Lebanese seek to save landmark concrete park

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by Gulfnews AFP -- Tripoli, Lebanon - Close to the seafront in Lebanon’s Tripoli, giant curves of concrete stand testimony to dreams before the civil war, etchings of an exhibition park never finished but already cracking. This month, a rare exhibition is being held at the site designed by legendary Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer in a desperate call to save it from ruin. Inside the vast grey grounds of the Tripoli International Fair in northern Lebanon, a palm tree throws its dark silhouette onto a giant concrete dome. A thin arch sweeps high over a narrow footbridge, and a steep staircase spirals up vertically, onto a circular cement platform perched on a curvaceous pillar. “It’s a futurist paradigm that is unique in Lebanon and the region,” said Lebanese architect Wassim Naghi. “In its modernity, in its reliance on curves, it sums up the progress of architecture over a hundred years,” he said. And with buildings dotted over an area the size of 70 rugby pitches, it’s among “Niemeyer’s largest works outside Brazil”, he said.

The Brazilian architect designed landmarks around the globe during a decades-long career that started in the 1930s and ended in the 21st century. When he died six years ago aged 104, he left behind hundreds of buildings, in Brazil as well as in the United States, France, Malaysia, Algeria and Cuba. But today his work in Lebanon is in urgent need of restoration. “These buildings of reinforced concrete need to be restored rapidly. There are buildings being eaten away at, blocks falling down, and many cracks,” Naghi warned. “We fear there will be unpleasant surprises, especially during the rainy season,” he said. Until October 23, a show titled “Cycles of Collapsing Progress” seeks to celebrate the era that gave rise to the fairground, but also sound the alarm. In the halls under the perched platform, visitors can admire a seabed of snaking rebar, or even an elongated white space rocket hanging from the cieling.

The show “documents a golden age in Lebanon’s modern history - the architectural, scientific and cultural dreams of the time”, said curator Karina Al Helu. During the 1960s, the tiny Mediterranean country had its own space programme, successfully launching a small unmanned rocket into space. When Niemeyer was first asked to design the outdoor space in 1962, there were plans for the rooms under the circular platform to house a space museum. But dreams of outer-space exploration, and any museum to commemorate it, were indefinitely put on hold with the outbreak of the 1975-1990 civil war. The exhibition aims to remind Lebanese visitors of this chapter of the country’s recent past, Al Helu said, but also shine a light on a landmark about to collapse. In a country whose history goes back millennia to the Phoenician period, she urged the authorities to give equal attention to modern architecture. “It’s great to restore buildings that show Lebanon’s ancient history, but we should also care about the landmarks of this country’s modern history,” she said. Architect Naghi said he was not optimistic about any immediate intervention by the government. “The current atmosphere of crisis in the country doesn’t bode well,” he said, referring to a months-long deadlock over forming a cabinet.

Any renovation should involve in-depth studies and specialised companies, he said, “and that would require a lot of money, as well as a government decision”. Instead, Naghi and others hope that the site can be added to Unesco’s World Heritage List. Brazil’s capital Brasilia and an outdoor centre in the south of the country, both of which were designed by Niemeyer, are already featured on it. Sahar Baassiri, Lebanon’s delegate to Unesco, said efforts were now being made towards adding the concrete park to the list’s contemporary architecture section. Akram Oueida, president of the fairground, said Lebanese officials have made promises of assistance, but none have yet materialised. Getting the concrete park listed by Unesco may help, Oueida said: “That could open the door to funding from donors.”

How is the UK helping to accelerate Lebanese tech startups?

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By Euronews  -- The UK Lebanon Tech Hub (UKLTH) is an international programme supporting the growth of Lebanon’s knowledge economy. In recent years, the initiative has helped more than 80 Lebanese startups, raising more than US$ 60 million. It allows surgeons like Nadine Hachach-Haram to help operate in a patient in Beirut, or anywhere else in the world, while she’s in London. Her start-up is supported by the tech hub and combines surgery to augmented reality, enabling doctors to “scrub in” virtually and take a part in procedures at a distance. “For example, a couple of months ago, we had a difficult abdominal wall reconstruction case between the American University of Beirut and there were some experts from here as well, at [London’s] St Thomas Hospital, who were interacting through that case,” she explains. “It’s important to point out these were both leading surgeons on each side, but it was really a great way for them to share their expertise and share different approaches to managing such a difficult case.”

