US, Qatar, Turkey to Join Third Day of Gaza Peace Talks in Egypt

This is Beirut 2025-10-08 08:50 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam Palestine Turkey USA Qatar Egypt

Qatar's prime minister and senior delegates from the United States and Turkey will join Hamas and Israeli negotiators on Wednesday for a third day of talks aimed at ending the Gaza war. Israel and Hamas are holding indirect negotiations in the Egyptian resort town of Sharm El-Sheikh, based on a 20-point plan proposed by US President Donald Trump ...

Hamas Says 'Optimism Prevails' in Gaza Talks With Israel

This is Beirut 2025-10-08 15:55 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam Hamas Palestine Gaza truce

Hamas said Wednesday that "optimism" was prevailing in indirect talks with Israel aimed at ending the Gaza war, with the militant group submitting a list of prisoners it wants released in exchange for freeing Israeli hostages under a deal. The talks aim to thrash out a plan to implement a 20-point peace proposal put forward last month by US ...

Gaza: Paris Meeting on Post-War Plans Sparks Israeli Anger

This is Beirut 2025-10-08 21:05 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam Gaza Hamas France Donald Trump ceasefire

A meeting scheduled for Thursday in Paris, bringing together European and Arab foreign ministers to discuss “modalities for a collective post-war engagement” in the Gaza Strip, has already drawn Israel’s ire, which denounces it as “an attempt to internationalize the conflict.” “This meeting represents a new step in France’s ...

Trump Says May go to Middle East at End of Week

This is Beirut 2025-10-08 23:39 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam Donald Trump United States Gaza Hamas

US President Donald Trump said Wednesday he may travel to the Middle East later this week, as negotiators in Egypt reported "encouraging" progress toward a deal to end the Gaza war. Trump, whose 20-point peace proposal forms the basis of the talks in the resort town of Sharm El-Sheikh, said a peace deal between Israel and Palestinian ...

US Faces Travel Delays as Government Shutdown Wears On

This is Beirut 2025-10-09 09:05 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

USA Air traffic controllers Shutdown

Concerns over flight delays and missed paychecks due to the US government shutdown escalated Wednesday, as senators rejected yet another bid to end the standoff. Democrats voted for a sixth time to block a Republican stopgap funding measure to reopen government departments, keeping much of the federal workforce home or working without pay. With ...

Hamas and Israel Open talks in Egypt Under Trump's Gaza Peace Plan

This is Beirut 2025-10-07 08:56 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam Hamas Ceasefire Donald Trump

Delegations from Hamas and Israel on Monday began indirect talks in Egypt on ending the nearly two-year war in Gaza, with US President Donald Trump judging that the Palestinian militant group was ready to compromise over his proposals for a deal. Al-Qahera News, which is linked to Egyptian state intelligence, said the first round of talks ended ...

Hyaluronic Acid: The Art of Volume… and Excess

Bélinda Ibrahim 2025-10-09 11:00 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Volumizing, hydrating, natural: hyaluronic acid has become the star of facial fillers. But behind its popularity lie potential complications: delayed reactions, migration, granulomas and product choice… In Lebanon, an early surge in demand has also been reported by Professor Roland Tomb, Honorary Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at Saint Joseph ...

Salah Scores Twice as Egypt Qualify for 2026 World Cup

This is Beirut 2025-10-09 11:40 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Egypt World Cup Football Mohamed Salah

Liverpool star Mohamed Salah scored twice to help Egypt beat Djibouti 3-0 in Casablanca on Wednesday and qualify for the 2026 World Cup. The 33-year-old has now netted nine times in a marathon qualifying campaign that began two years ago, and victory for Egypt gave them an unassailable five-point lead over Burkina Faso in Group A. Twice African ...

Commercial Leases: Pharmacists Call for Amendments to Prevent Chaos

Liliane Mokbel 2025-10-09 14:00 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

The recently enacted commercial lease law in Lebanon is far from being universally welcomed, particularly among pharmacists, who have voiced strong opposition to its provisions. In late October, the Lebanese Order of Pharmacists submitted a proposal to the Parliamentary Committee on Administration and Justice, seeking amendments to what they view ...

Pope Leo Puts Poor, Marginalized Center Stage in First Major Text

This is Beirut 2025-10-09 14:10 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

USA Pope Leo

Pope Leo XIV called Thursday for the poor and marginalized, including migrants, to be at the center of the Catholic Church's mission, in the first major publication of his papacy. In the Apostolic Exhortation "Dilexi te" ("I have loved you", in Latin), the US pope warned against the "growth of a wealthy elite, living ...

