BetLZ News 2.9.10

Pilot Error Behind Ethiopian Jet Crash - Source / Reuters

Accused Paris bomber likely to face June extradition hearing / AFP (Accused bomber is Canadian-Lebanese)

Lebanese President to visit Cyprus / Financial Mirror

Saudi Arabia upholds 'sex boast' conviction / BBC News (remember that issue of the program on LBC that showed Saudi Arabians talking about their sex lives and using sex toys on TV that resulted in LBC being banned in Saudi Arabia??)

Spat overshadows Lebanese Maronite 1600th anniversary celebrations / AP

Beirut appeals to Spain for security help / UPI

Pictures:

From Beirut to Biafra: Don McCullin's war photographs go on show / The Guardian

And remember, we LOVEEEE to hear from you! So any positive comments you have to leave/any constructive criticism are always strongly desired!!! (We write for you after all!)

~LZ

Naam, feena! (Yes we can!) n°2

US President Barack Obama speaking at Cairo University

Missed Obama's speech in Cairo?

Here is the text in full. I have yet to read it as am currently in class and should be focusing on other things, but will read soon and give my opinions.

Prefer to watch instead of read it? Watch it here

I hear he mentions the Maronites in Lebanon....


~LZ

Happy maroon day

Yesterday was St. Maron's day in Lebanon. So if you are a reader of our blog and are a Maronite and give a hoot, then happy St. Maron's day.

A very interesting cartoon appeared today in Annahar newspaper about the status of the Maronites politically.

The voice coming out of the church is calling out to St. Maron, and on each side of the church, different people and ringing the bell to different tunes. This might just be quintessentially a Lebanese thing, but each party in Lebanon has its own "tune". People would beep their car horns to in a certain way indicating their political affiliations. The guy on the left in the cartoon is ringing tara rat tat tat, ren ren ren (or tara rat tat tat, ge ne ral) so he is a aounist, the guy on the right is going, ren ren, ren ren ren, ren ren ren ren, ren ren (or ren ren, ren ren ren, ren ren ren ren, ha kim) so he is a geageaist. I really like the satire on the divisions within the Maronite community.

On a different note, I am impatiently waiting for the Israeli election results. I am personally wishing for a Kadima and Livni win, but it seems that although she's behind in the polls, she might after all end up with enough seats in the Knesset to be an obstacle for Netanyahu. He is far too much to the right for my own taste and possibly very detrimental to peace. Not that she is going to usher in a period of calm and peace herself, but options for peace and a two state solution under her leadership might be better served.

On a personal note, I am still dissapointed and possibly even MORE so now than before with him.

BG