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Lebanon launches first electric car despite economic crisis

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By AFP -- A Lebanon-made electric car has made its debut, the first time the Mediterranean country has manufactured an automobile, despite struggling amid a dire economic crisis with frequent power cuts. The red sports car – named “Quds Rise”, using the Arabic name of Jerusalem – is the project of Lebanese-born Palestinian businessman Jihad Mohammad. It’s the “first automobile to be made locally,” Mohammad told reporters on Saturday, at the unveiling in a parking lot south of Beirut. It was built in Lebanon “from start to finish”, he said of the prototype, emblazoned at the front with a golden logo of the Dome of the Rock, the shrine in Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, Islam’s third holiest site.

The car is to cost $30,000. Production of up to 10,000 vehicles is hoped to start later this year in Lebanon, with cars to hit the market in a year’s time, said Mohammad, the director of Lebanon-based firm EV Electra. He says his long-term goal is to compete on the international market for hybrid and electric cars, as well as to make sales in Lebanon. But the unveiling comes as Lebanon struggles amid its worst economic crisis in decades, and imported car sales are at a record low, in part due to capital controls and drastic devaluation on the black market.

President Sleiman: "ما ضاع حق وراءه مطالب"

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اليوم وبعد ١٠٦ سنوات تعترف الولايات المتحدة بالابادة الارمنية.
هل نعتبر ونطالب جميعنا باستعادة سيادة الدولة حتى لا ننتظر عشرات السنين؟
باسم الانسانية وباسم الشعب الارمني بخاصة اللبنانيين منهم

نتوجه بالشكر للشعب الاميركي

Saudi Arabia bans Lebanese produce over drug smuggling

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by reuters -- BEIRUT (Reuters) -Saudi Arabia announced on Friday a ban on imports of fruits and vegetables from Lebanon, blaming an increase in drug smuggling, in a measure that will add to Lebanon's economic woes. Lebanon is already in the throes of a deep financial crisis that is posing the biggest threat to its stability since the 1975-1990 civil war. Its agriculture minister said the move was a "great loss" and that the trade was worth $24 million a year. The Lebanese foreign ministry said it had been informed of the ban through the Saudi embassy and the foreign minister had relayed it to top officials. "Lebanese authorities must exert utmost efforts to control all smuggling operations ... to prevent harm to innocent citizens, farmers, industrialists and the Lebanese economy," the Lebanese foreign ministry statement said.

The ban will take effect from 9:00 a.m. local time on Sunday. Saudi customs authorities at Jeddah had foiled an attempt to smuggle in more than 5.3 million Captagon pills, a type of amphetamine, hidden in pomegranate shipments from Lebanon, said Mohammed bin Ali al-Naim, undersecretary for security affairs at Saudi Customs, according to Saudi Arabia's SPA news agency. Lebanon's caretaker interior minister Mohamed Fahmy told Reuters Lebanon was ready to cooperate with all states to stop drug smuggling and that it had already been exerting "tremendous efforts" but that sometimes smugglers might succeed. One Lebanese official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the ban appeared to be political. "The export of Lebanese vegetables and fruits to the Gulf countries and especially the kingdom was one of the few doors that were still open to bring dollars into the country. Closing this import line increases pressure on Lebanon," he said.

President Michel Sleiman: لا نستطيع منع التهريب بشكل عام ومنع توزيع الكبتاغون وتصدير الاذى الى شباب العالم فكيف نشرع الحشيشة ل

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ذا كنا لا نستطيع منع التهريب بشكل عام ومنع توزيع الكبتاغون وتصدير الاذى الى شباب العالم فكيف نشرع الحشيشة لاهداف طبية كمخرج لتعزيز النمو الاقتصادي ... المكتوب يقرأ من عنوانه

Lebanon offers a path to save maritime border talks with Israel

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Israeli soldiers guard the entrance of Rosh Hanikra crossing between Israel and Lebanon last October as talks were held over the disputed maritime border. File Photo by Atef Safadi/EPA-EFE

BEIRUT, Lebanon, by Dalal Saoud (UPI) -- Lebanon is seeking a quick resumption of U.S.-mediated negotiations over its maritime border dispute with Israel, putting on hold new claims to more offshore territory and resorting to arbitration by inviting international experts to step in, according to Lebanese officials and experts. Israel is being asked to refrain from all exploration activity in the disputed area, potentially rich in oil and gas. The move, which came against a backdrop of changing positions by Lebanon caused mostly by political bickering, different delimitation methods and negotiation tactics, was meant to end the impasse in the indirect talks and reach a deal over the disputed area. Lebanon spent 10 years in negotiations to reach a U.S.-mediated framework agreement that paved the way for unprecedented talks with Israel last October.

