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Tiffany Trump’s wedding assembles a family divided over its patriarch’s political future

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CNN — By Kate Bennett -- After three days on hurricane watch, Tiffany Trump breathed a sigh of relief. The weather in Palm Beach, Florida, was finally easing and the forecast for Saturday, her wedding day, looked sunny and warm. Two people familiar with the bride-to-be’s mood tell CNN that Donald Trump’s younger daughter, his only child with second wife Marla Maples, had been “stressed” about the late-season storm and what it might mean for her Mar-a-Lago celebration with 25-year-old Michael Boulos, her boyfriend of four years. But even though Tropical Storm Nicole is moving on, the Trumps may still be in for some tumult over the weekend. They’re gathering as their patriarch makes moves toward a 2024 presidential run, a prospect not everyone in the family is excited about. Some of them are signaling they don’t want to be involved much, if at all, sources close to the family tell CNN.

Three people familiar with the former president’s activities say he is not in the best of spirits. Many of the high-profile candidates he endorsed in the midterms failed to secure a win, and now some Republicans are whispering about his dwindling influence over the party. Trump is “cranky,” says one of the people. At present, say those who are familiar, Trump is more focused on his “special announcement” on Tuesday, when he may – or may not – announce his planned third run for the presidency. His mind is consumed with the 2024 political landscape and where and how he will fit into it. But first he has to get through one other job: Father of the bride.

Trump typically likes being the center of attention at his private club, which also serves as his home, but only if he’s being congratulated or in the mood for accolades. The run-up to Tiffany’s big day has been rough and, as the skies clear and her guests descend on Mar-a-Lago, sources say the former president is lying low. Two of the people familiar with Trump’s mood say he has also been on the outs with his wife, Melania Trump, after a post-election day news report said she got the brunt of his ire after Dr. Mehmet Oz’s loss in his run for the US Senate. The New York Times reported that Donald Trump blamed Melania Trump for his endorsement of the TV doctor; during a rally this year, he mentioned his wife was a big Oz fan.

Egypt: Lebanese pop star Elissa faces barrage of abuse for supporting Alaa Abd el-Fattah

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by middleeasteye.net -- Lebanese pop star Elissa is being targeted by Egyptian social media users for retweeting a post earlier this week in support of imprisoned British-Egyptian activist Alaa Abd el-Fattah. She later deleted the tweet. Abd el-Fattah was a leading figure in the 2011 Egyptian revolution and has spent eight of the past 10 years in jail on various charges. He was sentenced to five years in prison for "spreading false news" in December 2019, in a trial widely condemned by human rights defenders. Following a seven-month hunger strike, during which he only consumed 100 calories per day, Abd el-Fattah stopped drinking water on Sunday to coincide with the opening of the United Nations Cop 27 climate summit in Sharm el-Sheikh. Elissa came under fire for retweeting a post by a Lebanese journalist calling for a protest in front of the British embassy in Beirut in solidarity with the activist. The post angered pro-government Egyptians on social media, who launched an Arabic hashtag which translates as "Elissa you are not welcome in Egypt".

The Lebanese singer subsequently deleted her post and replaced it with a tweet praising Egypt for hosting the climate summit, and calling it her "second country". The attacks on Elissa continued, however, with some calling on fans to boycott her concert in Egypt later this month. Many social media users also criticised her for "interfering" with Egyptian affairs, saying the pop star should instead be "looking at the disasters in her own country". Lebanon has been going through a cataclysmic financial meltdown that has paralysed the country for the past three years and pushed more than 80 percent of the population into poverty. "Instead of interfering, stand in solidarity with your own people who have nothing to eat. The aid fleet that [President Abdel Fattah] el-Sisi sent to Lebanon was wasted [on you]," one Egyptian tweeted.

Lebanon fails to elect president for the 5th time

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by Xinhua & Naharnet - BEIRUT: Lebanon’s parliament failed to elect a president for the 5th time on Thursday, bringing the country closer to institutional deadlock amid a deep financial crisis. President Michel Aoun’s term ended on Oct. 31, leaving behind a political vacuum and divisions among political blocs over the makeup of a new cabinet. The voting session, which 108 deputies attended out of 128, resulted in 44 votes for parliament member Michel Mouawad, six votes for University professor Issam Khalife, one vote for former Interior Minister Ziad Baroud, and one vote for former Secretary General of Lebanon's High Council for Privatization Ziad Hayek, as well as 47 blank votes, and scattered votes for political slogans.

Hezbollah rejects the candidacy of Mouawad, who is seen as close to the United States, and calls for a "compromise candidate" to be found. "Neither camp can impose a candidate, a compromise must be found and an understanding reached on a candidate acceptable to everyone," deputy speaker Elias Bou Saab told AFP in an interview on Tuesday.

