Saint Charbel: Uniting East and West in Peace and Harmony

Fady Noun 2024-01-20 14:06 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

The Maronite Church and the Basilica of Saint Peter in Rome celebrated a very special event: the installation of a mosaic portraying Saint Charbel, placed in close proximity to the tomb of Saint Paul VI. It was Saint Paul VI who presided over the canonization mass of the hermit from Annaya on October 9, 1977. During that time, it’s worth noting ...

January Is Not Over Yet, So Happy New Year… 1984!

Bélinda Ibrahim 2024-01-22 11:56 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

“Where have your Monday columns gone?” several people have asked me. Those posts that recounted the improbable adventures of the sexagenarians in a world just as improbable. I acknowledged that I lacked the typical lightness of those kinds of writings... due to the spirit of the times, no doubt… So, as I pick up my pen in this year, 2024, ...

Hide This Sword That We Shall Not See!

This Is Beirut 2024-01-29 13:30 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

"Dionysius, the tyrant of Syracuse, lived in a castle surrounded by a moat and constantly under the watch of numerous guards. Dionysius, who was always worried, surrounded himself with courtiers whose job was to flatter and reassure him. Among them, Damocles, the king of the goldsmiths, incessantly praised his master for the fortune of being the ...

The Patriarch Once Again in Hezb's Crosshairs

Alissar Boulos 2024-01-29 18:32 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Social media flared up on Sunday and Monday with a smear campaign against the Maronite Patriarch, Bechara Rai, accusing him of "betrayal" and of being the "Arabic-speaking spokesperson" for Israel. In his Sunday sermon, Patriarch Rai denounced Hezbollah’s military operations against Israel on the southern border. He shared a letter, received ...

'Unity of Fronts': Is It Really Achievable?

Rami Rayess 2024-01-31 07:30 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

The slogan “Unity of Fronts” emerged some time ago to reflect the vision of the axis commonly referred to as the “Axis of Resistance” or simply the axis of “al-Moumanaa.” This term specifically denotes the alliance spearheaded by Tehran and encompassing an array of military arms across multiple countries in the region. Predominantly, ...

Maronite Bishops: No Border Demarcation Without a President

This Is Beirut 2024-02-07 17:32 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

The Maronite bishops voiced full support to Maronite Patriarch Bechara Rai's stance, refusing to jeopardize the lives of residents of South Lebanon who have been exasperated by the escalation of cross-border tensions between Hezbollah and Israel that endanger their livelihood and properties. In a statement released on Wednesday, following their ...

Hezbollah’s Constitutional Contradiction

Kaline Antoun 27/05 12:01 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Hezbollah Lebanon Taif Constitution Israel

In a statement issued on the centennial of the Lebanese Constitution, Hezbollah presented itself Monday as a defender of constitutional legitimacy, national unity, and Lebanese sovereignty, while simultaneously reaffirming that armed “resistance” remains a protected and legitimate right beyond any governmental decision. The statement ...

Basketball: The Beirut Cup Calendar

This Is Beirut 2024-02-13 20:47 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

The seventh edition of the Beirut International Cup Tournament, sponsored by BetArabia, promises exciting moments for basketball fans. Organized by the dedicated committee, the event will be held from February 17 to 20 at the Ghazir Stadium, with a live broadcast on MTV. The competition will open with an exciting clash between the Lebanese and ...

Lebanon Celebrates Beirut Cup Victory Over Syria

2024-02-20 22:08 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

The Lebanese team won the Beirut Cup after winning their third and final game by a score of 94-83. The victory compounded the wounds of the Syrian team, which suffered its third consecutive defeat and finished the tournament without a win. Course of Play The Lebanese team dominated the match on the whole, with coach Jad Al Hajj's men showing ...

Gemayel: Berri Is Torn Between Opposing Alliances

This Is Beirut 2024-03-18 21:54 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Free Patriotic Movement Gebran Bassil

Leader of the Kataeb party Sami Gemayel asserted that Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri, whom he accuses of obstructing the presidential election, is attempting to balance his alliance with Hezbollah and his relations with the United States. "Berri cannot go against the Americans, as he has interests in the United States where members of his ...

Salman Rushdie’s Pen: A Sword Against AI

2024-03-22 10:30 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

In an essay translated into French and published in the literary journal La Nouvelle Revue Française (NRF), celebrated novelist Salman Rushdie offered his perspective on the implications of artificial intelligence (AI) on the literary domain. Renowned for his Booker Prize-winning works such as The Satanic Verses and Midnight's Children, Salman ...

