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That has rendered a community that experts estimate to be 7 million to 8 million people invisible, underrepresented and unnoticed. There's power in numbers, Berry said, and as it is now, much of the research on the American MENA community is anecdotal because of the lack of an identifier. "Small-business owners in the community would be able to take advantage of grants that we're not entitled to, because we're factored into the white category." 'It's like déjà vu'It isn't the first time the U.S. has concluded that a MENA category is necessary. It's a processThe recommendation for the OMB to adopt a MENA category is just that — a recommendation.

☆ TotalEnergies says well drilling in Lebanon's offshore Block 9 to begin in Q3
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Following months of talks, QatarEnergy has taken a 30% stake in the consortium, leaving TotalEnergies and Eni with 35% each. "From a geological point of view, I am positive" about a discovery in Lebanon's Block 9, Descalzi told reporters. Pouyanne and Qatar's energy minister Saad al-Kaabi, also the CEO of QatarEnergy, said they were discussing possible coordination on renewable energy in Lebanon. Lebanon's first licensing round in 2017 saw a consortium of TotalEnergies, Eni and Russia's Novatek win bids to explore. Pouyanne said the maritime border agreement had ended the "deadlock" facing exploration activities in Block 9.

☆ Map shows each country's DREAM job based on Google search data — and reveals most people wish they were pilots
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-28 | by ( Jordan Hart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The world googled "how to be a pilot" more than any other job between Oct. 2021 and Oct. 2022, data shows. In China, dietitian is the dream job for most citizens, according to the study. Other top dream jobs include writer, dancer, entrepreneur, and YouTuber. The findings were ranked and broken down by the top dream job in each country. Despite Remitly's report, some professionals have sounded off about doing away with the term "dream job," Insider's Shana Lebowitz reported.

☆ Lebanese MPs denounce top prosecutor's moves against judge probing port blast
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Aziz Taher/File PhotoBEIRUT, Jan 27 (Reuters) - Some 40 Lebanese lawmakers on Friday became the latest group to back the judge investigating the catastrophic 2020 Beirut port blast and call for the country's top prosecutor to be held accountable for steps taken against the judge and his probe. Judge Tarek Bitar on Monday resumed his probe into the blast that killed more than 220 people after a 13-month suspension caused by legal wrangling and high-level political pressure. He issued charges against senior security, political and judicial officials, including top public prosecutor Ghassan Oueidat. It said judges who have "sold themselves in service of political authorities" should resign and be held accountable. The Beirut Bar Association, representing lawyers, said that Oueidat's decisions "constituted an abuse of power and a violation of the law".

[1/3] George Bezdjian, whose daughter Jessica died in 2020 port explosion, holds her picture during a protest against steps taken this week to hamstring a probe into the 2020 port blast, in Beirut, Lebanon January 26, 2023. With friends and allies of Lebanon's most powerful factions, including Hezbollah, among those charged, the establishment struck back swiftly on Wednesday, when the prosecutor general charged Bitar with usurping powers. With deep fissures in the judiciary exposed, the tussle adds to the unravelling of a state accelerated by a three-year-long financial crisis, left to fester by the ruling elite. Attempts by a Lebanese judge to investigate Salameh have hit obstacles in Lebanon, where politicians have big sway over the judiciary. In opposing Bitar, Hezbollah has accused the United States of meddling in the investigation and Bitar of political bias.

☆ Lebanese MP is staging a sit-in until a president is elected
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailLebanese MP is staging a sit-in until a president is electedNajat Saliba, Lebanese MP, speaks to CNBC live from Parliament, where she is staging a sit-in.

"He is not above God," Oweidat told Reuters, referring to Bitar. Several members of parliament had earlier met with the justice minister and the head of the supreme judicial council. 'JUDICIAL SCANDAL'Families of those killed in the blast, members of parliament and other Lebanese flocked to Lebanon's justice palace on Thursday to demand Bitar be allowed to carry on. This week's developments have set up a tug-of-war in Lebanon's judiciary, where politicians have influence over many appointments. Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati said on Wednesday that splits in the judiciary could have "dangerous consequences" if left unresolved.

