Syria regime, Hezbollah make gains in south
Syrian troops backed by Lebanese Hezbollah fighters swept south of the capital Damascus Wednesday, seizing strategic...
Wednesday, 11 February 2015
Berri backs Salam on Cabinet voting mechanism
BEIRUT: Speaker Nabih Berri was reported Wednesday to have voiced support for Prime Minister Tammam Salam’s push to change the Cabinet’s decision-making mechanism adopted since the presidency became vacant in favor of a voting mechanism.
Meanwhile, the parliamentary Future bloc warned of dire consequences of the continued presidential vacuum, now in its ninth month, and called on the rival factions to cooperate over the election of a president.
Berri backs Salam’s proposal to change the current mechanism governing the Cabinet’s work, according to a number of lawmakers who saw the speaker during his weekly meeting with MPs at his Ain al-Tineh residence.
In the absence of a president, a proposal to open an extraordinary session for Parliament to approve several important draft laws requires a decree to be signed by all 24 ministers. Thus, this matter becomes highly unlikely with the mechanism in force that requires unanimous backing from the 24 ministers.
Berri is expected to meet Salam soon to discuss the Cabinet’s decision-making mechanism and the issue of opening an extraordinary Parliament session.
The speaker had expressed reservations in the past over the Cabinet’s current mechanism, which requires unanimous support from the 24 ministers on its decisions and its issuance of decrees on behalf of the president.
While most Cabinet ministers have voiced support for the change in the Cabinet’s decision-making mechanism, the three ministers loyal to former President Michel Sleiman oppose it and the three Kataeb Party ministers have expressed reservations.
Salam is making contacts in an attempt to secure consensus among the Cabinet parties to replace the current mechanism with a constitutional voting mechanism, political sources told The Daily Star.
In line with the Constitution, the president’s powers were transferred to the Cabinet when the presidential vacuum began last May.
Cabinet parties agreed that starting that date, all Cabinet decisions should win unanimous support from the 24 ministers. Cabinet decrees should also be signed by all of the ministers.
According to the Constitution, the Cabinet convenes with a two-thirds quorum and its decisions are made by consensus. In case consensus is hard to achieve, regular draft laws are passed with a simple majority vote and crucial decisions need to be approved by two-thirds of the government’s members.
The new mechanism, which allows every single minister to veto any decision, has significantly hindered the work of the government, which has been unable to make unanimous decisions on crucial issues over the past few months due to internal disagreements.
Meanwhile, the Future bloc warned of the negative repercussions of the presidential deadlock and urged the March 8 and March 14 parties to cooperate to agree on the election of a new president.
“The big and aggravating dangers entailed by the continued vacancy in the presidency post lead to worsening the direct and indirect losses endured by the country every day, draining the achievements and successes made by the Lebanese people with a lot of blood and sacrifices,” the bloc said in a statement issued after its weekly meeting chaired by former Prime Minister Fouad Siniora.
It lamented that Lebanon Monday celebrated Mar Maroun Day, the saint of the Maronite community, in the absence of a Maronite president.
In a clear reference to MP Michel Aoun’s bloc, Hezbollah’s bloc and its March 8 allies, who have thwarted a quorum to elect a president with their consistent boycott of Parliament sessions in the past eight months, the statement urged “all political parties, namely the parties that are still obstructing the election process, to cooperate to overcome this impasse quickly and agree on the election of a new president.”
In discussing the dialogue sessions with Hezbollah, the bloc voiced its support for the steps taken last week by removing political slogans and banners in some areas in Beirut, Sidon and Tripoli, saying the move should cover “all Lebanese areas in the hope that this would help in reducing tensions in the country.”
Separately, Interior Minister Nouhad Machnouk said Jordan’s King Abdullah II was ready to assist Lebanon in finding a solution to the presidential vacuum. “His majesty the king has expressed his readiness to help in the Lebanese presidential election issue through his international contacts and his expected tour of European states,” Machnouk said after meeting Abdullah in Amman.
Storm Yohan pummels Lebanon, forces road closures
BEIRUT / TRIPOLI/SIDON: Storm Yohan wreaked havoc across Lebanon Wednesday, inflicting massive damage to the coast and forcing road closures across the country.
But the storm’s violent winds are expected to wane over the next few days, according to the Meteorological Department at Beirut’s Rafik Hariri International Airport, even as inclement weather continues.
“The wind will remain strong Thursday, but it will be lighter than Wednesday,” a source at the department told The Daily Star. “There’s a possibility for the storm to last until Saturday, as the intensity of the rain will subside starting Friday night.”
A source at the Meteorological Department said a low-pressure system was turning counterclockwise over Lebanon, bringing with it dust and sand from North Africa, leading to muddy rain and poor visibility. The state-run National News Agency reported that snow in some areas was colored red due to the sediment carried by the heavy winds.
