LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN

LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
January 02/2013

Bible Quotation for today/Come to me, all of you who are tired from carrying heavy loads, and I will give you rest
Matthew 11/29-30: “Come to me, all of you who are tired from carrying heavy loads, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke and put it on you, and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble in spirit; and you will find rest. For the yoke I will give you is easy, and the load I will put on you is light.”

Latest analysis, editorials, studies, reports, letters & Releases from miscellaneous sources
Damascus without al-Assad and Cairo’s fears/By Abdul Rahman Al-Rashed/Asharq Alawsat/January 02/10
2013…The year of the economy/By Ali Ibrahim/Asharq Al-Awsat/January 02/10

Maronite Cardinal Beshara Rai holds Mass for world peace
January 01, 2013/The Daily Star
BEIRUT: Maronite Cardinal Beshara Rai urged people to become peacemakers in the world, saying peace begins by respecting human life. “The road to peace begins by respecting human life and their rights,” Rai said during his sermon dedicated to world peace in Bkirki. He added that “peace in principle is to achieve the general good for all groups.” “Every individual and group, whether religious or cultural is invited to work for peace and to conclusively develop humans and society,” the cardinal said quoting Pope Benedict XVI’s letter for the New Year. To become peacemakers for the world, Rai added, people should abandon “selfishness, violence, greed, domination, and arrogance, as well as malice and injustice, describing them as sins that prevent the achievement of the public good."All these sins negate peace," he added. "Peacemakers are the ones who the pope says love the human life, defend it and strengthen it,” he said. Meanwhile, Beirut Greek Orthodox Metropolitan Bishop Elias Aoudeh also held a mass to commemorate the start of 2013, saying the state should protect the freedom of its nationals.“Humans are equal in front of God regardless of their socioeconomic and cultural status and they are equal in duty and it is the duty of the state to protect the freedom of its citizens and treat them with equality and justice,” he said.

Israeli produce discovered in south Lebanon shop
January 01, 2013 /By Mohammed Zaatari/The Daily Star
SIDON, Lebanon: A Lebanese shopper discovered several food items made in Israel in one of Lebanon’s largest retailers Tuesday. While shopping at Spinneys in the coastal city of Sidon, a man, who preferred to remain anonymous, discovered a bag of three kinds of peppers made in Israel. He immediately contacted local authorities who in turn contacted the Lebanese Army.Members of military intelligence and police arrived to Spinneys to discover 13 similar bags that have the word “Israel” printed on the sale tag.Police also noticed that the international bar code for the items was scratched with a blue pen and a new code was handwritten on the bag.
The case was then referred to the military judiciary for investigation into how the products made it through the customs department at the port or the airport.Spinneys had a similar incident almost ten years ago when shoppers discovered mugs made in Israel being sold at the retailer.

Charbel urges security forces to restore Lebanese' trust
January 01, 2013/The Daily Star/BEIRUT: Interior Minister Marwan Charbel urged security forces Monday night to restore citizens’ trust as he followed up on the agencies’ nationwide plan for New Year’s Eve.
“I urge [security forces] to restore the confidence of the citizens in them based on mutual respect and the strengthening of the special relationship between security forces and the citizen, wherein the former is at the service of the people providing support, not bullying,” Charbel’s office quoted him as saying. He added that the process of restoring such confidence has begun after it was shaken at a previous stage, saying that the prestige of security agencies should only be imposed via the law. His comments came during a meeting that he chaired with security personnel and municipality officials to follow up on the traffic and security plan for New Year's Eve in Beirut.
Charbel, who also chaired several other security meetings Monday night including in Jounieh and Beirut airport, expressed hope that 2013 would a “year of peace” for Lebanon, as well as one of solidarity to overcome difficulties.In Jounieh, north of Beirut, Charbel spoke about the traffic and security plan his ministry has put forward to regulate roads and maintain stability during the holiday season, saying there are 30,000 personnel dispersed across the country.The minister also attributed the relative stability in the country to the “awareness of its leaders,” adding that Lebanon will overcome this difficult phase and prevent repercussions from its surroundings
After the security meetings he chaired at Rafik Hariri International Airport, Charbel said a decent number of tourists from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Syria and Iraq have visited Lebanon contrary to rumors about the heavy drop in tourism activity this year.

