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Lebanese invent new energy car to cope with energy crisis

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by Dana Halawi BEIRUT, (Xinhua) -- Lebanese industrialists are trying to produce their own alternative fuel vehicles amid the country's severe energy crunch. Hisham Houssami is one of them. Named "Lira," the name of the Lebanese currency, the hybrid car designed by Houssami, who was originally a manufacturer of industrial equipment, can be charged with electricity or via solar panels. The idea of designing and making his own car came to the 46-year-old man as he witnessed the difficulty of Lebanese in securing fuel for their cars amid the energy shortages as a result of the financial crisis. "It's a shame that the Lebanese can barely afford gasoline, and it's even more painful to see people suffering to access the commodity every now and then," Houssami said.

In Lebanon, 20 liters of gasoline could cost about 800,000 Lebanese pounds (about 20 U.S. dollars). Houssami said he currently has a team of 7 to 10 regular workers working on the new car while he supervises the production process. A mechanic works on a hybrid car made by Lebanese industrialist Hisham Houssami, in Beirut, Lebanon, on Nov. 21, 2022. (Xinhua/Bilal Jawich) "Unfortunately, we do not have car engineers in Lebanon, but my experience in producing industrial equipment makes this job possible for me," Houssami said. The industrialist planned to launch the EV this year during Christmas and New Year seasons at less than 10,000 U.S. dollars. Houssami has already placed several ads on social media channels asking for more people to join his new car factory.

Minister Sejaan Azzi: معادلةُ جبران خليل جبران

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سجعان قزي

@AzziSejean

جميعُ طوائف لبنان، أكانت قويّةً أم ضعيفةً، تجتازُ أزَمات. وعوضَ أن تُوحِّدَها الأزَماتُ تُفرِّقُها. ما يُميّزُ أزْمةَ المسيحيّين أنها أزمةٌ وجوديةٌ بينما أزماتُ الآخَرين سياسيّة. الفئاتُ الأخرى تَطمَحُ إلى مزيدٍ من الرُبحِ، والمسيحيّون يحاولون الحدَّ من الخَسارة. الفئاتُ الأخرى تَدخُل إلى المستقبلِ اللبنانيِّ، والمسيحيّون يَخرجون منه. الفئاتُ الأخرى تَبحثُ عن وجودِها في السلطةِ، والمسيحيّون عن وجودِهم في الجُغرافيا اللبنانيّة. يَشعرُ المسيحيّون، وبخاصّةٍ الموارنةُ، أنهم أسّسوا هذه الدولةَ/الوطن، وها هي تُنشَلُ منهم وصاروا مخيَّرين بين اتّباعِ الآخَرين أو الهِجرةِ من دونِ أن يُفكِّروا بخِيارِ المواجهةِ، أو على الأقل بخِياراتٍ دُستوريّةٍ أخرى وتنفيذِها من دونِ خَجَلٍ أو حَرَج.

باتَ الرأيُ العامُّ المسيحيِّ يُحمِّلُ المسؤوليّةَ الرئيسيّةَ لضُمورِ السلطةِ المارونيّةِ لدى بعضِ القوى المارونيّةِ وزعمائِها الّذين انتقلوا من مقاومةِ الأعداءِ إلى الاقتتالِ في ما بينَهم، ثم إلى العَداءِ الحاقِد من خلال تحالفاتٍ هجينةٍ وتَبعيّةٍ، فأَنْهكوا شعبَهم ومجتمعَهم. وبمنأى عن مواقفِ بعضِ الأطراف، بما فيها حزبُ الله، ما كان لبنانُ بَلغَ هذه الحال لو كانت تَصرّفاتُ بعضِ القادةِ المسيحيّين وخِياراتُهم وتحالفاتُهم من التسعينيّات الماضيةِ حتى اليوم مختلفةً، ولَمَا كانت رئاسةُ الجُمهورّيةِ تَعرّضَت للإهانةِ والإذلالِ لو كان بعضُ هذه القياداتِ تهيَّأَ للاستحقاقِ الرئاسيِّ بشكلٍ آخَر، وواجَهَه بأسماءَ أُخرى. ألا نرى كيف جميعُ الأطرافِ يَمرحُون ويَتسلَّون ويَهزأُون بالمرشّحينَ الموارنِةِ إلى رئاسةِ الجُمهوريّة كأنّهم كُراتُ بِلْيارد؟