What we Know About the New Gaza Deal

This is Beirut 2025-10-09 14:11 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam Palestine Donald Trump Benjamin Netanyahu Hamas

  Israel and Hamas on Thursday agreed a ceasefire deal to free the living hostages in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails. Here is what we know so far about the agreement that was reached in indirect talks in Egypt:  Hostage, prisoner releases  Hamas will release 20 living hostages in one go as ...

Monaco Sack Coach Hutter, Line Up Pocognoli: Sources

This is Beirut 2025-10-09 17:30 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Addi Hutter Ligue 1 Monaco Football France

Monaco sacked their Austrian coach Adi Hutter on Thursday and are set to replace him with Belgian Sebastien Pocognoli, sources told AFP. The 55-year-old Hutter's assistants Christian Peintinger and Klaus Schmidt will also leave the club. The trio, who were hired just over two years ago, told players about their departure after training on ...

Israel Says ‘All Parties’ Signed Phase One of Gaza Deal

This is Beirut 2025-10-09 17:45 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam Hamas Ceasefire Gaza

Israel said Thursday all parties have signed the first phase of a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal, adding that Hamas freeing the captives would "bring the end to this war". The agreement in Egypt follows a 20-point peace plan for Gaza announced last month by US President Donald Trump, after more than two years of war sparked by ...

Cabinet Extends Jdeideh Landfill Operations

This is Beirut 2025-10-09 18:55 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Lebanon Nawaf Salam Paul Morcos Grand Serail Jdeideh CDR Parliament Mohammad Qabbani

The Council of Ministers met on Thursday at the Grand Serail under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Nawaf Salam. It approved the continued use of the Jdeideh landfill until the end of 2026 and tasked the Council for Development and Reconstruction (CDR) with establishing a power plant on-site. Following the session, Minister of Information Paul ...

Israel Government Approves Gaza Hostage Release Deal

This is Beirut 2025-10-10 09:10 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam Palestine Donald Trump Benjamin Netanyahu USA

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said on Friday that the government had "approved the framework" of a hostage release deal with Hamas, as both sides edged closer to ending more than two years of hostilities in Gaza. Israel previously said "all parties" had signed the first phase of a ceasefire agreement, ...

Burning Issues in the Syrian Visit to Beirut

Mario Chartouni 2025-10-10 16:55 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Lebanese Army Banks Damascus Hezbollah Saudi Arabia

Syrian Foreign Minister Assaad al-Shaibani is visiting Beirut this Friday for his first official trip since the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime. Long postponed, the visit marks a symbolic step toward restoring ties between Lebanon and Syria after a decade of mistrust. It follows a series of technical missions by Syrian officials exploring ...

Paris Fashion Week: Where Style Pays Off

This is Beirut 2025-10-10 19:55 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Paris Fashion Week mode economy

Every year, the French capital doesn’t just host the world’s top fashion shows; it drives the industry’s economy. According to the Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode, Paris Fashion Week generates around €1.2 billion in economic impact for the city. Over several weeks, more than 110 haute couture and ready-to-wear shows unfold, ...

White House Says ‘Substantial’ Shutdown Layoffs Have Begun

This is Beirut 2025-10-11 05:20 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

United States Donald Trump Government Politics

The White House said Friday it had begun mass layoffs of federal workers as President Donald Trump sought to amp up pressure on opposition Democrats to end a government shutdown that has crippled public services. With the crisis set to go into a third week and no off-ramp in sight, Trump's budget chief Russ Vought announced on social media ...

Qaraoun Lake: Lebanon’s Silent Ecological Disaster

Liliane Mokbel 2025-10-11 14:00 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Banks

Every year, an estimated 50 million cubic meters of domestic wastewater are discharged into Lake Qaraoun. Added to this are 2 million cubic meters of industrial wastewater, as well as waste from Syrian migrant camps established by the state along the riverbanks. This toxic mix is putting one of Lebanon’s largest freshwater reservoirs at serious ...

Gaza talks 'positive', resuming Tuesday: sources close to Hamas negotiators

This is Beirut 2025-10-07 10:10 - Reading : less than a minute

Nawaf Salam Hamas Palestine Gaza

Indirect talks in Egypt between Israel and Hamas have been "positive" so far, two sources close to the Palestinian militants' negotiating team told AFP on Tuesday, with discussions set to resume around midday. "The talks were positive last night, with the first round lasting four hours," one of the sources said. "The indirect negotiations are ...

