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The Ministry of Finance Still Stuck in the Paper Age
Liliane Mokbel 27/06 15:35 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
Finance Ministry Yassin Jaber Digitalization Economy Lebanon
Finance Minister Yassine Jaber has announced a $6 million allocation from the Lebanon Financing Facility (LFF) to modernize tax and land registry systems and support the ministry’s ongoing reform and digital transformation efforts. Established in December 2020 under the World Bank’s guidance following the Beirut port explosion, the LFF is a ...
Gunmen and Drones Strike Cargo Ship off Yemen’s Coast Near Hodeida
This is Beirut 06/07 17:45 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
Gunmen on small boats fired rocket-propelled grenades and small arms at a commercial vessel in the Red Sea off Yemen on Sunday, monitors said, in the latest attack on the vital shipping lane. The incident occurred 51 nautical miles (94 kilometers) southwest of the Yemeni port of Hodeida, said the United Kingdom Maritime Trade ...
Gaza Rescuers Say Israeli Forces Killed 14, Including Children
This is Beirut 29/06 13:50 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
Gaza's civil defense agency said Israeli air strikes and gunfire killed at least 14 people, including three children, in the war-stricken Palestinian territory on Sunday. Civil defense spokesman Mahmud Bassal told AFP that 13 people died in air strikes at four locations around the Gaza Strip and another from Israeli fire near an aid distribution ...
Iron Maiden Ignites the Eurockéennes Festival
This is Beirut 01/07 10:30 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
Festival Eurockéennes Music Rock Culture Belfort
Iron Maiden headlines, Caribbean rhythms are in the spotlight, and controversial artists like rapper Freeze Corleone and Northern Irish group Kneecap spark debate: the Eurockéennes music festival in Belfort opens Thursday for four intense days. “We’re expecting a big turnout this year, with between 115,000 and 120,000 tickets sold — which ...
UN Working for Ceasefire in Besieged Sudan City
This is Beirut 27/06 22:55 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Friday he has been in contact with the warring sides in Sudan to try to reach a ceasefire in the besieged and starving city of El-Fasher. Sudan's army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan has agreed in principle to such a humanitarian pause, his ruling Transitional Council said. But the opposing paramilitary ...
'Jurassic World: Rebirth' Roars to Top of North American Box Office
This is Beirut 10:30 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
Cinema Culture Art Film Scarlett Johansson US
“Jurassic World: Rebirth” — the latest entry in the blockbuster dinosaur franchise — stomped all over the July 4 weekend competition, debuting at a massive $91.5 million at the North American box office, according to industry estimates released Sunday. The Universal film stars Scarlett Johansson, Jonathan Bailey, and Mahershala Ali, and ...
"Mirror Bacteria": Could Lab-Created Life Trigger the Next Pandemic?
Bélinda Ibrahim 26/06 12:00 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
Mirror Bacteria Pandemic Lab-Created Health Chirality
What if a completely foreign form of life—built according to rules opposite to our own—were to emerge from a laboratory? Long confined to the realm of science fiction, the idea is gaining new relevance with recent advances in synthetic biology. At the heart of the concern is the possible creation of a “mirror bacterium,” an organism based ...
Lebanon Relaunches PPPs to Rescue Airports and Ports
Liliane Mokbel 03/07 16:25 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
lebanon PPP BOT DBOT Privatization
With public finances exhausted, Nawaf Salam’s government is turning to public-private partnerships (PPPs) to revive Lebanon’s airports and ports. The list of planned projects is extensive, including Beirut Rafic Hariri International Airport, Kleiat Airport, and the ports of Beirut, Tripoli, and Saida. But the shift toward private ...
ISIS Ideology Persists in Lebanon, Recruitment Attempts Thwarted
Bassam Abou Zeid 29/06 08:15 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
Is ISIS truly active in Lebanon? Following the suicide bombing that targeted Mar Elias Church in Damascus, concerns have resurfaced over ISIS’ threat in Lebanon. Notably, the political base of Hezbollah and the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) sought to exploit the tragedy to justify, firstly, the persisting presence of illegal weapons, and ...
Iran Diplomat Says Open to Talks if US Rules Out Military Action
This is Beirut 03/07 20:15 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
USA Israel Middle East Tehran United States
A senior Iranian diplomat said Thursday his country remains open to diplomacy provided the United States offers guarantees it will not resort to military action against the Islamic republic. The remarks came as US news website Axios, citing two unidentified sources, reported that White House Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff was planning to meet ...
