Arrival of US Aircraft Carrier Fuels Venezuelan Fears of Attack

This is Beirut 2025-11-12 09:10 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

USA Donald Trump United Kingdom Venezuela

A US aircraft carrier strike group arrived in Latin America Tuesday, escalating a military buildup Venezuela has warned could trigger a full-blown conflict, as it announced its own "massive" deployment. The USS Gerald R. Ford, the world's largest aircraft carrier, entered an area under control of the US Naval Forces Southern Command, which ...

Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and the Emirates: The Anti–Muslim Brotherhood Crusade

Malo Pinatel 2025-11-12 10:55 - Reading : 7 minute(s)

Saudi Arabia Europe Gulf Turkey United Arab Emirates

Among the major ideological fault lines in the Arab world, few are as decisive as the one between conservative authoritarian and self-proclaimed “secular” regimes and the Muslim Brotherhood. Today, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and the United Arab Emirates form the core of a determined anti-Islamist front, seeking to neutralize the Brotherhood’s ...

The Maghreb: The Muslim Brotherhood and the Challenge of Power

Marie de La Roche Saint-André 2025-11-12 10:55 - Reading : 9 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam Covid-19 Hamas Middle East Turkey

As the Arab Spring unfolded, several political movements inspired by the Muslim Brotherhood sought to rise to power across the Maghreb. In Tunisia, it was Ennahda; in Morocco, the Justice and Development Party (PJD); and in Algeria, the Movement of Society for Peace (MSP). The period proved favorable to the Muslim Brotherhood and its ideology, ...

42 Feared Dead in Migrant Shipwreck Off Libya: UN

This is Beirut 2025-11-12 14:20 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Libya Migration Refugee Accident UN IOM

The United Nations said Wednesday that 42 migrants were missing, presumed dead, after a rubber boat capsized off the Libyan coast last week. It was the latest in a series of similar disasters in a stretch of the Mediterranean Sea that has claimed the lives of more than a thousand people so far this year. Only seven survivors were rescued after ...

The Power Cartel: Inside, a State Run on Generators

Natasha Metni Torbey 2025-11-12 15:55 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Lebanon EDL electricity generators Mafia

Lebanon is trapped in an opaque, sprawling energy system that keeps the country locked in an outdated model. Massive fuel imports, a relentless reliance on private generators, a fragile or even nonexistent national sovereignty, and a perpetually postponed shift to renewable energy all feed chronic dependency and block meaningful reform. This ...

Disarming Hezbollah Starts with the Banks

Marc Saikali 2025-11-13 08:30 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Lebanon Banks Hezbollah Tehran White House

One billion dollars. That is the sum Hezbollah is said to have received from Iran in 2025. An astonishing figure, revealed during the highly political visit of the U.S. Treasury delegation led by Sebastian Gorka, the White House’s counterterrorism director. How did the militia manage to receive such an amount? Through currency exchange offices, ...

Russian Reservists Face Call-Ups as Ukraine Hits Refineries

This is Beirut 2025-11-04 17:55 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Vladimir Putin Russia Ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday signed a law that allows using reservists to guard oil refineries after Ukrainian drone strikes led to gasoline shortages in some regions. Kyiv has been targeting Russian refineries in retribution for Moscow's drone and missile strikes in Ukraine, and in an attempt to cut off energy revenues that ...

Impunity: When Justice Falls Silent

Sana Richa Choucair 2025-11-02 15:00 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

United Nations International Day Journalists AI Crimes

Every year on November 2, the United Nations marks the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists (IDEI). Between 2006 and 2024, more than 1,700 journalists were killed worldwide. In nearly 9 out of 10 cases, their killers have never been brought to justice, according to UNESCO’s Observatory of Killed Journalists. This ...

The Shamkhani Wedding Scandal: How a Leaked Wedding Became Iran’s Mirror of Moral Collapse

Salam El Zaatari 2025-10-23 11:00 - Reading : 6 minute(s)

Iran wedding Islamic Republic of Iran

In mid-October 2025, a leaked video from a private wedding set Iran ablaze, digitally, politically and morally. It wasn’t just any celebration. The footage showed the daughter of Rear Admiral Ali Shamkhani, one of Iran’s most powerful men and a close confidant of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, parading in a strapless white gown at the ...

Lebanon’s Prisons Buckle Under Inmate Surge

Natasha Metni Torbey 2025-10-27 18:00 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Stepping into Roumieh Prison in Matn, one might mistake it for a transit camp rather than a facility meant to enforce sentences. Built to hold 1,000 to 1,200 inmates, it now houses nearly 4,000 - more than triple its intended capacity. The national situation is equally grim. Human Rights Watch reports that Lebanon’s prison system officially has ...