Companies in the retail market are also getting a kick start from this partnership between Britain and Lebanon. Slidr, an algorithm-based website designed to drive down prices of tech gadgets, was originally created in Lebanon, but has now made London its home. “The idea came up in Lebanon when my partners were thinking how they could use the power of the crowd and they had a fascination with the e-commerce,” says partner Talal Cheaib. “The e-commerce market in the UK is over 100 billion dollars and the mobile penetration is growing 19 percent per year, so it was a natural choice.” Bassam Jalgha, co-Founder of Band Industries, a Beirut-based start-up making its mark in the music market with gadgets that auto-tune guitars is also part of the hub. He believes breaking into markets beyond Lebanon is daunting but tools to help start-ups are increasingly there to help this happen. “From one side, it’s quite hard for a start-up to grow to a new market, they need to understand the regulations, laws and also to understand the industry and how it operates in every local market,” Jalgha says “But, from the other hand, now in our modern times, there are many tools and many companies, even like law firms, that understand start-ups better.” Thousands of kilometres apart, London and Beirut are becoming closer when it comes to tech, helping the smart brains of a generation to bring the innovations of tomorrow to global markets.

Scandal Over Dead Journalist Jolts Heir to Saudi Throne

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By Summer Said, Margherita Stancati and Justin Scheck -- wsj --- Saudi Arabia’s elderly king sent a strong signal this weekend that his handpicked heir, 33-year-old Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, remains in good standing despite the gruesome killing of a prominent government critic that many at home and abroad suspect he set in motion. Yet the events of the past few weeks have sharpened differences between the prince and royal family members who were beginning to question his judgment and temperament. And there is no sign that the global backlash over the killing will abate soon, testing Saudi Arabia’s modernization of its economy and its relationship with its most important ally, the U.S. On Saturday, King Salman granted Prince Mohammed new powers over the country’s intelligence bodies, to pair with his sweeping authority over Saudi Arabia’s economy and defense. That same day, the Saudi attorney general effectively exonerated the crown prince, blaming the death of journalist Jamal Khashoggi on “a brawl and physical altercation” in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. Speaking after a political rally in Nevada on Saturday, Mr. Trump told reporters he wasn’t satisfied with the initial results of the Saudi investigation. “I’m not satisfied until we find the answer,” Mr. Trump said, adding that he would consider sanctions, but not on military sales. He added that “it’s possible” the crown prince didn’t know about the killing, and that he was still looking to speak with him. People in Prince Mohammed’s camp say his power internally remains largely unchecked, and there is no indication the Saudi monarch is preparing to remove his son. The prospect of a family member pushing him aside is negligible, advisers say, largely because Prince Mohammed has solidified his power base by removing potential rivals.

In the kingdom itself, a number of Saudi royals have tried to reach out to King Salman to discuss the crisis, but have been blocked by associates of the crown prince, said two members of the royal family. They have been secretly meeting in small groups to discuss the issue, they said. Among other things, some of these people are challenging the official version of what happened to Mr. Khashoggi. Prince Khalid al Faisal, an envoy of King Salman who was dispatched to Ankara earlier this month, had access to a short audio recording that offers evidence that Mr. Khashoggi was drugged, killed and dismembered minutes after walking into the consulate, these two members say. “The audio does not have this nonsense about a fight that broke after an argument,” said one royal member. “This is not what Khalid told the king and his friends. This is absolutely rubbish.” Spokespeople for the Saudi government didn’t respond to requests for comment Saturday. Several people close to the royal court say Prince Mohammed had long wanted Mr. Khashoggi to return to the kingdom, a task he entrusted to some of his closest aides. These people say they believe the young prince ordered the operation targeting Mr. Khashoggi, but that it was unlikely he specifically ordered the journalist killed. The Saudi government has so far detained 18 people in connection to the death pending the final results of a continuing investigation. Two senior officials, both close aides of Prince Mohammed, have lost their jobs.