Michael Madsen, the Last Tough Guy of American Cinema, Dies at 67
This is Beirut 03/07 23:00 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
Michael Madsen Quentin Tarentino Cinema Actor Hollywood
Michael Madsen, renowned for his portrayals of Mr. Blonde in Reservoir Dogs and Budd in Kill Bill, died on Thursday, July 3, 2025, at 67, following cardiac arrest at his Malibu home, according to his representatives and the Los Angeles County Sheriff. No foul play is suspected. “Michael Madsen was one of Hollywood’s most iconic actors, and he ...
PKK Disarmament Process to Begin Early July
This is Beirut 30/06 22:30 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
Militants from the PKK will begin laying down their weapons at a disarmament ceremony in Iraqi Kurdistan in early July, the Kurdish media outlet Rudaw reported on Monday. The move comes just six weeks after the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) announced it was ending more than four decades of guerrilla warfare in a conflict that claimed over ...
Thailand Set for Another Acting PM After Cabinet Reshuffle
This is Beirut 03/07 09:05 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
Thailand's king is scheduled Thursday to swear in a new cabinet in a reshuffle that will see a third person in a week take on the role as the country's prime minister. The Southeast Asian nation's top office was plunged into turmoil on Tuesday when the Constitutional Court suspended Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra pending an ethics probe ...
Trump Says ‘Not Going To Stand’ for Netanyahu’s Continued Prosecution
This is Beirut 29/06 05:45 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
Israel Benjamin Netanyahou Donald Trump United States
President Donald Trump said Saturday the United States was "not going to stand" for the continued prosecution of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on corruption charges. "The United States of America spends Billions of Dollar a year, far more than on any other Nation, protecting and supporting Israel. We are not going to ...
The Return of ISIS in Syria: Who’s Pulling the Strings?
Badih Karhani 28/06 18:50 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
Syria Lebanon ISIS Ansar al-Sunna
The deadly June 22 attack on the Mar Elias Church in Damascus, which killed at least 25 people, has brought back into focus a lingering threat: the Islamic State group, commonly known as ISIS (or Daesh). While the terrorist organization appeared weakened in recent years, a new affiliated jihadist faction, Saraya Ansar al-Sunna, claimed ...
Ireland Hosts First Ever Saint Charbel Conference
Chelsea Al Arif 02/07 15:25 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
This summer, from July 11 to 13, Meigh in County Armagh will host a landmark gathering for Catholics across Ireland and the United Kingdom: the first-ever Saint Charbel Conference. Organized by the Family of Saint Charbel Ireland, the event invites participants into a rich journey of Maronite mysticism, ancient liturgy and devotion to ...
New Wildfire Near Athens, Crete Blaze 'Retreating': Firefighters
This is Beirut 04/07 16:20 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
Athens Wildfires Crete Climate change
A wildfire on the island of Crete that forced the evacuation of 5,000 tourists and locals is "retreating", Greek firefighters told AFP on Friday, but a new blaze fanned by strong winds is spreading east of the capital, Athens. Hot, dry weather in Greece—not unusual for this time of year—has heightened the risk of summer wildfires, and ...
The UN Charter: A Founding Document Under Siege
This is Beirut 26/06 09:05 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
Eighty years ago Thursday, 50 countries came together in the ashes of World War II to sign the United Nations' founding charter in order "to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war." UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres insisted this week the Charter "is a promise of peace, dignity and cooperation among nations." But critics say the ...
Paris Men’s Fashion Week Pops with Color and Ease
This is Beirut 29/06 10:30 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
Paris Fashion Week Fashion Paris Culture Art France
Colors ran wild, and silhouettes softened at Paris Men's Fashion Week, which ends Sunday, as designers brought a rare breath of fresh air to a gloomy fashion climate. Despite the heavy news cycle and economic turbulence affecting the luxury sector, this Fashion Week was a "shot of creativity that felt incredibly good", Alice Feillard, men's buying ...
Gaza Rescuers say Israeli Forces Kill 20 Including Six Aid Seekers
This is Beirut 25/06 10:35 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
Palestine United Nations Hamas Israel
Gaza's civil defense agency said Israeli fire killed at least 20 people on Wednesday, including six who were waiting to collect food aid in the war-ravaged Palestinian territory. The latest in a string of deadly incidents near aid distribution sites came after the United Nations had condemned the "weaponization of food" in the Gaza Strip, where a ...
