by pri.org

For all its charm, Beirut can be a difficult place to live. The roads are often clogged with traffic, the sidewalks are narrow and it seems as though there’s a construction site on every corner. Most cities have outdoor places where residents can escape the noise and the chaos. But in Beirut, they’re in short supply — and if developers are allowed to have their way, there may be even fewer still. Beirut’s only public beach — Ramlet al-Baida — is the latest battleground in the fight between Beirutis and authorities over public space in the city. On a brisk, windy day at the beach, Mohammad Ayoub, an activist who campaigns for the protection of public land, stands facing a construction site jutting out onto the sand. Vehicles work on the construction of the Eden Rock Resort on the south end of Ramlet al-Baida beach, in Beirut

“All laws and international agreements, the constitution of Lebanon, say that everything on the sand is public space. So it’s strange to find someone who is pretending that he owns the sand,” he sighs. The beach development now under construction is called the Eden Bay Resort, described by its developers in a promotional video as “an exclusive community by the sea.” When finished — all 5,400 square feet of it — this “sanctuary of luxury and refinement” will feature high-end apartments, a five-star hotel, a spa, swimming pool and a jetty for residents to moor their yachts. It will cater to Beirut’s upper class and wealthy foreign visitors, and it will be unaffordable to most Beirutis. This bothers activists campaigning against the development. “Public space is the spirit of the city. It’s where the city meets. It’s where the children go and play, where young people go and do different kinds of activities and develop their talents. Without public space the people will be more stressful and bored. They will not feel like they belong to the city,” Ayoub says. As far as Ayoub sees it, what little public space that Beirut has is under attack.

Across town, the largest and only substantial park in the city is under threat by plans to build a hospital. Farther down the coast from Ramlet al-Baida, a popular picnic spot on the rocks was closed to the public a couple of years back. Even the city’s downtown area is regularly closed off to the public for security reasons. Densely populated, scarce public space Detailed censuses of the population in Lebanon are hard to come by, for various reasons. But a 2013 survey by the Public Health Ministry estimated Beirut’s population to be around 420,000. That’s around 55,000 people per square mile. For comparison, New York City has around 11,000 people per square mile. Manhattan is more dense, at 72,000 people per square mile, but its public space is incomparably more. Map: Manhattan versus Beirut public space Even famously densely populated and built-up cities like New York have far more green and public space than Beirut does. Up-to-date information on Beirut’s public spaces is limited.

It’s incredible what these shows have done to our profession.” This is how Lebanese dancer Cynthia Assadourian described to Global Voices the impact of shows like the Arabic versions of So You Think You Can Dance?‘ (يلا نرقص) and Dancing With The Stars (رقص النجوم) on the public’s perception of dancing. Assadourian, who was herself a former contestant on So You Think You Can Dance, said that she’s been witnessing a sort of bodily liberation around her: Latin dance, in particular, has become mandatory in dance studios. You see men and women of different ages and from all walks of life coming into the studio to have fun and work out. Even men are letting go of their fear of hip-shaking. I never thought I’d live to see the day where men would do that. She added: Of course, people still come in with a fear of not being able to keep up with the choreography but that’s normal. It might be difficult at first but eventually, your body and mind get used to it. It just takes a bit of practice and hard work.

Most people prefer to take up dancing rather than hit the gym, because it doesn’t feel like a workout. Lyne Gandour, a popular hip-hop dancer, first caught the eyes of her dance teachers at a tender age. She was constantly praised for having a contagious energy whenever she danced. Her ability to memorize choreography and improvise made her one of the most well-known young dancers in Lebanon. Just like many others in her field, Gandour also noticed a shift in attitude when it comes to dance: My first steps in dance started at a very young age with gymnastics, that I learned in my home country of Ivory Coast. Being raised in Africa developed in me a big respect for this form of art. When I moved to Lebanon, my dedication for dance grew ten times stronger, particularly because of how people treated dance and dancers. When I opened my new dance studio, my aim was to educate my students about dance and make them work very hard at it. I want this artistic domain to be as challenging as any well reputed major in Lebanon. Such a shift would be very different from the public perception of dance that Gandour encountered when she first moved to Lebanon: I believe that dance has been quite often associated with pejorative meanings in the Arab world.

by cbs news BEIRUT — “Wonder Woman” has garnered praise from critics, but not everyone is happy about the DC movie.  Lebanon’s ministry of economy is seeking to ban the film because its lead actress — Gal Gadot — is an Israeli, though a formal request for a ban has not yet been received, a Lebanese security official said Tuesday. A ban would require a recommendation from a six-ministry-member committee, a process that also has not yet began, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to reporters. Summer movies: Female-led action films and Oscar contenders An advance premier of the movie is scheduled for Wednesday in at least one cinema in Beirut, which offers its members attending the show free popcorn. Posters of the movie and digital billboards have sprouted up around the Lebanese capital. Lebanon is officially at war with Israel and has a decades-old law that boycotts Israeli products and bars Lebanese citizens from traveling or having contacts with Israelis.

