Lebanese soldiers marched in formation and helicopters flew overheard in
a military parade in central Beirut Tuesday headed by the newly elected
president, the first such celebration in two years, to mark the
country’s Independence Day. Armored vehicles and tanks rolled down a
major thoroughfare in downtown Beirut, soldiers on horseback marched to
military tunes, and a choir performed national songs while organizers
released balloons in the colors of the Lebanese flag

BEIRUT, Nov. 22 (Xinhua) — Lebanon celebrated Tuesday its 73rd Independence Day with an official ceremony including a military parade by the Lebanese Armed Forces and other Security agencies, staged at Shafiq al-Wazzan Boulevard in Downtown Beirut. President Michel Aoun, Speaker Nabih Berri, Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri and Caretaker PM Tammam Salam attended the ceremony.

During the parade, hundreds of red, white and green balloons representing the colors of Lebanon’s flag were launched skywards after military helicopters overflew marching soldiers.
Aoun, Berri, Hariri and Salam later headed to Baabda palace where they received well-wishers.
Lebanese Independence Day commemorates the country’s liberation in 1943 after 23 years of governance by French Mandate that succeeded the Ottoman rule at the end of the First World War in 1918.

Aoun hailed on Monday the Lebanese army for “gaining citizens’ confidence and being their source of security and serenity,” calling for “liberating civil servants from the culture of corruption.”

He has said in a televised address to the nation on the eve of Lebanon’s Independence Day “when dangers threaten the country, the army remains its security valve and the firm core of its national unity.” “We must immunize independence through refraining from seeking help from foreign forces to achieve partisan interests at the expense of the public interest,” the president noted.
In addition to the pledges of economic growth and security, Aoun said in his oath of office that Lebanon must work to ensure Syrian refugees “can return quickly” to their country.
He also urged to endorse an “independent foreign policy” and to protect Lebanon from “the fires burning across the region.”

November 21 BEIRUT — Saudi Arabia on Monday invited the newly elected Lebanese president Aoun to visit Saudi Arabia kingdom. Saudi Prince Khaled al-Faisal  current Governor of Makkah Province told reporters after meeting President Michel Aoun at Baabda Palace near Beirut that the president has accepted the invitation and agreed to visit after a new […]

By thenational.ae She could be 80 or 81 – while her age is disputed, one thing for sure is November 21 is Fairouz’s birthday. The legendary Lebanese artist, real name Nouhad Wadie’ Haddad, has performed on all the world’s greatest stages, ranging from the Royal Albert Hall in London to Carnegie Hall in New York. […]

The Arab Tawhid Party staged a parade in a Mount Lebanon village Sunday, displaying for the time its members in a military context. khazen.org rejects creation of any new “militia” or “Brigades” or so called “volunteers forces” outside of the Lebanese government, Lebanese institution control. This is very worrying and we request our Lebanese security […]

Part of the article from Ya Libnan – The newly elected Lebanese President Michel Aoun held a ceremony at the Presidential Palace in Baabda on Sunday to celebrate the country’s Flag Day. An enormous flag, 15 meters in height and 10 meters in  width (nearly 50ft x 33 ft) was displayed inside the palace’s courtyard. […]

Parts of the Articles by Middle-East Monitor

The Lebanese authorities have begun constructing an isolation wall
around one of the country’s largest Palestinian refugee camps, as they
begin a process of securitising refugees who have been living in Lebanon
since the State of Israel forced them out of their homes in 1948.

Munir al-Maqdah, the head of the Joint Palestinian Security Forces, told
Sky News Arabia that “the wall is being built outside the camp and far
away from residential areas.” The military informed Palestinian
leaders in Lebanon that “the wall and [watchtowers] are being built for
security concerns, which we accepted,” Maqdah added.

He acknowledged, however, that the wall will have a bad effect on camp
residents. “The psychological implications of a wall will be negative
and difficult [to overcome],” he said, adding that the military agreed
to a number of Palestinian proposals to amend the wall’s path and the
watchtowers’ locations. Lebanese authorities say that Ain al-Hilweh has become a refuge for
terrorists who are planning to carry out attacks on Lebanese targets.

El Khazen Waqf

By Paul Astih – english.aawsat.com

Beirut- Lebanon has been lately witnessing the rise of new political
alignments amid ongoing consultations on the formation of Prime
Minister-designate Saad Hariri’s government. Now that the March 8 and 14 alliances have become from the past, the
new stage following the election of President Michel Aoun last month
paved way for formation of new coalitions.

The parliament was divided between those in favor of Aoun and those
rejecting his election, mainly Speaker Nabih Berri, Marada Movement
chief MP Suleiman Franjieh, the Kataeb Party that is led by lawmaker
Sami Gemayel and several independent MPs. Informed sources said that there is now an alliance whose 44 members
either voted against Aoun or cast white votes. This coalition should
have a balanced role in the consultations carried out by Hariri to form
his cabinet.

The sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that “minor obstacles are preventing
the formation of the government but resolving them is necessary to pave
way for the new lineup.” The sources suggested forming a government that is quite similar to
that of Prime Minister Tammam Salam to facilitate the announcement of
the lineup.

A Free Patriotic Movement official, who refused to be identified,
told Asharq Al-Awsat that all efforts were being exerted to form the
cabinet before the Nov. 22 Independence Day.

By Joseph A. Kechichian Senior Writer – Gulf News

Beirut: LibanPost, the private entity associated with the Ministry of
Telecommunications, issued 15 stamps to honor individuals who
contributed to the country’s independence.

Although previous
stamps included the first head-of-state (Bisharah Al Khoury) and first
prime minister (Riad Al Solh), the latest batch included lesser known
figures who, nevertheless, ensured that the nascent republic lived up to
expectations.

Among these were Saeb Salam, the father of current
Prime Minister Tamam Salam [and the man often credited for designing the
national flag in his Rashayah prison cell], Sabri Hamadih, Camille
Chamoun, Abdul Hamid Karami, Habib Abu Shahla, Majid Arslan and Henri
Pharaon.

Pierre Gemayel, the founder of the Phalange Party, was
also included even if the choice was controversial because of the role
he played in the civil war. Other prominent figures, men like Rashid
Baydun, Hamid Franjieh and Salim Taklah, whose names most Lebanese
citizens are unfamiliar with, graced the postal issues in what may well
be a long-overdue civics lesson.

As Lebanon prepares to celebrate
its 73rd Independence anniversary on November 22, 2016, the
commemorative postage stamps was an occasion to assemble the families
and descendants of the 15 figures and, simultaneously, prepare for the
important date after a two-and-a-half year vacancy at the head of the
state. On Tuesday, Beirut will hold a military parade in the Downtown
area in the presence of newly elected President Michel Aoun.