Lebanon’s Prime Minister Saad Hariri will make an official visit to Russia to attend the opening ceremonies of the FIFA World Cup, Russia’s press service reported.
Hariri will reportedly visit Moscow from June 12 to June 14 and stay near the Luzhniki Stadium, where the World Cup will be held.
George Shaaban, Hariri’s advisor for Russian affairs, told news agencies he is setting up meetings with Russian leaders.
Russian president Vladimir Putin holding the FIFA World Cup Trophy at a pre-tournament ceremony in Moscow, September 2017. (Administration of the President of Russia)
Hariri is planning to meet with Russia’s President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov during his visit, Shaaban said.
The tournament’s opening ceremony begins June 14, and will be followed by the first match between Russia and Saudi Arabia.
Lebanon has taken part in World Cup qualifiers since 1994 but has yet to appear in the finals.
The visit is Hariri’s tenth visit to Moscow. His last visit was in September 2017, Russia’s press service added.
Celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain was a culinary rebel — a storytelling pioneer who managed to capture the beautiful relationship between food and everyday people.
Bourdain took risks, and connected to people of all kinds. He fell in love with Beirut, and was not afraid to visit again — despite experiencing the worst of Lebanon’s 2006 war.
The visionary chef was found dead in a hotel room Friday while visiting France. He was working on an episode for his award-winning CNN series, “Parts Unknown.”
Bourdain was 61, and he took his own life.
In 2006, Bourdain and his crew were caught in the crossfire of the 2006 Lebanon war. The crew was planning to shoot an episode of his “No Reservations” show when the war broke out.
They had to leave Lebanon, but it didn’t stop them from coming back.
Anthony Bourdain and his crew shooting an episode in Beirut. (CNN)
“From the first day that I ever arrived in Beirut, it smelled like a place I was going to love,” Bourdain said. “(The war) didn’t change my opinion about the place. If anything, it hardened it.”
In 2015, Bourdain and his crew re-visited Beirut to document the city’s culinary culture and resilience.
His episodes always told stories beyond just food.
Bourdain was best at documenting the human condition, and he posed thoughtful questions that made him more of a journalist at times, than a celebrity chef.
Anthony Bourdain said he “fell in love with Beirut.” (CNN)
“He was embraced by the Lebanese and they embraced him back, and that was something that really got to him at that time,” said Ramsay Short, who appeared in three of his Beirut shows.
In fact, Bourdain loved Beirut so much, he once considered naming his daughter after the city, CNN wrote.
“It’s something of a miracle that (Beirut) works,” Bourdain said in his 2015 episode. “Sunni, Shii’te, Christians can all live in one city and through some kind of tacit understanding maintain what is one of the most liberal environments in that part of the world.”
WATCH: When visiting Beirut, Anthony Bourdain asks himself: “Am I wrong to love this place?”
He fell in love with Beirut, and his viewers fell in love with him.
Rest in Peace, Anthony Bourdain.
If you or someone you love might be at risk of suicide, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK.
The British Lebanese Association hosted a gala dinner with Salma Hayek appearing as the guest of honor, along with special appearances by musician Guy Manoukian and singer Aline Lahoud.
The black tie event was hosted at the five-star Dorchester Hotel in London. Tickets were sold for about $330 per person.
“Everywhere you go (in the world) there is a Lebanese community and it feels like home,” Hayek said.
Salma Hayek visited Lebanon in 2015. (File photo)
Hayek visited Lebanon in 2015 to launch “The Prophet,” an animated feature film she co-produced.
“I wanted to do something special for future generations and I said I want to go to Lebanon before anyone else sees it,” she added.
Plans to introduce fiber-optic Internet in Lebanon are in the works, the leader of Lebanon’s state-run telecommunications firm confirmed Tuesday in a tweet.
Imad Kreidieh, the chairman of Ogero Telecom, tweeted that the Audit Bureau of Lebanon has approved the company’s plan to install fiber-optic cables across the country.
مساء الخير للجميع. بكثير من السعادة ابشركم بموافقة ديوان المحاسبة على البدء بتنفيذ مشروع الالياف الضوئية على كامل الاراضي اللبنانية. بانتظارنا ٤ سنوات من العمل الجدي. القافلة انطلقت و لن يستطيع احد ايقافها. مبروك للبنان و اللبنانيين.
According to the Speedtest Global Index, as of April 2018, Lebanon had the third slowest ‘Fixed Broadband’ speeds in the world.
Fiber-optic Internet could soon come to Lebanon. (Stock photo)
Experts believe the installation of fiber-optic cables in the country will establish a better Internet and TV infrastructure and greatly increase the average Internet speeds.
Fiber-optic is considered one of the fastest forms of receiving Internet.
Google Fiber, for example, promises speeds of 1 GBit/s while traditional cable maxes out at around 200 MBit/s.
