Story by insider@insider.com (Alex Katsomitros) -- Since its 2020 debut, the Netflix show "Emily in Paris" has prompted many Americans to fantasize about moving to Paris, pushing an age-old image of the city as the most romantic place on earth. Its plot plays on stereotypes, as Emily, a bubbly, hopelessly naive Chicagoan, wins over the rude but charming Parisians at her office and in her personal life. The show, whose third season premiered Wednesday, is meant to be "a lighthearted romantic comedy," its creator, Darren Star, told The Hollywood Reporter in 2021, poking fun at "clichés that everyone has experienced at one time or another, both from the American point of view and the French point of view." But even with the acknowledgment that life isn't a rom-com, many young American women who've moved to Paris have discovered that the real McCoy — or macaron — is much more complicated than it looks on Netflix. "Real life is taking the metro and seeing rats at night.

It's harder than TV," says Kiana Tiese, 29, a New Yorker who's been living in Paris since 2017. In her TikTok videos, Tiese shows her followers how actual life in the City of Light compares with Emily's escapades. "Being an expat is about how much you grow as a person. Emily doesn't jump into French culture," Tiese says. "Many Americans expect people to adapt to them. Once you are an expat and not just a visitor, it's different."

Work-life balance in France is better, expats say — but Emily's social-media savvy isn't unique

By AFP -- Private Sean Rooney, 23, was killed and three others injured on December 14 when their UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) vehicle was attacked near the village of Al-Aqbiya in Lebanon's south. The area is a stronghold of powerful Iran-backed armed group Hezbollah. One of the injured was medevaced home to Ireland on Wednesday for further treatment. "The investigation has been able to identify suspects but so far none has been arrested and the security services are still looking for them," said the judicial official who could not be further identified. The UN patrol "was the target of gunfire from at least two people" when it arrived in Al-Aqbiya, according to the same source. Citing preliminary findings, the source said the incident "was premeditated and the patrol was surveilled and followed by a car carrying armed men".

UNIFIL acts as a buffer between Lebanon and Israel, neighbours which remain technically at war. The force operates near the southern border. Wafic Safa, Hezbollah's security chief, has said the killing was "unintentional". Witnesses said villagers in the Al-Aqbiya area blocked Rooney's vehicle after it took a road along the Mediterranean coast not normally used by UNIFIL. Al-Aqbiya is just outside UNIFIL's area of operations, the force said.

By MICHAEL YOUNG thenationalnews.com -- -- Lebanon has been without a president since the end of October, when Michel Aoun’s term ended. Since then, the political forces in the country have failed to reach a consensus on a successor. This is necessary, since parliament elects presidents in Lebanon, and what emerged from the elections in May is effectively a hung parliament. Broadly speaking, there are two major parliamentary alignments. One is led by Hezbollah, and includes the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM), led by Gebran Bassil, Mr Aoun’s son-in-law, and speaker of parliament Nabih Berri’s bloc. The other alignment, which tends to oppose Hezbollah, despite notable exceptions, that includes the mainly Christian Lebanese Forces Party, the Kataeb Party, the bloc led by Druze leader Walid Jumblatt, and a number of Sunni parliamentarians close to former prime minister Saad Hariri. A much more amorphous bloc of independents fluctuates between the two. Parliament has held almost a dozen electoral sessions since October, to no avail, as the search for a successor to Mr Aoun seems frozen. Yet that assessment may not be so accurate. Behind the scenes a search is going on for a new president, one who would benefit from a consensus inside Lebanon, but who would also build trust regionally and internationally.

One of the countries engaged in this effort, according to analysts and diplomats in Beirut, is Qatar, which, with France, has been trying to build Arab backing for a candidate. The Qataris have reportedly told their interlocutors that their preference is for the election of the army commander, Joseph Aoun. Proof of Qatari interest came recently, when they invited Mr Aoun to Doha, before hosting another presidential hopeful, Mr Bassil. While the commander discussed military issues with the Qataris, there was little doubt that his visit was tied to the presidency. Mr Bassil’s trip, in turn, could have been aimed at facilitating his approval of a Joseph Aoun presidency, although at this stage much remains unclear. There are several hoops Aoun will have to go through before there is a concurrence of views around his candidacy Qatar’s role is hardly fortuitous. In 2008, the Qataris were instrumental in negotiating a compromise among Lebanese political factions after armed clashes in and around Beirut. At the time, this compromise, known as the Doha Agreement, involved paving the way for the election of then army commander Michel Suleiman as president and giving Hezbollah and its allies veto power in the cabinet, which they had demanded. That explains why Qatar has maintained the trust of Hezbollah, and why the party will take seriously any deal on the presidency proposed by the Qataris. At the same time, Qatar is seen as instrumental in persuading the Saudis of any agreement reached in Lebanon.

This led one Arab diplomat, cited by a Lebanese newspaper, to speak about Joseph Aoun’s invitation to the emirate: “This invitation, with this timing, is undoubtedly a political message that aims to say that General Aoun’s candidacy for the presidency benefits from Qatar’s support, but also that of France, the United States, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia.” However, those remarks may be slightly ahead of the curve. If we assume the initiative to promote the army commander is serious, and all the signs are that it is, there are several hoops he will have to go through before there is a concurrence of views around his candidacy. And for the time being, nothing indicates we have reached that stage yet.

By David Tusing -- thenationalnews.com -- At the 71st Miss Universe pageant in January, not only will a winner be announced, but she will get to wear a new crown, crafted by Lebanese jewellery brand Mouawad. The crown, called Force for Good, was unveiled at a glitzy event in Bangkok on Monday by Fred Mouawad, the "co-guardian" of the Beirut-founded brand, as well as the Miss Universe Organisation's new Thai owner Anne Jakkaphong Jakrajutatip. Former Miss Universe title holders Natalie Glebova (2005) from Canada and Thailand's Apasra Hongsakula (1965), also attended the event. "The Force for Good crown is a work of extraordinary craftsmanship. It's a crown filled with symbolism. And we hope it will inspire not only the winners, but all of you to be a force for good," Mouawad said at the presentation, adding that the crown represents "a future forged by women who push the limits of what's possible".

Embedded with 110 carats of blue sapphires and 48 carats of white diamonds, the Force for Good crown features wave-like curls at the base, that emulates a serpent's head, "symbolising the challenges involved in swaying opponents," a description by Mouawad reads. The colour gradiant of the predominantly white diamond base then changes to the blue of sapphires towards the top where a blue pear-shaped sapphire sits at the pinnacle, representing hope for a brighter future.

Founded in 1908 in Beirut and now with its headquarters in Geneva, Mouawad has been crafting one-of-a-kind pieces for royal families as well as the wealthy for four generations. It became the official jeweller for Miss Universe in 2019 when it crafted the crown for the winner of the title, South Africa's Zozibini Tunzi. Called The Power of Unity, the crown, estimated to be between $4 million and $5 million, has been passed on to successive winners. Miss Universe 2021, India's Harnaaz Sandhu will be the last one to wear it. "We thought, 'What can we do that's in line with our heritage, something majestic that would have a very wide exposure?'," Mouawad told The National in a previous interview, referring to how his company's relationship with the Miss Universe Organisation began. "And we thought of Miss Universe, because we are, after all, jewellers to royalty. So why don't we use our know-how to also create a crown for the most beautiful women in the world?" Estimated to be worth $5.5 million, the Force for Good crown comes amid a host of changes at the 70-year-old Miss Universe competition.