All the Beirut news.

An Interactive Play Exploring The Theme of “Freedom of Speech & Censorship in Lebanon

Good news travels fast in Lebanon, announced quite literally from the rooftops with fireworks. But the urgent whisper of bad news travels even faster.
We know we are in the right place because there is a hearse in the road at the foot of the apartment building. We don’t need to ask which entrance. It is marked by a man in stiff black, the driver maybe, who stands guard at the bottom of a flight of steps. He is surrounded by half a dozen cellophane-wrapped bouquets which lean awkwardly against the wall. The flowers are real enough but they are grimly preserved, completely sealed behind a plastic cover. They look out of place, spilt on the grey paved floor, an accident.

Located right at the beginning of the hippest collection of bars in Beirut and through a small stairway La Cour Saint Michel is perfectly nestled. Set around a courtyard, and inspired by old Lebanese architecture, this new hot spot is a perfect hideaway which hosts a number of restaurants and unique concepts that you definitely should »more...

This fascinating accessory is perfect for those who love planting but live in an apartment. I guess now you can have your own small garden with the Chalkboard Wall Planter hung on the wall… Let’s pick some mint leaves for today’s lunch… Bring your wall to life with a stunning vertical herb garden. This planter »more...

The bright blue sky beamed overhead as local migrant workers celebrated Migrant Workers’ Day at Souk Al Tayeb. It was a perfect day for some good food, music and company.
On Saturday, May 4th, Migrant Workers Task Force (MWTF), in conjunction with Souk El Tayeb, the International Labor Organization and the Danish Embassy, hosted the second annual Migrant Workers Day. This event is in celebration of International Labor Day and encourages cultural exchange through food, music, and handicrafts from local migrant workers’ home countries. This event wraps up a week of events bookending International Labor Day.

Walking along Mar Mikhael street, you can’t but magically be driven towards the rich aromas coming out of a new modern bakery, Tartine Bakery. Hidden behind a tree, a huge window display is decorated with deliciously looking pieces of bread in many shapes and forms. The freshly painted walls in coral color frame the large »more...

The last episode of Joe Maalouf’s Enta Horr was probably the first episode I watched fully and ironically turned out to be the last one as MTV decided to stop the show and fire Joe Maalouf.

I’ll be nothing, that’s what I’ll be
I’ll be the limbs breaking on the ice
I’ll be desire melting onto itself
I’ll be the longing that possesses me
That I’ll never possess

I’ll be nothing, that’s what I’ll be
I’ll be the vicious hope that rides me to death
I’ll be just another breath, another step
To nowhere

(originally posted on December 06, 2004)

I got my hands on this information and I completely trust the sources. They’ll remain anonymous, so will the writer of this article that was supposed to be published in a newspaper I believe, but didn’t because of the headache it would cause with the Murr family.
لقد ترددت الاشاعات حول مسألة وقف بث برنامج “أنت حر” على شاشة الMTV الأسبوع الفائت، وتداول اللبنانيين على وسائل التواصل الإجتماعي العديد من الروايات من تباين في الأراء، إلى خلافات سياسية، وحتى مشاكل مالية. ولكن في خاص (…)، وعبر مقربين من جو معلوف وال-MTV وعائلة المر، علم أنا صلب الموضوع هو مزيجٌ من العمل الانتخابي وخلافاً بين غبريال المر ونجله ميشال غبريال المر.

I love the idea. It’s something you rarely see when doing business in Lebanon: revenue forecasts, share prices, expected cost, etc. And usually, shares are between friends and existing colleagues, rarely offered to the public in such an accessible manner: Facebook.

He didn’t even bother remove the original plate. Bassita chou we2fit 3le?
Thanks Manal!

[YouTube]
The above is an ad done by a Spanish organization called the Aid to Children and Adolescents at Risk Foundation, that displays a different message for adults and children at the same time [Gizmodo].
According to [Himaya], a Lebanese NGO against child abuse, 1 out of 7 children in Lebanon suffer sexual abuse in the places they should feel safe. However, the biggest challenge is to let them report such incidents when they occur and creating such ads is an intelligent way to do so.

So, LBC has taken its traffic watch to the next level and released an app called “Kif El Seir” back in March. When I revisited to see how it was going, I was pleased to see hundreds of folks using it and updating it.
Basically, it is a crowd-sourced platform where drivers can post status updates on major routes in Lebanon, especially those going in and out of Beirut and other major cities. This makes it somewhat prone to misinterpretation, after all what is “khabsa” to you, might not be for someone else.

Photo credit: Patrick A.S.