Sidon's refugees spend New Year's Day on beach
January 01, 2013 /The Daily Star
SIDON, Lebanon: Sidon’s beach was packed Tuesday with tens of Syrian refugees who have fled violence in their country celebrating a new year and hoping for an end to their crisis. While some came to fish, others brought their picnic to the beach with family while others looked to find food for theirs. “We survived but we did not expect to make it here and sit on the beach to watch this scenery,” Mahmoud Asfour said as he and his family enjoyed a humble lunch on the beach. Sitting on a blanket with his wife and two kids, Asfour said he thought his time had come when his village in Daraa was hit. “But here we are, enjoying a quiet afternoon and smoking Nargileh; something we learned from our Lebanese brothers,” he added. Refugees similar to Ahlam and Ihab have learned to fish so as to secure food for their families, spending the New Year on the beach working rather than celebrating a new start. “Being in constant need of food has forced me to learn how to fish,” said Ahlam who, like many others, preferred to remain anonymous out of fear of retribution. She voiced appreciation for the government and other organizations including those affiliated with the U.N. for the aid they are providing but said it was not enough. Around 160,000 Syrian and Palestinian refugees have fled to Lebanon following the outbreak of unrest in Syria in March 2011, according to the U.N. It is expected that the total number of displaced Syrians will reach one million in 2013. Some 11,200 Syrians, around 2,000 families, reside in the coastal city of Sidon where local officials including Future Movement MP Bahia Hariri have put forward emergency plans to cope with the increasing number of displaced. As teenagers swam in the cold winter water of Sidon’s beach, many hoped that civil war in Syria comes to an end this year. “We are sick of the massacres. We want to return home,” one Syrian who refused to give his first name said as he took a walk on the warm sand. Ihab, a former hairdresser, said he picked up fishing not only to secure food for his family but also as a useful hobby that fills his time while in the city. “I hope the rest of the year will be just like today: calm, quite and with plenty fish in the sea,” Ihab said.

Rival Lebanese MPs address solutions to electoral law issue
Now Lebanon/Rival Lebanese MPs commented on the possibility of a resolution to the electoral law issue before the scheduled meeting of the parliamentary sub-committee set to study law proposals.
Change and Reform bloc MP Ibrahim Kanaan voiced his concern over the possibility of a consensus between the country’s political rivals over a new electoral law. “There is no political will [for consensus]… there is a side in Lebanon, namely the Future Movement, that does not want the electoral law to change,” Kanaan told Voice of Lebanon (100.5) radio station on Monday. He added that his bloc was willing to discuss “any law that secures the minimum level of true parliamentary representation.” Meanwhile, Future bloc MP Ahmad Fatfat told the radio station that the competencies of the parliamentary sub-committee did not allow it to discuss the Fouad Boutros law.
“The parliamentary sub-committee is not charged with studying [the points related to the number of elected MPs, the electoral system and the constituencies boundaries.]”
His comments followed Prime Minister Najib Miqati’s remarks to An-Nahar newspaper in which he voiced his support for the Fouad Boutros law and said that the sub-committee will consider all proposals including the one transferred by his cabinet. The Fouad Boutros law stipulates that half of the deputies within a single district would be elected by proportional representation and the other half by majority representation.
Boutros is a veteran politician who held a number of prominent ministerial positions spanning across several decades.
Kataeb bloc MP Elie Marouni also addressed the issue in remarks published by Kuwaiti daily As-Seyassah, saying that “differences in points of view concerning the proposed draft laws might hinder any positive solutions.”He also lashed out at the March 14 coalition’s political opponents. “Is March 8’s view that the elections will not be held according to the 1960 law an introduction to the obstruction of the elections if they don’t get the majority of votes?” the lawmaker inquired. Lebanon is set to elect new parliamentary representatives in 2013, but the country's political circles are divided over the electoral law issue despite the cabinet’s approval in September of a draft law based on proportionality and 13 electoral districts. The new law is supposed to replace the current 1960 law based on simple majority representation. Last week, the March 14 opposition coalition announced that it would participate in the parliamentary sub-committee meeting scheduled on January 8, after it had decided to boycott parliament meetings for security reasons.

