This is Beirut

Unholy Alliance: The Dark Forces of Iran and Russia Undermining the Middle East

Amal Chmouny, 2024-12-07 09:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

The relationship between Russia and Iran has always piqued interest, often characterized as a unique alliance shaped by the complex geopolitics of the Middle East. This partnership has been notably reinforced through their mutual support for the Assad regime in Syria, enabling both nations to strengthen their military and economic connections. ...

Year-End Celebrations: Resilience Amid Echoes of War

Christiane Tager, 2024-12-06 13:50 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Hezbollah Israel USA

Year-end festivities in Lebanon are expected to unfold in a gloomy atmosphere, driven by regional instability and the conflict between Hezbollah and Israel. The war has cast a shadow over the country, where tension is still palpable. Despite the challenges and lingering echoes of war in southern Lebanon and in Syria, the Lebanese are holding on ...

South Korean Ruling Party Says ‘Dangerous’ President Must Go

This is Beirut, 2024-12-06 09:30 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

USA South Korea

South Korea's ruling party chief demanded Friday that President Yoon Suk Yeol be stripped of office, warning there was a "significant risk" he could try to impose martial law again. Yoon late Tuesday declared martial law before being forced into a U-turn after lawmakers dramatically faced down soldiers at parliament and voted to overturn the ...

Samy Gemayel Warns of Internal Rifts if Hezbollah Retains Arms

This is Beirut, 2024-12-05 23:40 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Hezbollah Israel USA Kataëb Samy Gemayel

The head of the Kataeb party, MP Samy Gemayel, affirmed on Thursday that Lebanon can no longer coexist with Hezbollah’s weapons and hegemony over political life, warning of internal rifts. “Hezbollah can decide either to drag Lebanon into more woes or to open a new page, and this is what we hope for. If Hezbollah insists on its logic, ...

US and French Monitoring Committee Delegates Meet Berri and Mikati

This is Beirut, 2024-12-05 16:30 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Ceasefire Israel Lebanese Army USA France Hezbollah

Prior to taking up his duties, General Guillaume Ponchan, the head of the French military delegation in the five-member committee in charge of monitoring the ceasefire between Lebanon and Hezbollah, met with Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati on Thursday. During the meeting, which was attended by French Ambassador to Lebanon Herve Magro, ...

Bitcoin Surges past $100,000 Valuation for First Time

This is Beirut, 2024-12-05 10:55 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

Donald Trump USA Bitcoin Korea

Bitcoin burst past $100,000 for the first time Thursday, while Seoul stocks slipped as South Korea's president faced impeachment after his brief imposition of martial law this week. After hovering around the mid-$90,000 mark in recent weeks, the popular cryptocurrency finally shattered the historic level in Asia after incoming US president Donald ...

South Korean President Clings to Power of Martial Law

This is Beirut, 2024-12-05 10:25 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

United States USA Washington South Korea

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol was still clinging to power Thursday, with his party announcing they will oppose an impeachment motion after his short-lived imposition of martial law stunned the world. Yoon suspended civilian rule late Tuesday and deployed troops and helicopters to parliament only for lawmakers to vote down the measure and ...

Macron to Seek Solution for Crisis, Following PM's Ouster

This is Beirut, 2024-12-05 09:30 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Emmanuel Macron Saudi Arabia USA France Barnier

French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday will seek ways out of France's political crisis, after Michel Barnier became the first prime minister to be ousted by parliament in over six decades. Lawmakers voted on Wednesday to oust Barnier's government after just three months in office, approving a no-confidence motion proposed by the hard left ...

Al-Hassan: Flights of Some Airlines Resume to Beirut

This is Beirut, 2024-12-04 22:50 - Reading : less than a minute

Beirut International Airport USA

On Wednesday, Fadi al-Hassan, the director of Rafic Hariri International Airport (BIA) in Beirut, revealed that several airlines have started operating flights to the city again. He clarified in an interview with LBCI that it was challenging to quickly resume flights to Beirut because the majority of the airlines that had halted their service had ...

Trump Nominates Private Astronaut Jared Isaacman to Lead NASA

This is Beirut, 2024-12-04 19:35 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Donald Trump USA NASA

US President-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday nominated Jared Isaacman, the online payments billionaire and the first private astronaut to ever perform a spacewalk, as the next head of NASA. The nod could spark questions about potential conflicts of interest, given Isaacman's extensive financial ties to Elon Musk, who is set to co-chair a ...

South Korean President Accused of Major Constitutional Violations in Impeachment Motion

This is Beirut, 2024-12-04 16:07 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

USA Martial Law South Korea Impeachement

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol violated the constitution by declaring martial law in a move aimed at evading criminal investigations, according to an impeachment motion seen by AFP. Yoon "gravely and extensively violated the Constitution and the law", the motion filed by opposition parties earlier Wednesday says. It also said his ...

René Kaës: It Is Through Crisis That Man Fully Becomes a Man

David Sahyoun, 2024-12-04 11:05 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

USA

If we consider Lebanon to be in a post-war period, despite a fragile ceasefire, the crisis — described by René Kaës as a foundational experience — opens a transformative space between rupture and suture. “It is through crisis that a man creates himself as a man, and history moves between crisis and resolution, ...

USA