But the negotiations were suspended after four rounds when the Lebanese delegation, made up of Army generals and experts, presented a new map that would add 550 square miles (referred to as line 29) to the disputed 330 square mile area (referred to as line 23) of the Mediterranean Sea that each side claims is within their own exclusive economic zones. Debt-stricken Lebanon is in dire need of proceeding with oil and gas discoveries that could help overcome its economic woes. Its negotiations with Israel, which has developed offshore natural gas rigs, "have potential to unlock significant economic benefits for Lebanon," U.S. Under Secretary for Political Affairs David Hale said during a visit to Beirut last week.

استقالوا من المسؤوليّاتِ وبَقَوا في المناصب

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National News Agency - Azzi: Kataeb will not approve of legislative session even if it stands alone

سجعان قزي وزير سابق @AzziSejean

منذ سنةِ 1633 وكاتدرائيّةُ الكبوشيّين في ڤيينا تَضُمُّ أضْرحةَ آل هابسْبورغ أباطرةِ النمسا/هنغاريا. وكانت لجنازاتِـهم طقوسٌ خاصّة: عندَ بلوغِ جُثمان الإمبراطور بابَ الكاتدرائيّةِ الـمُقفَلَ، يَسألُ راهبٌ من الداخل: "مَن الآتي؟" فيُجيبُ ضابطٌ: "أنا الإمبراطورُ الفُلاني..." ويَسرُدُ ألقابَ الإمبراطورِ كاملةً. فيَـرُدّ الراهب: "لا نَعرِفُه، مَن الآتي؟" فيُكرِّرُ الضابطُ الجواب: "أنا الإمبراطور الفلاني..." ويُعدِّدُ الألقابَ مختَصرَةً. فيعودُ الراهبُ ويقول للمرّةِ الثالِثة: "لا نعرِفُه، مَن الآتي؟" حينئذٍ يُعلن الضابط: "أنا الإنسانُ الخاطئُ الحقير". فيَفتحُ الراهبُ البابَ ويتمُّ إِدخالُ النعش.

لا مكانَ للـــ"أَنا" أمامَ الله ولا أمامَ الشعب. ما قيمةُ أمجادِ المناصبِ تجاه اللهِ خالقِ الكونِ، وإزاءَ الشعبِ اللبنانيِّ مصدرِ السلطات (مبدئيًّا). أخَذوا على رئيسِ الجمهوريّةِ قولَه: "أنا ميشال عون"، وتَناسَوا أنَّ هذه الــ"أنا" تَنتشرُ أيضًا بين أركانِ المنظومةِ السياسيّةِ، القديمةِ والمخَضرَمةِ والمستَحدَثة. لدى الزعماءِ الفاشلين قبل الناجِحين. ولدى الـمُعقَّدين قبل الصفائيّين. لدى الّذين صُنِعوا وَهُمْ لا شيءَ قبلَ الّذين صَنَعوا وَهُمْ شيءٌ ما. الــ"أَنا" موجودةٌ كذلك بوَفرةٍ في عددٍ من أحزابِنا ومؤسّساتِنا. هي الديكتاتوريّةُ الـمُضْمَرةُ في الديمقراطيةِّ المعلَنةِ. وأصلًا، الديمقراطيّةُ في لبنان فَشِلَت لأنَّ الديمقراطيّةَ عمومًا هي نظامٌ تَسلْسُليٌّ مترابِطٌ يَسقُطُ بكاملِه حين تَنقطعُ حَلْقةٌ من حلَقاتِه. ولأنَّ أحزابَنا انتَقلَت بــــ"أناها" الديكتاتوريّةِ إلى الدولةِ، وحتّى إلى المعارضَة، عَطَّلت ديمقراطيّتَها. أنّى لدولةٍ أن تكونَ ديمقراطيّةً وأحزابُها ديكتاتوريّة، خصوصًا أنَّ الديكتاتوريّةَ مثلُ الديمقراطيّةِ هما نزعةٌ نفسيّةٌ وثقافيّةٌ قبلَ أن تكونا نِظامًا دستوريًّا. وآخِرُ مثلٍ على ذلك "أَنا" القاضيةِ غادة عون، فـــــ"أناها" ليست "أناها" الشخصيّةَ بقدْرِ ما هي "أنا" بيئتِها السياسيّة.

Christine Abizaid: The Woman Nominated to Run America’s National Counterterrorism Center

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By abouther.com -- President Biden recently announced his nominations for the 11 members he has chosen to steer national security and law enforcement at the White House and across key agencies. And the American leader has tapped Christine S. Abizaid as Director of the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC) at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. It is one of the agencies the Biden administration is counting on to thwart a rise in terrorism. And If confirmed by the Senate, the Lebanese-American, a former Pentagon and White House official, would be the first woman to hold the post on a permanent basis.

Avril B. Haines, the Director of National Intelligence who oversees the counterterrorism centre, praised the choice. “Christy brings a command of counterterrorism issues, leadership acumen and enterprising approach that will enable her to effectively steer NCTC and lead the CT mission into the future,” he said in a statement. He also added, “Christy is an outstanding selection for this critical position, and I look forward to working with her to protect our nation.”