The rates on the regular lines are much lower now, and this cannot be disputed. However, when it comes to the prepaid cards, which have the bigger portion of the Lebanese market, the price rates weren’t lowered at all and here’s the proof:
PS: Click on the image to enlarge
I’ve received those pics from an LFer friend of mine who lives in Batroun. It seems Jiji after failing terribly in politics, wants to join the “licking” industry and open a new ice cream shop.
And his role model of course in that industry still is (of course its not ice cream licking we are talking about here, but it’s the thought that counts):
Raffi Nernekian, a Lebanese national, was arrested after an argument with a local man about the T-shirt, in which the key parts of Beckham’s body are obscured either by her hands or the logo “Protect the skin you’re in”.
Mr Nernekian was subsequently jailed for offending public decency for a month, a sentence upheld on appeal. He will be deported after serving his sentence, even though he has lived in the city for five years
[Naharnet] At least one woman was killed and several other people were wounded Sunday when fighting broke out in Beirut between supporters of Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and Mustaqbal Movement.
22:00 قتيلة وجريحان في إشكال منطقة عائشة بكار
21:46 خاص “ليبانون فايلز”: ملالات “م 113″ وناقلات جند من طراز “هامر” تنتشر في بيروت والجيش يقيم حواجز ثابتة ومتنقلة
It seems the fights are still ongoing and the army is deploying and securing the areas around Aisha-Bakkar.
This map i saw on the mustaqbal forum shows where the fights occured, near Kahwit el Mustqbal and the Jamaa Islamiyya office.
PS: Click on the map to enlarge
1595 days after the 14th of February 2005, Saad Hariri was nominated to head the new cabinet.
We “will safeguard the constitution, (state) institutions, sovereignty, independence and the project of the building of the Lebanese state,” Hariri told reporters at Baabda palace after President Michel Suleiman designated him Lebanon’s premier and tasked him with forming a new cabinet.
The Opposition wants veto power or proportional representation.
Aoun wants at least 6 ministers.
Hezbollah wants the new bayan wizari not to mention its weapons.
M14 parties are refusing giving the Opposition veto power but would rather give it to the President.
Hariri’s majority bloc insists it will only accept a unity government if the Hizbullah alliance surrenders the veto powers it enjoys in the outgoing cabinet.
Will M14 impose their demands on the Opposition?
Will the majority be able to rule for the next 4 years?
Will the President of the Republic have a strong say in the next government?
I honestly am not very confident the Opposition will accept not having a veto power.
Hezbollah apparently is not ready to start a war and ruin the summer for the Lebanese, so now it is starting another type of war, a war on the festivals and the artists participating in them !
Gad el Maleh decided not to come to Lebanon[..] after the large propaganda Hezbollah’s website, Al-Manar started against him accusing him of serving in the IDF (which is totally wrong), and the large boycott Hezbollah asked for.
Maleh said his decision to pull out of the festival was due to “aggressive views and calls” which opposed his participation, and out of concern for his personal security and the well-being of the festival.
I am not sure if i should be angry or disgusted by this …
So what if he is a jew ?
So what if he doesn’t defend the Palestinian cause ?
When will those bunch of uncivilized terrorists understand that art is art and has no identity ??
Here, enjoy ya ja3far wou ya Doc and all the Hezbollis & Aounists out there, enjoy the culture and art Hezbollah is bringing us, because sooner than you think, it will come soon to your hometown.
12:08pm Tashnag parliamentary bloc nominated MP Saad Hariri to the premiership.
What a bad bad choice it was to ally to Aoun & Hezbollah !
Check out Berri trying to read what Hariri’s writing …
NOW Lebanon asked French psychoanalyst Jean-Luc Vannier, a Lebanon expert who has lived in the country and who visits Lebanon several times a year, for a specialist opinion on Michel Aoun’s video clip, which is being broadcast on OTV. After watching the video, Vannier came up with the following analysis.
It is already a well-known fact that General Aoun thinks he is Charles de Gaulle. One only needs to read his book (Une certaine vision du Liban, Éditions Fayard, 2007) to be convinced of it. Indeed, this title alludes to the French general’s famous quote: “All my life I have had a certain idea of France.”
Los Angeles fire officials said they responded to a 911 call at Jackson’s home and that Jackson wasn’t breathing when they arrived; paramedics performed CPR and rushed him to UCLA Medical Center, although the hospital, due to privacy rules, could not confirm that. [More]
World mourns for Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson’s life was infused with fantasy and tragedy
Charlie’s Angel Farrah Fawcett also died yesterday at the age of 62.