A boycott group, called Campaign to Boycott Supporters of Israel-Lebanon, has campaigned against showing the movie in Lebanon. The campaign on its Facebook page praised the ministry’s call, saying it is advocating a ban because Gadot was a soldier in the Israeli army, and has expressed support for Israel’s military policies against the Gaza Strip, a coastal Palestinian territory run by the militant Hamas group. In a widely shared posting on her Facebook page, Gadot had praised Israel’s military during the Gaza-Israel 2014 war, sending prayers to Israeli soldiers “who are risking their lives protecting my country against the horrific acts conducted by Hamas.” Officials at the Lebanese economy ministry were not immediately available for comment. The security official said banning a movie would be something that would ultimately come from the country’s interior minister, following a recommendation from the six-member committee.

Even though Lebanon enjoys a greater margin of freedom of expression than other countries in the region, prior censorship remains in place, particularly with content relating to Israel, religion and homosexuality. Reflecting tightening of censorship, an Egyptian movie about a celebrity Muslim cleric, Mawlana, and a Lebanese movie, Beach House, about friends discussing their identities were banned in Lebanon earlier this year. Mawlana was later shown after cuts were made, said one cinema manager, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the ongoing controversy. The two movies were approved in Egypt. There is no clear mechanism for appeal of a ban on art work and public campaigns often are the only means to protest a ban.

by AP — French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday leveled a remarkable criticism of two Russian media outlets — with Russian President Vladimir Putin standing by his side. Macron, at a joint news conference with Putin in Paris, was asked by a reporter about his refusal to allow access at his campaign headquarters to some Russian outlets. Macron, whose campaign was the target of a massive cyberattack just before his election victory last month that cybersecurity firms have traced to Russian operatives, accused Russia Today and Sputnik of spreading misinformation.

“Russia Today and Sputnik have been influential outlets which at several times have spoken mistruths about me and my campaign,” Macron said, according to an English translation. “And that’s why they were not invited to my headquarters. All media outlets, including Russian ones, have had access to my campaign. Relationships are always the same.” “So it was serious that foreign media outlets interfered by saying serious mistruths during a Democratic campaign. And I will not give into that in any way,” he added. “But Russia Today and Sputnik have not behaved as media outlets and journalists, but behaved as organs of influence, propaganda, and false propaganda.”

At the news conference, Putin said he and Macron had not discussed the topic of election meddling, but rejected allegations that Russia attempted to influence France’s vote. He also defended his preelection meeting with Marine Le Pen, Macron’s chief rival in France’s campaign. Putin said it would have been strange not to hold a meeting with a candidate who had expressed warming relations with Russia.

 By Naharnet – The upcoming parliamentary elections will apparently be held under a new law based on proportional representation, media reports said on Sunday. “The only remaining obstacle is the demand to move some Christian seats across some districts,” al-Mustaqbal newspaper said. “It has become known that President Michel Aoun in agreement with Prime Minister […]

by AFP

For star trumpeter Ibrahim Maalouf, famed for his award-winning film soundtracks and jazz-inspired mixing of eastern and western sounds, improvisation is “a way of life”. “Improvisation is a discipline that people don’t understand well,” the Franco-Lebanese musician, who has played with Sting and Elvis Costello among others, told AFP. “For me it symbolises and sums up perfectly the best way to live, alongside each other,” he said during a trip to Lebanon to prepare for a July concert at a festival in Baalbek. “To succeed in communicating with each other we must listen to each other and have empathy with others, despite the differences.”

The 36-year-old, born in Lebanon, fled with his parents — both musicians — during the country’s 15-year-civil war and settled in France. He plays a four-pistoned instrument invented by his trumpeter father in the 1960s, as well playing the piano, composing and teaching.He won French cinema’s highest award, a Cesar, in February for the music to “In the Forests of Siberia”. He also wrote the score for Japanese director Naomi Kawase’s “Radiance” which was nominated for a Palme d’Or at this month’s Cannes film festival. Composition aside, Maalouf has a passion for the spontaneous. He is the artistic director of m’IMPROvise, a June festival in Etampes near Paris, with Quincy Jones’ protege, pianist Alfredo Rodriguez, topping the line-up. He has gathered hundreds of people for joint improvisations, including at the 2015 Fete de la Musique in Paris. “To improvise with others is to share a unique moment that will never happen twice,” he said. Nephew of leading Lebanese writer Amin Maalouf, a member of the Academie Francaise, the trumpeter says he does not try to make his music popular.

