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The Lebanese capital, Beirut, ranked first globally as the best city for food, according to a survey on Travel & Leisure portal on the best world cities in terms of quality of food. The survey was based on the views of readers about the best cities, islands, recreation resorts, airlines and cruise lines around the world. Beirut was selected due to its distinct features, particularly its unique cuisine and food delicacies. The Spanish city of San Sebastian came second, Paris third, followed respectively by the three Italian cities of Florence, Bologna and Rome. The Mexican city of San Miguel ranked seventh, followed by Chiang Mai in Thailand, Barcelona in Spain and the French city of Bordeaux in the tenth place. (Al Mustaqbal, An Nahar August 18 and 19, 2016)

 

The minister of tourism Michel Pharaon disclosed yesterday that the tourism industry was forceful and in full bloom this season with over 300 activities across the Lebanese regions and some 90 international music concerts. Sponsoring a ceremony held by the municipal board and mayors of Akkar el 3ateeka for winning the best Lebanese town title for 2016, Pharaon stressed that political conciliation is required for stability and security. In the same spirit, and under the theme ‘Kafarshuba unites us’, the Youth Committee of Kafarshuba organized the seventh village art fiesta on the campus of the town’s public school. The 3-day event arranged in collaboration with the UNDP and sponsored by the municipality of Kafarshuba, aimed at promoting co-existence and harmony amongst the region’s diverse communities. On the sidelines, an exhibition showcased an assortment of artisan crafts and traditional village mouneh items. Meanwhile, minister Pharaon launched during a press conference the first time Tripoli Festivals for 2016 in cooperation with the city’s municipality and ‘Tripoli Hayat’ association. The next month’s 3-day event will take place at the Rashid Karami International Fair and proceeds will go to support efforts fighting the schools dropout crisis. Moreover, the National Committee for Saida International Festivals launched the Tourist City Festivities Program planned this coming September. (Al Mustaqbal, Al Diyar, August 18, 2016)

 

In its edition of today, Al Hayat newspaper brought up the issues of civil marriage which largely is still considered a taboo in Lebanon as couples have to break sweat in convincing their parents of its importance for protecting their rights, particularly if they came from different religious confessions. Expounding on the subject, Al Hayat noted that due to existing hurdles facing them, civil wed couples usually choose to get married in Cyprus (the number of registered contracts reach nearly 850 annually). The newspaper pointed to the flourishing marriage travel with all the tourist agencies and hotels, that is remarkably growing in the peaceful Mediterranean island. Cyprus, the newspaper mentioned, receives, besides the Lebanese, nationals from neighboring countries whose governments still ban civil marriage. Speaking to Al Hayat, a number of concerned parties explained that despite the apparent effortlessness of the procedure in Cyprus, problems start to emerge once they are back to Lebanon.  Confronted with a barrage of questions, like why they chose civil marriage, and whether their marriage is approved religiously, returning couples know that things will not be easy, especially with the coming of their first born. Additional obstacles arise subsequently, like which is the right way to raise the child and his/her ability to integrate with the divergent religions or sects of the mother and father as well as their immediate environment. Civil marriage is only the first step, Al Hayat concluded, maintaining that the real challenges for civil marriage couples starts in Lebanon while facing a closed society that mostly is still attached to its sectarian affiliations. )Al Hayat, August 18, 2016(

 

A study by the World Bank Group published in Al Akhbar daily has shown that Lebanon faces a serious unemployment crisis prompted by a waning economy that failed during the past decade to create job-motivating incentives or improve the quality of available jobs. According to WB study, some 23 thousand persons pour into the domestic labor market every year, meaning that the economy needs to kick off more than 6 folds of the number of jobs currently available. This, while noting, that the average net prospects during the period from 2004-2007 were 3400 jobs only. The study has also revealed that the rate of unemployment in the country prior to the influx of Syrian refugees recorded 11%, especially among young men and women, with respective 9% percentage among young men against 18% among women. A main cause for the high unemployment rate, the study maintained, is the slow economic growth resulting from the Syrian displacement crisis and the inflating rate of informal work. Subsequently,  the work force soared by 35% with the arrival of large numbers of refugees, while noting that the majority of the incoming labor force is uneducated and lacks proper skills as such: 50% of refugee laborers work in agriculture and domestic services and 12% in construction. 

