Detox: Miracle Cure or Marketing Illusion?
Bélinda Ibrahim 04/05 18:30 - Reading : 5 minute(s)
At the beginning of each year, following the indulgences of the holidays, or as summer approaches, the concept of “detox” resurfaces with renewed vigor. Celery juice, detoxifying herbal teas, crash diets and supplements with enticing names all promise a purified and lighter body, prepared to embrace the new season. The premise is simple and ...
Louvre Abu Dhabi: Where Art Floats and Connects Civilizations
Bélinda Ibrahim 02/05 18:30 - Reading : 5 minute(s)
United Arab Emirates Louvre Abu Dhabi Louvre Abu Dhabi Culture
Just off the coast of Abu Dhabi, at the entrance to Saadiyat Island, a steel dome perforated with 7,850 geometric stars filters sunlight like a futuristic mashrabiya. Designed by Jean Nouvel, this architectural marvel shelters a museum unlike any other in the world: the Louvre Abu Dhabi. Born of an unprecedented partnership between France and the ...
Shaken Baby Syndrome: A Devastating Form of Abuse
Bélinda Ibrahim 30/04 15:00 - Reading : 5 minute(s)
Shaken Baby Syndrome Damage Child Abuse Baby Health
Shaken baby syndrome (SBS) is one of the most extreme and tragic forms of child abuse worldwide. Often triggered by a moment of anger or helplessness in response to persistent crying, a single violent shake can cause catastrophic brain injuries in infants – altering the course of a life before it has even begun. Behind this tragic reality lies a ...
Abu Dhabi's Abrahamic Promise Under One Roof
Bélinda Ibrahim 29/04 18:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
United Arab Emirates Abu Dhabi Abrahamic Family Religion Coexistence
In 2023, the Abrahamic Family House was created in the heart of Abu Dhabi. An architectural and spiritual work of art designed to bring Muslims, Christians and Jews together around their shared values. Located on Saadiyat Island, the site features three Houses of Worship—Eminence Ahmed Al-Tayeb Mosque, St. Francis Church, and the Moses Ben ...
Why Is Intermittent Fasting So Appealing Today?
Bélinda Ibrahim 27/04 18:30 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
Intermittent Fasting Wellbeing Health Diet
Once primarily associated with religious practices, fasting has reemerged in a more flexible, accessible form—intermittent fasting—becoming a popular lifestyle choice. The principle is simple: alternate between fasting and eating periods within the same day or week. Among the most common methods is the 16/8 approach—16 hours of fasting ...
Rony Mecattaf: One Eye Lost, a Wider Vision Gained
Bélinda Ibrahim 25/04 18:30 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
Rony Mecattaf Book Beirut Explosion Culture
In August 2020, Beirut was devastated by an apocalyptic explosion. Among the injured was psychotherapist Rony Mecattaf, who lost the use of his right eye. What could have remained a silent tragedy became the starting point for a powerful and unconventional narrative: La blessure qui guérit (“The Wound That Heals”), published in March 2025 by ...
Why Are Some of the Pope’s Jewels Destroyed After His Death?
Bélinda Ibrahim 24/04 10:30 - Reading : 5 minute(s)
Vatican Ring Rome Pope Francis Jewels
When a pope dies, it’s not only the prayers of the Catholic world that accompany his passing. Behind the scenes, a ritual—codified, discreet, and often unknown—takes place, such as the destruction of certain jewels. Among them, the most well-known is the Ring of the Fisherman, ritually broken in public. Other items—seals, pectoral crosses, ...
Huda al-Khamis-Kanoo: Abu Dhabi’s Cultural Heartbeat (2/2)
Bélinda Ibrahim 23/04 16:30 - Reading : 5 minute(s)
United Arab Emirates Abu Dhabi Festival Huda al-Khamis Kanoo Culture Classical Music
At the heart of an ever-evolving emirate, the Abu Dhabi Festival has, year after year, established itself as a space for intercultural dialogue and ambitious artistic creation. Guided by the vision of its founder, Huda al-Khamis-Kanoo, it brings together continents, aesthetics, and generations in unprecedented ways. For its 22nd ...
Huda al-Khamis-Kanoo: Abu Dhabi’s Cultural Heartbeat (1/2)
Bélinda Ibrahim 22/04 17:30 - Reading : 7 minute(s)
Abu Dhabi Festival Huda al-Khamis-Kanoo Culture Music
This is a house that speaks. Every object is a poem, every piece of furniture a memory. In Kanoo's home, one does not merely enter a dwelling, one steps into an intimate museum where arts, civilizations and stories from across the world converge in conversation. Amid Abu Dhabi's cityscape of architectural marvels and sharp lines, this house is a ...
When Art Meets Faith: Antoni Gaudí on the Path to Sainthood
Bélinda Ibrahim 19/04 19:30 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
Antoni Gaudi Barcelone Vatican Venerable Architecture
On April 13, 2025, by official decree, Pope Francis recognized the heroic virtues of Antoni Gaudí, bestowing upon the famous Catalan architect the title of “Venerable.” This recognition marks a major milestone on the path to beatification, which could ultimately lead to the canonization of the man often referred to as “God’s architect.” ...
