This is Beirut - English Media Platform in Lebanon

Rai: National Interest Must Come First

This is Beirut 07/09 12:40 - Reading : less than a minute

Lebanon Patriarch Al-Rahi Sermon youth politicians

Maronite Patriarch Bechara Rai stressed in his Sunday homily that Lebanon’s salvation lies in prioritizing the nation and its people above all other interests. Addressing politicians, economists, citizens, educators and youth, he urged leaders to restore trust in the economy, citizens to remain rooted in their land, educators to instill hope ...

From Montpellier to Beirut: Sharing Medical Innovation

Makram Haddad 06/09 09:15 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

lebanon France

The conference hall of the Hôpital Français du Levant buzzed on Friday with unusual excitement. Impeccable white coats, understated suits, attentive gazes: doctors, researchers, diplomats and institutional representatives gathered for a rare moment in the recent history of Lebanese medicine. Beneath the large bay windows flooding the room with ...

The Spectator and Beyond: Bowie’s Unseen Projects at the V&A Museum

This is Beirut 06/09 10:30 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Music David Bowie V&A Museum London Britain Culture

David Bowie was working on an "18th century" themed musical at the time of his death, which will feature in a new London center dedicated to the seminal British artist, the BBC reported Friday. The V&A museum will open the free-to-access home for Bowie's vast archive in Stratford, east London, on September 13. One exhibit will be notes from a ...

Rasamny Says Kleiate Airport Works to Begin in Early 2026

This is Beirut 06/09 13:25 - Reading : less than a minute

Fayez Rasamny Airport North Lebanon Nawaf Salam Joseph Aoun Kleiate

Minister of Public Works and Transport Fayez Rassamny announced on Saturday that works at Kleiate Airport will begin at the start of 2026. Speaking from the airport’s runway, the minister noted that “both the president of the Republic and the Prime Minister have been determined since the beginning of the current term to operate and activate ...

Matthew McConaughey and Jamie Lee Curtis Bring Paradise Wildfire Heroism to Life

This is Beirut 06/09 17:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Cinema Matthew McConaughey Canada Festival Toronto International Film Festival Culture

For Hollywood stars Matthew McConaughey and Jamie Lee Curtis, making an action film about the deadliest wildfire in California history hits close to home. The Lost Bus tells the harrowing true story of a school bus driver who risked his life to save 22 children from the inferno that destroyed the town of Paradise in 2018. The movie's world ...

A 1926 Bottle Brings a Father’s Voice Back to Life on Facebook

Bélinda Ibrahim 06/09 19:00 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Message Bottle Jennifer Dowker Michigan Facebook

Chance never lacks imagination when it comes to weaving connections between generations. That is what Jennifer Dowker, a boat captain and diving instructor in the small town of Cheboygan in northern Michigan, discovered. One day in June 2021, she was simply tending to the maintenance of her boat, unaware that her routine was about to be disrupted ...

Centcom Chief Visits Israel After Beirut

This is Beirut 06/09 22:40 - Reading : less than a minute

Israel Joseph Aoun Middle East USA

The new head of the US military's Central Command, Admiral Brad Cooper, concluded his first visit to Israel in the role on Saturday, the Israeli military said. "The visit focused on the operational cooperation between the IDF (Israeli military) and the US military, maintaining regional stability in both nearby and distant arenas, and ...

Carlo Acutis and Pier Giorgio Frassati Canonized: Watchers of the Same Dawn

Fady Noun 07/09 08:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Pope Francis USA Catholic church

Two young men, Carlo Acutis (1991–2006) and Pier Giorgio Frassati (1901–1925), are to be canonized together in Rome on Sunday, September 7, 2025. Both owe their “elevation to the glory of the altars” to two remarkable miracles officially recognized by the Church, too detailed to recount here. Carlo Acutis and Pier Giorgio Frassati were ...

Jim Jarmusch Wins Venice Gold with 'Father Mother Sister Brother'

This is Beirut 07/09 08:00 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Venice Film Festival Italy Cinema Culture Art Jim Jarmusch

At the end of a politically charged edition, the 82nd Venice Film Festival awarded its top prize on Saturday to Jim Jarmusch’s quiet, independent film about family, while giving a strong runner-up nod to The Voice of Hind Rajab by Kaouther Ben Hania. To the audience’s surprise, Jarmusch’s Father Mother Sister Brother took home the coveted ...