Thursday is expected to be cloudy with heavy rains, accompanied by thunderstorms and winds up to 70 kilometers per hour, according to the department’s night weather forecast.
Snow is expected to fall at altitudes of 800 meters as wind speeds decrease gradually during the night.
Temperatures will range between 5 and 15 degrees Celsius along the coast, 0 and 5 in the mountains, minus 6 and 1 in the Cedars, and 1 and 11 degrees in the Bekaa Valley.
These temperatures are expected to hold Friday, as winds remain active with heavy rains at times, especially during the morning. Showers will decrease gradually beginning Friday night.
Blowing over from Europe, Yohan intensified Tuesday night and into Wednesday. Wind speeds reached 100 kilometers per hour, forming 8-meter-high waves that battered corniches in coastal cities. Accompanied by heavy rain and hail, the storm destroyed restaurants, damaged crops, brought down trees and caused widespread blackouts.
Coastal areas suffered catastrophic damage from the huge waves whipped up by the high winds. Beirut’s Ain al-Mreisseh Corniche was severely damaged, its metal barriers ripped out of the pavement by the ferocity of the storm. The Beirut Fire Department cautioned citizens to stay away from the coast due to the dangerous waves.
Restaurant Chez Zakhia, in the northern coastal town of Amchit, was completely devastated, according to the National News Agency, as powerful waves damaged the venue’s external foundations and flooded it with water.
A Civil Defense rescue center stationed in Jounieh’s port was also heavily damaged, and four boats sank in the city’s port as a result of the crashing waves.
To the south, strong winds uprooted trees, tore down advertisements, and caused power outages in Tyre and across the region. With waves reaching 3 meters, fishermen tied up their boats out of fear they would swallowed by the sea.
Sidon’s port was forced to close, as its facilities were ravaged by strong winds and 7-meter waves. Huge breakers swamped bulldozers at the city’s commercial seaport, dragging one into the sea.
In the Palestinian refugee camp of Ain al-Hilweh, the minaret of the camp’s Rabah Mosque was toppled by high winds, according to a report by the NNA.
Yohan also forced road closures across the country, and difficult driving conditions led to a number of accidents, exacerbating the country’s notorious traffic jams.
The Internal Security Force’s Traffic Management Center reported bumper-to-bumper traffic stemming from the storm.
The ISF announced Wednesday night on its Twitter feed that the Dahr al-Baidar road and the Kefraya-Barouk road were both blocked.Yohan brought heavy snow to the country’s mountains, covering villages in the southern towns of Kfar Shouba, Kfar Hammam, and Shebaa, where a Red Cross team reportedly had to evacuate a school bus that had become stuck in the snow.
Mona Chahine, director of the Nicolas Chahine Observatory, told The Daily Star that their instruments in Ras Beirut had recorded 526 milliliters of rain since September. Some “147 milliliters was the total level [of precipitation] recorded for the same period last year.”
Education Minister Elias Bou Saab announced Wednesday night that schools and institutes will be open Thursday. “Head of schools in areas covered by snow can decide whether to open their schools or not, depending on whether [students] can make it safely to school,” he said in a statement. – Additional reporting by Mohammed Zaatari and Antoine Amrieh
Future accepts Daher request for suspension
BEIRUT: The Future parliamentary bloc approved Wednesday Salafist-inspired MP Khaled Daher’s request to suspend his membership from the bloc after spurring national outrage over remarks that were deemed offensive to Christians.
“The bloc accepts colleague Daher’s request to suspend his membership and would like to seize the opportunity to renew its firm commitment in coexistence,” the Future bloc following their weekly meeting.
Almost simultaneously, black flags with Islamic scripture were replaced Wednesday with white ones in Tripoli’s main Al-Nour Square, after Interior Minister Nouhad Machnouk ordered their removal.
Daher told The Daily Star that he “had suspended his membership from the Future Bloc,” denying media reports that claimed he had been booted.
Following his remarks to The Daily Star, Daher issued a statement saying his decision served to curb any “embarrassment” his comments may have caused the Future Bloc.
Daher said the decision to suspend his membership stemmed from his opposition to taking down religious banners from Tripoli’s main square after North Lebanon Governor Ramzi Nohra’s ordered the removal of all political and religious insignia from the northern city.
Daher, who insisted that he meant no offense to Christians, said he has been depicted as “someone who commits aggression against others.”
“When in fact it is our [Islamist] religious symbols that were assaulted, and the apology was supposed to be [directed] at us.”
Daher’s unanticipated move comes days after allies and foes alike called for his ejection from the March 14 bloc following his remarks.
“[The Future bloc] is firmly committed to coexistence and moderation,” the bloc’s statement read. “The bloc opposes extremism and fanaticism and denounces terrorism and terrorist organizations and is determined to defend freedom of expression and practices transparency and accountability vis a vis its national partners.”
