Congratulations to the New Miss Lebanon 2011 from khazen.org Yara Khoury-Mikhael
BEIRUT: Yara Khoury-Mikhael was crowned Sunday night as Miss Lebanon following a lavish beauty pageant held at Beirut Souks.
The former Lebanese American University student pipped runners up Pamela Jabour and Sonia-Lynn Gabriel to the 2011 crown.
She replaces incumbent Rahaf Abdullah as Lebanon’s beauty queen.
the 5 Misses at the final stage were: 5 girls moving on to the final stage, they are: – Carolina Nassar. Yara Khoury-Mikhael. Pamela Jabbour. Paloma Mady.
– Sonia-Lynn Gabriel
the 10 Misses during Phase were: e 10 girls moving on to the next stage … they are: Ranine Matar. Alice Tawil. Carolina Nassar. Pamela Jabbour. Sonia-Lynn Gabriel. Geva Eid. Paloma Mady. Pamela Gemayel. Yara Khoury-Mikhael. Lama Sassine.
Read more for details and videos
Miss Lebanon 2012- 2013 click on Rina Chibani for more pictures of Yara click Read More
I love midnight bells, they are full of surprises, at least from the Cinderalla movies or lately "Midnight in Paris" this is what we have learned. But the bells that I have been subjected too are "slightly" different. They occur at 4:13AM or so constantly for the past month. I wake up completely lost: in my mind "what is happening!!!", I would be happily dreaming in my bed then suddenly the famous bells or should I say the awful fire alarm!! that would create the opposit effect of a midnight bell!! The famous 4:13AM bells or so are fire alarms, and the fun part of it is that I live in the 16 floor, how fun not to be able to use elevators!!! But I gave it up, I just stay in my bed and I do not bother anymore leaving my apartment! The fire alarm would ring for 5 min non-stop with an awful acute noise, at the end of the 5 min, the concierge will speak out with the microphone that is broadcasted to all of the condo, to let us know that now we are "safe".
Here are the explanaiton from the management of my condominium @Milwaukee you really have to read it:
By Willow Osgood The Daily Star
BAALBEK, Lebanon: Vendors selling broad-brimmed hats greet visitors as they pile out of their minibus, which has traveled the width of Lebanon from Beirut’s Cola roundabout to Baalbek in the Bekaa Valley (LL6,000, 2 hours).
It is wise to indulge in one, or bring along a lot of sunscreen. The name Baalbek is Phoenician and means “Valley of God,” but Heliopolis or “City of the Sun” is its Roman name and a fitting description.
The Baalbek temple complex (entry LL12,000), a UNESCO World Heritage Site, sits right in the town of Baalbek, providing patrons of a local coffee shop with views of Roman temples and columns.
The imposing stone structures invite newly arrived visitors into the best Roman ruins in the country. But the Roman Empire is just one of many world powers that have left their mark on Baalbek.
Luckily, there is Ali Outa, a guide with 47 years of experience, to help tourists navigate the expansive site. Ali, who sports a deep tan and white trainers, takes his guests through 3,000 years, pointing out the remnants and clues of bygone epochs, all in about an hour ($20). He also knows where to find a bit of shade.
Please note that these articles are not written by khazen.org or represent the website, it is just the opinion of the authors who wrote them. We have decided to post articles from both sides, and list a number of articles from different authors , to give an equal representation from both camps. If you would like your article to be added please contact us or add a comment.
"Pffft" Went the UN Tribunal in Lebanon by: Sharmine Narwani
Senior Associate, St. Antony’s College, Oxford University
No surprises from the camp of those who support the STL either. The usual suspects applauded the indictments and insisted that Lebanon adhere to its international obligations in assisting this Tribunal.
Hezbollah has claimed that the Tribunal is an "Israeli/American plot" to undermine the group, and charges that the investigation is "politicized." These allegations have resonated with a large number of Lebanese, particularly after the revelation that the UN commission had based its early findings on highly compromised testimony from "false witnesses."
The commission appeared to opportunistically switch its investigation from Syrian suspects to Hezbollah in 2009, when western nations were trying to rebuild ties with Syria’s President Bashar al Assad. Recent media reports suggest that the Tribunal has re-focused some attention on Syria in the past months, just as these same nations have washed their hands off Assad. Israeli media reports on Saturday suggest that subsequent indictments may include senior Syrian officials, including the president’s brother.
A series of leaks and disclosures have undermined the UN investigation further. One WikiLeaks Cable from September 2008 (three years after the investigation began, and only months before its focus switched to Hezbollah) even shows the current Tribunal Prosecutor Daniel Bellemare imploring Lebanon’s former US Ambassador Michele Sison to help him decide which Syrians to pursue for investigation:
"On this issue, Bellemare repeated what he said in the IWG meeting (reftel): that he did not want to go to Syria until the USG (United States Government) or other sources had provided names of leads he should ask to interview and other information. If Syria denied his request to interview these people, then he would have evidence of Syrian non-cooperation. Just asking would give some indication to others in Syria where his investigation might be headed, which could provoke more cooperation "if I hit the right person."
BEIRUT: The Maronite patriarch said Friday that he rejected references to Christians in Lebanon as “minorities.” “Minorities do not exist. We are cells in the Lebanese body from which this [Lebanese social] fabric is formed,” Patriarch Beshara Rai said. He noted that a synod convened at the Vatican last year to study the situation of […]