Freida Pinto wears Elie Saab at the opening night gala screening of What’s Love Got To Do With It? at the Red Sea International Film Festival. Getty Images

by thenationalnews.com — Katy Gillett — While it’s only in its second year, Jeddah’s Red Sea International Film Festival has fast become an integral part of the annual celebrity circuit. Stars from across the world descended on the red carpet for opening night, showing off glamorous looks by international and regional designers. Priyanka Chopra and American dancer Julianne Hough wore gowns by Lebanese stalwart Tony Ward to the opening ceremony. Chopra donned an embroidered kaftan-style couture gown, while Hough dazzled in a custom tulle and feather trim halter dress. Freida Pinto chose Elie Saab for her eye-catching attire, a bright yellow gown with oversized, puffed sleeves from the Lebanese designer’s pre-fall 2022 collection.

Zuhair Murad looks were everywhere, as the namesake Lebanese fashion designer hit the red carpet himself. Egyptian singer Yousra, who was awarded with the Gold Yusr Honorary Award for her contribution to cinema, wore a golden, beaded halter neck gown with embellished cape and a clutch, while Lebanese actress Nadine Nassib Njeim chose a one-shoulder Zuhair Murad fitted draped satin gown from the atelier’s spring/summer 2022 line. Famed Lebanese presented Raya Abirached also chose Zuhair Murad in the form of a floor-length white cady kaftan with crystals and gold brooch beading from the ready-to-wear resort 2023 collection. Looking smart was Saudi filmmaker Fatima Al Banawi, who chose a crisp white lace suit with a trailing blazer by Lebanese designer Rami Kadi, paired with nude heels. Tunisian actress Dorra Zarrouk, meanwhile, donned a silver beaded gown with thigh-high slit and asymmetrical shoulders by lesser-known Beirut atelier Ziad Nakad. Designers from Saudi 100 Brands, in collaboration with the Saudi Fashion Commission, also dressed a number of celebrity guests.

سجعان قزي

@AzziSejean

قبل أن يُوقِّعَ بنجامين فرانكلين، البريطانيُّ الأصل، في تموز 1776 معاهدةَ الاستقلالِ الأميركيِّ ويُصبحَ أحدَ الآباءِ المؤسّسين للولاياتِ المتّحدة الأميركيّة، أعلن سنةَ 1760 بفَخرٍ وتباهٍ، وهو يُحيِّي الانتصارَ في معركة “الذئب” في سهول أبراهام الأميركية: “أنا بريطاني”. لكن ما لَبِثَ أن تخلّى عن جِنسيّتِه البريطانيّةِ وآمَن في وجدانه العميقِ بـأن أميركا صارت دولةً قائمةً بذاتِها، وعلى كل ساكنٍ فيها أن يَنسى أصولَه الأولى ويَضع عليها خطًّا أحمرَ قوميًّا لبناءِ الولاياتِ المتّحدة. ومنذ أن اعترف بالولاياتِ المتحدة الأميركيّة وطنًا نهائيًّا، أصبح ولاؤه الكاملُ “النهائيُّ والثابتُ” لبلدِه الجديد.

الاعترافُ بــ”لبنان وطنًا نهائيًّا” ليس مجرّدَ إقرارٍ سياسيٍّ لتمريرِ تسويةٍ دستوريّة لم يقْبلها حزبُ الله وسواه. هو شعورٌ فرديٌّ وجَماعيٌّ يَسكنُ وِجدانَنا ومشاعرَنا ولاوَعْيَنا أكان مذكورًا في الدستور أم غيرَ مذكور، وينتفض تلقائيًّا تجاه أيِّ خطرٍ يَتعرّضُ له لبنان. وهو شعورٌ استقلالي يَقطعُ الولاءَ نهائيًّا للبنان عن مواصلةِ الولاءِ لأصولِ غابرِ الزمانِ وأعراقٍ وقوميّاتٍ بائدة. أن أكونَ لبنانيًّا لا يعني الانغلاقَ على حضاراتِ الآخَرين وثقافاتِهم شرقًا وغربًا، فالإنسانُ أصبحَ مواطنًا عالميًّا. ولا يَعني بالمقابِل التَذرَّعَ بالانتماءِ إلى المحيط لتبريرِ الولاءِ له أو التواطؤِ معه مثلما يَحصُلُ بين جماعاتٍ لبنانيّةٍ وعددٍ من دولِ الـمِنطقة وكأنَّ لا استقلالَ ولا ميثاقَ ولا “طائفَ”، وكأنَّ الاعترافَ بلبنان بالنسبة للبعض كان مناورة للحصولِ على تعديلاتٍ دُستوريّة.

