by Arab news - Najia Houssari -- BEIRUT: Total Energies, along with its partners Eni and QatarEnergy, on Tuesday launched exploration activities in Block 9 within Lebanon’s territorial waters. The companies are searching for commercial quantities of gas and oil that Lebanon is pinning its hopes on to revive its collapsing economy. The drilling is set to start on Aug. 24, as announced by Energy Minister Walid Fayad. Prime Minister Najib Mikati and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri visited the drilling platform Transocean Barents, accompanied by Fayad and Minister of Public Works and Transport Ali Hamieh, as well as Lebanese petroleum officials to attend a ceremony to announce the exploration. Platform 9 is located about 120 km from Beirut.

During the visit, Lebanese officials were briefed on preparations for the drilling. Berri and Mikati toured the drilling platform to oversee the logistics for the oil and gas exploration in Block 9 within Lebanon’s territorial waters. Berri said he hoped that “in a few months, God would bless Lebanon with a flow of his grace, marking the beginning of solving the economic crisis that Lebanon and its people are experiencing,” and that the Lebanese would reach a consensus on electing a president who would initiate a political solution. Mikati said he wished that “the upcoming days bring signs of good fortune to help Lebanon address the numerous crises it is facing, and that everyone cooperates in the upcoming phase to halt the deterioration we are witnessing on all fronts.”

by Maan Jalal -- the nationalnews.com -- Egyptian pop star Amr Diab performed his first concert in Beirut in 12 years on Saturday, which was attended by about 20,000 fans, Lebanese media reported. But the show at Beirut Waterfront Arena has triggered heated debate online, with some criticising the mess left by concertgoers and others questioning its timing, considering Lebanon's current economic turmoil.

On Sunday, Nasser Yassin, Lebanon's Minister of Environment, posted a video on X, formerly Twitter, showing the road leading to the venue littered with rubbish. He wrote that Beirut Municipality had been informed and asked to “oblige the organising company to remove the waste and clean the place at its own expense". “The Governor of Beirut must issue general cleanliness records against violators,” he added. Yassin's video shows the four-laned road littered with items including water bottles, cans and rubbish bags. He ended his tweet with a hashtag in Arabic that translates to “clean your country”. Yassin later posted an updated video, showing uniformed cleaners sweeping the street. “Garbage contractor workers in Beirut began to remove waste from the Amr Diab party venue,” he wrote, adding that the “General Hygiene Department in the Beirut Municipality is following up on the work”.

theadvocate.com -- It’s difficult to calculate just how many people of Lebanese descent live in Acadiana today, but the cultural impact of this population is apparent everywhere. Generations of Acadiana residents remember shopping at Abdalla’s, Brother’s on the Boulevard, or Boustany’s Department Store. Local institutions such as Evangeline Maid and Evangeline Downs were concerns of prominent Lafayette businessman Frem Boustany. And when you drive down Kaliste Saloom Road, visit the major retail and medical centers of South Lafayette, or eat at restaurants such as Tabouleh Lebanese Cuisine, you’re participating in slices of Acadiana life that only exist thanks to waves of immigration from the modern-day country of Lebanon.

The first families began arriving in South Louisiana in the 19th century, bringing names that are still well-known today — like Saloom. Other Lebanese family names include Boustany, Azar, John, Ashy, Antoine, Abdalla, Hannie, Mahtook, and Haik — a short list of dozens that have descendants in South Louisiana. The Salooms were some of the earliest arrivals from the region that was then a province of Syria. According to Lafayette City Judge Judge Doug Saloom, his great-uncle Racheed was the first Saloom in the area, after arriving in Ellis Island and working his way down from New York. “He was so exhausted when he got to New York, he fell asleep and he was robbed,” says Doug Saloom. “They took his passports, money, everything. He walked and hitched rides down to Louisiana.”

By Najia Houssari -- Arabnews.com -- BEIRUT: Small portable alarms named in memory of a young British Embassy worker raped and murdered in Lebanon in 2017 have been distributed on Beirut Corniche as part of a campaign to protect women and girls from violence. Known as Becky’s Button, the lightweight devices were handed out by the Becky’s Button Association on Saturday, with volunteers explaining how the alarms can offer protection from sexual harassment or assault. When activated, the alarm emits an ear-piercing signal that can frighten off attackers and alert anyone nearby, offering wearers a few seconds in which to escape. We all know what happened to Becky. The news was shocking at the time and women in Lebanon are still living with the repercussions. The alarm is named after Rebecca Dykes, the 30-year-old British Embassy worker raped and strangled to death in 2017 by a taxi driver. Dykes’ killer, Tariq Samir Huweisheh, was sentenced to death by a criminal court in Mount Lebanon.

On Saturday, volunteers wearing T-shirts bearing the words “Press, Run and Report” explained the benefits of the device and how it could protect women exposed to any kind of danger. A British Embassy official joined the volunteers as the alarms were handed out to women passers-by. Female officers and members of the Lebanese Internal Security Forces were also present. Becky’s Button can be placed under clothing or attached to a bag. Becky’s mother, Jane, who has been donating the alarm to vulnerable women, believes her daughter’s life might have been saved if she had such a device. The alarm is provided to women after an interview at the Ahla Fawda NGO, a community organization. “Stocks are currently limited, but they can be requested via social media,” an association activist said.