Bitar told Reuters on Wednesday that Oweidat "had no right" to file the charge or release detainees because Oueidat himself was charged over the explosion. Oweidat told Reuters he had summoned Bitar for questioning but did not say whether he had charged him. Oweidat had earlier recused himself from any involvement in the blast probe as Bitar had issued an arrest warrant for his brother-in-law, former public works minister Ghazi Zeaiter. "Instead of me appearing before him, he'll be appearing before me," Oweidat told Reuters by text message. He met with French investigators visiting Beirut last week as part of a French probe into the explosion, whose victims included two French nationals.

BEIRUT, Jan 24 (Reuters) - The judge probing the 2020 Beirut blast has charged Lebanon's top public prosecutor, the then-premier and other senior current and former officials in connection with the devastating explosion, judicial sources said and court summons show. He also charged Prosecutor General Ghassan Oweidat, the head of Lebanon's domestic intelligence agency Major General Abbas Ibrahim, former army commander Jean Kahwaji and other current and former security and judicial officials, court sources said. [1/2] Relatives of some of the victims of the August 2020 Beirut port blast carry their pictures and banners during a protest outside the Justice Palace, in Beirut, Lebanon September 7, 2022. The embassy on Tuesday tweeted that the United States "support and urge Lebanese authorities to complete a swift and transparent investigation" into the blast. Diab, an academic, became prime minister in January 2020 and resigned less than a week after the blast.

You feel like he's on a solo mission," Tania Daou-Alam, who lost her husband in the blast, told Reuters. Bitar went on to file his own charges against several top politicians, including former ministers allied to Hezbollah. Bitar, a devout Catholic from Akkar region of the north, has charged officials from across the sectarian spectrum including Shi'ites, Sunnis and Christians. "I said from the start 'the right person is in the right place'," he added, describing Bitar as just with no political affiliations. William Noun, who lost his brother in the blast, said of Bitar's move: "This is very much a judicial uprising".

☆ 'No Straight Lines' unearths the hidden history of queer comic books
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( Dan Avery | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +8 min

Independent Lens“No Straight Lines” also profiles Mary Wings, who is credited with publishing the first known queer comic book, “Come Out Comics,” in 1973. San Francisco, where Wings now lives, was home to many of the earliest LGBTQ comic books and strips — most of which were made by queer women. “Stuck Rubber Baby” was one of the first queer comics to get mainstream critical acclaim. His generosity of spirit and intellect brought this community together.”Cruse died of cancer in 2019, while “No Straight Lines” was still in development. “It’s very exciting.”“No Straight Lines” premieres on PBS’ “Independent Lens” Monday at 10 p.m.

☆ Maison Rabih Kayrouz returns to haute couture runway in Paris
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( Mimosa Spencer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Designer Rabih Kayrouz poses before his Haute Couture Spring/Summer 2023 collection show for fashion house Maison Rabih Kayrouz in Paris, France, January 23, 2023. REUTERS/Sarah MeyssonnierPARIS, Jan 23 (Reuters) - Maison Rabih Kayrouz took to the runway on Monday for the first time in three years, showing an elevated collection that toyed with the boundaries of ready-to-wear and haute couture fashion. "For me, haute couture is not one style, not one situation - it's know-how," he told reporters after the show. The show took place on the first day of Haute Couture Week in Paris, which runs through Thursday and features the most prestigious fashion houses, including Christian Dior and Chanel. Reporting by Mimosa Spencer in Paris Editing by Matthew LewisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

BEIRUT, Jan 20 (Reuters) - Lebanese bankers told European prosecutors they believed that commissions now at the centre of a graft probe had been paid to the central bank, four sources said, while investigators suspect the cash illegally ended up with the governor's brother. They suspect central bank governor Riad Salameh and his brother Raja illegally took more than $300 million from the central bank between 2002 and 2015 and invested some of the funds in Europe. The bankers and officials told the visiting European prosecutors that they were not aware that the funds had gone to Forry Associates, the four sources said. The four sources said former central bank officials and private bankers had told the European prosecutors they first heard of Forry Associates when the investigation began and the name appeared in the media. A separate but related Lebanese probe charged Riad Salameh with illicit enrichment in March, which he has denied.