At a rally protesting the removal of Islamist banners from Tripoli’s Al-Nour Square Sunday, Daher told his followers Christians should be the first to remove their religious symbols from public spaces. “If they want to remove [religious banners] let them start with the Christ the King statue and posters of [Christian] saints,” Daher said in Tripoli’s main square.
Police last week began removing religious and political signage across other the country in line with an agreement reached during dialogue sessions between the Future Movement and Hezbollah to defuse sectarian tensions in the country.
In Tripoli, two members of the Islamic Tawhid Party installed white flags in Al-Nour Square to replace black ones bearing Islamic scriptures, which are commonly used by the extremist groups ISIS and Al-Qaeda, the latter with which Nusra is linked.
The move came a day after Machnouk vowed to not to allow a single black flag with Islamic scriptures to be raised in Lebanon.
The white flags preserved the scripture, which read, “There is no God but Allah, Mohammad is the Prophet of Allah.”
Iran optimistic it can improve ties with Saudi Arabia: envoy
BEIRUT: Iran is optimistic it can improve relations with regional foe Saudi Arabia, Iranian Ambassador to Lebanon Mohammad Fathali said Wednesday, adding that the two countries have common enemies in Israel and ISIS.
“We seek to establish the best brotherly relations with Saudi Arabia, based on the principle of mutual respect,” Fathali told a radio station.
“We see positive indications on the horizon for Iranian-Saudi relations,” he added.
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif’s participation in last month’s funeral services for Saudi King Abdullah was just one gesture of goodwill, the diplomat explained.
The move was reciprocated Tuesday by Saudi Ambassador to Lebanon Ali Awad Asiri, who participated in a ceremony commemorating the anniversary of the Iranian Revolution. The Iranian ambassador described relations with his Saudi counterpart as “very good.”
“Saudi Arabia and Iran have common enemies like ISIS and Israel,” Fathali said. “The Saudi elites have reached this conviction.”
Fathali said Iran’s relations with Turkey have also improved.
“Turkish-Iranian relations are very good and [the value of] economic trade has reached $20 billion,” he added.
“There will be an official visit for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan [soon].”
A fierce opponent of the West – especially the United States – Iran has long been a regional rival of Saudi Arabia and Turkey. Both countries are U.S. allies.
Discord between the nations was exacerbated by the eruption of the Syrian civil war, as Iran supported Syrian President Bashar Assad and his regime, while Turkey and Saudi Arabia backed rebel groups.
Asiri took part in a ceremony organized by the Iranian Embassy at the Beirut International Exhibition and Leisure Center to celebrate the 36th anniversary of the victory of the Iranian Revolution.
During the event, the Saudi diplomat was seen shaking hands with Sheikh Naim Qassem, the deputy-head of Hezbollah, Iran’s major ally in Lebanon.
Delivering a speech during the ceremony, Fathali said that Iran stood by the side of Lebanon’s “people, government, Army, and resistance.”
“Lebanon’s national unity is the mightiest weapon to confront the Zionist enemy and all the other dangers surrounding [the country],” the envoy added.
Fathali said Iran supported any dialogue which brought Lebanese political factions together, referring to ongoing talks between Hezbollah and the Future Movement.
He also said he hoped that all Lebanese factions, particularly Christian groups, would agree on a new president as soon as possible.
Lebanon has been without a president since last May.
Security prerequisite to tourism, Salam warns
BEIRUT: Lebanon’s tourism industry will forever be stymied if the security situation remains unresolved, Prime Minister Tammam Salam said Wednesday.
“There is no tourism without security, which is a main interest and concern in this country,” Salam said at the launch of the Tourism Ministry’s “Rural Tourism Strategy in Lebanon."
“We are looking forward to more [security] achievements to boost tourism,” he added, noting, however, that Lebanon is still struggling with a political deadlock that is preventing the election of a president nine months after Michel Sleiman left office.
Salam hailed security forces for buttressing internal security at a time of regional turmoil, stressing that Lebanon is “an oasis of stability and security allowing [for] the implementation of tourism projects.”
“I applaud the close collaboration between security apparatuses aimed at deterring whoever attempts to target Lebanon,” Salam said.
Salam also applauded the new tourism strategy aimed at expanding tourism activities to the countryside and rural areas, which will promote development and the preservation of heritage.
Lebanon’s rural areas, which are a geographical manifestation of “innocence, simplicity and purity,” represent bona fide Lebanese heritage, the premier said, noting that city residents could learn a lot from the countryside.
Salam proceeded to laud Lebanon’s “unique” natural landscapes, in what resembled an ode to Lebanon’s “scenic” mountains, hills, valleys and rivers. “We do not give this natural landscape the rightful credit,” he said.
Salam concluded by dedicating the initiative to the “[father] of projects and development, the man of Lebanese dreams, [former Prime Minister] Rafik Hariri.” Salam’s dedication comes three days ahead of the 10th anniversary of Hariri’s 2005 assassination.