Rabih KComments Off on Fiber-optic Internet coming to Lebanon, Ogero Chairman says 3200
Several international event organizers had great things to say about Lebanon during a tourism convention hosted at the Le Royal Hotel earlier this May.
The hotel gathered about 140 hosted buyers from 40 countries. Hosted buyers represent major corporations and organizations that host events and conferences around the world.
Many of the buyers said Lebanon is now at the top of their list for events. Their reactions include:
United Kingdom: “Exceptionally fulfilling and enriching.”
United Arab Emirates: “When you come here, your heart remains here.”
India: “Lebanon is truly an exotic experience.”
South Africa: “The people are unbelievably friendly and welcoming.”
Russia: “From the first minute in Lebanon, I am amazed by the very warm and friendly atmosphere here.”
Germany: “Lebanon is a bridge between the Middle East and Europe.”
France: “I’m fully in love with this nation.”
VIDEO: Event planners call Lebanon a ‘fulfilling, enriching’ experience:
The gathering was hosted by the Lebanese Ministry of Tourism, which is hoping to promote the country as an international destination for meetings and conventions.
The gathering of hosted buyers was held at the Le Royal Hotel on May 10, 11 in Beirut. (Photo provided/Le Royal Hotel)
The ministry took the hosted buyers to key landmarks in Lebanon, including parts of Beirut, Byblos and Baalbeck.
Visit Lebanon was launched in September 2017 to put Lebanon on the map for international business tourism, company tours and major exhibitions.
Examiner StaffComments Off on Visiting event planners call Lebanon a ‘fulfilling, enriching’ experience 1608
A group of dancers performed a Lebanese dance routine during a festival in Argentina celebrating diversity and culture in the South American country.
The performers danced to Joseph Attieh’s song ‘Sodfi Gharibe,’ a love song meaning ‘A weird coincidence’ in English.
Dancers perform to Lebanese love song at a festival in Buenos Aires. (YouTube screenshot)
The dancers wore colorful dresses on stage with a backdrop commemorating the festival.
Buenos Aires Celebra was started in 2009 to celebrate the history and culture of other nations, and to showcase dancing, music, food, parades and art, according to its website.
Some of the other countries included in the festival include Greece, Russia, China, Italy, Ukraine and Ireland.
VIDEO: Dancers perform to Joseph Attieh’s ‘Sodfi Gharibe’
Examiner StaffComments Off on VIDEO: Dancers perform Lebanese routine during Argentina festival 3071
A Lebanese tourist visiting Cairo was arrested Thursday after posting an outspoken video on Facebook where she criticized Egypt and its president.
Mona El-Mazboh complained of sexual harassment and poor conditions in the viral video, which was deemed illegal by Egyptian government officials.
El-Mazboh was referred to criminal trial, and was ordered to be detained for 15 days, Reuters reported.
In the video, the Lebanese citizen specifically mentions an incident involving sexual harassment by taxi drivers and young men in the street, and complained of poor restaurant service during Ramadan.
Mona El-Mazboh responds to controversy in a second video posted to her Facebook. (YouTube screenshot)
She also called Egypt a “son of a b—- country,” and said she “hopes God sends (Egyptians) someone more oppressive than Sisi,” referring to President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.
After learning of the potential punishment, El-Mazboh posted a second video apologizing to “respectable Egyptians” for her comments. The video was posted to YouTube.
Her Facebook page could not be independently located or verified.
In a statement, the public prosecutor said El-Mazboh was charged with “deliberately spreading false rumours that are harmful to society and infringe upon religions,” Reuters added.
Egyptian rights activists claim the arrest was an intense crackdown of Internet censorship.
Examiner StaffComments Off on Lebanese tourist arrested for ‘insulting Egypt’ on Facebook 2733
The Lebanese Internal Security Forces busted a large marijuana smuggling operation at a warehouse in south Beirut, officials announced.
During a raid Friday, security officials located several plastic paint buckets containing 15 tons of concealed marijuana.
Photos show the marijuana blocks recovered from a warehouse in Ouzai. (Photo provided/Internal Security Forces)
The raid was conducted at a paint warehouse in Ouzai, a southern district of Beirut.
In photos released by security forces, the marijuana appeared to be masked in brown and white blocks.
The buckets were set to be exported outside of the country, officials announced.
More than 15 tons of marijuana were recovered. (Photo provided/Internal Security Forces)
Several suspected “gang members” were arrested, but officials did not reveal their identities or ages.
Security forces are still investigating, and will forward their findings to prosecutors for review.
This is not the first time the Internal Security Forces have raided a marijuana smuggling operation. The national police force of Lebanon frequently posts photos of their drug investigations on Facebook.
Examiner StaffComments Off on Officials: 15 tons of marijuana seized at Beirut paint warehouse 2099
