Lebanese Muay Thai fighter Abdallah Ondash rose to fame after dedicating his dramatic, last-second ONE Championship debut win on August 4 to the victims of the Beirut Port blast.

Despite trailing for two rounds, Ondash showed a never-say-die spirit to secure an amazing comeback victory, toppling his Thai opponent Parnpet Sor Jor Lekmuangnon with a knockout punch with one second to go on the third and final round.

The Delegation of the European Union to Lebanon, in partnership with the Metropolis Cinema Association and in cooperation with the European Union Member States, has announced that the 28th European Film Festival in Lebanon will be held from September 25 to October 4, 2023.

The festival will open on Monday, September 25 with the Spanish film Ramona by Andrea Bagney, which won the Best Screenplay Award at the 2022 Rome Film Fest. 

A president will likely be elected soon, French Special Presidential Envoy for Lebanon Jean-Yves Le Drian and caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati said Friday.

The PM's office said that Le Drian called Mikati and both assured that Le Drian's talks in Lebanon were "positive" regarding the "imminent election of a president."

MP Ashraf Rifi has described as “good” the meeting that was held Thursday in Yarze between Saudi Ambassador Walid Bukhari, French envoy Jean-Yves Le Drian, Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdul Latif Daryan and 21 Sunni MPs.

It was aimed at “facilitating the presidential election process,” Rifi told Asharq al-Awsat newspaper in remarks published Friday, noting that there is a new drive that might lead to the election of Army chief Joseph Aoun as president.

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID), through its Community Support Program (CSP), has celebrated the completion of the rehabilitation of the Aaitanit Wastewater Treatment Plant in the Beqaa.

In partnership with the Beqaa Water Establishment (BWE) and the Bouhaira Union of Municipalities, this $1.5 million intervention treats water for the villages of Aaitanit, Baaloul, Qaraoun, and Machghara, reaching more than 23,700 residents. The ribbon-cutting ceremony was attended by Minister of Energy and Water Dr. Walid Fayyad, Minister of Environment Dr. Nasser Yassin, USAID Lebanon Mission Director Julie Southfield, representatives from the BWE and the Bouhaira Union of Municipalities, and mayors of the benefiting villages.

The UK Office for Syria (UKOS) in partnership with The British Council have organized a joint art exhibition in Beirut. "Moments of Being", a multimedia art exhibition featuring the works of 12 talented Syrian artists, took place at the Matossian Gallery, Haigazian University, Beirut, from September 7th to September 15th.

"Moments of Being"

This Friday, Lebanese Muay Thai fighter Abdallah Ondash will enter his second fight at ONE Championship’s fight event series ONE Friday Fights. 

Ondash had dedicated his first win, which he picked up on August 4, to the victims of the Beirut port explosion which killed more than 220 and wounded more than 6,500 people. 

Army Commander General Joseph Aoun on Thursday inspected troops at the Mohammed Zgheib Barracks in Sidon amid the ongoing deadly clashes in the Ain el-Helweh Palestinian refugee camp on the city’s outskirts.

Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, who had called for a seven-day dialogue, following which open presidential election sessions would be held, said those who rejected his call don't have any convincing reasons or justifications.

"The only explanation is that they don't want to elect a president," Berri said in remarks published Thursday in Tehran-based al-Wifaq Newspaper.

French Special Presidential Envoy Jean-Yves Le Drian resumed Thursday his meetings with Lebanese key players for the third day, by meeting Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi in Bkerki.

Le Drian will later meet with the majority of the Sunni lawmakers -- except some MPs including Hezbollah's -- and Saudi Ambassador Walid Bukhari in Yarze.