World Bank Announces Lebanon, Syria Reconstruction Projects
This is Beirut 25/06 14:05 - Reading : 3 minute(s)
The World Bank announced on Wednesday it had approved $250 million to support Lebanon's post-war reconstruction and a $146 million grant to rehabilitate neighbouring Syria's electricity sector. Lebanon is reeling from last year's devastating war between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah, while Syria faces massive needs after Islamist-led forces ...
Most World Heritage Sites at Risk of Drought or Flooding: UN
This is Beirut 01/07 12:35 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
Middle East United States Water UNESCO Drought
Almost three quarters of the globe's cultural and natural heritage sites are threatened by too little or too much water, the UN's cultural agency said on Tuesday. As a result of rising temperatures, extreme weather events including hurricanes, droughts, floods and heatwaves have become more frequent and intense, scientists warn. Seventy-three ...
UK Re-Establishing Full Syria Ties, Lammy Says During Visit in Damascus
This is Beirut 05/07 19:00 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
David Lammy Ahmad al-Sharaa United Kingdom Syria
The UK's top diplomat, David Lammy, met Syria's leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, in Damascus on Saturday, the Syrian presidency said, in his first visit since longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad was overthrown in December. During the visit, Lammy announced that the UK is re-establishing full diplomatic ties with Syria following Assad’s ...
China Hosts Iranian, Russian Defense Ministers Against Backdrop of 'Momentous Change'
This is Beirut 26/06 08:55 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
China hosted defense ministers from Iran and Russia for a meeting in its eastern seaside city of Qingdao on Thursday against the backdrop of war in the Middle East and a summit of NATO countries in Europe that agreed to boost military spending. Beijing has long sought to present the 10-member Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) as a ...
US Sanctions Seven al-Qard al-Hassan Officials and Iranian Oil Smuggling Network
This is Beirut 03/07 20:55 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
The United States imposed sanctions on Thursday against seven individuals linked to al-Qard al-Hassan (AQAH), Hezbollah’s illicit financial institution, the US Treasury Department announced in a statement. Sanctions also targeted a commercial network involved in smuggling Iranian oil disguised as Iraqi. The seven individuals sanctioned for ...
Erdogan and Pro-Kurdish MPs Meet in 'New Phase' of Rapprochement
This is Beirut 17:35 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
Turkey PKK Kurds Recep Tayyip Erdogan
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met lawmakers from the pro-Kurdish DEM party Monday to discuss the next steps after PKK militants agreed to end their decades-long insurgency. DEM, Turkey's third-biggest party, has played a key role in facilitating an emerging peace deal between the government and jailed PKK founder Abdullah Ocalan, whose ...
Is Iran’s Economy on the Brink?
Christiane Tager 17:25 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
International Monetary Fund Israel Iran economy
The war may be over in Iran, the missiles silenced — but another battle rages on: the economy. After decades under crippling sanctions, battered by soaring inflation and a plunging currency, Tehran is still holding on. But for how long? While the military front has quieted, the economic one remains on high alert. For years, the Islamic Republic ...
Patriarch Rai: 'Those in Charge Have Forgotten That Responsibility Is a Service, Not a Business'
This is Beirut 06/07 11:30 - Reading : 1 minute(s)
From the Maronite Patriarchate's summer headquarters in Diman, Maronite Patriarch Rai denounced the loss of a sense of duty and mission among Lebanon's leaders in his Sunday homily. “The country is a mission, and the Lebanese are sent to their homeland to participate, not to withdraw,” he declared. The Patriarch pointed to the forgetfulness ...
A Home for $100,000: Housing Bank Boosts Loan Cap
Christiane Tager 27/06 21:20 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
The Housing Bank (Banque de l'Habitat, BDH) has raised the ceiling for subsidized housing loans to $100,000. No miracle here, just solid financing. “This increase from $50,000 to $100,000 was made possible by a funding package – currently under negotiation – granted by the Qatar Fund to the Housing Bank,” said BDH CEO Antoine Habib in a ...
Dozens Hurt in Fuel Station Blast Heard Across Rome
This is Beirut 04/07 15:19 - Reading : 2 minute(s)
A huge explosion at a petrol station in a Rome suburb on Friday injured nearly 30 people, two of them seriously, and rattled windows across the Italian capital. The blast around 8:20am (0620 GMT) was preceded by a fire caused by a gas leak during refuelling, according to Rome Mayor Roberto Gualtieri, who provided the toll of injured. Gualtieri ...