Security measures have been intensified in the North amid reports that terrorist groups are seeking to attack a military post in the area, said As Safir newspaper on Saturday. A security source told the daily that terrorists are planning on attacking the post that is located near a major tourist resort south of the […]

  HERMEL, Lebanon: The Lebanese Army shot dead three militants in the northeastern border region near Arsal overnight, state-run National News Agency said Friday. It said among the fatalities was Adham Shedad, a Syrian militant from Nusra Front. A source in the town told The Daily Star that a group of gunmen tried to sneak […]

  BEIRUT: Sharp differences emerged Friday during a meeting between a Hezbollah delegation and Maronite Patriarch Beshara Rai after the party said it was adamant on backing MP Michel Aoun for the presidency, rejecting any alternative candidate, according to Bkirki sources. The Hezbollah delegation, led by the party’s Political Council chief Sayyed Ibrahim Amin al-Sayyed, […]

Beirut experienced a renaissance of sorts in the mid-20th century.

Following World War II, the Lebanese capital became a tourist destination and financial capital, nicknamed "the Paris of the Middle East" thanks to its French influences and vibrant cultural and intellectual life.

That changed when civil war broke out in 1975, ravaging the city. Beirut has been rebuilt in the decades since (despite occasional violence), and is one again becoming a popular place for travelers.

Charles W. Cushman, an avid traveler and amateur photographer, visited Beirut in its heyday in 1965 and captured some stunning photos of everyday life in the city. These photos are being shared with permission from the Indiana University Archives.

In the 1960s, Beirut was a popular tourist destination and cosmopolitan city.

Charles W. Cushman Photograph Collection/Indiana University Archives

Cushman snapped this photo of the Mediterranean from the top of the Excelsior Hotel.

Charles W. Cushman Photograph Collection/Indiana University Archives

The trendy Excelsior was a popular escape. Check out that pool.

Charles W. Cushman Photograph Collection/Indiana University Archives

The St. George hotel was another glamorous destination. Like much of the city it was also shuttered during the Civil War. Although it was partially renovated, a bomb exploded there in 2005, killing 22, and the building has remained empty ever since.

Charles W. Cushman Photograph Collection/Indiana University Archives

But when Cushman visited, the city was still in its heyday.

Charles W. Cushman Photograph Collection/Indiana University Archives

Beirut’s architecture was heavily influenced by France, since the French gained control of the formerly Ottoman-ruled region after World War I.

Charles W. Cushman Photograph Collection/Indiana University Archives

  BEIRUT: Hezbollah and the Maronite church continue to foster strong relations, the party’s politburo chief Sayyed Ibrahim Amin al-Sayyed said Friday. “The relationship between us is [very strong], and it is our duty to discuss and exchange views even if we differed on certain matters,” Sayyed said, denying any estrangement between Hezbollah and the […]

  Three gunmen were killed overnight when the Lebanese army thwarted an attempt by militants to infiltrate an area on the outskirts of the northeastern border town of Arsal. The state-run National News Agency said Friday that one of the dead jihadists is a Syrian member of the al-Qaida-linked al-Nusra Front. NNA identified him as […]

  Members of a Lebanese water ski club wear Santa Claus costumes while they perform in the bay of Jounieh, north of Beirut (AFP Photo/Patrick Baz)     A man dressed in a Santa Claus outfit rides on a horse cart past Lebanese soldiers patrolling a street, during celebrations for Christmas in Tripoli, northern Lebanon […]

Vatican City, Dec 23, 2014 / 10:20 am (CNA/EWTN News).- In a Christmas message to Christians of the Middle East, Pope Francis grieved the violence that has ravaged and displaced many of the region’s faithful. But the birth of Jesus, he insisted, gives us the ultimate consolation – God has come in the flesh to save us.
“I write to you just before Christmas, knowing that for many of you the music of your Christmas hymns will also be accompanied by tears and sighs,” Pope Francis said in his Dec. 23 message. “Nonetheless, the birth of the Son of God in our human flesh is an indescribable mystery of consolation: ‘For the grace of God has appeared for the salvation of all people.’” In his remarks, the Pope stressed the need for unity in peace efforts between Eastern Catholic Churches and Orthodox Churches, as well as continued dialogue with Jews and Muslims in the region.

“The more difficult the situation, the more inter-religious dialogue becomes necessary. There is no other way,” the Pope said. “Dialogue, grounded in an attitude of openness, in truth and love, is also the best antidote to the temptation to religious fundamentalism, which is a threat for followers of every religion.”

  BEIRUT: Gunmen robbed a pharmacy in eastern Lebanon Thursday, making off with about $1,300 after firing their weapons to intimidate the pharmacist, media reports said. Three men with pistols stepped out of a white Mercedes, entered Hussein Sahili’s pharmacy in the Zahle village of Torbol, and forced the victim to hand over LL2 million […]

  Greek Orthodox Archbishop of Beirut Elias Audeh called on Thursday politicians to give up their narrow interests to safeguard the country, pointing out that the Lebanese are divided instead of exerting efforts to unite to avert dangers surrounding the state. “Don’t the Lebanese deserve that politicians give up their personal and narrow interests?” Audeh […]