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Increasing the danger: Journalist killing in Gaza sends a chilling message

Israel's targeted killing of an Al Jazeera correspondent in Gaza over the weekend was noteworthy even for a conflict remarkably blood-soaked for journalists, leaving some experts to marvel that any news at all emerges from the territory.

An Al Jazeera executive said Monday that it won't back down from covering what is going on there and called for news organizations to step up and recruit more journalists. A total of 184 Palestinian journalists and media workers have been killed by Israel in the Gaza war since its start in October 2023, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists. That compares to the 18 journalists and media workers killed so far in the Russia-Ukraine war, CPJ said.

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Madonna urges the pope to visit Gaza 'before it's too late'

Madonna has urged the pope to travel to Gaza and "bring your light to the children before it's too late."

The superstar posted her appeal to the pontiff on social media Monday, saying her son Rocco's birthday prompted her to make the post. Rocco turned 25 Monday.

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Lebanese craftsman keeps up tradition of tarboosh hat-making

Nestled among shops in a bustling market in north Lebanon's Tripoli, Mohammed al-Shaar is at his workshop making traditional tarboosh hats, keeping up a family craft despite dwindling demand.

With a thimble on one finger, Shaar, 38, cuts, sews and carefully assembles the pieces of the conical, flat-topped felt hat also known as a fez, attaching a tassel to the top.

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Empowering women in informal sector: AUB celebrates QUDWA graduates

The Center for Women in Business at the Suliman S. Olayan School of Business (OSB) at the American University of Beirut (AUB) hosted a graduation ceremony marking the completion of QUDWA—an initiative supporting women in Lebanon’s informal sector.

The event honored twenty women from across Lebanon who successfully completed the QUDWA program. Over the past five years, these women have launched and grown their own businesses in regions including Tripoli, South Lebanon, the Bekaa Valley, and Baalbeck-Hermel.

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Lebanese govt. renames Assad avenue after late music legend Ziad Rahbani

Cabinet has decided to rebaptize a thoroughfare named after former Syrian president Hafez al-Assad in favor of late Lebanese musician and playwright Ziad Rahbani, a move many welcomed on Wednesday.

The decision marks the end of an era and a rupture with the authoritarian rule of former Syrian leaders Hafez al-Assad and his son Bashar -- close allies of Lebanon's Hezbollah -- who from Damascus held Lebanon in a stranglehold for almost three decades.

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British Embassy says applications for Chevening Scholarships in UK now open

The British Embassy in Beirut announced Tuesday that applications for the UK Government’s flagship Chevening Scholarships program are now open. Applicants should apply online via www.chevening.org/apply by 7 October 2025.

Lebanese citizens (and Palestinians residing in Lebanon) are eligible to apply under the Lebanon scheme in any subject area, the embassy said in a statement.

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AUB inaugurates the Abu Sittah-Gilbert Humanitarian Award

In a ceremony that honored the courage and sacrifice of healthcare professionals working in conflict zones, the American University of Beirut (AUB) inaugurated the Abu Sittah-Gilbert Humanitarian Award. Established in 2024, this award recognizes health workers and first responders who risk their lives and livelihoods to protect and care for people facing war, siege, and occupation.

The event, which was hosted by the Palestine Land Studies Center at AUB, opened with a minute of silence in respect for all victims of wars and conflicts, followed by a performance by soprano and educator Ghada Ghanem, who recited short poems by Palestinian poet Mosab Abu Toha and sang ‘If I Must Die,’ by the late Refaat Alareer. Ghanem is a faculty member at AUB and collaborates with the Edward Said Conservatory to bring music to children in Gaza.

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Lebanon mourns Ziad Rahbani, enfant terrible of stage and song

Lebanon is mourning musician and composer Ziad Rahbani, son of iconic singer Fairuz and a musical pioneer in his own right, who died on Saturday aged 69 after a decades-long career that revolutionized the country's artistic scene.

Tributes poured in for Rahbani, also a playwright and considered the enfant terrible of Lebanese music, who left a huge mark on multiple generations with his often satirical plays and songs that for many reflected a deep understanding of Lebanon's political and economic reality.

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Renowned, multi-talented Lebanese artist Ziad Rahbani passes away

Ziad Rahbani, a visionary Lebanese composer, playwright, pianist and political provocateur, died on Saturday, at the age of 69, according to the state-run National News Agency.

The death was confirmed by a person close to Rahbani who spoke on condition of anonymity. The cause of death was not immediately clear.

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Tea-loving Nepal is warming up to coffee

Coffee hasn't always been an easy sell in Nepal.

The Himalayan country is a major tea producer, as well as a major consumer. When people greet each other in the morning, they don't ask "how are you." They say "have you had your tea?"

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