A second round was cancelled due to lack of quorum, after some MPs left the session before the second round as they did in the past four sessions. Former candidate for World Bank chief Ziad Hayek garnered one vote in the first round and seven MPS voted "The New Lebanon". One MP voted "For Lebanon" and MP Michel Douaihy, who had announced last month his withdrawal from the Change bloc, voted "Plan B". Change MPs demanded an open session until the election of a President. "The chamber must be locked, and the Lebanese must rally outside Parliament until a President is elected," Change MP Elias Jradeh said. MP Melhem Khalaf said during and after the session that the constitution says that Parliament must stay convened until a president is elected. So did Kataeb chief MP Sami Gemayel. Both called for an open session even if it lasts for days, citing the Article 49 of the constitution.

Minister Sejaan Azzi: انقسامُ الأممِ يُنشِئُ حروبًا لا أممًا

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سجعان قزي

@AzziSejean

يَترُك لبنانُ، الذي لم يَعُد يَجدُ حلًّا لأيِّ مشكلةٍ صغيرةٍ أو كبيرة، انطباعًا أنَّ حلَّ قضيَّتِه هو بـــــ"حَلِّ البلد"، أو بانتصارِ فريقٍ على فريقٍ آخَر. لكن هذا الأمرَ مُستَهجَنٌ ميثاقــيًّا حتّى لو توفَّرت ظروفُه سياسيًّا وعسكريًّا مع تطوّرِ موازينِ القِوى وانقلابٍ في المحاورِ الإقليميّةِ والدُوَليّة. غيرَ أنَّ مفاعيلَ انتصارِ أيِّ فريقٍ في لبنان لا يَعني تطبيقَ مشروعِ المنتصِر، ولا يُلزِمُ طويلًا الفريقَ الآخَر المنهزِمَ لأنَّ الانتصاراتِ بين أبناءِ الوطنِ تتلاشى تدريجًا بفعلِ سوءِ التطبيقِ (اتّفاقُ الطائف مثلًا) والأحداثِ اليوميّةِ والاستحقاقاتِ الدستوريّة، ولأنَّ كلَّ فريقٍ في لبنان هو مُكوِّنٌ لبنانيٌّ أصيلٌ لا تليقُ الشراكةُ الوطنيّةُ معه في ظلِّ معادلاتِ الانتصارِ والهزيمة. لكنْ، ومنذ استعادةِ دولةِ لبنانَ الكبير، غالبًا ما حَصل غَالِبٌ ومغلوبٌ ومنتصِرٌ ومهزومٌ في معظمِ المنعطفاتِ الأساسيّة:

إعلانُ دولةِ لبنانَ الكبير 1920. انتزاعُ الاستقلالِ 1943. "ثورةُ" 1958. انتهاءُ حربِ السنتين 1976. حربُ المئةِ يوم 1978. تحطيمُ الآلةِ العسكريّة الفِلسطينيّةِ واليساريّةِ، وانتصارُ المقاومةِ اللبنانيّةِ بقيادة بشير الجميّل 1982. التراجعُ عن اتفاقِ 17 أيار مع إسرائيل، وانتصارُ الحزبِ الجنبلاطيِّ وحلفائِه في حربِ الشوف 1983. سقوطُ بيروت الغربيّةِ والضاحيةِ الجنوبيّةِ 1984. تَشبّثُ الجنرالِ ميشال عون بالسلطةِ، وانعقادُ "اتفاقِ الطائف" وسْطَ معارضةٍ مسيحيّةٍ شعبيّةٍ واسعةٍ 1989. انتصارُ سوريا مع حلفائها اللبنانيّين عسكريًّا على الحكومةِ الدستوريّةِ في بعبدا 1990. قيامُ مجلسٍ نيابيٍّ جديدٍ رغمَ مقاطعةِ المسيحيّين شبهِ الشاملةِ، وبَدءُ تغييرِ وجهِ لبنان وهُويّتِه ونظامِه وديمغرافيّتِه 1992. انتصارُ حزبِ الله وحلفائِه على إسرائيل 2000. اغتيالُ الرئيسِ رفيق الحريري وسائرِ شخصيّاتِ تَجمُّعِ 14 آذار بين 2005 و 2006. صمودُ حزبِ الله في وجهِ إسرائيل وتدميرُ لبنان 2006. اجتياحُ قِوى 08 آذار وَسَطَ العاصمةِ بيروت وإغلاقُ المجلسِ النيابيِّ 2007. انعقادُ مؤتمرِ الدَوّحة في قطر وجاءت نتائجُه لمصلحةِ قِوى 08 آذار عمومًا 2008. خُضوع أكثريّةِ قِوى 14 آذار لشروطِ الثنائيِّ حزبِ الله/التيّارِ الوطنيِّ الحرِّ وانتخابُ ميشال عون رئيسًا للجُمهوريّةِ تحت ستارِ تسويةٍ متخاذِلةٍ 2016. فشلُ انتفاضةِ 17 تشرين الأول 2019، إلخ...

