project could not go ahead unless the Dutch state honored a 1962 ...

Schools and Universities: The Steep Price of Education

Christiane Tager 2025-08-28 12:00 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

LAU AUB School Tuition Scholarship

Back-to-school season in Lebanon has never been more daunting. Several private schools have raised tuition fees by 50 % to more than 120 % for the 2025–2026 academic year, nearly reaching pre-2019 economic collapse levels. At the university level, dollarization has turned tuition into an almost insurmountable challenge. Annual fees at the ...