This is Beirut

Léa Massari, Quiet Elegance of European Cinema and Silent Memory of the Silver Screen

Marie-Christine Tayah, 26/06 11:00 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Cinema Culture Art Léa Massari France Italy

Léa Massari, the delicate and unforgettable star of the silver screen, passed away in Rome at the age of 91. Born Anna Maria Massatani, she embodied Italian cinema through and through, and won over French audiences with her subtle performances and enigmatic presence. Her filmography was defined by integrity, restraint, and an irresistible charm. ...

Farewell to Léa Massari, Iconic Actress of French and Italian Cinema

This is Beirut, 25/06 17:25 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Cinema Actress Léa Massari Obituary Italy Culture

The Italian actress, Léa Massari, celebrated for her roles in L’Avventura and Le souffle au cœur, passed away in Rome, Italian officials confirmed on Wednesday. Lucia Borgonzoni, Italy’s Secretary of State for Culture, paid tribute to “an actress of irresistible magnetism and dazzling talent.” According to the Roman daily Il Messaggero, ...

Italian Sculptor Arnaldo Pomodoro Dies Aged Nearly 99

This is Beirut, 23/06 16:35 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Sculpture Arnaldo Pomodoro Death Arts Italy Culture

Italian sculptor Arnaldo Pomodoro, renowned for his huge bronze spheres, died at the weekend, a day before his 99th birthday, his foundation said on Monday. Born in the northern region of Emilia-Romagna on June 23, 1926, Pomodoro began investigating solid geometric forms in the early 1960s. He created monumental spheres, cones, columns and ...

Giorgio Armani to Miss Milan Fashion Week Shows

This is Beirut, 21/06 14:00 - Reading : less than a minute

Milan Italy Fashion Milan Fashion Week Culture Art

Italian fashion designer Giorgio Armani, who is "currently recovering at home", will miss two of his shows at the Milan Fashion Week, his company said Friday. The 90-year-old designer will not attend Saturday's and Monday's shows, set to present Armani's menswear collections for Spring-Summer 2026, a statement said. "Armani has worked with his ...

Syria Resumes SWIFT Transfers for First Time Since 2011

This is Beirut, 19/06 16:30 - Reading : less than a minute

Banks Syria Italy SWIFT economy

For the first time since the outbreak of the Syrian civil war in 2011, Syria has completed an international bank transfer via the SWIFT system – a symbolic step toward reintegration into the global financial network. The announcement came on Thursday from Central Bank Governor Abdelkader Husrieh, who revealed in an interview with Reuters that ...

Gattuso Named New Italy Coach After Spalletti Sacking

This is Beirut, 16/06 15:30 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Italy National Team World Cup 2026 Gattuso

Gennaro Gattuso was named Italy's new coach on Sunday and will be tasked with helping the Azzurri qualify for the 2026 World Cup after replacing Luciano Spalletti. The 47-year-old was part of the 2006 World Cup-winning side and won 73 caps for the national team as a player. The Italian Football Federation (FIGC) said Gattuso would be presented ...

Ryan Abi Najem Wins the Juventus Academy World Cup in Italy

This is Beirut, 16/06 14:05 - Reading : less than a minute

Kuwait Lebanon Football Juventus Italy

At just 9 years old, Ryan Abi Najem made a name for himself at the 2025 Juventus Academy World Cup, held in Turin with 25 teams from 18 countries. As the only Lebanese player in the competition, he represented the Juventus Kuwait Academy with skill, impressing as a right back and playmaker. A goal scorer and decisive passer, he was voted best ...

From the Sursock Palace to the J. Paul Getty Museum: The Resurrection of Artemisia Gentileschi’s Lost Masterpiece

Bélinda Ibrahim, 13/06 17:00 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Artemisia Gentilesch J. Paul Getty Museum Sursock Museum Beirut Explosion Lebanon Italy

On August 4, 2020, at 6:07 PM, a devastating blast tore through the skies of Beirut. The shockwave obliterated the port, destroyed entire neighborhoods, claimed over 230 lives and left a haunting scene of ruin and disbelief. Among the many cultural treasures affected was Sursock Palace, a 19th-century Ottoman villa and historic family residence in ...

Depardieu to Go Before Rome Judge Over Paparazzi Melee

This is Beirut, 13/06 10:30 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Depardieu Court Italy Movie France Culture

French cinema icon Gerard Depardieu will appear next week before a judge in Rome accused of assaulting a paparazzi photographer, a lawyer told AFP Thursday. Rino Barillari, the 80-year-old dubbed the "king of paparazzi", alleges Depardieu punched him three times in the face when he tried to photograph him in May last year at Harry's Bar on the ...

Belgium Battle Past Wales, Italy Win in World Cup Qualifying

This is Beirut, 10/06 11:20 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Italy Football Moldova World Cup Qualifiers

Belgium held off a battling Wales, and Italy gave sacked coach Luciano Spalletti a winning send-off in World Cup qualifying on Monday. Elsewhere Manchester City star Erling Haaland's goal lifted Norway past Estonia, Luka Modric was among the scorers in Croatia's 5-1 rout of the Czech Republic, and the Faroe Islands left it late to down Gibraltar ...

Italy Coach Spalletti Says Moldova Match Will Be His Last

This is Beirut, 09/06 15:05 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Italy Football Spaletti World Cup

Italy coach Luciano Spalletti has said that Monday's World Cup qualifier against Moldova would be his last. Spalletti had come in for criticism after the Italian side lost 3-0 to Norway in their opening World Cup qualifying match last week. "We spoke with the president of the Italian federation on Saturday, and I was told that I would ...

UN Appoints Italian General Diodato Abagnara as New UNIFIL Commander

This is Beirut, 04/06 20:50 - Reading : less than a minute

Lebanese Army United Nations Lebanon Italy

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has appointed Major General Diodato Abagnara of Italy as the new Head of Mission and Force Commander of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), the UN announced on Wednesday. Major General Abagnara succeeds Lieutenant General Aroldo Lázaro Sáenz of Spain, who led the mission ...

Italy