Fake Beauty, Real Risks: Investigating Cosmetic Counterfeits (1/3)

Bélinda Ibrahim 2025-07-11 19:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Beauty Care Black Market Health Sunscreens Cosmetic Counterfeits

Same logo, same packaging, same “high protection” claim… but sometimes, the contents are just water and thickeners. In a recent investigation led by journalist Hugo Clément and pharmacist Laurence Coiffard (for “Sur le Front,” France 5, June 2025), several counterfeit sunscreens were lab tested. Findings were alarming: some products ...

Luxury Bag Counterfeiting Takes on Major Fashion Houses

Bélinda Ibrahim 2025-07-15 18:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Luxury Bags China TikTok Viral Counterfeits

At first glance, the video looks like just another promo for cut-price products. A young woman praises a handbag “identical to an Hermès model” for a fraction of the cost. The brand is blurred, but the resemblance is unmistakable. The caption reads: “Luxury brands are all made in China.” In other words: why pay €10,000 for a Hermès bag ...

Israel Orders Civilians Out of Central Gaza Ahead of New Campaign

This is Beirut 2025-07-20 11:35 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam Palestine Donald Trump Benjamin Netanyahu Hamas

The Israeli military on Sunday issued an evacuation order for Palestinians in the central Gaza Strip, warning of imminent action against Hamas militants in an area "where it has not operated before". The military's Arabic-language spokesman Avichay Adraee said in a post on X that residents and displaced Palestinians sheltering in ...

Netanyahu’s Gaza Strategy: Ambiguity, Internal Divisions and Looming Chaos

Élie-Joe Kamel 2025-08-12 18:25 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam Benjamin Netanyahu Palestine Hamas United Nations

As the war in Gaza enters its 22nd month, political and on the ground uncertainties continue to grow. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s recent statements highlight this growing strategic confusion. He says he wants to “take control of Gaza,” while specifying that Israel has “no intention of governing” the territory. This ...

Hezbollah: From Military Power to Spoiler Power

Tilda Abou Rizk 2025-09-27 09:30 - Reading : 6 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam Lebanon Hezbollah Hassan Nasrallah UN Security Council

By defying an official ban and illuminating Pigeon Rock in Raouche with portraits of its two former leaders assassinated by Israel in 2024, and mobilizing thousands of supporters for a flagrantly ostentatious show of force, Hezbollah once again pushed the boundaries of its provocative maneuvers. This time, it was through deeds rather than words ...

Sheila Jordan, the Voice of Jazz, Dies at 96

This is Beirut 2025-08-12 18:35 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Sheila Jordan Jazz Singer Homage

The jazz world has lost one of its most singular voices. Sheila Jordan, singer, composer and educator known for her unique timbre and unmatched improvisational skill, died on August 11, 2025, in New York at the age of 96. The news was confirmed by her longtime bassist, Harvie S., on US public radio NPR, prompting a wave of tributes ...

Heritage and Cool Comfort: Paris’ Underground Catacombs Treasure

This is Beirut 2025-08-13 10:30 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Paris Catacombs Heritage History Heat Wave Culture

The moment visitors step inside the Paris Catacombs, the hundred or so people who had been waiting outside in the shade of the trees put away their caps, sunglasses, and hand fans, swapping them for sweaters and jackets in hopes of escaping the oppressive summer heat. Those dressed too lightly wrap their arms around themselves for warmth. Beatriz ...

Israeli Strikes Target West Beqaa and South Lebanon

This is Beirut 2025-08-14 19:50 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam Lebanon Aitaroun Drone attack Civilians

Israeli aviation struck Zalaya in Western Bekaa late Thursday, according to local media.  According to the Arabic-speaking spokesperson of the Israeli army, Avichay Adraee, the strikes targeted “Hezbollah underground tunnels.”  Continuous low-altitude drone flights were reported over villages in Western Bekaa. The Israeli ...

Historic Swedish Church Being Moved as Giant Mine Casts Growing Shadow

This is Beirut 2025-08-15 18:35 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Church Preservation Mining Sweden History Culture

A historic red wooden church considered one of Sweden's most beautiful buildings is to be moved from its longtime home in the Arctic town of Kiruna next week as part of a campaign to expand Europe's biggest underground mine. Kiruna Kyrka, a Swedish Lutheran church, dates from 1912. The 672 tonne, 40 metre (131 feet) high building will be moved ...

Kiruna Church on the Move

Rayan Chami 2025-08-19 16:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Kiruna Church Sweden

With great fanfare, a historic red wooden church considered one of Sweden's most beautiful buildings began its slow move from its home in the Arctic town of Kiruna on Tuesday to allow the expansion of Europe's biggest underground mine. Kiruna's entire town center is being moved because of the giant LKAB iron ore mine that dominates ...