How Qatar’s riches touch millions of UK lives

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Irony or double standard by United Kingdom fans on their criticism of Qatar? (khazen.org comment)

by BBC -- Dharshini David - Qatar hosting the World Cup has drawn widespread criticism over its record on rights for women, LGBTQ+ groups and migrant workers. The attendance of officials, teams, even fans has been questioned. But our connection (United Kingdom) with Qatar goes way beyond the current tournament, touching most of our lives. At the core of that relationship is gas. Qatar is a tiny country about the size of Yorkshire but it has one of the largest natural reserves on the planet - and the UK is a key customer. About half our gas is imported and about half of that comes via a pipeline from Norway. But Qatar is second on that list supplying about 9% of our energy imports. In theory, that's the amount needed to power the boilers of around a million British homes. In the space of less than 20 years, Qatar has become a vital part of our energy mix.

Why are the World Cup 2022 finals in Qatar so controversial?

The UK and Qatar may have few historical links - but the latter has channelled its booming gas-based wealth into embedding itself into the UK's corporate and property landscape, and cementing a relationship with the top tiers of British establishment. Its monarch, the Emir, was one of the few Gulf leaders to attend the Queen's funeral. The current King accepted a donation for his charitable foundation worth over £2m (part of which was allegedly handed over in Fortnum and Mason's carrier bags) from a former Qatari political leader in 2015. Highly unusually, our nations' air forces have formed two joint squadrons - one of which is patrolling the skies above World Cup venues.

And in September, Qatar took ownership of 24 fighter jets built in Lancashire, part of a £5bn deal with BAE systems. On the ground, the Qatari government has been recycling some of its cash by investing in the UK. It's not one of our largest investors - but its holdings are strategically chosen to maximise profile and influence. It is among the dozen biggest property owners in Britain. Central to its property empire is the Canary Wharf Group which owns landmarks including 20 Fenchurch Street, nicknamed the Walkie Talkie, and the Shell Centre redevelopment on London's South Bank. The Qatari government also owns luxury department store Harrods and 5* hotel Claridge's in London. And in our day-to-day life it has significant shareholdings some of our biggest brands. Bank with Barclays, shop at Sainsburys or use Heathrow airport, and Qatar benefits. Turn on the tap as a Severn Trent water customer, and your bill adds to its profits.

Naomi Biden wears Lebanese wedding gown for White House reception

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The granddaughter of US President Joe Biden, Naomi, opted for a wedding dress by Lebanese designer Reem Acra for her reception at the White House. The bride wore a lace Ralph Lauren gown for her nuptials on Saturday, but changed into the Mikado silk Reem Acra gown for the reception and cake cutting festivities. The strapless ivory silk Mikado dress featured her grandmother Roberta Buhle’s pearls sewn into the six-foot train. For late-night dancing, she changed into a fringed Markarian mini-dress.

Naomi, 28, married Peter Neal, 25.

On November 19, 2022, Biden married Peter George Heermann Neal in a joint Catholic-Presbyterian ceremony held on the South Lawn of the White House.[18][9][19] There were two hundred and fifty guests.[6] Biden wore a dress designed by Ralph Lauren and diamond and pearl drop earrings from Tiffany & Co. for the occasion.[20] Biden's sister, Finnegan James Biden, served as maid of honor. Roberta Mabel Biden and Katherine Elizabeth Neal served as bridesmaids. Neal's brother, Robert Eliot Neal, served as best man and Joseph Robinette Biden IV and Charles W. Gerdts served as groomsmen. Notable guests included Secretary of State Antony Blinken, White House Cabinet Secretary Evan Ryan, and former senators Chris Dodd and Ted Kaufman.

A wedding luncheon was hosted by President and First Lady Biden in the State Dining Room of the White House.[18] A black tie reception was held that evening at the White House, with three hundred and fifty guests. Biden wore a strapless dress by Reem Acra for the reception. The wedding cake was a white fondant cake featuring seven tiers.The wedding was the nineteenth wedding to take place at the White House and the first since President George W. Bush and First Lady Laura Bush hosted a wedding reception for their daughter, Jenna Bush Hager, there in June 2008.It was the first wedding to ever be held on the South Lawn, according to the White House Historical Association, and was the first time a president's granddaughter was married at the White House.