The launch of the Tourism Ministry’s rural tourism strategy was held at the Grand Serail. Besides Salam, Tourism Minister Michel Pharaon, Information Minister Ramzi Joreige, Environment Minister Mohammad Machnouk and other political figures also attended the event.
Hariri was compelled to pay off Ghazaleh
BEIRUT: Each month for more than 10 years, aides to Rafik Hariri delivered envelopes stuffed with tens of thousands of dollars in cash to Syria’s chief intelligence officer in Lebanon, according to the former prime minister’s childhood friend and confidant Ghaleb al-Shamaa.
Shamaa, who continued his second day of testimony at the Special Tribunal for Lebanon Wednesday, said that Syrian intelligence chief Rustom Ghazaleh received more than $10 million in cash from Hariri between 1993 and 2005.
In the decade before Hariri’s assassination, a safe at the former premier’s residence Qoreitem palace was opened at the beginning of each month and a sum of $67,000 destined for Ghazaleh was taken out, Shamaa told the U.N.-backed tribunal charged with investigating the Hariri’s murder in 2005.
Ghazaleh would often demand additional ad hoc sums during the month, sometimes more than $100,000, which Hariri always obliged. “Once he said he had to refurbish or renovate his house, on another occasion he wanted to buy a car,” Shamaa said.
The payments, Shamaa said, were intended to placate Ghazaleh, who oversaw the vast Syrian security network in Lebanon.
“The money was paid to please him, to keep him happy. ... We were not expecting anything in return.”
For years Ghazaleh served as a kingmaker in Lebanon on behalf of the Syrian regime.
“No politician was able to carry out his functions or any other projects ... easily and smoothly without pleasing [Ghazaleh] first,” Shamaa told the court.
Shamaa insisted that the money Hariri paid to Ghazaleh was not a payoff or a bribe.
“He was compelled to pay so that he would be able to continue to serve Lebanon. He was not paying this voluntarily, and it was not a donation,” Shamaa said.
If Hariri had refused to pay, “for sure Ghazaleh would have placed many obstacles in the face of his career and of course he would have exerted greater pressure on him,” Shamaa told the court.
It was unclear to Shamaa whether the cash stocked at Qoreitem palace was from Hariri’s personal accounts or from his business interests.
“The money would come in briefcases and be delivered to us at Qoreitem palace. ... He had various sources, several accounts from which the money came from,” Shamaa testified.
Records of the cash payments were sometimes written down and later destroyed, Shamaa said.
Hariri “did not consider that it was necessary to maintain those records,” he added.
On the eve of Hariri’s assassination in mid-February Ghazaleh claimed he had not received his monthly sum.
“It was the first time he claimed he did not receive the monthly payment,” Shamaa said.
Despite being “sure and confident” that Ghazaleh had in fact received envelopes filled with $67,000 in early February, Hariri dispatched his trusted security aid Abu Tareq to Ghazaleh’s house in the Bekaa Valley to deliver a second sum.
When Abu Tareq returned, he appeared shaken by his encounter with Ghazaleh who had made exceptionally uncivil comments about Hariri.
“I remember the last words Abu Tareq said to me were ‘God help us,’” Shamaa recalled.
Abu Tareq perished alongside Hariri the following day in a massive blast which tore through the Beirut marina on Feb. 14, 2005.
Ghazaleh is a major general in the Syrian Army currently overseeing operations against opposition forces in Deraa where he hails from.
Shammaa will be cross-examined Thursday by members of the defense representing the interests of five Hezbollah members charged with the murder of Hariri and 21 others.
House Sends Keystone XL Pipeline Measure To Obama Despite Veto Threat
The House, in a bipartisan 270-152 vote today, approved the Keystone XL pipeline project and sent the measure to President Obama who has said he will veto it.
NPR's Juana Summers tells our Newscast unit this isn't likely to be the last standoff between the GOP-controlled Congress and the White House on energy issues. Before the Keystone vote, Juana reports, Senate Republicans held a hearing on Obama's climate rules aimed at cutting carbon pollution. House lawmakers also plan to introduce a larger energy bill next week, she says.
Republicans had made approving the Keystone XL pipeline one of their top priorities when they took control of Congress in January.
Today's House vote follows one in the Senate on Jan. 29 to approve the project despite a presidential veto threat. The House previously voted to approve a version of the measure Jan. 9.
Republicans do not appear to have enough votes to override an Obama veto.
As we have previously reported, the "pipeline is a hot-button political issue, with politicians from both parties, some unions and energy companies supporting its approval while environmental groups, some Nebraska landowners and some liberal Democrats oppose it."
The two sides are even divided over the number of jobs the project would create: Supporters say the number is 40,000; opponents cite one estimate that the $8 billion project would create just 35 permanent jobs.
The U.S. State Department has been reviewing the pipeline for more than six years, and is now deciding whether the project to carry oil from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico is in the national interest. Congressional Republicans want to short-circuit that years-long process and grant the pipeline a permit immediately.
