By Rebecca McLaughlin-Duane

Lebanese street artist Yazan Halwani was surprised to receive a call from luxury watchmaker Tag Heuer six months ago, asking him to become a brand ambassador.

"I don’t normally wear watches but I’ve started now, of course," the 23-year-old says. "Naturally, I was very familiar with the brand and I’m glad that our collaboration has been an open one – bridging two worlds if you like – creating something relevant to both parties."

Tag Heuer commissioned Halwani to design a digital face for its Connected watch, which allows the wearer to upload a variety of designs via its touchscreen, in addition to thousands of lifestyle applications. Due to be launched Wednesday night, just in time for Eid Al Adha, the Arabic watch-face design will be available – via a dedicated Tag app – to customers who buy a Connected timepiece, the prices of which range from Dh5,550 to Dh37,000.

The unveiling will take place on Wednesday during a private VIP reception in Dubai, at the French restaurant Le Cantine du Faubourg, with Halwani in attendance.

By daily star Lebanon Victoria Yan

 BEIRUT: As summer comes to an end, the mass of tourists filling the bars and streets of Mar Mikhael slowly pack their bags and return home. Although the exact number tourists for July and August have yet to be calculated, Joumana Kebrit, director of the Research Department at the Tourism Ministry, estimated that some 664,000 tourists visited the country this summer. If accurate, the number would indicate a rebound from the dismal 2011-2013 period following the start of the Syria crisis that saw tourism to Lebanon plummet.

Her research concluded that Europe, other Arab countries and the United States rank as the top three sources of tourists for the country, but didn’t necessarily differentiate the large number of Lebanese expatriates or diaspora who return home on a foreign passport. There has also been a significant drop in the number of tourists from the Gulf in recent years as local travel restrictions discouraged many from visiting Lebanon.

Beirut’s popularity is not a new phenomenon. Lebanon has long held the image for Western visitors of Frank Sinatra and Marlon Brando lounging in Jbeil in the heady prewar days. Nonetheless, their numbers have been significantly increasing in in recent years. In July, top fashion magazine Vogue ran the story “4 Perfect Days in Beirut.” The article’s author Alison Beckner told The Daily Star that she’s seen a lot of interest in Beirut when traveling in Europe. “In Both Paris and Athens – the two cities I spend a good deal of my time lately – there is a strong interest in Beirut as a city and an appreciation for Lebanese culture. I think this goes for most of Europe, actually.”

Reuters

A blast on August 31st,  which killed one person in Lebanon last week targeted a convoy of cars belonging to the Hezbollah-allied Amal party, parliament speaker and Amal party head Nabih Berri told al Akhbar newspaper.