In a related vein, the Labor Department at the Labor Ministry announced in a statement on Friday that a number of Lebanese male and female employees at private institutions and companies in the Beqaa, Baalbak-Hermel, the North, Akkar and other regions, have been collectively and arbitrarily dismissed from their jobs and replaced by Syrian nationals. The statement added that the labor ministry in response has assigned inspectors, in collaboration with the competent security forces, to shut down the establishments illegitimately competing with Lebanese business owners. 

On this subject, Azzi revealed in an interview with LBCI, that some 10,000 Lebanese workers were forced out of their jobs, noting that companies were deliberately creating unfavorable circumstances for their Lebanese employees in an attempt to force them to submit their resignations, in order to replace them with foreigners. He concluded by warning that the ministry would be referring companies replacing Lebanese workers with foreigners to the judicial authorities. (Al Akhbar, An Nahar, Al Mustaqbal, August 13, 2016).

 

For the list of contravening businesses, please check the link below: http://www.al-akhbar.com/node/263123. ;

To view World Bank report, please check: http://www.databank.com.lb/docs/WorldBank-Good%20Jobs%20March%202013.pdf

 

A report by the British House of Commons has shown that Muslim women are the most economically vulnerable and disadvantaged class of British society. The House’s Committee on Women and Equality revealed that the number of women liable to unemployment or looking for jobs is nearly threefold their men peers, while the proportion is twofold for economically inactive women. According to the report, the disparity is real, for as the current rate of British employed women stands at 69%, against 35% for Muslim women. The level of jobless or job seeking women on the national level recorded 5%, whereas the percentage among Muslim women was close to 16%. The flagrant difference, the report went on to say, was mostly visible in the level of so-termed economically inactive British women, and they are specifically the unemployed but not on the lookout for jobs or women in general (not less than 27%, and 58% for Muslim women in particular). The report also indicated that nearly half of the inactive Muslim women prefer their current status which is inspired by a desire to stay at home, against a national rate (16%) of inactive women with the same urge. On reasons behind such discrepencies, the House’s Committee on Women pointed out that a large number of British Muslim women face a triple punishment influencing their work expectations, firstly, because they are women, secondly, from an ethnic minority and thirdly because they are Muslims. The major cause for that “grave” deprivation felt by British Muslim women is their religious background, the Committee maintained, noting the “impact of the Islamophobia phenomenon which should not be underestimated.” In conclusion, MPs members of the Committee underlined that Muslim women face various forms of discrimination when they apply for jobs because of the way they dress. (To view the full report, please check: http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201617/cmselect/cmwomeq/89/89.pdf). (Al Diyar, August 12, 2016)

 

The council of ministers turned down, in its meeting held last Thursday, an appeal for delaying the current academic year from September 15 to September 18, put forward by tourism minister Michel Pharaon (c.f. http://bit.ly/2aZ2vSW). After the meeting, Pharaon explained that the appeal was denied because registration has already started for the current scholastic year, while Education minister added that such a request may be considered next year. Meanwhile, planned festivals in the various regions are continuing, with Jezzine throwing a fiesta of heritage and art complemented with a traditional exhibition on the sideline showcasing local artisan and agricultural goods as well as village mooneh items. In the Metn area, and as part of the Emigrants Festival activities, the municipality of Dhur el-Shuwayr -Ain Sindyaneh organized a fair for vintage cars dating back to the twenties of last century in addition to spectacular dance shows. (As Safir, Al Mustaqbal, An Nahar, August 12, 15, 17, 2016)