President Obama Asks Congress For Approval Of Military Force Against ISIS
Operation Inherent Resolve began over the summer. Now President Obama is officially asking Congress to give its blessing to the war on the self-described Islamic State. On Wednesday the White House sent language up to Capitol Hill for an authorization for the use of military force.
Copyright © 2015 NPR. For personal, noncommercial use only. See Terms of Use. For other uses, prior permission required.
Copyright © 2015 NPR. All rights reserved. No quotes from the materials contained herein may be used in any media without attribution to NPR. This transcript is provided for personal, noncommercial use only, pursuant to our Terms of Use. Any other use requires NPR's prior permission. Visit our permissions page for further information.
NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by a contractor for NPR, and accuracy and availability may vary. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Please be aware that the authoritative record of NPR's programming is the audio.
5 Things Jon Stewart Reminded Us About Politics
Daily Show host Jon Stewart addresses the crowd at his Rally to Restore Sanity And/Or Fear in Washington, D.C., in 2010. Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images hide caption
itoggle caption Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images
Daily Show host Jon Stewart addresses the crowd at his Rally to Restore Sanity And/Or Fear in Washington, D.C., in 2010.
Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images
When comedian Jon Stewart announced he will leave The Daily Show after 16 years, the field of 2016 presidential hopefuls breathed a collective sigh of relief.
Stewart was famous for his relentless ribbing of politicians and for his focus on political news over the years. The show devoted nearly half its airtime to politics in 2007, according to a survey by Pew. The show has a decidedly liberal bent, but regularly features conservative politicians and commentators. A 2005 interview with conservative commentator Bill O'Reilly is among the most watched clips on the show's website.
Stewart says he isn't sure what's next for him, and who knows if it will involve politics (though the campaign for Stewart to run for office in 2016 has already begun).
In any case, here's a look back at five things Stewart taught America about politics:
1) You can't always pick a side.
The Daily Show
Get More: Daily Show Full Episodes,The Daily Show on Facebook,Daily Show Video Archive
Last summer, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel got into it with the one-and-only Donald Trump over 20-foot-high, glowing letters that spelled out "TRUMP" on his new hotel. Emanuel's take: The sign "scars that architecture, uh, architecture, beauty and taste, with a tasteless sign." But to Trump, of course, "It's a very high quality, beautiful sign."
"Oh it's a badger fighting a mongoose, I just don't know who to cheer for," Stewart said on the show.
He reminded us that sometimes there are no clear winners — sometimes everyone in the game might be just a little bit off kilter.
2) The banality of the new news cycle.
The Daily Show
Get More: Daily Show Full Episodes,The Daily Show on Facebook,Daily Show Video Archive
One of Stewart's favorite targets is the 24-hour political news cycle — and the cable networks that are stuck in it. Hasty headlines, quick-to-judge hosts, inaccurate graphics and, of course, the overhyped "Breaking News.' "We rag on CNN a lot," he once said, mumbling "mostly because they're terrible."
"If we amplify everything, we hear nothing," Stewart said at his 2010 Rally to Restore Sanity. It's a sentiment the comedian often echoed on his show. While he poked at the beast, he also gave respectful air time to serious political analysts, journalists and public figures. The Daily Show became a must-stop for politicians, authors, presidents, members of Congress and more.
3) Politicians are people, too.
The Daily Show
Get More: Daily Show Full Episodes,The Daily Show on Facebook,Daily Show Video Archive
Stewart was part of a wave that redefined political journalism. He came to host the show in 1999 — midway through President Clinton's impeachment trial — as the country was debating how much a president's personal life actually matters to his ability to govern. To Stewart, the peripheral, personal foibles are what make politics amazing and hilarious.
More recently, he has talked about the portraits painted by President George W. Bush ("He is a somewhat confounding dude") and poked at President Obama for his golf outings and love of basketball.
4) Millennials actually care about politics.
In 2010, Stewart addressed a crowd of 200,000 at his Rally to Restore Sanity on Washington, D.C.'s National Mall. (The parody rally followed conservative commentator Glenn Beck's also large Restoring Honor rally.)
For all the talk of millennials disengaging from the political process, they showed up. Who knows if they actually voted in the 2010 midterm a few days later, but the high attendance at those rallies shows they engaged, even if for one cold afternoon.
5) Politics can be interesting — and fun.
The Daily Show
Get More: Daily Show Full Episodes,The Daily Show on Facebook,Daily Show Video Archive
One of the show's appeals to a younger audience was its knack for breaking down the latest Washington scandal by stripping it of Beltway-speak. Here's how Samantha Bee, the show's "White House Correspondent," explained the Valerie Plame spy scandal in 2005:
"Jon, in Washington, information is power, and is disseminated through a sophisticated network of operatives and contacts, in a system modeled after a sorority house," she said. She then broke down the scandal and all the players as if it were happening in a sorority house, valley girl accent and all.
