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A journey in time through Arabic dance

It's incredible what these shows have done to our profession.” This is how Lebanese dancer Cynthia Assadourian described to Global Voices the impact of shows like the Arabic versions of So You Think You Can Dance?‘ (يلا نرقص) and Dancing With The Stars (رقص النجوم) on the public's perception of dancing. Assadourian, who was herself a former contestant on So You Think You Can Dance, said that she's been witnessing a sort of bodily liberation around her: Latin dance, in particular, has become mandatory in dance studios. You see men and women of different ages and from all walks of life coming into the studio to have fun and work out. Even men are letting go of their fear of hip-shaking. I never thought I’d live to see the day where men would do that. She added: Of course, people still come in with a fear of not being able to keep up with the choreography but that’s normal. It might be difficult at first but eventually, your body and mind get used to it. It just takes a bit of practice and hard work.

Most people prefer to take up dancing rather than hit the gym, because it doesn’t feel like a workout. Lyne Gandour, a popular hip-hop dancer, first caught the eyes of her dance teachers at a tender age. She was constantly praised for having a contagious energy whenever she danced. Her ability to memorize choreography and improvise made her one of the most well-known young dancers in Lebanon. Just like many others in her field, Gandour also noticed a shift in attitude when it comes to dance: My first steps in dance started at a very young age with gymnastics, that I learned in my home country of Ivory Coast. Being raised in Africa developed in me a big respect for this form of art. When I moved to Lebanon, my dedication for dance grew ten times stronger, particularly because of how people treated dance and dancers. When I opened my new dance studio, my aim was to educate my students about dance and make them work very hard at it. I want this artistic domain to be as challenging as any well reputed major in Lebanon. Such a shift would be very different from the public perception of dance that Gandour encountered when she first moved to Lebanon: I believe that dance has been quite often associated with pejorative meanings in the Arab world.

Lebanese ministry calls for ban on "Wonder Woman"

by cbs news BEIRUT -- "Wonder Woman" has garnered praise from critics, but not everyone is happy about the DC movie. Lebanon's ministry of economy is seeking to ban the film because its lead actress -- Gal Gadot -- is an Israeli, though a formal request for a ban has not yet been received, a Lebanese security official said Tuesday. A ban would require a recommendation from a six-ministry-member committee, a process that also has not yet began, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to reporters. Summer movies: Female-led action films and Oscar contenders An advance premier of the movie is scheduled for Wednesday in at least one cinema in Beirut, which offers its members attending the show free popcorn. Posters of the movie and digital billboards have sprouted up around the Lebanese capital. Lebanon is officially at war with Israel and has a decades-old law that boycotts Israeli products and bars Lebanese citizens from traveling or having contacts with Israelis.

A boycott group, called Campaign to Boycott Supporters of Israel-Lebanon, has campaigned against showing the movie in Lebanon. The campaign on its Facebook page praised the ministry's call, saying it is advocating a ban because Gadot was a soldier in the Israeli army, and has expressed support for Israel's military policies against the Gaza Strip, a coastal Palestinian territory run by the militant Hamas group. In a widely shared posting on her Facebook page, Gadot had praised Israel's military during the Gaza-Israel 2014 war, sending prayers to Israeli soldiers "who are risking their lives protecting my country against the horrific acts conducted by Hamas." Officials at the Lebanese economy ministry were not immediately available for comment. The security official said banning a movie would be something that would ultimately come from the country's interior minister, following a recommendation from the six-member committee.

Even though Lebanon enjoys a greater margin of freedom of expression than other countries in the region, prior censorship remains in place, particularly with content relating to Israel, religion and homosexuality. Reflecting tightening of censorship, an Egyptian movie about a celebrity Muslim cleric, Mawlana, and a Lebanese movie, Beach House, about friends discussing their identities were banned in Lebanon earlier this year. Mawlana was later shown after cuts were made, said one cinema manager, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the ongoing controversy. The two movies were approved in Egypt. There is no clear mechanism for appeal of a ban on art work and public campaigns often are the only means to protest a ban.