A Duo, Two Pianos, a Thousand Emotions: The Labèque Sisters Enchant Abu Dhabi
Bélinda Ibrahim 18/04 18:30 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
Abu Dhabi Festival Labèque Sisters Piano Music Culture
For the 22nd edition of the Abu Dhabi Festival, at the Red Theater of NYU Abu Dhabi, Katia and Marielle Labèque captivated the audience. Their recital wove a striking dialogue between Glass and Cocteau, with Ravel as a musical bridge. The evening opened with Glass’s La Belle et la Bête, its hypnotic motifs unfolding across two ...
Abu Dhabi Festival: Kuniko Kato Plays Bach and Miyoshi
Bélinda Ibrahim 15/04 18:00 - Reading : 6 minute(s)
Abu Dhabi Festival Japan Kuniko Kato Music Bach
Abu Dhabi, Blue Hall, The Arts Center, April 14, 2025 Beneath the sleek arches of this hall nestled in the heart of the NYU Abu Dhabi campus, the 22nd edition of the Abu Dhabi Festival offered more than just a concert that evening. The event opened on a deeply cultural and symbolic note, where music became a bridge between civilizations—echoing ...
Caroline Torbey: ‘Ramdam au Gymnase’ Gives Voice to Victims of School Bullying
Bélinda Ibrahim 11/04 18:00 - Reading : 5 minute(s)
Caroline Torbey Lebanon Bullying Schools Theatre
On Saturday, April 12, Théâtre Monnot in Ashrafieh will raise its curtain on Ramdam au Gymnase, an original and innovative creation that delicately addresses the issue of school bullying. This play, Caroline Torbey’s first venture into dramatic writing, could not have chosen a more relevant subject, in a world where social media often ...
Reusable Water Bottles: Breeding Grounds for Bacteria?
Bélinda Ibrahim 09/04 17:30 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
Water Bottles Disposable Health Bacteria
Proper hydration, eco-awareness and sleek design – in many parts of the world, reusable water bottles are everywhere. Whether made of stainless steel, glass or durable plastic, they’ve become a fixture in backpacks, on desks and in gyms. Since the rise of zero-waste movements and growing environmental consciousness – still, unfortunately, ...
The Sound of Music: One Movie, Countless Lives, Sixty Years of Emotion
Bélinda Ibrahim 08/04 18:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
Sound of Music Film Music Homage Culture
We all remember that iconic image: a silhouette spinning atop alpine meadows, arms wide open beneath a boundless blue sky. Picture March 2, 1965—the day The Sound of Music premiered at the Rivoli Theatre in New York. And now, six decades later, its charm remains as vibrant as ever. Years may have passed, but the first notes of “Do-Re-Mi” or ...
Great Writers, Gentle Neuroses, Small Literary Miracles (2/2)
Bélinda Ibrahim 05/04 18:00 - Reading : 5 minute(s)
Writers Neuroses Literature Culture
Literature loves outsiders. But what it cherishes most are organized outsiders—those who turn their strangeness into a narrative engine, their questionable lifestyles into bursts of staggering productivity. This second part focuses on writers who today might be considered, depending on one’s perspective, either misunderstood geniuses or ...
Great Writers, Gentle Neuroses, Small Literary Miracles (1/2)
Bélinda Ibrahim 04/04 18:30 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
Literature Writers Culture Neuroses
The act of writing is peculiar in that it lies at the crossroads of inspiration and method – between the sudden emergence of words and the mechanics of movement. For some authors, routine becomes a sacred ritual, a meticulously orchestrated sequence of gestures meant to ward off the terror of the blank page. Others find in it a form of ...
Three Types of Pain that Resist Even the Most Powerful Painkillers!
Bélinda Ibrahim 02/04 18:00 - Reading : 5 minute(s)
Pain is universal, yet some forms defy description. Among the most excruciating conditions known to medicine, three stand out – consistently cited by both patients and healthcare professionals: cluster headaches, childbirth and acute pancreatitis. Their intensity, duration and the sense of helplessness they induce raise profound questions about ...
'A Sign of Faith:' Annaya, Charbel and the Breath of the Miracle
Bélinda Ibrahim 01/04 18:30 - Reading : 6 minute(s)
Annaya Saint Charbel Miracle Lebanon Film
Just a few hours earlier, an Israeli strike on the southern suburbs of Beirut had once again reminded everyone of Lebanon’s wounds, a land both sacred and divided. And yet, it is from this very country that Saint Charbel emerges, the silent hermit who became a saint of miracles, transcending all boundaries of color, race, religion and ...