The Hill LAURA KELLY – Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) is blocking the Senate from voting on a bill aimed at providing close to $3 billion to victims of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, calling for victims of the 1983 bombings of the U.S. Marine Barracks in Beirut, Lebanon, to share in the compensation. The Republican senator opposed efforts by Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) last month to fast-track the “Fairness for 9/11 Families Act” to a vote on the Senate floor. The bill, H.R. 8987, passed the House in September with overwhelming bipartisan support, with 400 in support and 31 against. Cotton’s opposition presents an obstacle as the 117th Congress comes to a close and could force the bill’s sponsors to reintroduce it in the House in the next Congress, which begins in January. Cotton exercised his right to oppose the bill amid negotiations by Schumer to bring the legislation for a quick Senate floor vote through a process of unanimous consent, which can be employed when a bill is viewed as noncontroversial. “Senator Cotton will not allow a live [unanimous consent] of the bill as long as the Beirut bombing victims are left out,” James Arnold, press secretary for Cotton, told The Hill.

The Fairness for 9/11 Families Act was drafted to compensate 5,364 9/11 victims, spouses and dependents who were excluded from the U.S. Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism Fund (USVSSTF), established in 2015 as a way to compensate victims of terrorism who have secured final judgements in American courts against a state sponsor of terrorism. The more than 5,000 9/11 victims had earlier received compensation from the 2001 Victims Compensation Fund, but had argued they had been unfairly excluded from compensation from the USVSSTF. A report by the Government Accountability Office published in August 2021 found that the funds the 9/11 victims applied for through the USVSSTF amounted to about $2.7 billion. Lawmakers sought to provide this amount of money in a “catch-up payment” and drafted the Fairness for 9/11 Families Act, using leftover funds from the 2020 CARES Act, which was Congress’s COVID-19 relief package. But victims of the 1983 Beirut bombings are lobbying to also be acknowledged as missing out on payments provided by the USVSSTF.

by middleeasteye.net — Qatar shipped in around 1,500 foreign fans, mainly from Lebanon, to support the country’s national team in this year’s World Cup, according to a report by the New York Times. The fans, who were also said to have come from Egypt, Algeria and Syria, were all “ultras” – a term originating in Italy, but now used worldwide, to describe followers known for their fanatical support. Authorities in host country Qatar had made the decision to bring in the fans amid concerns that matches involving the national team would otherwise only attract small numbers of low-key Qatari supporters.

The NYT said the main contingent had come from Lebanon after a test event was arranged in Beirut in April where hundreds of Lebanese students and fans of Nejmeh, a local club, were recruited to make a video at a stadium recreating the kind of intense atmosphere found at games attended by ultras. After impressing officials in Qatar, the fans were offered free flights, accommodation, match tickets and food, plus a small stipend, to support Qatar at the World Cup games. The newspaper said the fans arrived in mid-October, around a month before the tournament began, to rehearse their support, including newly written chants.

Story by Ryan Phillips — thebiglead.com — Iran’s run at the 2022 World Cup came to an end Tuesday, as it fell to the United States 1-0 and failed to advance from group play. The Iranians played well in Qatar and just missed advancing. You would think the team’s countrymen would be devastated by their […]

By NAJIA HOUSSARI — arabnews.com — BEIRUT: Rival drug-dealing families using machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades brought mayhem to the streets of a southern Beirut neighborhood during a series of violent clashes on Tuesday. Lebanese troops were forced to step in to end the fighting in an area adjoining the Burj Al-Barajneh camp for Palestinian refugees after members of the two families became embroiled in a dispute over drug trafficking. Clashes initially broke out late on Monday when Hassan Jaafar, an alleged Syrian drug dealer with a Lebanese mother, began arguing with members of a rival family living in the same area, known as the Baalbekien neighborhood. Samir Abu Afash, an official of the Palestine Liberation Organization and the Fatah movement in Beirut, told Arab News that Jaafar started “shooting randomly in the direction of the camp” due to a dispute with other gunmen. “We feared that something was planned against the camp,” he said.

Abu Afash said that the PLO has pledged not to interfere in Lebanese affairs, or involve refugee camps in any disputes between the Palestinians and the Lebanese. “So we contacted the Lebanese army and Hezbollah to stop the clashes. But the fights continued throughout the night and intermittently until the army intervened in the morning and entered the haven Jaafar had formed years ago for his gang and arrested two people. Jaafar remains at large.” He added: “Hezbollah and the Amal Movement have repeatedly stressed that they do not provide cover for Jaafar, and when they do intervene, he usually lays low for a while. Jaafar was able to make a name for himself in the area and managed to bring in prohibited materials into the camp, including building materials for example, along with drugs.” The army is believed to have seized stolen items, including motorcycles, during the raid. Burj Al-Barajneh camp is home to over 35,000 Palestinian refugees, as well as some Syrians and Palestinians who fled from Syria.