Zelensky Hails 'Strong' Message' of US Sanctions on Russia

This is Beirut 2025-10-23 11:05 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Volodymyr Zelensky US Sanctions Donald Trump Russia Energy

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday hailed the "strong and much-needed" message sent by US sanctions on Russia's energy sector, after President Donald Trump moved to ratchet up pressure on Moscow in step with the EU. "We waited for this. God bless, it will work, and this is very important," Zelensky told journalists at an EU summit ...

Messi Brace Fuels Miami Over Nashville in MLS Cup Opener

This is Beirut 2025-10-25 08:45 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Football Lionel Messi Messi Miami

Argentine superstar Lionel Messi scored twice to lift Inter Miami to a 3-1 victory over Nashville SC on Friday in the opening game of their MLS Cup round one playoff series. Tadeo Allende also scored for Inter, who took a 1-0 lead in the best-of-three series, with game two in Nashville on November 1. Eight-time Ballon d'Or winner Messi was ...

Trump to Meet Qatari Leaders on Gaza Truce During Asia Trip

This is Beirut 2025-10-25 17:30 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam Qatar Donald Trump Gaza

US President Donald Trump will meet Saturday with the emir and prime minister of Qatar – a key ally in preserving the fragile Gaza peace deal – during a refueling stop on his way to Asia, officials said. The Qatari leaders will board Air Force One late in the day when it lands at Al Udeid Air Base, which hosts the regional headquarters for ...

'Disarmament:' The Challenge of Peace

Sana Richa Choucair 2025-10-26 15:00 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam United Nations Donald Trump Hamas Hezbollah Arms

In this final week of October, the Disarmament Week set by the United Nations resonates with new urgency. On one front, Washington has issued an ultimatum to Hamas to disarm under Donald Trump’s Gaza peace plan. On another, the Lebanese government is under US pressure to disarm Hezbollah, a key Iranian proxy in the region. Tehran remains ...

Labubu and Pazuzu: The Sinister Tale of a Viral Doll

Bélinda Ibrahim 2025-10-26 19:00 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Labubu Pazuzu Doll Cuture Rumor

In recent months, social media has been buzzing with a peculiar rumor: the famous Labubu dolls, icons of Asian pop culture, may actually be modeled on Pazuzu, a demon from ancient Mesopotamia. Straddling the line between sensationalism and imagination, the rumor has sparked fascination and anxiety among fans, collectors and the wider public. But ...

Lebanon and the Middle East: Between Irrationality and Paradox

Michel Touma 2025-10-27 08:30 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Middle East Donald Trump Amal Banks Hamas

When irrationality and reckless behavior come to define the actions of a powerful political faction, it doesn’t take long before red lines are dangerously breached. As a result, serious threats hang over the lives of populations directly exposed to the faction’s erratic excesses. This is exactly what we are witnessing today among several of ...

Top US, India Officials Discuss Ties as Trade Rift Drags on

This is Beirut 2025-10-27 08:55 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

USA US Secretary of State India Asean Diplomacy

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with India's foreign minister on Monday, as the two countries push trade talks and ease tensions over Washington's punishing tariffs. Few details were released, but Rubio's meeting with Subrahmanyam Jaishankar is the highest-level contact since the United States imposed sanctions last week on Russian oil ...

Marathon: Tony Hanna Breaks The Lebanese Record In Amsterdam

Makram Haddad 2025-10-27 16:20 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Lebanon Marathon Tony Hanna

A few days ago, in the heart of the 50th anniversary of the TCS Amsterdam Marathon — an event labeled “Platinum” by World Athletics — the Dutch capital once again became a clock factory. In a massive pack and at a blistering pace, Hanna ran his race, clean and consistent, to cross the line after a perfectly managed effort. Lebanese record ...

Trump in Japan as Hopes Grow for China Trade Deal

This is Beirut 2025-10-27 18:14 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Donald Trump Japan Malaysia SKorea China NKorea

Donald Trump arrived in Japan on Monday, the next leg of an Asia tour that could see the US president and China's Xi Jinping end their bruising trade war. Speaking on Air Force One, Trump said he was hopeful of a deal when he sees Xi on Thursday in South Korea, while also indicating he was willing to extend his trip in order to meet North Korean ...

China Seeks Stable Ties with Canada and Japan as Global Trade Pressures Mount

This is Beirut 2025-10-31 11:20 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Donald Trump APEC2025 China Japan Canada

President Xi Jinping on Friday invited Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney to China, in the first formal talks between the nations' leaders since 2017, before also holding first discussions with Japan's new premier. Canada's relations with China are among the worst of any Western nation, but both are at the sharp end of Donald Trump's tariff ...

