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 News

Labor minister calls for end of migrant worker abuse

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(BEIRUT, LEBANON) — Lebanese Labor Minister Sejaan Azzi called for the urgent need to regulate the employment of migrant workers on Wednesday, calling for enforcement of human rights and dignity for the workers.

“We want to organize migrant labor within the framework of human dignity and the Labor Ministry will be firm in confronting abuses committed by employers against housemaids,” Azzi said at a conference aimed at tackling the conditions of workers.

The conference was held amid increased cases of housemaid suicides in Lebanon. According to Human Rights Watch, about 200,000 domestic workers work in Lebanon. In 2008, HRW recorded an average of one maid death per week in Lebanon by unnatural causes, including suicides.

More than 600 recruitment offices across Lebanon, human rights activists, and NGOs attended the conference.

Azzi said the conference was aimed at opening discussions between the labor ministry and migrant employment offices, some of which are operating illegally and without licenses.

The minister also called on employment offices to remove “indecent and discriminatory” advertisements starting next month, or face a freeze of their transactions.

“It is a shame to keep such offensive banners that give the impression that the business is about human trade,” Azzi said.

Human rights activists called for the abolishment of the Kafala system that ties domestic workers to one employer for the duration of their contracts and does not guarantee them the absolute right to quit.

The activists say that while trying to escape abusive employers or poor working conditions, many migrant domestic workers get killed or commit suicide.

RELATED: An Ethiopian maid attempts suicide in Beirut; expected to be fine. Read more.

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 News

Abu Faour continues crackdown on violating eateries, markets

(BEIRUT, LEBANON) — Lebanese Health Minister Wael Abu Faour published a new list of meat slaughterhouses that have been violating food safety measures at a news conference on Wednesday.

The slaughterhouses will be permanently or temporarily closed, or at least given a warning with a deadline to improve their situation, according to the health minister.

“This is not an outburst, this is a permanent policy,” Abu Faour said in a news conference.

Abu Faour addressed the owners of the companies that violated the safety measures, asking them to get on the right path and not bid on his ministry’s “boredom or failure.” He also told them to not think of using political influence or to use any kind of force against the authorities.

“There is no chicken for March 14 and another for March 8, or a water pipeline for those and another for these,” he said, jokingly, about recent accusations  against him over his “sudden” crackdown on food safety.

Abu Faour says Roadster Diner, Kababji, McDonald’s, Hawa Chicken, and Harkous Chicken, among others, announced they fixed safety measures and requested a second check.

Among supermarkets, TSC, Fahed Jounieh, Spinneys, Bou Khalil, Raouf Ghanem and Rammal had reportedly made efforts in the right direction.

Although the ministry has not yet examined the samples from all those shops, the primary results concerning storage, sanitation and hygiene measures showed very positive signs, the minister explained.

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 Entertainment, Lifestyle, News

TRIBUTE: Lebanese icon Sabah dies at 87

(BEIRUT, LEBANON) — Lebanese singer Sabah, one of the leading Arab performers of her generation, has died at the age of 87, her family said on Wednesday.

Born Jeanette Feghali and known to her fans as the “singing bird,” Sabah recorded at least 4,000 songs in her lifetime, released over 50 albums, and acted in 98 films.

In the mid-1970s, she became the second Arab singer after Egypt’s Oum Kalthoum to perform at L’Olympia in Paris. She also performed at London’s Royal Albert Hall and the Sydney Opera House.

Sabah was born to a Christian family in the village of Bdedoun, a Lebanese town in the Baabda-Aley province. She is known for her multiple marriages, tying the knot with at least nine men.

Her last marriage, to Lebanese artist Fadi Lubnan, lasted 17 years. She had two children, Dr Sabah Shammas and actress Howayda Mansy, both of whom live in the United States.

Sabah

She released her first song in 1940, while her parallel screen career began three years later in Egypt, the centre of the Arabic film industry.

In Lebanon, Sabah was often humorously mocked for refusing to leave the limelight, as well as her garish outfits and use of cosmetic surgery.

But she was unabashed: “I’m proud that I’m a village girl but I had a lot of ambition,” she said in 2008.

“She broke so many taboos. I don’t know if she was even aware of it,” said Chady Maalouf, head of programming at Voice of Lebanon radio.