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Saudi King Salman Checks Crown Prince’s Power As Jamal Khashoggi Crisis Grows

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huffingtonpost.com -- DUBAI,  (Reuters) - So grave is the fallout from the disappearance of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi that King Salman has felt compelled to intervene, five sources with links to the Saudi royal family said. Last Thursday, Oct. 11, the king dispatched his most trusted aide, Prince Khaled al-Faisal, governor of Mecca, to Istanbul to try to defuse the crisis. World leaders were demanding an explanation and concern was growing in parts of the royal court that the king’s son Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, to whom he has delegated vast powers, was struggling to contain the fallout, the sources said.

During Prince Khaled’s visit, Turkey and Saudi Arabia agreed to form a joint working group to investigate Khashoggi’s disappearance. The king subsequently ordered the Saudi public prosecutor to open an inquiry based on its findings. “The selection of Khaled, a senior royal with high status, is telling as he is the king’s personal adviser, his right hand man and has had very strong ties and a friendship with (Turkish President) Erdogan,” said a Saudi source with links to government circles. Since the meeting between Prince Khaled and Erdogan, King Salman has been “asserting himself” in managing the affair, according to a different source, a Saudi businessman who lives abroad but is close to royal circles. Saudi officials did not immediately respond to Reuters questions about the king’s involvement in helping to supervise the crisis. A spokesman for Prince Khaled referred Reuters to government representatives in Riyadh. Khashoggi, a U.S. resident and leading critic of Prince Mohammed, vanished after entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on Oct. 2. Turkish officials say they believe the Saudi journalist was murdered there and his body removed, allegations which Saudi Arabia has strongly denied. Initially the king, who has handed the day-to-day running of Saudi Arabia to his son, commonly known as MbS, was unaware of the extent of the crisis, according to two of the sources with knowledge of the Saudi royal court. That was partly because MbS aides had been directing the king to glowing news about the country on Saudi TV channels, the sources said. That changed as the crisis grew. “Even if MbS wanted to keep this away from the king he couldn’t because the story about Khashoggi’s disappearance was on all the Arab and Saudi TV channels watched by the king,” one of the five sources said. “The king started asking aides and MbS about it. MbS had to tell him and asked him to intervene when Khashoggi’s case became a global crisis,” this source said. Since he acceded to the throne in January 2015, the king has given MbS, his favorite son, increasing authority to run Saudi Arabia. But the king’s latest intervention reflects growing disquiet among some members of the royal court about MbS’s fitness to govern, the five sources said.

MbS, 33, has implemented a series of high-profile social and economic reforms since his father’s accession, including ending a ban on women driving and opening cinemas in the conservative kingdom. But he has also marginalized senior members of the royal family and consolidated control over Saudi’s security and intelligence agencies. His reforms have been accompanied by a crackdown on dissent, a purge of top royals and businessmen on corruption charges, and a costly war in Yemen. Khashoggi’s disappearance has further tarnished the crown prince’s reputation, deepening questions among Western allies and some Saudis about his leadership. “Even if he is his favorite son, the king needs to have a comprehensive view for his survival and the survival of the royal family,” said a fourth Saudi source with links to the royal court. “In the end it will snowball on all of them.” Saudi officials did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment.

MISCALCULATION: Saudi Arabia has repeatedly denied any role in Khashoggi’s disappearance. But the sources familiar with the royal court said the reaction from the United States, an ally for decades, had contributed to the king’s intervention. “When the situation got out of control and there was an uproar in the United States, MbS informed his father that there was a problem and that they have to face it,” another source with knowledge of the royal court said. The crown prince and his aides had initially thought the crisis would pass but they “miscalculated its repercussions,” this source said. Turkish officials have made clear they believe Khashoggi was killed inside the consulate, and two Turkish sources have told Reuters police have audio recordings to back up that assertion. U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham, a Republican close to President Donald Trump, on Tuesday accused MbS of ordering Khashoggi’s murder and called him a “wrecking ball” who is jeopardizing relations with the United States. He did not say what evidence he was basing the allegation on. Trump said on Thursday he presumed Khashoggi was dead but that he still wanted to get to the bottom of what exactly happened. Asked what would be the consequences for Saudi Arabia, Trump said: “Well, it’ll have to be very severe. I mean, it’s bad, bad stuff. But we’ll see what happens.”