Trump Says May Invoke Insurrection Act To Deploy More Troops in US

This is Beirut 2025-10-07 05:15 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

United States Donald Trump Police Protest

President Donald Trump threatened Monday to use emergency powers against rebellion to deploy more troops into Democratic-led US cities, intensifying his rhetoric as his attempts to mobilize the military face legal challenges. The Republican leader openly mulled use of the Insurrection Act after a federal judge in Oregon temporarily halted a ...

Israel Issues 'Last' Warning for Gaza City Residents to Flee

This is Beirut 2025-10-01 16:25 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam Hamas Gaza

Israel's defense minister issued a final warning for Gaza City residents to flee south on Wednesday, as Hamas weighed US President Donald Trump's plan to end nearly two years of war in the Palestinian territory. Witnesses reported heavy bombardment in Gaza's largest urban center, as Israel Katz warned the military was tightening its encirclement ...

Hamas Says Ready for Peace Talks, Trump Urges Israel to Halt Bombing

This is Beirut 2025-10-04 00:30 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam Donald Trump Gaza United States

Hamas said on Friday it was ready to start immediate talks on freeing the Israeli hostages it holds and the end of the Gaza war, welcoming US President Donald Trump's call for Israel to stop bombing the Palestinian territory. Trump's peace proposal, backed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, calls for a halt to hostilities in ...

White House Says Firings 'Imminent' as Plan to Reopen Government Collapses

This is Beirut 2025-10-01 22:11 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Donald Trump United States Government Shutdown

Efforts to swiftly end the US government shutdown collapsed Wednesday as Democrats in Congress rejected proposals to resolve an acrimonious funding standoff with President Donald Trump, and the White House threatened public sector jobs. With the government out of money after Trump and lawmakers failed to agree on a deal to keep the lights on, ...

The Cartel of School Tuitions: How Lebanon’s Middle Class Is Being Crushed

Salam El Zaatari 2025-10-02 11:00 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Lebanon Schools Education

Today in Lebanon, the biggest mafia is not only in politics. It’s in education. Private school owners, especially the so-called “Catholic” and “Islamic” institutions that claim to serve God, have turned into a cartel, worshiping only the dollar. Their business model is not about forming the next generation of Lebanese geniuses, but ...

Warsaw Hosts 19th Chopin International Piano Competition

This is Beirut 2025-10-02 12:00 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Music Piano Competition Chopin Poland Culture

Rehearsal time is over. The world's best and most ambitious young pianists have descended on Warsaw for the Frederic Chopin International Piano Competition, for some, a gateway to classical music glory. Fans from around the globe snapped up tickets as much as a year ago. The lucky ones will hear an opening night concert on Thursday and follow ...

Voluntary Return Convoy: 59 Syrians Cross Masnaa

This is Beirut 2025-10-02 12:30 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Lebanon Damascus Displaced Syrians UNHCR

The third phase of Lebanon’s government plan for the voluntary return of displaced Syrians has begun. On Thursday morning, 59 Syrians gathered in the Karantina area of Beirut before departing for Damascus. In a statement issued Wednesday, Lebanon’s General Security confirmed the operation would take place Thursday at 6 AM via the Masnaa ...

ADDS Energy Projects Terminated, New York Funding Freeze

This is Beirut 2025-10-02 12:35 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

New York Donald Trump Republicans USA Democrats White House

Efforts to swiftly end the US government shutdown collapsed Wednesday as Democrats in Congress went home without resolving a funding stand-off with President Donald Trump and the White House threatened public sector jobs. Federal funding expired at midnight after Trump and lawmakers failed to agree on a deal to keep the lights on, prompting ...

Influencer Lyas Turns Paris Fashion Week Into a Public Celebration

This is Beirut 2025-10-02 14:50 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Fashion Fans Luxury Watch Paris Culture

A giant screen, lots of cheering and applause: the scene inside La Caserne venue in trendy northeast Paris might feel like a sports bar. But the crowd there were watching live fashion, not football. With Paris Fashion Week in full swing, a well-heeled group of mostly 20-somethings has been gathering every day near the Gare du Nord train station ...

EU Eyes Building 'Drone Wall': Question is, What is It?

This is Beirut 2025-10-02 16:45 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

European Union Drones Russia Ukraine

European Union leaders are discussing setting up a "drone wall" of defences after high-profile air incursions by Russia. But the plan appears to mean different things to different countries, and not everyone seems entirely convinced. Here's where we stand: Eastern shield?  The first call for the project came last month from EU chief Ursula ...