“She was the example of a star, she was totally complete in her appearance, behavior and voice. She shocked people all the time.”

“Today, Lebanon lost a legend. Sabah is gone but she remains in our hearts,” famed Lebanese pop singer Nancy Ajram said on Twitter. “Her memory will remain in the minds and hearts of millions.”

Lebanese politician Walid Jumblatt wrote on Twitter: “She was a great singer of a Lebanon that my generation knew, that will never come back”.

Rest in Peace, Sabah.

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 Business, News

Beirut 37th in the world for expensive rent

(BEIRUT, LEBANON) — Beirut was ranked as the 37th most expensive city for retail rental locations among 65 other cities in a recent survey conducted by property consultant company Cushman & Wakefield.

Beirut was also ranked as the third most expensive city in the Middle East and Africa region, and the second most expensive out of five Arab cities included in the survey.

The study evaluated retail rental prices between September 2013 and September 2014 in 330 locations in 65 countries around the world.

The most expensive retail rental location in Beirut is the ABC Mall in Ashrafieh, at around $2,000 per sqm, 61 percent higher than the Middle East and Africa average of $1,223 per sqm.

Out of the 24 locations evaluated in the Middle East and Africa region, the survey found that the ABC Mall in Ashrafieh ranks as the fourth most expensive.

The Beirut Central District is in 14th place at $1,000 per sqm, Verdun Street in 19th place at $800 per sqm and Kaslik Street and Hamra Street in joint 20th place at $700 per sqm each.

Retail rents fell by an average of 7.1 percent in the Middle East and Africa year-on-year; rents declined in 12 of the locations surveyed, increased in three other locations and were unchanged in eight locations, while Manama did not have historical data.

Retail rents went up by an average of 2.4 percent globally, and rents rose in 139 of the 330 locations surveyed, declined in 50 others and remained stable in 138 locations, while three locations lacked historical data.

New York’s Upper 5th Avenue replaced Hong Kong as the world’s most expensive retail location, at $37,065 per sqm a year.

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 Independence Day, News

Lebanese prime minister cancels Independence Day events

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(BEIRUT, LEBANON) — Lebanese Prime Minister Tammam Salam cancelled official Independence Day celebrations on Friday, citing the “current situation” for scrapping government-hosted events.

Lebanon has been without a president since May because bickering politicians haven’t been able to agree on a figure acceptable to all. Politicians are in disagreements related mostly to the war in neighboring Syria.

The president is an important symbolic figure in Lebanon selected from the country’s Maronite Christian minority.

Security is shaky in Lebanon, yet another side effect of Syria’s civil war. Most recently in October, Lebanese hard-liners inspired by militants in Syria clashed with soldiers in the northern town of Tripoli for four days.

Lebanon’s army chief on Friday described the militants as seeking to create an “emirate of darkness,” stretching from Lebanon’s eastern border with Syria to the sea.

General Jean Kahwaji’s comments echoed that of Lebanese politicians who have said that the militants, some loyal to the Islamic State group, have sought to carve out a proto-state in the country’s north, similar to the caliphate declared by the Islamic State group on captured territory in Syria and Iraq.

President Barack Obama said in a message for Lebanon Friday that the United States regrets that this anniversary day passes without an elected president, “an important but missing symbol of the unity of the nation and a key factor in promoting Lebanese sovereignty and stability.”

The message that was released by the U.S. embassy in Beirut quoted Obama as saying Washington will continue to stand with “our Lebanese partners in the face of the threat extremists pose to our countries and the world.”

The U.S. has been speeding up delivery of ammunition to help Lebanon’s military combat jihadi groups. Washington has provided more than $1 billion in military assistance to Lebanon since 2006.

READ more of the President’s remarks to the Lebanese people at this link.

CLICK HERE for more coverage of Lebanon’s 71st Independence Day.

Source: Associated Press

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 Independence Day, News

READ: President Obama’s message to Lebanon on Independence Day

(WASHINGTON, DC) — President Barack Obama congratulated the Lebanese people on Friday on the occasion of Lebanon’s 71st Independence Day, lamenting on the anniversary the current presidential vacuum.