Trump has previously said “rogue killers” may have been responsible and has ruled out canceling arms deals worth tens of billions of dollars. On Tuesday, Trump said he had spoken with MbS and that the crown prince told him he did not know what had happened in the consulate whereKhashoggi went missing. The case poses a dilemma for the United States, as well as Britain and other Western nations. Saudi Arabia is the world’s top oil exporter, spends lavishly on Western arms and is an ally in efforts to contain the influence of Iran. But in a sign of the damage, a succession of international banking and business chiefs, including IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde, JP Morgan Chief Executive Jamie Dimon and Ford Chairman Bill Ford, have pulled out of a high-profile investment conference in Saudi Arabia this month. U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin on Thursday also abandoned plans to attend, as did Britain’s trade minister and the French and Dutch finance ministers, putting the event in question. Saudi officials have said they plan to move forward with the conference, scheduled for Oct. 23-25, despite the wave of cancellations. Neither JP Morgan nor Ford would elaborate on the reasons for the decision not to attend and did not comment on whether concerns about the disappearance of Khashoggi were a factor. Lagarde had previously said she was “horrified” by media reports about Khashoggi’s disappearance. An IMF spokesperson did not give a reason for her deferring her trip to the Middle East.

TAKING CONTROL: Before the king’s intervention, Saudi authorities had been striking a defiant tone, threatening on Sunday to retaliate with greater action against the U.S. and others if sanctions are imposed over Khashoggi’s disappearance. A Saudi-owned media outlet warned the result would be disruption in Saudi oil production and a sharp rise in world oil prices. “Reaction and threats to the possible sanctions of the last 24 hours were still (coming) from the crown prince,” the businessman close to royal circles said on Monday. “The king is now holding the file personally ... and the tone is very different.” The king has spoken directly with Erdogan and Trump in recent days. Both the king and his son met U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo when he visited Riyadh on Tuesday. King Salman, 82, spent decades as part of the inner circle of the Al Saud dynasty, which long ruled by consensus. In four decades as governor of Riyadh, he earned a reputation as a royal enforcer who punished princes who were out of line. Whether he is willing or able to resume that role in this crisis remains unclear, palace insiders say. One source with links to the royal court said the king was “captivated” by MbS and ultimately would protect him. Still, there is precedent for the king’s intervention. He stepped in this year to shelve the planned listing of national oil company Saudi Aramco, the brainchild of MbS and a cornerstone of his economic reforms, three sources with ties to government insiders told Reuters in August. Saudi officials have said the government remains committed to the plans. And when MbS gave the impression last year that Riyadh endorsed the Trump administration’s still nebulous Middle East peace plan, including U.S. recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, the king made a public correction, reaffirming Riyadh’s commitment to the Arab and Muslim identity of the city. Despite these rare instances of pushback, several of the sources close to the royal family said that King Salman had grown increasingly detached from decisions taken by MbS. “He has been living in an artificially-created bubble,” said one of the sources. Lately, though, the king’s advisers have grown frustrated and begun warning him of the risks of leaving the crown prince’s power unchecked. “The people around him are starting to tell him to wake up to what’s happening,” the source said. (Reporting by Reuters correspondents; Editing by Nick Tattersall)

Lebanese virtual assistant to help diabetics has big plans to go global

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by arabnews.com -- LONDON: A Lebanese startup has bagged a $100,000 prize for inventing a smartphone app to help diabetics to manage blood sugar levels. The “Spike” virtual assistant monitors a patient’s daily behavior, giving timely reminders and tips about insulin and food. It won the GITEX Future Stars competition on the final day of the annual technology gathering in Dubai this week which saw 24 startups from around the world battle it out for the top prize. The app can store the patient’s data for further analysis. Ziad Alame, the 25-year-old founder of Spike, said: “I was very stressed before my pitch as the competition was tough, but I am so happy I made it as the winner. “With the prize money we will invest heavily in advertising, growing the business, making it more solid. We’ll also look at partnerships. Our plan is to go global.” In the Middle East and North Africa in 2017 38.7 million 20 to 79-year-olds were living with diabetes, according to the International Diabetes Federation. Close to half — 49.1 percent — of these cases were undiagnosed. Other category winners at the tech show included “Labyah” from Saudi Arabia, which won the best social impact startup award. It aims to make therapy easier by connecting individuals with psychologists via an app that allows callers to remain anonymous. The best youth startup award was won by Oliv from the UAE, an intern recruitment portal that helps university students and recent graduates in the UAE find internships, part-time jobs and graduate jobs.