By Ruiqi Chen, Editor at LinkedIn News — Netflix’s most recent bet on movie theaters has paid off. The streaming giant’s theatrical release of “Knives Out” sequel “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery” earned US$9.2 million from Friday to Sunday, outperforming releases from Disney and Steven Spielberg, and making it the highest performing movie per-screen […]

By Razmig Bedirian — thenationalnews.com — Nancy Ajram will perform at Global Village next month. The Lebanese singer, known for her hits including Akhasmak Ah and Aah w Noss, will be taking to the Global Village Main Stage at 9pm on December 12. Ajram is an influential force in the Arab music industry and has previously been named as one of the top female Arab artists by Forbes. In 2009, she was selected by Unicef as the first female regional ambassador for the Mena region. Between 2013 and 2017, she served as a judge on MBC’s reality talent show Arab Idol. She also began serving as a coach on The Voice Kids: Ahla Sawt in 2016. This year, she collaborated with Marshmello on the single Sah Sah, proving her music has global reach. Ajram is the second Arab superstar to be billed for this year’s event. Myriam Fares, the Arab “Queen of the Stage”, performed at the venue this month.

Global Village opened for its 27th season on October 25 and will be running until April. Last season, the family-friendly attraction in Dubai welcomed a record 7.8 million visitors during the six months it was operational. The venue is famous for its pavilions, each themed according to a different nation or culture. This year, 27 pavilions representing more than 80 cultures are featured. More than 400 performers from around the world will be part of the event’s entertainment line-up. This includes more than 200 performances each night, such as Puttin’ on the Glitz, which brings jazz music to the theme park.

By Charles Boehm @cboehm — mlssoccer.com — AL-RAYYAN, Qatar – The US men’s national team already had to deal with intense pressure and massive stakes around Tuesday’s World Cup match with Iran Decades of bitter political history between the two nations always makes this matchup an emotional one, and now a place in the tournament’s knockout rounds is on the line, with the US needing a victory to advance out of Group B and Iran able to claim that spot with a draw or a win. Now events of the past few days have added an even sharper edge to this enormous fixture.

Klinsmann vs. Queiroz

Former USMNT coach Jurgen Klinsmann upset Iranians with his comments in an appearance on BBC in the wake of Team Melli’s dramatic win over Wales on Friday, in which he affirmed British presenters’ accusations of gamesmanship and dirty play by Iran as “just part of their culture.” This also drew the ire of Iran manager Carlos Queiroz, whose managerial track record Klinsmann critiqued unflatteringly in his comments. Queiroz, who coached the New York/New Jersey MetroStars (today the New York Red Bulls) in the early days of MLS, responded on Twitter with a lengthy, full-blooded denunciation of Klinsmann’s comments – concluding with a demand that the German-American resign from his current post on FIFA’s Technical Study Group. Chaired by Arsene Wenger, the TSG is a prominent body which analyzes and evaluates every World Cup match, compiling detailed statistics and gleaning insights about the present and future of the sport. Queiroz specifically noted Klinsmann’s “American/German” status in his Twitter thread. Klinsmann addressed Queiroz’s comments on BBC on Sunday, saying “there was stuff really taken out of context. I will try to give him a call and calm things down. “I have never criticized Carlos or the Iranian bench,” he added.

Flag fracas

BEIRUT — Maronite Patriarch Bechara al-Rai warned on Sunday from Rome that Parliament “cannot continue to deliberately delay and manipulate the election of a head of state.” Rai’s remarks come as the country is experiencing its first dual executive power vacuum, with no president and without a fully empowered cabinet. Rai spoke on Sunday during a festive Mass in the Church of Saint Maron in the Pontifical Maronite Institute in Rome. He described the country’s independence day, which falls on Nov. 22, as a “sad day,” adding that “in the absence of a president, the state disintegrates, the internal unity is shaken up, the separation of powers is disrupted, chaos spreads, and the political, economic, social and living crises worsen, as is happening.”

Parliamentary quorum

The head of the Maronite church criticized in his Sunday homily the decision by Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri to conclude parliamentary sessions dedicated to electing a new president after the first round of vote when some parties’ MPs leave, slashing the quorum — two-thirds of MPs — Berri argues is required to continue the session. MPs failed for the seventh time on Thursday to elect a successor to Michel Aoun, whose term as president ended on Oct. 31. Each time, MPs from Hezbollah, the Amal Movement, the Free Patriotic Movement and their allies have left Parliament either ahead of or following a first round vote, torpedoing quorum, and disabling the session from continuing. “Regardless of the custom that states that a quorum of two-thirds of the members of the House of Representatives is required in the session to elect the President of the Republic, we must not forget the legal principle that says: ‘There is no custom contrary to the constitution,” Rai said. Rai claimed that “Article 49 of the constitution stipulates the election of the president by two-thirds of the votes in the first session, and in the next and subsequent sessions by absolute majority (half plus one),” questioning the reason behind “clos[ing] the first session after each poll and disabl[ing] the quorum in the next session, contrary to Article 55 of the internal rules of the Parliament.”