READ the President’s statement below:

As the people of Lebanon celebrate the anniversary of their independence on November 22, I extend to them my warm congratulations, as well as those of the American people. The United States strongly supports Lebanon’s founding principles of sovereignty and independence, and the exercise of freedoms for all.

As a friend of the Lebanese people, the United States regrets this anniversary day passes without an elected President of the Lebanese Republic, an important but missing symbol of the unity of the nation and a key factor in promoting Lebanese sovereignty and stability. The election of a president must be a Lebanese decision only, but it is a decision that must be taken for the sake of the Lebanese people.

The United States is proud of our strong relations with the Lebanese people. These include economic, cultural, and educational ties over many generations. These ties have been bolstered by the numerous contributions of Americans of Lebanese descent. We are also proud of our longstanding relationship with the Lebanese Armed Forces, and the Internal Security Forces, and of our contributions to the development of these state institutions, which alone have the legitimacy and responsibility to defend Lebanon’s borders and safeguard its citizens, and are accountable to all Lebanese. The United States will continue to stand with our Lebanese partners in the face of the threat extremists pose to our countries and the world.

The Lebanese people are among the most resilient in the world. I am confident that, with the support of the international community, they can continue to overcome adversity and build a path to stability and prosperity in the face of the numerous challenges Lebanon is facing in the region today. The Lebanese people deserve this and more. On this happy occasion, I pay tribute to them and to the enduring ties between our two countries.

Sincerely,
Barack Obama

CLICK HERE for more coverage of Lebanon’s 71st Independence Day.

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 Independence Day, News

HISTORY: How Lebanon gained its independence

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(BEIRUT, LEBANON) — The Lebanese Independence Day, on November 22, 1943, is a national day celebrated in remembrance of the liberation from the French Mandate which was exercised over Lebanese soil for over 23 years.

When the Vichy government assumed power over French territory in 1940, General Henri Fernand Dentz was appointed as high commissioner of Lebanon. This new turning point led to the resignation of Lebanese president Emile Edde on April 4, 1941.

After 5 days, Dentz appointed Alfred Naccache for a presidency period that lasted only 3 months and ending with the surrender of the Vichy forces posted in Lebanon and Syria to the Free French and British troops.

On July 14, 1941, an armistice was signed in Acre ending the clashes between the two sides and opening the way for General Charles de Gaulle’s visit to Lebanon, thus ending Vichy’s control.

Having the opportunity to discuss matters of sovereignty and independence, the Lebanese national leaders asked de Gaulle to end the French Mandate and unconditionally recognize Lebanon’s independence.

After national and international pressure, General Georges Catroux, a delegate general under de Gaulle, proclaimed in the name of his government the Lebanese independence on November 26, 1941.

Countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom, the Arab states, the Soviet Union, and certain Asian countries recognized this independence, and some of them even exchanged ambassadors with Beirut. However this didn’t stop the French from exercising their authority.

On November 8, 1943, and after electing president Bechara El Khoury and appointing prime Minister Riad al-Solh, the Chamber of Deputies amended the Lebanese Constitution, which abolished the articles referring to the Mandate and modified the specified powers of the high commissioner, thus unilaterally ending the Mandate.

The French responded by arresting the president, the prime minister, and other cabinet members, and exiling them to an old citadel located in Rashaya. This incident, which unified the Christian and Muslim opinion towards the mandate, led to an international pressure demanding the Lebanese leaders’ release and massive street protests.

After the imprisonment of the Lebanese officials, the Lebanese MPs reunited in the house of the speaker of parliament, Sabri Hamadé, and assigned the two uncaught ministers Emir Majid Arslan and Habib Abou Chahla to carry out the functions of the government.

The two ministers then moved to Bechamoun and by so their government became known as the Government of Bechamoun. The Government was provided shelter and protection in the residence of Hussein El Halabi.

Finally, France yielded to the augmenting pressure of the Lebanese people, as well as the demand of numerous countries and released the prisoners from Rashaya in the morning of Monday November 22, 1943.

Since then, this day has been celebrated as the Lebanese Independence Day. This historic site of Lebanese Independence and residence of the Halabi’s continues to welcome tourists and visitors throughout the year to celebrate national pride.

In 1945, Lebanon became a member of the Arab League (March 22) and a member in the United Nations (UN San Francisco Conference of 1945). On December 31, 1946, French troops withdrew completely from Lebanon, with the signing of the Franco-Lebanese Treaty.