Macron levels remarkable attack on Russian 'propaganda' organs as Putin stands by his side

Vladimir Putin Macron

by AP -- French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday leveled a remarkable criticism of two Russian media outlets — with Russian President Vladimir Putin standing by his side. Macron, at a joint news conference with Putin in Paris, was asked by a reporter about his refusal to allow access at his campaign headquarters to some Russian outlets. Macron, whose campaign was the target of a massive cyberattack just before his election victory last month that cybersecurity firms have traced to Russian operatives, accused Russia Today and Sputnik of spreading misinformation.

"Russia Today and Sputnik have been influential outlets which at several times have spoken mistruths about me and my campaign," Macron said, according to an English translation. "And that's why they were not invited to my headquarters. All media outlets, including Russian ones, have had access to my campaign. Relationships are always the same." "So it was serious that foreign media outlets interfered by saying serious mistruths during a Democratic campaign. And I will not give into that in any way," he added. "But Russia Today and Sputnik have not behaved as media outlets and journalists, but behaved as organs of influence, propaganda, and false propaganda."

At the news conference, Putin said he and Macron had not discussed the topic of election meddling, but rejected allegations that Russia attempted to influence France's vote. He also defended his preelection meeting with Marine Le Pen, Macron's chief rival in France's campaign. Putin said it would have been strange not to hold a meeting with a candidate who had expressed warming relations with Russia.

Berri, Hizbullah, Hariri Reportedly Oppose Moving Maronite Seats from Muslim-Majority Districts

W460

By Naharnet - The upcoming parliamentary elections will apparently be held under a new law based on proportional representation, media reports said on Sunday. "The only remaining obstacle is the demand to move some Christian seats across some districts,” al-Mustaqbal newspaper said. “It has become known that President Michel Aoun in agreement with Prime Minister Saad Hariri is inclined to sign a decree opening an extraordinary legislative session... and Speaker Nabih Berri yesterday announced the postponement of Monday's session to June 5 in a step that observers say is aimed at confirming the optimism that is engulfing the electoral discussions,” the daily added. Al-Mustaqbal said the last hours witnessed an agreement in principle on the format of the new law. “The 15-electorate format is making headway and an agreement has been reached on counting votes for preferred candidates in each of the current 26 administrative districts,” the daily added. It said the electoral districts will be three in the Bekaa, three in the South, four in Mount Lebanon, three in the North and two in Beirut.

MP George Adwan's electoral proposal involves moving three Maronite seats from Muslim-majority districts but sources close to Speaker Nabih Berri have said that the speaker, Hizbullah and Prime Minister Saad Hariri have strongly objected against the suggestion. - “This is unacceptable because it would deprive a segment of Christian voters in Tripoli, West Bekaa and Baalbek-Hermel from being represented in parliament,” sources close to Berri told pan-Arab daily al-Hayat in remarks published Sunday. The newspaper said the Free Patriotic Movement and the Lebanese Forces believe that moving a Maronite seat from Tripoli to Batroun, another from West Bekaa to Jbeil and another from Baalbek-Hermel to Bsharri would raise Christians' ability to elect MPs with their own votes to 50 out of 64 seats. But the sources that are close to Berri wondered “if it is also required to move the Maronite voters in those districts to the areas to where the seats would be moved.” “These districts enjoy a special status in terms of the need to consolidate Muslim-Christian coexistence in them despite the fact that Muslim are the majority there,” the sources added. Al-Hayat said there is speculation that the FPM and the LF might settle for moving the Tripoli and West Bekaa seats and leaving the Baalbek-Hermel seat unchanged. Sources close to Adwan meanwhile reassured that “the issue of moving parliamentary seats will not lead to a problem, seeing as the foundations have been finalized and the law provides an acceptable share for everyone and relieves all parties.” Lebanon

Improvisation a 'way of life' for Lebanese star Trumpeter Maalouf

maalouf

by AFP

For star trumpeter Ibrahim Maalouf, famed for his award-winning film soundtracks and jazz-inspired mixing of eastern and western sounds, improvisation is "a way of life". "Improvisation is a discipline that people don't understand well," the Franco-Lebanese musician, who has played with Sting and Elvis Costello among others, told AFP. "For me it symbolises and sums up perfectly the best way to live, alongside each other," he said during a trip to Lebanon to prepare for a July concert at a festival in Baalbek. "To succeed in communicating with each other we must listen to each other and have empathy with others, despite the differences."