طَوال المئةِ سنةٍ الماضيةِ تَداولت الأطرافُ اللبنانيّةُ جميعًا على الانتصارِ والهزيمة. وقلّما كانت هذه الأطرافُ تَنتصِرُ أو تَنهزمُ بفضلِ قوَّتِها الذاتيّة، بل بحُكمِ تحالفاتٍ أو تبعيّاتٍ خارجيّةٍ عربيّةٍ أو إقليميّةٍ أو دُوَليّة. والغريبُ أنَّ غالِبيّةَ "الحلفاءِ" الخارجيّين، لاسيّما سوريا وإسرائيل، كانوا مع طرفٍ لبنانيٍّ ومع خصمِه في آن معًا. وحدَها إيران ظَلّت صادقةً في علاقتِها مع حزبِ الله.

Tiffany Trump and billionaire heir Michael Boulos to marry at Mar-a-Lago this weekend

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by stuff.co.nz -- Tiffany Trump is set to walk down the aisle with billionaire heir Michael Boulos on Saturday night (local time) and by the looks of it, the celebrations have already begun. The 29-year-old daughter of former US president Donald Trump has already had not one but two bridal showers before the big day. Trump got together with a gaggle of galpals in Key West late last month, reports UsWeekly. And on Sunday, there was yet another fancy South Florida bash. The girly outdoor party (subtropical location unknown, but we saw palm trees) was attended by a bunch of close family members, including mom Marla Maples; Lara Trump, who is married to Eric Trump; and half sister Ivanka.

“There has been a lot of planning and a lot of staging. This is Tiffany’s big moment, and it will be lavish,” a source told Page Six. “It is going to be a huge and beautiful affair.” Trump acquired the 5810sqm property, aka “The Crown Jewel of Palm Beach,” in 1985. In recent years, the sprawling resort has been the site of many fundraisers, campaign rallies and over the summer, a raid by FBI agents, in what sources say was part of an investigation into the real estate mogul turned Republican leader’s handling of classified documents.

Lebanese Embrace Bitcoin and Tether Amid Total Economic Crash

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by cryptopotato.com -- Dimitar Dzhondzhorov -- Turning to Crypto

Unsurprisingly, those Lebanese who have not left their nation due to the financial crisis have been looking for alternatives to preserve their wealth. The 27-year-old Georgio Abou Gebrael said he first heard about bitcoin in 2016 and considered it a scam. As Lebanon’s economic collapse intensified, though, he changed his mind and started viewing the primary cryptocurrency as salvation. Gebrael, who worked as an architect, lost his job in 2020 and could not withdraw his bank savings as all domestic financial institutions banned such transactions. Fortunately for him, he connected with employers willing to pay him in bitcoin. His first job was to film an ad for car tires, and he got paid $5 worth of BTC. Despite the insignificant amount, Gebrael was keen on having some assets banks could not seize or block access to. Today, he takes bitcoin for almost every job he does, claiming the asset has become his bank: “Bitcoin has really given us hope. I was born in my village, I’ve lived here my whole life, and bitcoin has helped me to stay here.”

Speaking on the matter was also Ray Hindi – the CEO of L1 Digital AG – who was born and raised in Lebanon but left at the age of 19: “The situation hasn’t really changed since 2019. Banks limited withdrawals, and those deposits became IOUs. You could have taken out your money with a 15% haircut, then 35%, and today, we’re at 85%. Still, people look at their bank statements and believe that they’re going to be made whole at some point.”

Enter Crypto Mining

President of the Republic is the Master of the Republic: Cardinal Bechara Boutros Al-Rahi

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NNA - Maronite Patriarch, Cardinal Bechara Boutros Al-Rahi, affirmed, on Sunday, that the President of the Republic is the Master of the Republic and supervises the proper functioning of its institutions. During his Sunday Mass sermon, Al-Rahi recalled his recent visit to Bahrain, where he participated in the dialogue forum in the presence of Pope Francis. The Patriarch said that he looks forward to the progress of dialogue between Christians and Muslims to translate a partnership in humanity and patriotism, especially on Lebanese soil, the land of partnership and love. Rahi added that the road to this partnership passes through the election of a new president of the republic in order to preserve the entity in the face of those who seek political, partisan, sectarian and other personal entities. According to him, the election of the president is the top priority.