Lebanon: From a Democratic System to Rule by Consensus

This Is Beirut 2024-03-29 07:00 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

A former official narrates that, before the 1989 Taif accord which put an end to Lebanon’s 15-year-long civil war, the presidential elections were held within constitutional deadlines, preventing any void in the State’s top post. Then, the elections took place within the framework of the democratic system and according to the balance of power ...

Germany and Nicaragua Cross Swords at Gaza Genocide Case

This Is Beirut 2024-04-08 13:34 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Nicaragua and Germany crossed swords at the UN's top court on Monday, with Managua saying Berlin was "pathetic" to supply aid to Gazans while also providing Israel with weapons, a case the top German lawyer dismissed as "grossly biased". Nicaragua has hauled Germany before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to demand judges impose emergency ...

Rai Condemns Sleiman's Murder, Calls for 'Self-Restraint'

2024-04-09 11:44 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Maronite Patriarch Bechara al-Rai condemned the muder of Lebanese Forces coordinator in Jbeil Pascal Sleiman. He called on citizens "to show calm and self-restraint in this delicate and tense political, security and social situation." In a statement issued on Tuesday, Rai also urged "the judiciary and the security forces to do their duty by ...

Azerbaijan Accuses Armenia of ‘Media Campaign’ at ICJ

This Is Beirut 2024-04-15 11:59 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Armenia and Azerbaijan are facing each other at the ICJ on Monday over mutual "ethnic cleansing" claims, as tensions increase between the long-running enemies. Azerbaijan and Armenia again crossed swords before the United Nation's top court on Monday, with Baku accusing Yerevan of using the high profile hearings to wage a "public media campaign" ...

Jerusalem, Through Peace, Not by the Sword

Fady Noun 2024-04-27 10:33 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

In the "low-intensity war" it has been waging since October 8 against Israel in support of Hamas and Islamic Jihad, Hezbollah has officially mourned the deaths of 273 of its men. But up until now, these sacrifices have not earned the party any gains, and their impact on what is happening in Gaza is almost nil. On the other hand, they have resulted ...

Taiwan Activates Military as China Commences War Games

This Is Beirut 2024-05-23 10:22 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Fighter jets took off from a Taiwan airbase on Thursday as the self-ruled island dispatched aerial and naval forces in response to China's launch of military drills. Beijing commenced two days of war games, dubbed "Joint Sword-2024A," as a "strong punishment" for Taiwan's "separatist acts." They come after the island swore in new President Lai ...

China Warns Taiwan of War Amid Military Drills

This Is Beirut 2024-05-24 13:32 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

China said on Friday that Taiwan's leadership was pushing the self-ruled island into war and warned of further "countermeasures," as Beijing conducted military drills around the territory. Chinese warships and fighter jets surrounded Taiwan on the second day of drills that Beijing said were a test of its ability to seize the island, days after ...

End of Chinese Military Intimidation Drills Around Taiwan

This Is Beirut 2024-05-25 10:05 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

United Nations United States

China puts an end to the military exercises around Taiwan, which began on Thursday morning in reaction to the election of pro-independence president Lai Ching-te. China has ended two days of military drills around Taiwan that saw jets loaded with live munitions and warships practice seizing and isolating the self-ruled island. The exercises ...

Philippines Says Chinese Coast Guard Boarded Navy Vessels

This Is Beirut 2024-06-19 16:03 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

The Philippine military said on Wednesday that the Chinese coast guard rammed and boarded Filipino navy boats in a violent confrontation in the South China Sea this week, in which a Filipino sailor lost a thumb. Monday's incident was the latest in a series of escalating confrontations between Chinese and Philippine ships in recent months as ...

Euro-2024: Bellingham, Kane Rescue England from Shock Exit to Slovakia

This Is Beirut 2024-06-30 23:08 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

England escaped an embarrassing last 16 exit at Euro 2024 thanks to Jude Bellingham's overhead kick, followed by Harry Kane's strike in extra-time, for a 2-1 win over Slovakia on Sunday. The Three Lions have been hyped as one of the favorites to end a 58-year wait for major tournament glory, but looked set to go out with a whimper to Ivan ...