Avocado, Lebanon’s New Orchard Star

Christiane Tager 2025-10-28 12:00 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Europe Gulf

In recent years, a new player has quietly transformed Lebanon’s agricultural scene. Once limited to a few experimental orchards, the avocado has become a true star in the markets. In just a few seasons, it has won over producers with its profitability, consumers with its flavor, and exporters with its potential. In a country where agriculture is ...

Russia's New Nuclear-Powered Missiles Not a Threat for Now

This is Beirut 2025-10-28 12:55 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Russia Military Nuclear Missile

Russia's President Vladimir Putin this weekend reported the successful final test of a new nuclear-powered cruise missile, the Burevestnik, amid Moscow's ongoing war in Ukraine. Experts say the very-long-range weapon aims to skirt Western air defenses with its terrain-hugging and low-flying capabilities, but its strategic impact is likely ...

Mali’s Fuel Crisis: A Nationwide Standstill

Christiane Tager 2025-10-29 10:00 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Banks International Monetary Fund

Since early September, queues at gas stations in Bamako have been endlessly growing. The jihadist group JNIM (Jamaʿat Nuṣrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin) has blocked fuel convoys from Senegal and Côte d’Ivoire, destroying nearly 100 tanker trucks, according to the Associated Press (AP). As a landlocked country, Mali relies on imports for more ...

Thunder, 76ers Remain Unbeaten With NBA Comeback Wins

This is Beirut 2025-10-29 13:50 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Oklahoma City NBA

The reigning NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder, fueled by 31 points from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander rallied to beat the Sacramento Kings 107-101 on Tuesday to improve to 5-0 in the young season. The Philadelphia 76ers also remained unbeaten, erasing a double-digit deficit to improve to 4-0 with a thrilling 139-134 overtime victory over the Wizards ...

European Intelligence: Iran Rebuilding Missile Program

This is Beirut 2025-10-29 21:55 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam Tehran United Nations Iran missiles

Western intelligence agencies have revealed that Iran is actively rebuilding its ballistic missile program in defiance of renewed UN sanctions, with significant assistance from China, according to a CNN report. European intelligence sources said that several shipments of sodium perchlorate, a key ingredient in the solid fuel used to power ...

Nvidia, 1st Company to Top $5 Trillion in Market Value

This is Beirut 2025-10-30 11:20 - Reading : less than a minute

Dollars Artificial intelligence AI Nvidia

Artificial intelligence (AI) continues to push the limits – literally. On Wednesday, Nvidia became the first company in the world to surpass $5 trillion in market capitalization, a historical record cementing its dominance in the semiconductor industry. Once a simple graphics card manufacturer, Nvidia has become a cornerstone of the AI ...

Behind Bars, On Screen: Inside the San Quentin Film Festival

This is Beirut 2025-10-30 14:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Film Festival Prison Hollywood Redemption Culture

Held inside a notorious prison among some of California's most dangerous felons, the San Quentin Film Festival is not your typical Hollywood affair. Red-carpet interviews take place just yards (meters) away from a now dormant execution chamber where hundreds of death-row inmates met grisly ends. Convicted murderers sit alongside famous actors ...

Saddi Warns Lebanon 'cannot bear any additional debt'

This is Beirut 2025-10-30 16:15 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Lebanon EDL Joe Saddi Iraq Dubai South Lebanon

Energy and Water Minister Joe Saddi defended his ministry’s energy policy, stressing that Lebanon “has nothing to hide” and is working to stabilize electricity production despite severe financial and technical constraints. In an interview with LBCI, Saddi said that public institutions in the South, including Electricity of Lebanon (EDL) and ...

Asia Markets Mostly up on Heels of Apple, Amazon Earnings

This is Beirut 2025-10-31 09:30 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

New York Washington Apple iPhone

Asian stock markets mostly rose Friday morning, with a surge in Japanese shares coming after better-than-expected earnings reports from US tech behemoths Apple and Amazon. Investor confidence in artificial intelligence has fuelled a rally in global stock markets this week that saw California-based chip designer Nvidia become the first-ever $5 ...

Trump Threatens More Strikes on Iran’s Main Oil Export Hub

This is Beirut 15/03 14:25 - Reading : 6 minute(s)

Iran USA Israel Trump USIranWar UAE Gulf

U.S. President Donald Trump threatened additional strikes on Iran’s key oil export hub at Kharg Island as the war between Iran and the U.S.–Israeli alliance entered its third week, underscoring the growing risk of a prolonged conflict that is already disrupting global energy markets and destabilizing the Gulf region. Speaking to NBC News, ...