By Paul Astih – english.aawsat.com

Beirut- Lebanon has been lately witnessing the rise of new political
alignments amid ongoing consultations on the formation of Prime
Minister-designate Saad Hariri’s government. Now that the March 8 and 14 alliances have become from the past, the
new stage following the election of President Michel Aoun last month
paved way for formation of new coalitions.

The parliament was divided between those in favor of Aoun and those
rejecting his election, mainly Speaker Nabih Berri, Marada Movement
chief MP Suleiman Franjieh, the Kataeb Party that is led by lawmaker
Sami Gemayel and several independent MPs. Informed sources said that there is now an alliance whose 44 members
either voted against Aoun or cast white votes. This coalition should
have a balanced role in the consultations carried out by Hariri to form
his cabinet.

The sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that “minor obstacles are preventing
the formation of the government but resolving them is necessary to pave
way for the new lineup.” The sources suggested forming a government that is quite similar to
that of Prime Minister Tammam Salam to facilitate the announcement of
the lineup.

A Free Patriotic Movement official, who refused to be identified,
told Asharq Al-Awsat that all efforts were being exerted to form the
cabinet before the Nov. 22 Independence Day.

By Joseph A. Kechichian Senior Writer – Gulf News

Beirut: LibanPost, the private entity associated with the Ministry of
Telecommunications, issued 15 stamps to honor individuals who
contributed to the country’s independence.

Although previous
stamps included the first head-of-state (Bisharah Al Khoury) and first
prime minister (Riad Al Solh), the latest batch included lesser known
figures who, nevertheless, ensured that the nascent republic lived up to
expectations.

Among these were Saeb Salam, the father of current
Prime Minister Tamam Salam [and the man often credited for designing the
national flag in his Rashayah prison cell], Sabri Hamadih, Camille
Chamoun, Abdul Hamid Karami, Habib Abu Shahla, Majid Arslan and Henri
Pharaon.

Pierre Gemayel, the founder of the Phalange Party, was
also included even if the choice was controversial because of the role
he played in the civil war. Other prominent figures, men like Rashid
Baydun, Hamid Franjieh and Salim Taklah, whose names most Lebanese
citizens are unfamiliar with, graced the postal issues in what may well
be a long-overdue civics lesson.

As Lebanon prepares to celebrate
its 73rd Independence anniversary on November 22, 2016, the
commemorative postage stamps was an occasion to assemble the families
and descendants of the 15 figures and, simultaneously, prepare for the
important date after a two-and-a-half year vacancy at the head of the
state. On Tuesday, Beirut will hold a military parade in the Downtown
area in the presence of newly elected President Michel Aoun.

By


Booth Moore – hollywoodreporter.com

When it comes to body-baring, dead-sexy and richly-embellished, Beirut
and Paris-based designer Zuhair Murad has a lock on the look.

He’s dressed nearly every star in the Hollywood galaxy for the red
carpet, most recently outfitting Jennifer Lopez in a semi-nude glittery
black jumpsuit for the Latin Grammy Awards, Beyonce in thousands of
flower-shaped crystals at the Country Music Awards, and Kristen Bell in a
fairytale floral print gown at the Emmys.  

While in Los Angeles this week for fittings, the designer hosted a
cocktail party at his penthouse suite at Sunset Tower for stylists (Jen
Rade, Joseph Cassell, Law Roach, Tanya Gill and more). He chatted with Pret-a-Reporter about his favorite red carpet moments, his personal style and his thoughts on the U.S. election.

Pret-a-Reporter: Tell me about the brooch you’re wearing! It’s amazing.

Zuhair Murad: It’s by Alexander McQueen. The suit is
by Saint Laurent. I’m always in black, so I have to play with
accessories. I make the most beautiful dresses in the world, but
sometimes I have to take care of myself!

Tom Perry and Suleiman Al-Khalidi, Reuters

BEIRUT/AMMAN (Reuters) – On the eve of Donald Trump’s election
victory, members of a Western-backed Syrian rebel group met U.S.
officials to ask about the outlook for arms shipments they have
received to fight President Bashar al-Assad.

They were told the program would continue until the end of the
year, but anything more would depend on the next U.S.
administration, a rebel official at the meeting said. When Trump
takes office in January, it may stop altogether. The president-elect has signaled opposition to U.S. support for
the rebels, and an overhaul of policy on Syria.