Versace Leads Milan Farewell To Fashion Legend Giorgio Armani

This is Beirut 07/09 10:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Giorgio Armani Fashion Farewell Heritage Culture Art

Thousands of mourners paid homage Saturday to Italian fashion legend Giorgio Armani, who died this week aged 91, as his coffin was put on public display in Milan. Italian fashion icon Donatella Versace was among those who filed past Armani's closed casket at the headquarters of his multi-billion-euro lifestyle company, which marked its 50th ...

Anthony, Howard Among Basketball Hall Of Fame Inductees

This is Beirut 07/09 11:45 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

NBA Carmelo Anthony Dwight Howard

Retired NBA stars Carmelo Anthony and Dwight Howard were among nine inductees into the Basketball Hall of Fame at enshrinement ceremonies on Saturday at Springfield, Massachusetts. Both were inducted as individuals and as part of the 2008 US Olympic gold medal team from Beijing, the so-called "Redeem Team" after the Americans had settled for ...

GLP-1: The Unexpected Weapon Against Knee Osteoarthritis

Bélinda Ibrahim 28/08 17:00 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Knee Osteoarthritis Cure Trial Health

Knee osteoarthritis is a condition that makes descending stairs painful, limits leisurely walks, slows athletes, and affects millions worldwide. Treatment options remain limited: painkillers, anti-inflammatories, occasional injections, and, in severe cases, joint replacement surgery. To date, no therapy has been able to truly halt cartilage wear, ...

Macron Voices Support for Lebanon’s Weapons Restriction Plan

This is Beirut 28/08 15:10 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Emmanuel Macron Lebanese Army Israel Joseph Aoun UN Security Council lebanon Israel France

French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday expressed support for the Lebanese government’s plan to restrict weapons, describing it as a key step that must be carried out carefully, “especially since it has received broad European and international backing.” In a phone call with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, Macron discussed ...

Hezbollah’s Threats: A Misreading of Lebanon’s Real Fabric

Michel Touma 18/08 10:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Hezbollah Joseph Aoun Tehran United States Karbala

In a country that truly upholds the rule of law, Hezbollah’s secretary-general, Sheikh Naim Qassem, would have faced prosecution for undermining national security, inciting sedition, and threatening civil peace. As the figurehead of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards’ outpost in Lebanon, he has reached new heights of recklessness, veering into ...

UN Declares Famine in Gaza, First Ever in Middle East

This is Beirut 22/08 12:25 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

United Nations Middle East Palestine Hamas Israel Famine

The United Nations on Friday officially declared a famine in Gaza, the first in the Middle East, with its experts saying 500,000 people were facing "catastrophic" hunger. UN aid chief Tom Fletcher said the famine was entirely preventable, saying food could not get through to the Palestinian territory "because of systematic obstruction by ...

Trump, Putin and the Future of Europe: A Deal that Could Redraw the Map

Salam El Zaatari 21/08 11:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Russia Ukraine Europe United States Donald Trump

On August 18, 2025, the White House became the stage for a meeting that may be remembered as a turning point in modern geopolitics. US President Donald Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and a cadre of European leaders gathered to discuss the Russia-Ukraine war. Europe’s top leaders crammed into the Oval Office, listening in silence ...

First Security Guarantees, then Putin Summit, Zelensky Says

This is Beirut 21/08 12:50 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Volodymyr Zelensky Donald Trump Russia Putin Ukraine

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he could meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin, but only after his allies agreed on security guarantees for Ukraine that would deter future Russian attacks once the fighting stops. In comments released Thursday, he also warned both sides were preparing for further fighting, with Russia building up ...

Palestinian Camps: Lebanon Moves to Restrict Weapons to the State

This is Beirut 21/08 15:50 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Fatah Lebanese Army Lebanon Refugees Palestinians

The disarmament of Lebanon’s 12 Palestinian refugee camps kicked off on Thursday, as Lebanese army vehicles rolled into Burj al-Barajneeh camp south of Beirut in the first phase of the government’s comprehensive plan to restrict the possession of arms on Lebanese territory to the state authorities. Commenting on the weapons withdrawal ...

Karate: One Silver and One Bronze for Lebanon

This is Beirut 21/08 18:35 - Reading : less than a minute

Lebanon Karate

The Lebanese national karate team won silver and bronze on the first day of the Arab Karate Championship in Amman, Jordan. Randa Choucair won silver in the junior category, while Leen Kain claimed bronze in the same division, in the under-59 kg weight class. On this occasion, the president of the Lebanese Karate Federation, Moussa Fattouch, ...