The Presidential Vacancy Prevents Lebanon From Celebrating Its Independence

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By David Sedler -- globeecho.com -- The meeting of an official in “Hezbollah” and the army commander did not deal with the presidential file Yesterday, Tuesday, the commemoration of the 79th anniversary of Lebanon’s independence was limited to calls for electing a president and preserving sovereignty, without an official ceremony that Lebanon used to hold on this occasion, due to the vacancy in the presidency. The Lebanese army did not organize a military parade on the occasion, in which military brigades representing combat brigades and regiments usually participated, along with battalions from the security forces and the Red Cross, in addition to receiving congratulations from the presidents at the presidential palace. Military sources said that the performances were not held this year, due to the presidential vacancy, since the president by law is the supreme commander of the armed forces, and therefore it is not possible to organize a ceremony, even if it was symbolic, because of this aspect only.

The Minister of Education, Abbas al-Halabi, laid a wreath at the site where President Rene Moawad was assassinated on November 22, 1989, and Moawad was the first president of the republic to be elected after the Taif Agreement was reached. Also, in previous presidential vacancy periods, no military parades were held, while two symbolic parades were held in 2019 and 2020 at the Ministry of National Defense, with the participation of the President of the Republic, the Speaker of Parliament, the Prime Minister, ministers and other officials, in light of the protests in 2019, and the crisis of the spread of the Corona epidemic in 2019. 2020. And 22 days have passed since the vacancy in the position of the presidency of the republic, since the end of the term of former Lebanese President Michel Aoun on October 31, and it is still not possible to reach a consensus between the political forces represented in the House of Representatives on one person who can secure the votes of two-thirds of Parliament for her in the session. the first, or securing a quorum of two-thirds of the members of the Council in the second session. It is expected that the fate of the session called for by Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri tomorrow, Thursday, will be similar to the fate of the previous six sessions.

Myriam Fares Blackfishing? Internet Pushback on FIFA World Cup Performance After Lebanese Star Did THIS

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By Ivan Korrs - musictimes.com -- Starting with the labor issues and LGBTQ discrimination that many on social media have shed light on, it seems like the issues and the problems for the highly-anticipated sporting event will never cease. Earlier this month, different rumors of musicians like Dua Lipa, and Shakira, among many others, emerged - linking their involvement in the controversial event. They have denied involvement and called out the FIFA organization on proceeding with Qatar. However, it was until last week that Nicki Minaj confirmed that she would be doing a song with Colombian star Maluma and Lebanese songstress Myriam Fares.

The song "Tukoh Takah," wowed everyone with its upbeat and highly-infectious energy. It is now the football anthem for the FIFA World Cup 2022. While Maluma and Minaj are already known to the American audience, Myriam Fares is definitely a new sound to many. After some slight digging by people on the internet, they came across an old video of Myriam Fares, who seemed to have done an act that many finds problematic. In a Rolling Stone report, it was revealed that Myriam Fares blackfaced on one of her earlier music videos, "Goumi" (or "Stand Up"). In 2018, Fares actually faced backlash after she wore makeup that significantly darkened her face and body to mimic a black person. Since the video's release on YouTube, Fares has since faced a mountain of backlash over it, criticizing her for engaging in an act that insults a degrades a culture.

Who is Michael Boulos? Trump’s new Lebanese son-in-law

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by arabamericannews.com -- Donald Trump’s daughter Tiffany, 29, wed billionaire Michael Boulos before 250 guests at the former president’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida on November 12. Boulos, 25, joins the family after he and Tiffany began dating in 2018. They were engaged in January 2021 with Tiffany posting an Instagram photo of them smiling at the White House. Boulos proposed in the Rose Garden with a 13-carat diamond worth $1.2 million. “It has been an honor to celebrate many milestones, historic occasions and create memories with my family here at the White House, none more special than my engagement to my amazing fiancé Michael!” Trump wrote on Instagram on January 19, her father’s last full day in the Oval Office. Boulos is heir to a motorcycle distribution company called Boulos Enterprises. The company is currently led by his father, Massad Boulos, who is also the CEO of the conglomerate Scoa Nigeria PLC. Michael Boulos has served as a director at some of his father’s companies.

Meanwhile, Michael’s mother, Sarah Boulos, is the founder of the Society for the Performing Arts in Nigeria. Tiffany Trump is the only daughter of Donald Trump and his ex-wife, Marla Maples, to whom he was married from 1993 to 1999. When Tiffany Trump began to bring Boulos to events with her family in late 2018, Maples told Town and Country: “I adore Michael!” Boulos was born in Lebanon and grew up in Nigeria, Africa. On the day of the wedding, former President Trump shared a post on Truth Social saying his daughter and Boulos “are a beautiful couple who will be very happy together.” Boulos graduated with a business degree from Regent’s University London and is pursuing a project management degree at City University London. Tiffany Trump graduated from Georgetown University Law Center in 2020.