That style turned off a lot of serious political viewers, but it got the job done: A 2008 Pew study found that viewers of The Daily Show were most likely to score in the highest percentile on knowledge of current affairs.
Chart of the Week: Progress in the Battle Against Ebola
The world is witnessing the worst outbreak of Ebola in history. Since the first cases in March of 2014, there have been more than 22,500 reported cases in West Africa and more than 8,900 people have died from this devastating disease.
As the President has made clear, to effectively protect the American people, we must confront this outbreak at its source. That's why the U.S. has not only launched a government-wide approach to strengthen our preparedness here at home, but is also leading the fight on the frontlines of the epidemic in West Africa.
Thanks to these efforts, and the work of countless others from around the world, the number of people who are contracting Ebola has declined sharply in the last few months. Take a look:
Hariri tweets preview to father’s documentary
BEIRUT: Former Prime Minister Saad Hariri tweeted Wednesday the trailer to a soon-to-air documentary detailing the life and accomplishments of his slain father- the late premier Rafik Hariri.
The biographical feature, which will air on Friday, Feb. 13 at 9:30 pm, is described in the trailer as “a special documentary that tells the story of a man who gave his life for the country he was forbidden to love.”
The documentary titled “Zaman Rafic Hariri,” Arabic for “The era of Rafik Hariri,” will be simultaneously broadcasted on Future TV, Tele Liban, NBN, OTV, LBC and MTV on the eve of the tenth anniversary of the premier’s assassination.
Wednesday’s trailer revealed snippets of interviews conducted with Lebanese politicians who were close to the prime minister, such as Interior Minister Nouhad Machnouk and Future bloc head Fouad Siniora.
In line with the spirit of the documentary, the preview displayed a montage of old photographs of Hariri, such as one black and white image of the elegant young businessman fawning over his bride Nazek on their wedding day. The promo also showed archived footage of Hariri’s meetings with world leaders and religious figures.
According to a statement released by the producers, the film will delve in to a detailed account of the “main phases” of Hariri’s life-from his birth up until his death.
“Hariri has placed the corner-stone to the future and left behind a chapter in history that is called the era of Rafik Hariri,” the statement read.
Hariri was assassinated on Feb. 14, 2005 along with 21 others, in a car explosion in Downtown Beirut.
Advertisement
eSports Athletes Want You to Get Covered
A new video out today features prominent eSports personalities encouraging Americans to sign up for an affordable health plan at HealthCare.gov before the enrollment deadline on February 15.
Don’t know what eSports is? You should. Electronic sports — or eSports — refers to the genre of video game titles that have gained popularity as a spectator sport around the world.
Over the last decade, eSports players, commentators, tournaments, and online streaming services have gained a following that rivals many traditional sports, including more than 31 million eSports fans in the United States alone.
Today, a group of eSports industry leaders (ESL, Twitch.tv, and GEER) have collaborated to launch an effort encouraging gaming audiences to visit HealthCare.gov and sign up for an affordable health plan before the February 15 deadline.
The Faces of Health Care: Susanne C.
"Thank you. You are making a difference. It matters."
Susanne C., a psychiatrist from Morgantown, West Virginia, wrote the President last April about how she's seen the benefits of the Affordable Care Act firsthand.
Black flags go white in Tripoli’s main square
TRIPOLI, Lebanon: A controversial black flag with an Islamic scripture was replaced with a white one in Tripoli’s main Al-Nour Square Wednesday, after Interior Minister Nouhad Machnouk ordered its removal.
The move came one day after the minister vowed to not to allow a single black flag with Islamic scriptures to be raised in Lebanon.
The white flag, installed by two members of the Islamic Tawhid Party, preserved the scripture, which read “There is no God but Allah, Mohammad is the Prophet of Allah."
The black flag was originally removed on Sunday, prompting a wave of protests by the city’s residents and officials, who deemed the move an offense to Islamist symbols that have decorated the northern city since the eighties.
Machnouk however, stood firm on his black flag policy. “I will make sure there isn’t a single black banner in all of Lebanon because Lebanese soldiers were killed under its name,” he said Tuesday in an interview with Al-Jadeed, referring to the servicemen taken captive in August by ISIS and Nusra militants, several who were executed.
Black flags are commonly used by the extremist groups ISIS and Al-Qaeda, the latter with which Nusra is linked.
Tripoli’s Mufti Sheikh Malek al-Shaar said Tuesday that there was no disagreement between the interior minister’s decision and the will of the city’s residents. Shaar voiced his support for the policy since black flags were being used by ISIS. The mufti also said he supported replacing Quranic verses and slogans on flags with subtler, less provocative alternatives.