Khashoggi Disappearance Tests Ties Between Jared Kushner And Saudi Crown Prince

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by NPR -Ayesha Rascoe - Entering the White House as a foreign policy novice, Jared Kushner has leaned on his personal rapport with foreign government leaders to help push the Trump administration's goals. Before joining the White House, Kushner was a real estate investor in New York City, where personal relationships can help cement deals. But that approach is now being put to the test in light of the disappearance of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who was last seen entering the Saudi Consulate in Turkey more than two weeks ago. Kushner, President Trump's son-in-law and a senior White House adviser, fostered a close relationship with Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as a part of his bid to help broker a Middle East peace deal. Mohammed and Kushner held their first White House meeting in March 2017. Since then they have met face to face at least four more times and have reportedly forged a close bond. Both men are in their 30s and hold powerful positions with family ties. In a rare public address earlier this year, Kushner listed Saudi Arabia as one of the Middle Eastern countries pursuing reform. "From Israel to Jordan to Egypt to Saudi Arabia and beyond, many leaders are fighting to modernize their countries and create better lives for their people," Kushner said in May at an event celebrating the opening of the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem. "In confronting common threats and in pursuit of common interests, previously unimaginable opportunities and alliances are emerging." In a recently released book by CBS correspondent Major Garrett, Kushner is quoted speaking admiringly of Mohammed: "He's taking on big, bold objectives. We have to give him the space to try to accomplish it."

Forming personal bonds with heads of state is important when conducting diplomacy, said John Simon, who served as U.S. ambassador to the African Union under George W. Bush. "There's a lot of situations where governments have to ask their allies to trust them on certain things. When you have a close personal relationship, that's a much easier discussion," Simon said. A few days after Khashoggi disappeared, Kushner, along with national security adviser John Bolton, spoke with Mohammed about the journalist. According to the White House, Kushner and Bolton urged the Saudi government to carry out a transparent investigation into Khashoggi's whereabouts. With Khashoggi's fate not officially confirmed, some critics have raised concerns that Mohammed may have manipulated Kushner.

"The Saudis have used their privileged relationship with Kushner to gain greater freedom of movement on issues that are important to them," said Brett Bruen, who served as director of global engagement in the Obama White House. "Where have we been able to achieve inroads when it comes to Saudi diplomacy? There's very little that Jared Kushner has achieved in the almost two years of working on this." Bruen said he is concerned that foreign officials will ingratiate themselves with Kushner, take advantage of his inexperience and use him as a back channel to get to Trump. The White House forcefully pushed back on Bruen's assertions. White House spokesman Hogan Gidley says Kushner has done an excellent job working with White House officials on international relations, addressing issues that went unsolved by prior administrations. "President Trump has filled his administration with talented people from diverse professional backgrounds who — under his leadership — have helped repair, revitalize and develop relationships with world leaders," Gidley said.

There have been reports of possible discussions about investments between Saudis and Kushner's real estate businesses, raising the specter of potential conflicts of interest for Kushner. Bloomberg News reported in May that a real estate technology company partly owned by Kushner was in talks for $100 million from a private fund backed by the government of Saudi Arabia. That deal fell through, and the company's chief executive told Bloomberg News that Kushner is not involved in the company's operations. It is unclear what happens next with Kushner and Mohammed, who has denied any knowledge of Khashoggi's disappearance. Trump has said there will be "severe" consequences for Saudi Arabia if it is determined they were involved, but he has not said what those consequences might be. One step he has said he does not plan to take is blocking U.S. arms sales to the kingdom.