by the daily star lebanon BEIRUT: The family of a Lebanese man detained in Iran since 2015 have held talks with several Lebanese officials to press for his release. A statement issued by the family’s lawyer Antoine Abu Dib on behalf of the family on Sunday said that Justice Minister Salim Jreissati is following up […]

by news-medical.net UK Lebanon Tech Hub (UKLTH) announced today that it will fund the research and development of ediamond (Electromagnetic Diabetes Monitoring Device): a one of its kind non-invasive blood glucose-monitoring device, which is being developed by the Maroun Semaan faculty of Engineering and Architecture and the Faculty of Medicine at the American University of Beirut (AUB).

Mr. Nicolas Sehnaoui, Chairman of the UK Lebanon Tech Hub

The UK Lebanon Tech Hub (UKLTH) is a joint initiative by Banque du Liban, Lebanon’s Central Bank, and the UK Government through the British Embassy in Beirut.  It aims to support the growth of the Lebanese knowledge economy through an International Research Centre, which was recently given £2.5 million funding from the British Government. ediamond is a continuous glucose monitoring wearable device that will enable diabetic patients to check their glucose levels without needing to come into contact with their blood stream, i.e. through conventional methods such as repeatedly pricking their finger with a needle throughout the day. The lead investigators of ediamond are Dr. Joseph Costantine and Dr. Rouwaida Kanj from the Maroun Semaan Faculty of Engineering and Architecture, and Dr. Assaad Eid from the Faculty of Medicine.

Mykonos Greece

By  Nabila Rahhal  executive-magazine.com

As the weather heats up, the Lebanese people have turned their eyes to the upcoming summer season, earnestly planning their next grand escape. Whether potential travelers take matters in their own hands and book through an international or local online travel agency, or whether they consult with one of the many travel businesses in Lebanon, one thing is for sure: the busiest period for many of the country’s travel agents is upon us.

Summer Fun

With school children off for the summer, and employees’ productivity challenged by the long warm days, it is no wonder that around 60 percent of outbound tourism trips are scheduled between mid-June and mid-September, according to travel agencies interviewed for this article. “We cater to the holiday travelers, and the bulk of our work is in the summer – we don’t cater a lot to business travelers,” says Elie Nakhal, general manager of the travel agency Nakhal.

For many Lebanese, the summer getaway is the only vacation they take all year and is, therefore, perceived as a reward for their hard work, according to Charbel Kahaleh, head of marketing and communications at Kurban Travel.

Travelers take many factors into careful consideration when planning for that all-important holiday, the most important being proximity, ease of access, price and activities at the destination, according to those interviewed by Executive.

Bringing the world closer

When traveling for a short getaway (the average summer trip is for up to seven days according to those interviewed for the article) it is very important not to squander precious time in airports waiting for connecting flights.

Indeed, ease of access to a destination through a direct flight is a strong indicator of the location’s popularity among summer leisure travelers. While certain locales may be attractive in their own right, a lack of direct flights can affect their success. “Past experience has shown us that good flight connectivity and easy access can significantly increase the destination awareness to the leisure travelers. The uncomfortable flight connection from Beirut to Thessaloniki is not an ally in our effort to showcase our luxury resort group, and the unique destination of northern Greece and Halkidiki to the Lebanese travelers,” explains Periklis Gompakis, senior market development manager at Sani Resort, adding that they counteract that issue by putting in extra effort into marketing Halkidiki to the Middle Eastern market through industry fairs, press trips and joint activities with their travel partners in the region.

Our prayers are with the Coptic victims! We denounce these barbaric attacks

by AP – At least 26 Coptic Christians have reportedly been killed by gunmen in Egypt. The Christians were travelling by bus to a monastery when they were attacked. Many of those killed were children, according to the New York Times. Health officials said that the attack happened on Friday while the bus was travelling on the road to the St Samuel Monastery in the Minya governorate, about 220 kilometres, or about 140 miles, south of the Egyptian capital. The health ministry has said there were between eight and 10 attackers dressed in military uniforms, according to witnesses. Khaled Mogahed, the health ministry spokesman, said that the death toll had reached 26 but feared it could rise further. According to Copts United news portal, only three children survived the attack. Arab television stations showed images of a damaged bus along a roadside, many of its windows shattered. Ambulances were parked around it as bodies lay on the ground, covered with black plastic sheets. Though no one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, it had all the hallmarks of Egypt’s Islamic State affiliate. Egypt has seen a wave of attacks on its Christians, including twin suicide bombings in April and another attack in December on a Cairo church that left over 75 people dead and scores wounded. The Islamic State group in Egypt claimed responsibility for them and vowed more attacks.