The 36-year-old, born in Lebanon, fled with his parents -- both musicians -- during the country's 15-year-civil war and settled in France. He plays a four-pistoned instrument invented by his trumpeter father in the 1960s, as well playing the piano, composing and teaching.He won French cinema's highest award, a Cesar, in February for the music to "In the Forests of Siberia". He also wrote the score for Japanese director Naomi Kawase's "Radiance" which was nominated for a Palme d'Or at this month's Cannes film festival. Composition aside, Maalouf has a passion for the spontaneous. He is the artistic director of m'IMPROvise, a June festival in Etampes near Paris, with Quincy Jones' protege, pianist Alfredo Rodriguez, topping the line-up. He has gathered hundreds of people for joint improvisations, including at the 2015 Fete de la Musique in Paris. "To improvise with others is to share a unique moment that will never happen twice," he said. Nephew of leading Lebanese writer Amin Maalouf, a member of the Academie Francaise, the trumpeter says he does not try to make his music popular.

Family of Lebanese held in Iran meet officials to press his release

by the daily star lebanon

BEIRUT: The family of a Lebanese man detained in Iran since 2015 have held talks with several Lebanese officials to press for his release. A statement issued by the family’s lawyer Antoine Abu Dib on behalf of the family on Sunday said that Justice Minister Salim Jreissati is following up on the case of Nizar Zakka. Zakka's family had met with Jreissati seeking his help to release the man “who is unjustly detained in Iran." The statement said that Jreissati revealed during the meeting that he has been following up on the case since he assumed his post, pledging to end the case as soon as possible.

The statement, which was carried by the National News Agency, said that the family had also met President Michel Aoun and handed him an oral message from Zakka. They also met with General Security head Maj. Gen. Abbas Ibrahim, who gave the family “serious reassurances” about the case. Zakka is serving a 10-year prison sentence and faces a $4.2 million fine after a closed-door trial.Zakka, a resident of the U.S. at the time of his arrest, led the Arab ICT Organization, or IJMA3, an industry consortium.He had been invited to attend a conference in Iran on economic opportunity.He disappeared on Sept. 18, 2015. Several weeks later, Iranian state television reported he was in custody, charged with cooperating with the U.S. government.

UK Lebanon Tech Hub to fund research and development of non-invasive blood glucose-monitoring device

by news-medical.net UK Lebanon Tech Hub (UKLTH) announced today that it will fund the research and development of ediamond (Electromagnetic Diabetes Monitoring Device): a one of its kind non-invasive blood glucose-monitoring device, which is being developed by the Maroun Semaan faculty of Engineering and Architecture and the Faculty of Medicine at the American University of Beirut (AUB).

Mr. Nicolas Sehnaoui, Chairman of the UK Lebanon Tech Hub

The UK Lebanon Tech Hub (UKLTH) is a joint initiative by Banque du Liban, Lebanon’s Central Bank, and the UK Government through the British Embassy in Beirut. It aims to support the growth of the Lebanese knowledge economy through an International Research Centre, which was recently given £2.5 million funding from the British Government. ediamond is a continuous glucose monitoring wearable device that will enable diabetic patients to check their glucose levels without needing to come into contact with their blood stream, i.e. through conventional methods such as repeatedly pricking their finger with a needle throughout the day. The lead investigators of ediamond are Dr. Joseph Costantine and Dr. Rouwaida Kanj from the Maroun Semaan Faculty of Engineering and Architecture, and Dr. Assaad Eid from the Faculty of Medicine.