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Papal Visit Funding: Where Does Lebanon Stand?

With less than two weeks to go before Pope Leo XIV’s visit to Lebanon at the end of the month, preparations have entered their final stage. Roger Zaccar, head of the visit’s financial committee, told This is Beirut that nearly 80% of the required funds have already been secured, with the remaining 20% are still needed to complete the ...

Speedy by Louis Vuitton: Audrey Hepburn’s Nomadic Elegance

Within the world of luxury leather goods, few pieces have endured with the same grace and universal appeal as the Speedy. It has graced the arms of both everyday sophisticates and Hollywood legends. But behind its clean, understated silhouette lies a surprisingly rich story. At once a reflection of its era and a catalyst for change, the Speedy has ...

Quarries in Lebanon: An Out-of-Control Industry with Devastating Costs

Item 27 on the agenda of the Council of Ministers, which is scheduled to meet Thursday afternoon, has reignited long-standing anger in Koura. The request by the National Cement Company for a permit to “operate and rehabilitate” its quarries in Kfarhazir and Bedbahon immediately brought back to residents the memory of a two-decade-long ...

Pope Leo XIV and Bartholomew Mark 1,700 Years Since Nicaea in Turkey

Pope Leo XIV will join the leader of the world's Orthodox Christians Friday to celebrate 1,700 years since one of the early Church's most important gatherings, on the second day of his visit to Turkey. The American pope began his four-day visit on Thursday in Ankara, where he urged President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to embrace Turkey's role as a ...

Lebanon and Oman Reaffirm Strategic Partnership During Presidential Visit

Following a two-day official visit to the Sultanate of Oman, President Joseph Aoun and Sultan Haitham bin Tariq issued a joint statement underscoring the strength of relations between their countries and their shared commitment to enhancing bilateral cooperation. The leaders highlighted the historical ties and fraternal bonds between the peoples ...

As Pope Leo XIV’s Visit Nears, Hope Runs Deep in Beirut

In Beirut, residents are awaiting Pope Leo XIV’s visit, scheduled from November 30 to December 2, with a mix of hope and caution, anticipating a unique moment for a capital suspended in uncertainty. Across Beirut, in cafés, malls, offices, and homes, the pontiff's expected arrival is sparking a wide range of feelings. Between hope, devotion, ...

An Opportunity for Lebanon to Join the Abrahams Accords

“We affirm today that the survival of this Lebanon, gathered entirely around you, is a condition for peace, hope, and reconciliation among all the children of Abraham.” With these words to Pope Leo XIV during the pontiff’s visit to Lebanon, President Joseph Aoun signaled a possible willingness to bring his country into the ...

Long Covid: New Pathways to Repair the Brain

Since the emergence of Covid-19, a growing number of patients have reported symptoms that persist long after the acute infection has passed. Neurological after-effects are among the most worrying: memory loss, difficulty finding words, brain fog, persistent fatigue. According to data published by Santé Publique France, nearly 30% of people ...

Love Bombing: Irresistible Pull of Excess

In digital culture as in everyday language, love bombing is quite literally a “bombardment of love.” The term describes a seduction phase in which someone is overwhelmed with attention, declarations, and conspicuous displays of interest (streams of messages, unexpected gifts, sudden plans, sweeping promises). It is less the passion or joyful ...

Israel Says to Allow Gazans to Exit to Egypt 'in Coming Days'

Israel said on Wednesday it would open the Rafah crossing from Gaza to Egypt to allow residents to exit the Palestinian territory "in the coming days," but Egypt denied such a deal with Israel. "In accordance with the ceasefire agreement... the Rafah Crossing will open in the coming days exclusively for the exit of residents from ...

When French Luxury Meets India’s Deep Fashion Traditions

The globe's biggest luxury brands have dreamt of India's vast consumer base for decades, but navigating the market has proven to be a complex task. French retailer Galeries Lafayette is the latest to try its luck, opening its first Indian store on Sunday: a sprawling five-floor outlet in Mumbai, the country's financial capital. Its ...

Lebanon Sees Push for Foreign Troops in South Litani Region

Through Jean Yves Le Drian and the French military team in Lebanon, France has informed Lebanon’s political and military leadership that it is ready to take charge of an international force to be stationed south of the Litani River once UNIFIL pulls out at the end of 2026. The message added that Paris is working to rally backing for this ...

Football: At 38, Champion and Two-Time MVP, Messi Refuses to Slow Down

At 38 years old, Lionel Messi has just delivered the first title in Inter Miami’s history in Major League Soccer, while also securing a second consecutive MVP trophy. Champion, best player, record-breaker: even in exile in Florida, the Argentine continues to push the limits of time and statistics. Lionel Messi did not cross the Atlantic to ...

Pope Leo Calls for Peace in South Lebanon in Departing Speech

“Mr President,  Presidents of the Council of Ministers and of Parliament,  Your Beatitudes and Brothers in the Episcopate,  Civil and religious authorities,  Sisters and brothers,  Departing is often more difficult than arriving. We have spent time together, and in Lebanon, this spirit of encounter is contagious. Here, I have found ...