Voici l’émission diffusée le 23 juin sur France5 sur Bashar el-Assad. Une campagne de séduction bien huilée, mais qui ne trompe personne et surtout pas les deux journalistes interviewers…
Partie 1 – Partie 2 – Partie 3 – Partie 4 – Partie 5 – Partie 6
DUREE TOTALE : 50 MINUTES
AUTEURS : CHRISTIAN MALARD ET BERNARD VAILLOT
Retour sur l’ascension fulgurante d’un homme que rien ne prédisposait aux plus hautes fonctions. Entre une politique réformiste et un régime répressif hérité de son père, Bachar el-Assad oscille. Portrait d’un homme énigmatique à la tête d’un pays divisé.
Fraîchement diplômé en médecine, le jeune Bachar el-Assad poursuit sa spécialisation en ophtalmologie à Londres. Bien loin de son pays natal tenu d’une main de fer par le général Hafez el-Assad, son père. Il faut dire que Bachar n’a pas vocation à gouverner. C’est à son frère aîné, Bassel, que doit revenir le pouvoir. Mais la mort accidentelle de ce dernier va bouleverser les ambitions du jeune médecin. Contraint de rentrer en Syrie, il suit au pas de course des études militaires, est bombardé colonel du corps d’élite de la garde présidentielle, puis nommé secrétaire général du parti Baas et commandant en chef des forces armées. Au décès de son père, en juin 2000, le candidat unique Bachar el-Assad est fin prêt à devenir le seizième président de la République arabe syrienne.
L’homme aux deux visages
Avec l’arrivée du jeune raïs, un vent de libéralisme souffle sur la Syrie. La lutte contre la censure, la libération de prisonniers politiques, la levée de l’état d’urgence marquent la volonté d’ouverture du nouveau président. Mais quelques mois suffisent pour que le vent tourne. Toujours aussi active, la « vieille garde » du régime balaie le « printemps de Damas » et ses airs de liberté. Paradoxal sur la politique intérieure, Bachar el-Assad l’est tout autant sur la scène internationale. La Syrie est-elle prête à négocier la paix au Proche-Orient après avoir ouvertement critiqué le bellicisme d’Israël et soutenu des mouvements tels que le Hezbollah ou le Hamas ? Quel rôle le président syrien a-t-il joué dans l’assassinat de l’ex-Premier ministre libanais Rafic Hariri ? Autant de questions auxquelles tenteront de répondre proches, experts, opposants, dont Saad Hariri, le fils du défunt…
Lise Bollot
Finally we are not distracted by the elections anymore so I started to read interesting articles again, this is an article from National Geographic about the Christians leaving the Middle East:
http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2009/06/arab-christians/belt-text
I want to comment two things:
1) The disappearing Christian presence in the Middle East will be missed a lot in the future by the Sunni and the Shiaa, you will both regret that you made our life in this part of the world so difficult.
2) I am so disappointed with National Geographic for some of the stupid comments they made in this article, in some places it is like the level of Al Chabaka.
If you only want to read the part about Lebanon here it is (the worst comment is about Christian “gangs” killing Palestinian “refugees” to send a message, what the hell??? They didn’t hear that the Palestinians shot at a Church first?? They still don’t know that we simply defended our country and we never started a fight with anyone?? They make us look like gangs who spend all day lifting weights!!! So stupid……. )
“On a mountain overlooking the Mediterranean near Beirut, a hermit rises at three in the morning, reaching for a flashlight amid the lumpy familiarity of books that are both his life’s work and his lifelong bedmates. The hermit, who’s 73, long-bearded, and known by the name Father Yuhanna, works there until dawn, translating ancient Christian hymns from Aramaic, the language of Jesus, into modern Arabic, copying them into a giant, leatherbound volume the size of a seat cushion. Then he prays, eats a piece of fruit, pulls on his black habit and cloak, and merrily sets off to deliver 10,000 blessings to every place in the world.
(more…)
Long time ago, i started moderating on LF & BG forums and the problem was always either to give members and readers too much freedom or the strict minimum, given the fact that a political forum cannot be one-sided and therefore must be tolerant in regards to anti-LF members.
The only forum that managed to produce that diversity is the LF Forum, despite all attacks on the people in charge of it. The key to this success was simple, set up rules to keep the forum standards as high as possible, apply the rules on everyone and treat all members as equals.
