Culture

Heritage and Cool Comfort: Paris’ Underground Catacombs Treasure

This is Beirut 13/08 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 ...

PortraitSheila Jordan, the Voice of Jazz, Dies at 96

This is Beirut 12/08 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 ...

SpotlightKim Novak, Hollywood’s Free-Spirited Star Honored in Venice

Bélinda Ibrahim 12/08 18:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Venice Film Festival Kim Novak Actress Cinema Star Hollywood

Born Marilyn Pauline Novak on February 13, 1933, in Chicago, Kim Novak was never just another actress. With her sculpted features, melancholy gaze and enigmatic screen presence, she emerged in the 1950s as one of Hollywood’s defining figures. Yet behind that meteoric rise was a fiercely independent woman who resisted the rules of the studio ...

Taylor Swift Announces 12th Album for 'pre pre-order'

This is Beirut 12/08 17:00 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Taylor Swift Tour Music Culture Art Singer

US popstar Taylor Swift announced her 12th album, titled The Life of a Showgirl, for "pre pre-order" just after midnight Tuesday in posts on her website. Her online shop displayed blurred images of a record, CD and cassette tape overlaid with a glittery orange lock, explaining the album artwork would be "revealed at a later date." A disclaimer ...

Harry and Meghan Renew Netflix Deal with Fewer Perks

This is Beirut 12/08 13:00 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Netflix Prince Harry Meghan Markle Series Culture Art

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will continue producing film and television content for Netflix, but under a more limited arrangement, the streaming giant announced Monday. Under the revised agreement, Netflix now has the right of first refusal—meaning the platform can accept or decline a project before the couple shops it to other ...

Magic in the Vosges: Theater Takes the Forest Stage

This is Beirut 12/08 10:30 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Theater Vosges France Spain Culture Art

An enchanting summer break surrounded by greenery and mountain views: each day, crowds flock to the Théâtre du Peuple in Bussang, a symbol of cultural decentralization, which this season is staging The Naked King by Evgeny Schwartz. By early afternoon this August Saturday, the streets of the small 1,000-person village are buzzing—cars ...

China’s Gen Z Women Embrace Centuries-Old Script

This is Beirut 11/08 14:45 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Women China History Culture

At a studio in central China's Hunan province, a teacher grips an ink brush, gently writing characters of a secret script created by women centuries ago and now being embraced by a new generation. Nushu, meaning "women's script", emerged around 400 years ago. Barred from attending school, the women secretly learned Chinese ...

Antonio Banderas at 65: “I’d Die if I Stopped” and Has No Plans to Retire

This is Beirut 11/08 11:50 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Movies Antonio Banderas Entertainment Spain Culture

Spanish film star Antonio Banderas said in an interview published Sunday for his birthday that he has no plans to slow down now that he has reached 65. "When I was 20, I thought that 65-year-olds walked with a cane," said Banderas, known for roles in films such as The Mask of Zorro, Desperado and Philadelphia, in an interview with the Spanish ...

Poetry and Song Keep Oman’s Ancient Language Alive

This is Beirut 11/08 10:30 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Oman Culture Heritage Art

Against the backdrop of southern Oman’s lush mountains, men in traditional attire chant ancient poems in an ancient language, fighting to keep alive a spoken tradition used by just two percent of the population. Sitting under a tent, poet Khalid Ahmed al-Kathiri recites the verses, while men clad in robes and headdresses echo back his words in ...

SpotlightSoap Nails: Fresh Manicure Sensation

Bélinda Ibrahim 10/08 18:00 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Soap Nails Beauty Manicure

A wave of purity and shine is sweeping hand beauty. After the era of intricate nail art, here comes the return of refined simplicity: “soap nails” are making their mark, shaking up manicure norms. Neither too elaborate nor too plain, they strike the perfect balance between confident naturalness and meticulous care. The effect? Nails that look ...

Word of the weekTariff: A Price on Everything?

Sana Richa Choucair 10/08 15:00 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Donald Trump United Kingdom White House

Since his return to the White House in January 2025, Donald Trump has revived the rhetoric of trade wars, invoking the word “tariff” at every turn. Whether announcing new import taxes on European goods or boasting of protecting American jobs, he treats tariffs not just as economic levers but as symbols of strength. Yet beneath this hardline ...

Adidas Accused of Cultural Appropriation Over Oaxaca-Inspired Sandals

This is Beirut 10/08 10:30 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Adidas Fashion Heritage Culture Art Mexico

US fashion designer Willy Chavarria said Saturday he regrets that sandals he created together with Adidas “appropriated” a traditional design from the southern Mexican state of Oaxaca. Local authorities had complained that the Oaxaca Slip-On sandals were a “reinterpreted” model of huarache sandals, particularly one found uniquely in the ...