The military aid program overseen by the Central Intelligence
Agency has given arms and training to moderate rebels in
coordination with Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Jordan and others. It helped to support these rebels, fighting under the Free Syrian
Army banner, as jihadist groups linked to al Qaeda emerged as a
major force in a war approaching its sixth anniversary. U.S. officials declined to comment on any meetings with rebel
groups, and previously have not commented on the CIA program
given its covert nature.

But Trump has indicated he could abandon the rebels to focus on
fighting Islamic State which control territory in eastern and
central Syria. He might even cooperate against IS with Russia,
Assad’s most powerful ally, which has been bombing the rebels for
over a year in western Syria.

Assad, in an interview published on Tuesday, said Trump would be
a “natural ally” if he decides to “fight the terrorists”.

By  Alex Lockie

Under the landmark Iran nuclear deal, the international community
“calls upon” Iran to halt work on missiles that can be used to
deliver nuclear weapons for up to eight years. But there’s a glaring problem with this provision — Iran can
simply say it’s working on a conventional missile, not one
intended to carry a nuclear payload.

And that’s exactly what Iran has done since the early days of the
Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). Iran has repeatedly tested ballistic missiles that
it can easily convert to carry nuclear payloads.  While observers have argued that these tests go against the “spirit” of the agreement, the
language of the agreement fails to explicitly prohibit these
activities, and nothing indicates that Iran will stop testing
missiles. “Iran’s defense capabilities cannot be compromised and are under
no circumstance negotiable,” foreign ministry spokesman Bahram
Ghasemi told Iranian TV, according to the AFP. “Missile tests are
conducted within the framework of Iran’s defense policies.”

But President-elect Donald Trump has vowed repeatedly to
renegotiate the Iran deal, and according to Dr. Jonathan
Schanzer, a Middle East expert who is a vice president of
research at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, missile
testing could be on the table. “Trump has repeatedly slammed the deal as being a bad deal — the
assumption is that he’s going to do something,” Schanzer told
Business Insider, though he admits that given Trump’s ambiguity
on the subject it’s “extremely difficult” to anticipate how
negotiations would play out. 

“We haven’t heard specifics,” said Schanzer, but there are limits
to what a President Trump could do. “We can’t rip it up on day
one … the idea that you can do a 180 is unrealistic.”

Fan Changlong (L), Vice Chairman of China’s Central Military Commission, shakes hands with Lebanese President Michel Aoun during their meeting in Beirut, capital of Lebanon 2016. (Xinhua/Li Xiaowei) BEIRUT (Xinhua) — China is keen to develop all-round ties with Lebanon and expand military exchanges between the two armies, said Fan Changlong, Vice Chairman of China’s […]

By  Joseph Haboush from Daily Star Lebanon

By globalyoungvoices.com

Editor’s note: This article is
part of a new GYV series covering the evolution, scope of work and
challenges of youth startups founded by millennial entrepreneurs from
different countries around the world.

If
you woke up this morning wondering what in the world to wear today,
then you might seriously want to give this article (and app) a shot.

By Dennis Sadowski
Catholic News Service

BALTIMORE (CNS) — Maronite Bishop Gregory J. Mansour called on the
bishops of the United States to bring wider attention to the persecution
of Christians in the Middle East to their parishes and political
leaders. Addressing the fall general assembly of the U.S. Conference of
Catholic Bishops Nov. 15, the Maronite leader said he hoped that the new
four-year strategic plan adopted by the conference earlier in the day
would incorporate a robust advocacy for religious freedom in the rest of
the world.

“People do look to America and religious freedom is our greatest
freedom and we ought to be able to export it …The more we export it
throughout the world, the happier our world will be,” said Bishop
Mansour, who heads the Eparchy of St. Maron in Brooklyn, New York. While referring to the acts of kidnapping, torture and killings by
the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria, Bishop Mansour said that
attention must be given to attacks on the religious freedom of
Christians throughout the Middle East.

He encouraged the bishops to take several steps to “increase our
communion with our brothers and sisters there” including raising funds
for the humanitarian work of organizations such as Catholic Relief
Services, Aid to the Church in Need, the Catholic Near East Welfare
Association and the Knights of Columbus. He also said the U.S. church could play a major role in developing a
plan with Catholic bishops around the world to rebuild churches and
restore the livelihoods of Christians in the region.

A third suggestion revolved around the possibility of organizing a
program in which U.S. parishes match up with parishes to create bonds of
unity and solidarity. Such an effort, he said, could be extended to
Orthodox, Protestant and other Christian congregations. Bishop Mansour also called for advocacy with the U.S. Department of
State to boost aid for refugees and displaced people who do not find
their way to established camps but are taken in by individual families,
hospitals and churches.