☆ Iran and Britain's history of strained relations
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

DUBAI, Jan 14 (Reuters) - British-Iranian relations, which have been strained for decades, were back in the spotlight after Iranian authorities executed British-Iranian national Alireza Akbari for spying, charges he had denied. 1988 - Britain restores full diplomatic relations with Iran. 1994 - Britain accuses Iran of contacts with the outlawed Irish Republican Army, a charge Iran denies but relations worsen. 1999 - Iran says relations between Tehran and Britain have been upgraded to ambassadorial level. The same year, Iran accuses Britain of being behind bombings that killed six people in Iran.

☆ Lebanon army shoots at Israeli drone - statement
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] United Nations peacekeepers (UNIFIL) stand together in Houla near the border with Israel, southern Lebanon January 13, 2023. REUTERS/Aziz TaherBEIRUT, Jan 13 (Reuters) - The Lebanese army said on Friday its troops shot at an Israeli drone that crossed into Lebanon's southern airspace, with a security source saying the drone was not brought down. Israel regularly flies military aircraft in Lebanon's airspace without permission but it is rare for troops to target them. The Lebanese army statement said a patrol was inspecting a separate incident in the south when a "drone belonging to the Israeli enemy violated Lebanese airspace," prompting troops to begin shooting in its direction. A Lebanese security source told Reuters they did not shoot it down.

☆ This property tech startup offers fractional home ownership to wealthy individuals. Check out the 16-slide pitch deck Fractal Homes used to raise $30 million.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( Callum Burroughs | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

London-based startup Fractal Homes has raised $30 million in debt and equity funding. The property tech company offers fractional home ownership for wealthy individuals from MENA. Fractal Homes, a property tech startup that helps wealthy individuals purchase second homes in desirable cities, has raised $30 million in debt and equity funding. To date, wealthy individuals from the MENA region have struggled to access the European housing market, Fractal claims. Check out Fractal Homes' pitch deck below:

☆ Lebanese forces rescue about 200 migrants after boat sinks
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

CAIRO, Dec 31 (Reuters) - Lebanese naval forces carried out rescue operations on Saturday after the sinking of a boat transporting about 200 would-be migrants, the army said on Twitter. Separately, State TV tweeted that initial information was that the boat had been carrying people from Lebanon, Syria and Palestinian territories. The army said the boat had carried people who had tried to illegally cross Lebanese territorial waters, adding that three naval vessels escorted by a UNIFIL (United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon) vessel arrived at the site of the sinking, off the coast of Selaata, north of Beirut, and proceeded to rescue about 200 people. In September, 34 bodies of migrants were found off the coast of the northern Syrian port city of Tartus, suspected of having left north Lebanon heading towards Europe. Reporting by Nayera Abdallah; Editing by David HolmesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Bitcoin still has a big opportunity in payments despite 60% drop this year and choppy waters ahead
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-30 | by ( Tanaya Macheel | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

Investors are constantly reminded that despite the myriad coins, projects and innovations in crypto, bitcoin may be the only "safe" crypto asset to buy. And while Tesla didn't credit the volatility for its reversal, many observers saw it as evidence that the belief in bitcoin's payments capabilities were misguided. "Bitcoin's price on any given day — as a remittance vehicle — has no effect on us," he said. The group that runs the Lightning Network, a payment protocol built on the Bitcoin network, is committed to making Bitcoin network payments even faster, less costly and more readily confirmed than transactions made directly on the Bitcoin blockchain. Crypto investors, on the other hand, were "disproportionately high-income, almost always had a traditional banking relationship, and typically had other retirement savings."