Robert Bared: Rain as Muse, Paris as the Setting (2/2)
Bélinda Ibrahim 30/03 18:30 - Reading : 8 minute(s)
Paris Photography Robert Bared Art Culture
There are moments that alter the course of a life—brief instants that crystallize an artistic calling. For Robert Bared, it was a summer storm beneath the canopy of the Luxembourg Gardens, some 20 years ago. A Proustian moment in the truest sense—not rooted in childhood, but in its power to set in motion an unrelenting artistic ...
Robert Bared: Rain as Muse, Paris as the Setting (1/2)
Bélinda Ibrahim 29/03 17:30 - Reading : 8 minute(s)
Paris Rain Photography RobertBared Culture
Paris, the City of Light, is never more captivating than when draped in rain. The streetlamps transform into liquid stars, passersby become dancing silhouettes, and the asphalt becomes a mirror, reflecting and multiplying the world. This is the universe that Robert Bared, a Lebanese-born photographer who has called Paris home since 1975, has ...
Can the Brain Truly Reset After 72 Hours Without Screens?
Bélinda Ibrahim 25/03 18:30 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
Smartphones Screens Detox Brain Science
In today's world, it seems impossible to imagine our daily lives without this digital companion. It wakes us in the morning, directs our paths, captures our memories, and keeps us constantly connected. The smartphone has become an indispensable part of our lives—but this technological symbiosis comes at a cost. Researchers in Germany have ...
Carly Simon and the Secret Behind 'You're So Vain'
Bélinda Ibrahim 22/03 18:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
Song Story Carly Simon Culture
November 1972. You're So Vain hits the airwaves and instantly captivates listeners. Its catchy rhythm, sharp lyrics and especially that iconic chorus—“You're so vain, you probably think this song is about you”—catapult Carly Simon to the top of the charts. By January 1973, the song is a number-one hit in the United States, Canada, ...
Motherhood on Screen: Six Iconic Film Portrayals
Bélinda Ibrahim 21/03 10:00 - Reading : 5 minute(s)
Movies Cinema Motherhood Actress Culture
Cinema reveals the richness and complexity of a maternal role that is never fully attained, always in question. On-screen as in life, mothers wonder whether they are “good enough” for the beings most precious to them—their children. Like the Lebanese spring that coincides with their celebration, these maternal figures navigate between ...
And Paolo Sorrentino Created 'Parthenope!'
Bélinda Ibrahim 18/03 18:00 - Reading : 5 minute(s)
Cinema Film Paolo Sorrentino Naples Italy Culture
After glorifying Rome in The Great Beauty, Paolo Sorrentino returns to Naples for an aesthetic and sensory journey into the heart of his birthplace. Parthenope is a declaration of love, a mythological celebration and a reflection on beauty—both a burden and a privilege. Each meticulously crafted shot turns Naples into a character in its own, ...
'Líbano: a flor do mundo' — Brazilian Artists Bring Lebanese Hope Back to Life
Bélinda Ibrahim 15/03 18:00 - Reading : 5 minute(s)
Lebanon Brazil Song Culture World
In the history of international cultural relations, some connections transcend geographical distances. The bond between Lebanon and Brazil is one of them — deep and shaped by decades of migration and exchange. With over eight million people of Lebanese descent, Brazil is home to one of the largest Lebanese diasporas in the world. This ...
'Bohemian Rhapsody:' Freddie Mercury’s Crazy Gamble
Bélinda Ibrahim 14/03 18:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
Queen Song Freddie Mercury Story Culture
No one believed in it — except him. When Freddie Mercury presented his idea of an extravagant opera-rock song to the members of Queen — one with no recognizable chorus and nearly six minutes long — doubt was everywhere. Too long for radio, too complicated for the average listener, too expensive to produce — too much of everything. Yet ...
'Anora': The Anti-'Pretty Woman' That Divides Despite Its Oscar Win
Bélinda Ibrahim 11/03 18:00 - Reading : 5 minute(s)
Oscars Film Analysis Culture Anora Pretty Woman
With Anora, Sean Baker delivers a film that blends drama and social satire. Crowned at Cannes and later at the 2025 Academy Awards—where it won five Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Actress for Mikey Madison—this feature has nonetheless divided critics. Through the story of Ani, a stripper who marries a Russian oligarch, Baker revisits ...
March 8: When Women Shake the World
Bélinda Ibrahim 08/03 18:30 - Reading : 4 minute(s)
8 March Culture Women' s Rights History World
In the misty streets of New York in 1908, no one could have imagined that a group of exhausted, underpaid textile workers were paving the way for a global movement. As they stood up against inhumane working conditions, they had no idea they were writing the first chapter of a long history of struggle. Back then, March 8 was just another date on ...
Evie Riski: A Life, A Century and 32,500 Pages Filled With Memories
Bélinda Ibrahim 07/03 14:00 - Reading : 5 minute(s)
Story Diary Evie Riski Culture History
In a modest home with wooden planks weathered by Lakota’s harsh winters, a timeworn hand glides across the paper. This daily ritual, repeated consistently for nearly a century, has become as natural to Evie Riski as the act of breathing. Since the first day of the year 1936, this now-centenarian has never missed her appointment with writing, ...