Palestinian Factions Reject Camp Disarmament, Assert Weapons Will Stay

This is Beirut 21/08 20:10 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Palestine Lebanon Camps Factions Refugees Conflict

Palestinian factions in Lebanon rejected reports on Thursday that they were preparing to hand over weapons inside refugee camps, particularly in Burj al-Barajneh. In a joint statement, the groups called the claims “entirely false,” saying the situation in the camp is an internal matter related to the Fatah movement and not linked to ...

Inside Roumieh’s Block B: The Unresolved Fate of Syrian Islamist Detainees

Vanessa Kallas 21/08 21:04 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Syria Lebanon Roumieh prison Islamists Syrian prisoners Security

In a secluded corner of Roumieh Central Prison lies the infamous Block B, better known as the “terrorism block.” It houses nearly 500 detainees, most of them radical Islamists facing terrorism-related charges. With the fall of the Assad regime, the issue of Syrian Islamist prisoners in Lebanon has resurfaced, as armed groups and tribal ...

Five Dead as ‘Thunderous’ Bomb Attack Hits Colombian City

This is Beirut 22/08 05:25 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Colombia Attack Police

Colombian authorities said five people were killed and dozens more injured when a truck bomb tore through a busy street in the city of Cali on Thursday, deepening the country's most serious security crisis in decades. Police said the explosion targeted a military aviation school in the city's north -- a fresh challenge to Colombia's fragile peace ...

Zelensky says Russia Trying to 'Wriggle Out' of Peace Talks

This is Beirut 22/08 09:30 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Volodymyr Zelensky Donald Trump Kyiv Ukraine USA

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Moscow on Thursday of shirking a meeting between him and Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, despite US-led attempts to arrange a summit to end the war. US President Donald Trump is trying to end Russia's three-and-a-half year invasion of Ukraine by bringing both Zelensky and Putin to the negotiating ...

Industry Ministry-Litani Authority: Joint Committee to Reduce Pollution

This is Beirut 22/08 12:00 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Baalbeck South Lebanon Litani Industry Pollution

Industry Minister Joe Issa al-Khoury has set up a joint committee with the Litani River Authority to oversee and enforce environmental compliance in industrial facilities across the Litani River Basin, the two bodies said in a joint statement issued Friday. The committee will survey both licensed and unlicensed factories, document violations, and ...

Underwater Archaeology in Lebanon: Exploring Origins and Unveiling Discoveries

Natasha Metni Torbey 22/08 14:30 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

At the crossroads of civilizations for thousands of years, Lebanon holds a largely unexplored underwater heritage. Behind the beauty of ancient wrecks lie pressing geopolitical stakes, alarming environmental concerns and a troubling lack of legal oversight. Safeguarding these submerged riches means charting a course through maritime law, disputed ...

Texas Republicans Advance Map that Reignited US Redistricting Wars

This is Beirut 21/08 09:20 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Republicans USA Donald Trump Democrats Texas Gerrymandering

The Texas legislature's lower chamber passed a contentious new electoral map on Wednesday that aims to help Donald Trump's Republican Party retain its razor-thin US House majority in the 2026 midterm elections. The vote had been delayed by two weeks after Democratic legislators fled the southern state to halt the aggressive redistricting drive, ...

Disarmament: Presidential Advisor Meets Hezbollah MP

This is Beirut 22/08 15:00 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Hezbollah Joseph Aoun Lebanon Disarmament Nabih Berri

President Joseph Aoun’s advisor, Brigadier General Andre Rahal, met Friday with the head of Hezbollah’s parliamentary bloc, MP Mohammad Raad, in an implicit attempt to reassure Hezbollah amid heightened tensions over the government’s decision to disarm non-state actors, particularly the Iran-backed group. According to the National News ...

AI Helps UK Woman Rediscover Lost Voice After 25 Years

This is Beirut 22/08 15:15 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

New York United Kingdom Smartbox AI

A British woman suffering from motor neurone disease who lost her ability to speak is once again talking in her own voice thanks to artificial intelligence and a barely audible eight-second clip from an old home video. Sarah Ezekiel, an artist, was left without the use of her voice after she was diagnosed at the age of 34 with MND while pregnant ...

Joseph Aoun: Borders with Syria Under Control

This is Beirut 22/08 17:45 - Reading : less than a minute

Joseph Aoun Lebanon Syria borders army

President Joseph Aoun affirmed on Friday that the Lebanese-Syrian borders are fully secured, stressing that the army “remains on high alert and carries out its duties with competence and diligence to ensure calm and security for citizens.” “The situation at the border is under control, and the current climate is encouraging with respect to ...

Russia Rejects Zelensky Meeting as Diplomatic Tension Simmers

This is Beirut 22/08 18:20 - Reading : 3 minute(s)