Last but not least, members must be remembered that they are on an LF forum (or blog), that represents a certain political line (not necessarily a party), and therefore cannot allow themselves to insult LF martyrs, LF founders, LF symbols, or anything that is considered a red line to the LF (Christianity, Bkerke, Patriarch Sfeir etc …)
ya3ne bil 3arabe el mchabra7, ma feek teje 3a bayte wou tsebbelle ahle !
Therefore, and as of today, all comments will be read and deleted (or edited) if they contain any foul language, any disrespect for another members, any cursing, any insult to personalities i consider as red lines.
You can critisize ALL you want, just stay polite while doing it. I was checking the website stats and it showed most of those reading are between 24 and 35, so you guys are mature and grown ups, ACT ACCORDINGLY 
Added to that, i expect from all of you to assist me in keeping the blog discussions at a high level by reporting posts or insults i might have missed. Mail is ouwet.com@gmail.com or just click on the contact us link and send me your remarks.
Thank you all for your cooperation and hope no one will get upset or anything, because i will not spare any of you guys or girls or transexuals or whatever i get on this blog.
Death sentences for both business tycoon Hisham Talaat Moustafa and a former police officer convicted of killing Suzanne Tamim.
Will they go through with the sentence? Or some kind of mircale (The Arab Justice System) will change the sentence?
Update2:
Lebanon assembly re-elects Hezbollah ally speaker
Ouch M14 !
Update 1:
15:10 “أل بي سي”: إصابة المواطن وسام ضاهر إصابة خطرة في يده برصاص الإبتهاج وسيخضع لجراحة بعد ظهر اليوم
Naharnet: Celebratory gunfire was heard in Beirut as Berri’s re-election was announced.
MTV: في إطار الاحتفالات بإعادة انتخاب الرئيس نبيه بري سقطت قذيفة آر بي جي على مدرسة الارشاد في برج أبي حيدر.
(In english, a B7 fell on Irchad School in Burj abi Haidar)
Sawt Lebnan: 13:15 “صوت لبنان”: تضارب بالأيدي بين مرافقي النائب ستريدا جعجع والسفير الإيراني محمد رضا شيباني قبيل بدء جلسة إنتخاب رئيس مجلس النواب
( in english: A fight erupted between Strida Geagea’s bodyguards and Iranian ambassador’s bodyguards.)
MTV: Injuries reported in Achrafieh due to the gunfires after Berri’s election.
Nabih Berri was voted as head of the Lebanese parliament for the 5th time by 90 votes out of 128.
28 Blank votes were counted.
As Carlos Edde said, this is M14’s first mistake.
1 vote went to Farid El Atrach lol !
No to the man who closed the parliament for more than a year !
No to the man who supported invading Beirut by Hezbollah’s terrorists !
No to the man who made Syria’s work much easier controlling Lebanon !
No to the man who refused freeing Dr.Samir Geagea on many many occasions !
No to the man who covered the political assassinations against our comrads Ramzi Irani, Pierre Boulos and others !
Shame on you ya Saad Hariri for re-electing this prick !
Shame on every M14 elected candidate who will vote for this no1 traitor !
To the LF and its leadership i say: Putting blank votes is not enough, you should start a whole campaign against Berri, starting from within the M14 Christian ranks ..
Any Christian MP voting for Berri should be put on a list of shame and i will make sure to put their names in large font for everyone to remember them one day …
May God be with our lebanese compatriots in Syrian prisons …
According to some websites this is a scan of a leaked letter containing the official result in Iran presidential elections.
In the letter, the minister advises Khamenei that he is “responding to the apprehension and cause for concern you indicated relating to the results of the 10th elections of IRI and to your personal view as to the prudency of renewing Mr. Dr. Mahmoud Adhmadinejad’s presidency at this critically sensitive time, and as such please be advised that all planning and advanced steps have been taken (by the Ministry) to allow for an announcement [of victory] in favor of whichever candidate is favoured by the regime and the revolution, and that all actions have been taken preemptively to circumvent all probable repercussions by the political leaders of parties and candidates and their camps and that all are under the microscope and surveillance.” Mahsouli then provides Khamenei “for your informational purposes only, the accurate vote count.” The first line is the total number of votes case, then it shows the tally we listed below (Mousavi first, Karrouubi second, then Ahmadinejad, Rezai, and blank votes). Finally, the minister asks Khamenei how to proceed.