 

Yesterday the deadline for the Appellate Public Prosecution to appeal the mitigated sentence against Muhammad Nu7heili, killer of wife Manal Assi: (http://bit.ly/2bbGazg) ended with no success, and the file was reassigned to the Discriminatory Prosecution to pronounce its ruling during a period of one month at the latest. Coinciding with the set deadline, Kafa Enough Violence and Exploitation jointly with the Lebanese Women’s Council (LWC) and a number of concerned activists staged a sit-in in front of the Justice Palace in Beirut to pressure in that direction. During the protest, lawyer and LWC president Iqbal Dughan stressed the need to adjust the current law in such that the appeal in incidents of murder becomes compulsory. Similarly, lawyer Leila Awada said that the absence of a relevant legislation that puts in check perpetrators of domestic violence inspires more atrocious acts on the part of so-called angry husbands. 

For its part, Kafa denounced in a statement the “demise of justice” in the case of Manal, maintaining that the ruling in subject has repeatedly proven the worthless value of the life of a woman in the eyes of many, and that the outdated notion of macho superiority has won again. For her part, Manal’s mother present at the demonstration demanded the maximum penalties against the killer of her daughter, despite her announcement earlier to drop all personal rights against the culprit who has allegedly threatened to kill her. In a move of solidarity with Manal and other victims of domestic violence, the Progressive Socialist Party held a gathering yesterday at its Beirut center which brought together youth, legal and women committees of the following parties: Lebanese Communist Party, Future Movement, National Liberal Party, Al Marada, Al Kataeb, Free Patriotic Movement, Tashnak, Al Azm association and Al Ittihad Party. At the end of the meeting, participants urged the competent Judiciary authorities to issue a firm, quick and rigorous decision criminalizing brutal murderers. (As Safir, Al Akbar, Al Mustaqbal, Al Diyar, An Nahar, August 17, 2016)

 

With the aim of supporting innovative small and medium initiatives, the Fruits of Tripoli Fund signed last Friday a cooperation agreement with Business Incubator affiliated with the Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture for Tripoli and the North in the presence of a group of concerned figures in addition to the main signatories, former minister Nicolas Nahhas for the Fund and the Chamber’s CEO, Tawfic Dabbussi. On the occasion, Karim Suwaisi, underlined the role of the Fund in promoting and encouraging similar undertakings that prompt the creation of jobs for youth, but noted that each project requires completing a  feasibility study which identifies its nature and details the systematic methodology for its implementation. Nahas, on the other hand, indicated that investment funds, banks and financial markets demand rigorous commitment, related to mortgage and other guarantees, on the part of loan borrowers to support their enterprises. He expressed the Fund’s total readiness to help creative and development-oriented minds. Dabbussi, likewise, while highlighting the vital and central role of the northern capital, added that the timing of the above partnership was appropriate. (Al Mustaqbal, Al Diyar, August 13, 2016)

 

 

Lebanon ranked third in the Middle East region in terms of revenues from international tourism with profits reaching nearly USD 6.85 billion last year. According to a report by the United Nations World Tourism Organization, Lebanon followed the United Arab Emirates with a total US 16 billion and Saudi Arabia at USD 10 billion. The report also indicated that, globally, the tourism sector was affected by threats of terrorism, particularly after the bloody attacks in Egypt, France, Lebanon and Tunisia, and in other countries. On the other hand, the same report pointed out that world tourism industry has witnessed a remarkable growth in the past few years, one of the highest compared to the other sectors of world economy, adding that the US ranked first in terms of tourism revenues during 2015 (USD 204.5 billion in total). In conclusion, the World Tourism Organization report indicated that global tourism was stimulated last year by a number of positive factors, primarily, the decline in oil prices, which in turn reduced the costs of transportation and flights, in addition to the weakening value of the Euro which boosted travel to Europe. (An Nahar, Al Diyar, August 13, 2016)