☆ 3 times the US military brought back 'obsolete' weapons to take on new enemies
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-28 | by ( Miguel Ortiz | We Are The Mighty | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Most military enthusiasts are familiar with the Reagan administration's 600-ship Navy and the reactivation of the battleships USS Iowa, Missouri, New Jersey and Wisconsin. However, USS New Jersey was brought back into active service once before. US ArmyAn evolution of the famed M1 Garand of WWII and Korea, the M14 battle rifle became the standard-issue rifle for the US military in 1959. It served as the basis of the M21 Sniper Weapon System introduced in 1968 and M25 Sniper Weapon System introduced in 1991. Though both weapon systems have been largely replaced by the M24 Sniper Weapon System, the M14 lives on as the Mk14 Enhanced Battle Rifle.

When it rains, I'm worried the car will slide," Omayraat said. With foreign currency coffers dwindling, the state has already lifted subsidies on fuel and most medication. That is set to pile even more financial pressure on people struggling to make ends meet. He's not able to eat and I won't be able to eat," Omayraat said. It has left him sceptical that Lebanon will implement the reforms necessary to score a final IMF bailout in the coming months.

☆ U.S. court decision paves way for depositor case against Lebanese bank
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The court decision, issued on Dec. 15 in a case brought by Lebanese depositors against leading lender Bank Audi, overturned a lower district court's decision that said Beirut courts had "exclusive jurisdiction" to try cases against Lebanese banks. A district court dismissed their claim on the reasoning that such cases should only be heard by Lebanese courts. There was no immediate response from Bank Audi in Beirut to a request for comment filed outside business hours. Jeffrey Rotenberg, a lawyer from DLA Piper representing Bank Audi in the case, said the decision was "non-precedential." Abdelsater said the Raads wanted access to $17 million they had in savings at Bank Audi.

☆ An ex-Twitter employee was sentenced to 3.5 years in prison after spying for Saudi Arabia and handing over user info
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( Sawdah Bhaimiya | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Ex-Twitter employee Ahmad Abouammo was sentenced to over 3 years in prison after spying for Saudi Arabia. He was found guilty of sharing confidential information about Twitter users with Saudi officials. 45-year-old Ahmad Abouammo was found guilty of sharing confidential information about Twitter users with Saudi officials, and receiving hundreds of thousands of dollars in exchange, the attorney's office said. This sentence sends a message to insiders with access to user information to safeguard it, particularly from repressive regimes, or risk significant time in prison." Abouammo was convicted alongside another ex-Twitter employee Ali Alzabarah, who fled the US before being charged, per Reuters.

A former Twitter employee found guilty of spying on users on behalf of the Saudi royal family has been sentenced to three and a half years in prison. He was sentenced Wednesday in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. The Justice Department has said it believes that another former Twitter employee accused of accessing user accounts and a man accused of helping the Saudi government with the scheme have fled to Saudi Arabia to evade American authorities. The Saudi government severely penalizes anti-government expression on social media sites like Twitter. In April, courts sentenced Salma al-Shehab, a Saudi citizen and 34-year-old mother of two children, to 34 years in prison for tweets protesting the government.

☆ French prosecutors name Ukrainian suspect in Lebanese central bank probe
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( David Gauthier-Villars | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Dec 5 (Reuters) - French prosecutors said on Monday they have put a Ukrainian woman linked to the governor of Lebanon's central bank under formal investigation as part of a cross-border probe into alleged fraud to the detriment of the Lebanese state. A lawyer for Kosakova said he and his client would "react very soon" to the French prosecutors' decisions. Salameh, who has not been named as a suspect by French prosecutors but who had some of his real estate assets in France seized as part of the investigation, did not respond to a message seeking comment. A French lawyer for Salameh, Pierre-Olivier Sur, said the June decision on Kosakova "doesn't change anything". In the interview with Reuters, Riad Salameh has said he bought real estate assets with his own money, earned when he worked as an investment banker.

His children's school expenses are mostly covered by a charity and a portion of his medicine is subsidised by the state. Before, we used to plan for a month or a year or two ... now, we've lost that ability," he said. The government says it remains committed to implementing reforms that would pave the way for an IMF deal. While Lebanon had long relied on remittances, the flow has increased as some 200,000 people had emigrated since 2019, he said. Meanwhile, basic state functions are increasingly propped up by international donors seeking to prevent total state failure.

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