Jordan king ready to help Lebanon elect president: Machnouk
Iran seeks cooperation with Saudis: envoy
Iran is optimistic about improving its relations with Saudi Arabia, Iran’s Ambassador to Lebanon Mohammad Fathali says
Controversial MP suspends Future bloc membership
Controversial MP suspends Future bloc membership
Salafist-inspired MP Khaled Daher has suspended his membership from the Future bloc Wednesday after spurring national...
Ibrahim says region facing a segregation plan
Ibrahim says region facing a segregation plan
Lebanon is facing plan that aims to divide Arab countries into warring states and prevent diversity or coexistence,...
Berri: Future-Hezbollah talks to tackle presidency
Hezbollah in Syria fighting close to Israeli lines
Syrian troops and Hezbollah seize several towns and villages south of Damascus, state media and activists say,...
White House Will Request War Powers From Congress Today, Senator Says
In a move that is sure to set off a new round of debate over how the U.S. should fight ISIS, the Obama administration is expected to seek formal authorization for using military force against the extremist group today.
White House officials have framed the request after meeting with members of both parties in Congress, where it will come under close scrutiny before it is voted upon.
This morning, Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., told NPR's Morning Edition that a draft version of the new Authorization for the Use of Military Force, or AUMF as it's known, will be sent to Congress Wednesday.
Kaine says President Obama will ask Congress to authorize ground troops, with a prohibition on their use in "enduring offensive combat missions."
"They will send an authorization draft proposal today," Kaine says. "I haven't seen the final language yet, but I understand some of the concepts, and some of the concepts I like."
He mentioned a "sunset provision" that would require a new justification for continuing the mission after three years. Kaine also said the new legislation would repeal the previous authorization for using force in Iraq.
"It's not good to have these previous war authorizations kind of floating out there" to be used years later.
The effort has been a balancing act, with a key issue being the possible role of ground troops: Republicans say they don't want to limit the Pentagon's approach, while Democrats are wary of giving the OK to an open-ended conflict.
"On Capitol Hill, there is going to be an extended debate, discussion, and argument over exactly what the Authorization for the Use of Military Force should say, what the limits should be," NPR's Tamara Keith reports.
The new AUMF would replace the authorization that was provided to President Bush in the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the U.S. It would set new parameters for the U.S. to follow as it tries to combat ISIS, the violent group that has claimed territory in Iraq and Syria.
"There's high skepticism on Capitol Hill that the earlier authorizations cover" the military operations the U.S. has already conducted against ISIS, Kaine said.
As Tamara reported for the Two-Way yesterday, the effort to shape the legislation has included a wide range of administration officials, from White House Counsel Neil Eggleston to National Security Advisor Susan Rice.
Rafik Hariri Hospital chair resigns as staff strikes
BEIRUT: Health Minister Wael Abu Faour announced Wednesday the resignation of Rafik Hariri University Hospital’s chairman in response to a strike by employees, saying the event would allow for the implementation of a plan to "rescue" the public hospital.
The hospital staff proclaimed the beginning of a strike Wednesday morning, saying they would not accept any new patients for treatment.
Abu Faour announced after meeting with a delegation of employees that he accepted the resignation of Faysal Shatila, the former chief of the hospital’s board.
“After Shatila’s resignation, we can say the rescue plan has begun,” he told reporters from his ministry.
Abu Faour had previously announced a plan of reforms in response to the hospital's financial deficit, which had caused a shortage in equipment and tools.
However, the hospital’s staff remained on strike despite Shatila's resignation, saying they would not go back to work unless officials promised to add the hospital's current crisis to the Cabinet’s agenda.
A spokesperson for the employees stressed that the hospital’s infrastructure was ruined and that employees could no longer bare the poor work conditions.
He called for the quick approval of the rescue plan by the Cabinet in order to task the Development and Construction Council with rehabilitating the hospital’s infrastructure.
Employees are also demanding to become full-time employees at the Health Ministry.
Separately, the Health Ministry also sent a warning Wednesday to Ehden’s Public Hospital for not appointing a full-time pharmacist at its Medicines Department.
The last pharmacist to manage the hospital’s pharmacy, Robert Frangieh, died one year ago and no one was appointed to replace him, the statement added.
The ministry gave the hospital 15 days to fix the problems to avoid penal measures.
Lebanese Army earns best security app award
Lebanon's gasoline prices increase after recent drops
Following successive drops over the past couple of months, Lebanon’s gas prices hiked by LL500 ($.33) Wednesday,...
White House Reaches Out To Uninsured Americans
The deadline to sign up for health coverage for 2015 under the Affordable Care Act is Sunday. Renee Montagne talks to presidential adviser Valerie Jarrett about the looming deadline.
Copyright © 2015 NPR. For personal, noncommercial use only. See Terms of Use. For other uses, prior permission required.
Copyright © 2015 NPR. All rights reserved. No quotes from the materials contained herein may be used in any media without attribution to NPR. This transcript is provided for personal, noncommercial use only, pursuant to our Terms of Use. Any other use requires NPR's prior permission. Visit our permissions page for further information.
NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by a contractor for NPR, and accuracy and availability may vary. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Please be aware that the authoritative record of NPR's programming is the audio.
Iran seeks cooperation with Saudis: envoy
BEIRUT: Iran is optimistic about improving its relations with Saudi Arabia, Iran’s Ambassador to Lebanon Mohammad Fathali said Wednesday.
“We seek to establish the best brotherly relations with Saudi Arabia based on the principle of mutual respect,” Fathali said. “We see positive indications on the horizon concerning Iranian-Saudi relations."
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Jawad Zarif’s participation in the funeral services of late King Abdullah was an example of a goodwill gesture from Iran’s side, the diplomat explained.
The move was reciprocated by the participation of Saudi Ambassador in Lebanon Ali Awad Asiri in the ceremony commemorating the anniversary of Iran’s Islamic revolution.
The Iranian ambassador described relations with his Saudi counterpart as “very good.”
“Saudi Arabia and Iran have common enemies like ISIS and Israel,” Fathali said. “The Saudi elites have reached this conviction.”
Iran’s relations with Turkey, another political rival in the region, have also improved, according to Fathali.
“Turkish-Iranian relations are very good and economic trade has reached $20billion,” he said. “There will be an official visit for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan [soon].”
A fierce opponent of the West and the United States, Iran has long been a regional rival to Saudi Arabia and Turkey, both U.S. allies.
Differences were further exacerbated after the eruption of the Syrian Civil War, with Iran supporting Syrian President Bashar Assad and his regime, and Turkey and Saudi Arabia backing rebel groups.
PM Salam: No tourism without security
PM Salam: No tourism without security
The development of tourism in Lebanon is based on security and stability in the country, Prime Minister Tammam Salam...
Sen. Kaine Pushes For Vote On Military Strikes Against ISIS
As the White House decides to seek congressional approval to carry out the war against militants in the Islamic State, also known as ISIS, Renee Montagne talks to Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va.
Copyright © 2015 NPR. For personal, noncommercial use only. See Terms of Use. For other uses, prior permission required.
Copyright © 2015 NPR. All rights reserved. No quotes from the materials contained herein may be used in any media without attribution to NPR. This transcript is provided for personal, noncommercial use only, pursuant to our Terms of Use. Any other use requires NPR's prior permission. Visit our permissions page for further information.
NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by a contractor for NPR, and accuracy and availability may vary. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Please be aware that the authoritative record of NPR's programming is the audio.
Syria to refer Hariri, Sakr to terrorism court
Syrian army advancing south of Damascus
Syrian state media and an activist group say government forces backed by Lebanese Hezbollah fighters have captured...
Lebanon's gasoline prices increase after recent drops
Storm ‘Yohan’ damages Lebanon coastal roads
In a follow up to last month's storm 'Zina', which paralyzed Lebanon with thick layers of snow, storm 'Yohan'...
Sidon robbers exploit storm to break into shops
Storm ‘Yohan’ damages Lebanon coastal roads
In a follow up to last month's storm 'Zina', which paralyzed Lebanon with thick layers of snow, storm 'Yohan'...
Storm ‘Yohan’ damages Lebanon coastal roads
BEIRUT: In a follow up to last month's storm "Zina", which paralyzed Lebanon with thick layers of snow, storm "Yohan" intensified Tuesday night, battering the country’s roads and services.
The Internal Security Forces’ Traffic Management Center announced Wednesday morning that road from Jounieh to Beirut was experiencing heavy traffic jams after crashing waves damaged portions of the highway.
In Beirut, strong winds paralyzed many of the capital’s streets.
Pictures of Al-Manara coastal road in Ras Beirut showed severe damage caused by waves to the Corniche's handrails and cobbled sidewalk.
The capital’s residents also experienced frequent cuts in electricity and internet services.
Media reports said the seaport of the southern city of Sidon stopped operating due to the stormy weather.
In areas higher than 900 meters above sea level, snow fell overnight and blocked many major roads in east and north Lebanon.
TMC announced that the road linking Zahle to Tarshishl, Ainata to Cedars, Laqlouq to Aqoura and Kfardebian to Hadath Baalbek were all shut by the snow.
However, the major road of Dahr al-Baidar, also known as the Damascus Highway, remained open for 4WD vehicles with metal chains.
"Yohan" also caused an increase in car accidents, as motorists found difficulties to drive amid the wind, rain and snow.
ISF announced that three were injured in a car accident on Maarouf Saad Boulevard in the southern city of Sidon and another in a crash on the eastern side of the Dora highway.
Media reports said the telecommunication network in Hasbayya stopped operating due to the storm. The reports added that the weather also cause severe damage to olive trees and other vegetation.
The Meteorological Department at Beirut’s Rafik Hariri International Airport announced that temperature would continue to drop Wednesday, with wind speed increasing to 100 km/hour.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)