CLICK HERE for more coverage of Lebanon’s 71st Independence Day.

Content validated and reprinted via Wikimedia’s Creative Commons License.

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 Entertainment, News

VIDEO: Haifa Wehbe shocks Arab world with revealing dress

(BEIRUT, LEBANON) — Lebanese superstar Haifa Wehbe shocked the Arab world on Thursday when she wore a revealing dress during a talent show performance on Arab Star Academy.

Haifa, who is 38 years old, appeared on a live episode, flaunting a tight-fitting black dress with revealing sheer panels.

More than two million people watched the seductive performance and many women took to social media to criticize Wehbe for her racy choice of outfit.

Most of the negative reactions on social media came from women in Egypt, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia.

“They think if women dress this way it would misrepresent our culture,” said Dana Khairallah, a Lebanese lifestyle blogger, in an interview with BBC. “I find that hypocritical. I see Arab girls dressing more provocatively in clubs but no one cares because there are no cameras.”

The Egyptian channel CBC, which airs the Star Academy TV show, issued an apology on its channel for the star’s appearance on the show.

Wehbe herself blamed the stage lighting in a tweet, saying the original dress appeared more modest but that she “was surprised that it looked very different with the strong lighting on the stage.”

WATCH the performance:

Did you think it was controversial? Click here to share your thoughts on Facebook.

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 Business, News

Salameh: New anti-laundering laws

(BEIRUT, LEBANON) — Lebanese Central Bank Governor Riad Salameh revealed new measures taken by Banque Du Liban to tackle money landering in Lebanon on Thursday.

“Lebanon issued Law No. 318 on fighting money laundering, which gave birth to the SIC (Special Investigation Commission), an independent entity affiliated to BDL, whose mission is to efficiently fight all kinds of money laundering activities,” said Salameh.

Salameh announced these measures at the two-day “Governance, Risk and Compliance Summit” hosted by Thomson Reuters, which gathered regional and international bank leaders to discuss monetary trends in Lebanon and the Middle East.

Salameh said the new measures will regulate cross-border transportation of cash and tackle tax evasion. He also introduced the “Financial Stability Unit,” which will monitor the financial sector in Lebanon.

“We are in the process of establishing a Consumer Protection Unit to ensure that banks deal equally with all their customers in a transparent manner,” he said. “We have issued circulars requesting banks to establish compliance and risk management units, to appoint independent members in their board of directors, and to create a remuneration committee whose members are chosen among the board’s non-executive members.”

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 News

Tammam Salam in Dubai: “I will ask for military aid”

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(DUBAI, UAE) — Lebanese Prime Minister Tammam Salam said he would ask the United Arab Emirates for military aid to Lebanon on Monday, after arriving in Dubai for a two-day diplomatic visit.

Salam praised UAE’s “old and continuous” support for Lebanon, telling journalists he “will ask the Emirates to provide helicopter gunships similar to the Gazelle choppers that it offered Lebanon in the past.”

During a reception hosted by the Lebanese community in Dubai, Salam called the situation in Lebanon “difficult,” and explained that the government’s concern was electing a new president.

“The security situation is difficult in the region and its environs,” he said. “Lebanon, with all its sects and provinces, is not a safe haven for terrorism or the like. All the Lebanese are united with the Army and security forces to shield and protect the internal situation.”

Salam also spoke about the Lebanese soldiers and policemen held hostage for more than three months by ISIS and Nusra Front militants, assuring families the government will not rest until the hostages are released. He also said he would not give in to militant conditions.

“We are living every moment with those kidnapped soldiers. Terrorism is imposing conditions on us,” Salam said. “We will not succumb to blackmail and we will not weaken in the face of threats. This requires solidarity from the Lebanese.”

Salam is expected to meet Crown Prince Hamdan bin Mohammaed al-Maktoum and other senior Foreign Ministry officials on Tuesday.

He will also visit the American University of Dubai and Al-Arabiya satellite television channel and meet Lebanese communities in Dubai, before holding a press conference in the evening.

Salam is accompanied by Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil, Justice Minister Ashraf Rifi, Education Minister Elias Bou Saab and Youth and Sports Minister Abdul-Muttaleb al-Hinawi.

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