IRGC Downplays Chances of Renewed War With U.S. Amid Fragile Iran Ceasefire Talks

This is Beirut 27/05 12:10 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Iran USA Doha Negotiations Hormuz

A senior Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) official said Wednesday that the likelihood of renewed war with the United States remains low, while warning that Tehran remains fully prepared to respond militarily to any new attack. “The possibility of war is low because of the enemy’s weakness,” Mohammad Akbarzadeh, deputy ...

Israel Seeks To Defeat Hezbollah Again, What Might Be Different this Time?

Seth J. Frantzman 27/05 10:15 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Hezbollah Israel Benjamin Netanyahu US Secretary of State Lebanon

Facing an increasingly deadly threat from Hezbollah’s first-person view (FPV) drones, Israel is back on the offensive in Lebanon. Since the night of May 25, the Israel Defense Forces have launched large-scale airstrikes across southern Lebanon while pressing ground advances. As Israel once again turns to military force, amid U.S.-Iran talks, the ...

AI Writing Tools: A Double-Edged Sword for Creativity

Béatrice Moreau 2024-07-13 10:14 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

A new study finds that AI writing tools can enhance individual creativity but may lead to greater uniformity in stories across authors, presenting a social dilemma. Artificial intelligence is increasingly being used to assist with creative tasks like story writing. While AI tools can help individuals generate more novel and enjoyable stories, a ...

Saudi Arabia’s Shadow Over Lebanon's Path to Peace

Ralph Atrach 25/05 08:55 - Reading : 8 minute(s)

Lebanon Saudi Arabia Nawaf Salam Lebanese Army Banque du Liban

As Lebanon prepares for new rounds of security and political talks with Israel in Washington in the coming two weeks, Saudi Arabia’s position on peace with Jerusalem looms over decision makers in Beirut. In a May 10 interview with Al-Arabiya, Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said that Lebanon is open to peace with Israel within the framework ...

No Turning Back in Lebanon-Israel Talks

Samar El-Kadi 22/05 15:30 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Lebanon Israel Amal Hezbollah negotiations

Amid a fraught ceasefire, preparations are underway for the next phase of the U.S.-mediated Lebanon-Israel diplomatic process, which analysts describe as a major turning point. Security talks between Lebanese and Israeli military delegations are scheduled to begin at the Pentagon on May 29, while a parallel political track is set to reconvene in ...

Pakistan Army Chief in Tehran as Iran Weighs U.S. Peace Offer

This is Beirut 23/05 01:20 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Tehran Donald Trump US Secretary of State Lebanon European Union

Pakistan's powerful army chief arrived in Tehran on Friday as diplomacy around the Middle East war gathered pace, with Iran weighing a new US peace proposal while warning that deep divisions still stand in the way of a deal. Iran's foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei cautioned that the visit did not mean "we have reached a ...

U.S. Sanctions on Hezbollah and Amal's "Deep State": Implications for the Duo and the State

Claudia Groeling 23/05 01:50 - Reading : 7 minute(s)

Amal Hezbollah Lebanese Army Lebanon Israel

The United States on Thursday imposed sanctions on nine individuals in Lebanon accused of supporting Hezbollah and obstructing efforts to disarm the Iran-backed group, in one of Washington’s clearest moves yet to counter Hezbollah’s influence over Lebanon’s political and security institutions. The sanctions, announced by the ...

Iran Weighs Peace Proposal, Accuses U.S. of 'Excessive Demands'

This is Beirut 23/05 12:35 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Iran Pakistan Trump USA Israel Hezbollah Lebanon Negotiations

Tehran accused the United States of "excessive demands," Iranian media said on Saturday, as U.S. media reports raised the prospect that Washington was mulling new strikes and leaders of the Islamic republic considered the latest peace proposal. Pakistan's powerful army chief arrived in Tehran on Friday to bolster mediation, and U.S. President ...

Two Airports, Two Realities: Beirut's Airport Under Hezbollah’s Shadow, Qlayaat Under State Control

Ralph Atrach 23/05 13:40 - Reading : 6 minute(s)

Hezbollah Lebanon Beirut International Airport Israel Lebanese Army

Public Works and Transport Minister Fayez Rasamny on May 19 announced the opening of bids for the public tender to operate and invest in Lebanon’s northern Rene Mouawad Airport, in a move aimed at reviving a second civilian airport after years of stagnation. The contract was awarded to Sky Lounge Services following a tender process conducted ...