Sweden Moves Iconic Arctic Church Amid Mine Expansion

This is Beirut 2025-08-20 14:40 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Culture Europe Art Kiruna

A historic red wooden church considered one of Sweden's most beautiful buildings resumed its slow move across the Arctic town of Kiruna on Wednesday, inching toward its new home to allow Europe's biggest underground mine to expand. Kiruna's entire town center is being relocated because of the giant LKAB iron ore mine that dominates the region, ...

UNIFIL and LAF Discover Tunnel and Unexploded Ordnance in South Lebanon

This is Beirut 2025-08-20 16:55 - Reading : less than a minute

Lebanon Lebanese Army South Lebanon UNIFIL Hezbollah Weapons

UNIFIL (United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon) peacekeepers have discovered a 50-meter-long tunnel and several unexploded pieces of ordnance near the town of al-Qusayr in southern Lebanon, the mission announced Wednesday. The discovery was made in coordination with the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF), according to a UNIFIL press release. “In ...

Israeli Army Targets Hezbollah Infrastructure in Southern Lebanon

This is Beirut 2025-08-31 09:55 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam Lebanon Southern Lebanon Hezbollah

Early on Sunday morning, the Israeli military launched a series of heavy airstrikes on the Nabatiyeh district in southern Lebanon, an area that has been repeatedly targeted in recent weeks. According to local sources cited by the Al-Markazia news agency, over 10 air raids struck the area of Ali al-Taher and its surroundings, not far from Beaufort ...

Water Shortage in Lebanon: Government Urged to Declare Hydric Emergency

This is Beirut 2025-09-08 11:00 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Lebanon is facing an unprecedented drought that could worsen in the coming month, with no rainfall expected before October 15. Michel Frem, president of the Lebanese Agricultural Research Institute (IRAL), has urged the government to declare a “hydric emergency.” In a statement released on Monday, Frem warned that both surface water and ...

Where Is Hezbollah’s Arsenal Still Hidden?

Mario Chartouni 2025-09-09 18:30 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam Hezbollah Lebanese Army Baalbeck Internal Security Forces

Since the November 2024 ceasefire and Hezbollah’s crushing military defeat by Israel, the question of the pro-Iranian group’s arsenal has once again moved to the forefront in Lebanon. Caught between international pressure, internal fragility and a government determined to reassert control over weapons, Hezbollah appears weakened. Yet its ...

Series of Israeli Raids in Southern Lebanon After Warnings Issued by Adraee

This is Beirut 2025-09-18 17:10 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam Lebanon Strikes South Avichay adraee Hezbollah

A series of Israeli raids targeted several villages in southern Lebanon on Thursday, following evacuation warnings issued to residents by the Israeli army. The towns of Mays al-Jabal, Kfar tebnit and Debbin were targeted late afternoon after the Israeli army issued an urgent warning to residents of several villages in southern Lebanon, cautioning ...

Netflix Bets on Spain to Repeat Money Heist Magic

This is Beirut 2025-09-19 14:00 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Netflix Culture Series TV Art Spain

In a cavernous studio outside Madrid teeming with TV industry stars, Netflix is blending old knowledge with modern technology to try to concoct a successor to its global hit Money Heist. The dystopia Billionaires' Bunker, to be released on Friday and set in a gigantic underground fortress offering gyms, a garden and a fancy restaurant, is the US ...

New Revelations About Nasrallah's Assassination

This is Beirut 2025-09-22 13:20 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam Lebanon Hassan Nasrallah Benjamin Netanyahu Hamas Hezbollah Yedioth Ahronot

On the first anniversary of Hassan Nasrallah’s assassination, Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth published new details about the operation which it described as “worthy of a science-fiction movie.”  The mission took place in September 2024, while Israeli fighter jets were heavily bombing Hezbollah strongholds in the southern suburbs of ...

Hamas Seeks to Amend Disarmament Clause in Gaza Plan, Source Says

This is Beirut 2025-10-01 13:50 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Hamas Palestine Donald Trump Benjamin Netanyahu USA

Heavy Israeli bombardment rocked Gaza City on Wednesday, witnesses said, as Hamas weighed US President Donald Trump's plan to end nearly two years of devastating war in the Palestinian territory. A Palestinian source close to Hamas told AFP on Wednesday that "no final decision" had been made and that "the movement will likely need two to three ...

Miracle Gel for Fractures: Medical Revolution or Media Hype?