“iCloud” by Julie Bou Farah on View at Janine Rubeiz Gallery

With “iCloud,” Julie Bou Farah transforms the gallery into a space where memory takes on tangible form, navigating between presence and absence, gentleness and pain, reverie and reality. Rooted in childhood and imagination, her pictorial world offers a sensory re-reading of memory, intimacy, and the passage of time. Describing her approach, ...

Said El Mala: The Lebanese-German Talent Now at the Top of Barcelona’s List

A Childhood Between Two Worlds Born in Krefeld in 2006 to a Lebanese father, Mohammed, and a German mother, Sabrina, El Mala grew up in a home shaped by two cultures and one obsession: football. His father played at an amateur level and passed on both the passion and the ambition. Said and his twin brother, Malek, learned early to move between ...

A New Epicenter Emerges in the Near East

The situation in the Near East is still groping its way towards a new equilibrium. So far, it seems that the destruction of the proxy networks mounted by Iran’s Islamic regime has not yet eclipsed pursuit of political revanche all along the geopolitical spectrum extending through Iraq, Syria, the Palestinian Territories, Gaza, and their ...

Women’s Race: Jounieh Puts On Its Sneakers in the Feminine

For several days now, the teams of the Beirut Marathon Association have been chaining technical meetings, setting up tents and infrastructure, testing timing systems and distributing bibs in a dedicated center in Jnah. On the ground, nothing is left to chance: secured course, clear signage, briefed volunteers, emergency services mobilized… ...

Pope Leo XIV Praises Sisters of the Cross During Visit to Jal el-Dib Convent Hospital

Pope Leo XIV paid tribute Tuesday morning to the Sisters of the Cross during a visit to their convent hospital in Jal el-Dib, thanking them for “the joy, light, and compassion” they offer daily. He lauded their century-old mission, founded by Abouna (Father) Yaacoub, as a “living witness to Christ’s love for the poor ...

WASL – Sagesse Sinks in Astana and Records its Worst Start

The night was meant to be historic—just not in the way Sagesse hoped. Under the roof of the Saryarka Velodrome, in front of over 2,400 fired-up fans, BC Astana delivered a perfect home debut in the FIBA WASL–West Asia League. On the other side, the Beirut club, already beaten by Shahrdari Gorgan and Al Riyadi, missed another opportunity and ...

Pope Leo XIV Arrives in Turkey on First Foreign Mission of His Papacy

Pope Leo XIV arrived in Turkey on Thursday for a four-day visit, where he will hold talks with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and meet Christian leaders on the first overseas trip of his papacy. The trip, which includes a second leg to Lebanon, begins in the Turkish capital, Ankara, where the first American pope landed shortly after ...

Zeitz MOCAA: Africa Tells Its Story in a Silo Cathedral

The offshore winds of Cape Town still carry the memory of the port, the muted echoes of colonial trade, and the vertical dream of a continent gazing toward the horizon. At the far end of the Waterfront in the Silo District, a silent concrete giant, abandoned for decades, has come to life as the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa. Entering ...

Leo XIV: Leading the Church with Simplicity

When white smoke rose above the Sistine Chapel on May 8, 2025, the world was introduced to Robert Francis Prevost, who took the name Leo XIV. At 69, the Chicago-born cleric became the first pope from the United States, a choice that surprised Vatican observers. Considered an unlikely candidate due to his nationality, Prevost was nonetheless ...

Iran Says Dual National Arrested During 12-day War on Trial for Spying for Israel

Iran's judiciary said Monday that a dual national arrested during the recent 12-day war with Israel has been referred to trial on charges of spying for the enemy. The judiciary's Mizan Online news agency did not name the defendant, describing him only as a "dual national who lives in a European country" and was arrested in Iran during the June ...

Syrians in Lebanon: Returns Rise, But New Arrivals Continue

Nearly a year after the fall of Bashar Assad’s government in December, the debate over the future of Syrian refugees in Lebanon has reignited. As conditions inside Syria evolve, Lebanon and international organizations – namely the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) – are coordinating ...

Yassine Jaber: Your Own Words Confirm the Crisis Is Systemic!

Finance Minister Yassine Jaber’s recent statements stand out for his comparison of the Lebanese financial crisis with those in countries such as Greece, Cyprus, and Portugal. In this comparison, he is once again off the mark. In fact, Cyprus experienced only a conventional banking crisis, while Greece and Portugal faced financial crises ...

The Brain: Forever an Adolescent Until 32

“Our brain does not age, it evolves,” noted neurologist Yves Agid. But how far does this evolution go? For decades, scientists have tried to map the mysterious changes that shape our minds from early childhood through old age. A British team led by Duncan Astle at the University of Cambridge has now taken a major step forward. By analyzing ...

A Historic Decision by Joseph Aoun… Lebanon on the Path to Joining the Abraham Accords

The news of appointing former ambassador Simon Karam to head the Lebanese delegation to the “Mechanism” meetings—and the Presidency’s confirmation of his participation in today’s session in Naqoura—can only be understood within the context of the bold steps President Joseph Aoun is taking to move toward direct negotiations to resolve ...

Israel Says Received Presumed Remains of Gaza Hostage

Israel announced Wednesday it had received hostage remains found in Gaza from the Red Cross, which were being transported to the morgue for identification. It comes as the US-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Hamas remains fragile, with both sides accusing each other of violating the terms. Under the first phase of the deal, which came into ...