Bélinda Ibrahim 2025-10-01 16:00 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Fractures Gel Bones Science China

In recent weeks, international media and social networks have been buzzing about a “miracle gel” developed by Chinese researchers. Known as Bone 02, this biomaterial reportedly repairs fractures in as little as three minutes without traditional surgery or metal implants. The concept sounds like science fiction: apply the gel to a broken bone, ...

Columbus Day 2025: A Holiday Still Dividing America

This is Beirut 2025-10-11 16:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

United States Federal Holiday American History Christopher Columbus Indigenous People Donald Trump

As October 13, 2025, approaches, President Donald Trump has reignited the national debate over Columbus Day by signing a proclamation on Thursday, honoring Christopher Columbus as “a true American hero.” At a Cabinet meeting in the White House on October 9, Trump declared, “We’re back, Italians,” officially reaffirming the federal ...

Mr. Trump, There Are Still Hostages Left…

Marc Saikali 2025-10-09 08:30 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam Lebanon Donald Trump Hezbollah USA

Yes, we are the four and a half million Lebanese – prisoners of a country that has been hijacked. We live trapped in the open, under the rule of a militia that has seized a nation, its people and the state itself. Hezbollah is no force of resistance. It is an occupying power from within. It decides when Lebanon goes to war, whom it must obey ...

Israel Marks October 7 Anniversary as Talks Held to End Gaza War

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

Nawaf Salam Gaza Hamas October 7

  Israel marks the second anniversary of the October 7, 2023 attack on Tuesday, as Hamas and Israeli negotiators hold indirect talks to end the two-year war in Gaza under a US-proposed peace plan. Two years ago to the day, at the close of the Jewish festival of Sukkot, Hamas-led militants launched a massive assault on Israel, making it the ...

AI and Employment: A Process of Creative Destruction

Paul Guillot 2025-10-07 11:15 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Europe International Monetary Fund New York United States USA

AI is hailed for boosting efficiency, speed, and productivity. But behind the hype, a global concern looms: could it put millions of jobs at risk? From Salesforce headquarters to Amazon warehouses, from New York offices to emerging markets, one question dominates: is AI a ticking social time bomb? A Subtle but Global Threat The IMF estimates ...

Trump and Artificial Intelligence: Reclaiming America’s Lead

Paul Guillot 2025-10-07 11:25 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Donald Trump United States White House

In January 2025, barely back in the White House, Donald Trump set the tone: artificial intelligence would not be merely a technological challenge but a strategic instrument to secure American supremacy. The Executive Order 14179, Removing Barriers to American Leadership in Artificial Intelligence, marked a turning point. Regulatory constraints ...

Gaza: Two Years After the War, A Devastating Toll

Marie de La Roche Saint-André 2025-10-07 12:25 - Reading : 6 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam Gaza Hamas Palestine

Two years after Hamas launched its deadly attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which claimed 1,219 Israeli lives according to AFP, the conflict continues to wreak havoc on the Palestinian enclave of Gaza. Of the 251 Israelis abducted during the attack, 47 remain in captivity in Gaza, including 25 who have since died, according to Israeli military ...

Two Years of Arab and Muslim Failure

Hussain Abdul-Hussain 2025-10-07 13:05 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam Hamas Gaza Arabs Palestine

Today marks the second anniversary of the horrific attacks when Hamas militants stormed out of the Gaza Strip into nearby Israeli towns. They killed, maimed and burned 1,200 civilians in a brutal door-to-door rampage, kidnapping 250. This assault demanded unequivocal condemnation from Arab and Muslim populations, yet responses ranged from ...

Saudi Arabia Hosts its First Riyadh Comedy Festival

This is Beirut 2025-10-07 18:00 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Comedy Riyadh Comedy Festival Saudi Art Culture

Jokes about geriatric sex and endless profanity have been embraced by Saudi fans at the Riyadh Comedy Festival even as foreign comedians face a backlash for taking part. The star-studded event, backed by a Saudi government body, has driven a wedge through the stand-up scene, as comics who staunchly defend free speech in the West are accused of ...

Trump Says 'Real Chance' of Gaza Peace Deal

This is Beirut 2025-10-07 22:43 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Nawaf Salam Donald Trump United States Gaza Hamas

US President Donald Trump voiced optimism that there was a "real chance" to end the war in Gaza, as Israel marked the second anniversary of the October 7 attack on Tuesday. In his message marking the anniversary, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to achieve all the goals of the war. "We are in fateful, decisive days. ...

Trump Talks up Canada Trade Deal Chances With ‘World-Class’ Carney

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

United States Donald Trump Canada Diplomacy

President Donald Trump said Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney would be "very happy" after their trade talks at the White House Tuesday, but offered no immediate concessions on lifting steep US tariffs. Striking a friendly tone in the Oval Office, Trump praised Carney as a "world-class leader" adding that the former central ...