Greek Orthodox Archbishop of Beirut Elias Audeh Calls on State to Treat People Equally
Naharnet/Greek Orthodox Archbishop of Beirut Elias Audeh stressed on Tuesday that Lebanon will not regain its reputation except with the efforts undertaken by its honorable citizens. “The people are equal before God even if their culture or social levels are different,” Audeh said during New Year's mass. He called on the state to protect the citizens and treat them equally and with justice. “As long as we belong to one nation we share the same fate,” Audeh pointed out. He urged the government to kick off the appointment of top civil servants in state posts according to efficiency without referring to their religion or political affiliations. “The Orthodox were the first to demand the state to appoint the right person in the right post,” Audeh noted. He called on the Lebanese to accept others who are different in order for Lebanon to bolster, stressing the importance of freedom
Audeh hoped that the Lebanese would kick off constructive work this year to safeguard the country.

Grand Mufti Sheikh Mohammed Rashid Qabbani Lashes Out at Attempts to Plunge Higher Islamic Council in Politics
Naharnet /Grand Mufti Sheikh Mohammed Rashid Qabbani expressed surprise on Tuesday over the fuss created over the elections of the Higher Islamic Council, saying that some are trying to turn it into a political council.
“They want to dominate the council to turn it from an Islamic council into a political one... I will not allow this to happen,” Qabbani said in comments published in As Safir newspaper. He pointed out that the elections weren't suspended over the decision taken by the Shura Council, however he said that he canceled the previous date set by him on December 30. The Shura Council suspended the elections set by Qabbani after 21 Higher Islamic Council members, who are close to ex-Premier Saad Hariri's al-Mustaqbal Movement, filed a challenge against the mufti's call. They described the elections for the Council that elects the mufti and organizes the affairs of Dar al-Fatwa as illegal over Qabbani's failure to consult them before making his call. On Monday, the mufti announced that the elections will be carried out during the last week of February.
Qabbani described the meetings held with former Prime Ministers Salim al-Hoss and Omar Karami as “positive.”The mufti expressed regret after holding talks with al-Hoss on Monday over the division among the Islamic body, stressing that he will confront any campaign against the person of the mufti. He stressed after talks with Karami on Sunday that the elections should be held within the legitimate timeframe, pointing out that the members of the Council will be elected after the list of names of eligible voters is issued. The mufti stressed that his deputy has no right to call for any Council session or chair any meeting in his absence. Prime Minister Najib Miqati, who met with Qabbani the day he reversed his call for the elections, proposed holding elections within a period of two or three months with members of the current Council remaining in office until polls are held to avoid the vacuum.

Syria files second complaint against Lebanon aid to refugees
January 01, 2013/The Daily Star
BEIRUT: Syria’s envoy to Lebanon has sent another letter of complaint accusing the Social Affairs Ministry of aiding refugees based on their political affiliation, the minister said Tuesday. “The Syrian ambassador sent a new letter with accusations against the Social Affairs Ministry and I repeatedly said that after the holidays, I will respond to such allegations,” Social Affairs Minister Wael Abu Faour told reporters. His remarks came after meeting with Future Movement and Sidon MP Bahia Hariri to discuss the situation of Syrian and Palestinian refugees who are fleeing violence in the neighboring country. “It is now required of me to send two letters instead of one in response and it is clear now that the Syrian ambassador is taking this too far,” Abu Faour said, adding that the second letter to the Foreign Ministry was sent on Saturday. Syria’s Ambassador to Lebanon Ali Abdel-Karim Ali sent a letter to the Foreign Ministry earlier this month, saying the embassy had been receiving complaints from Syrian refugees about some “extremist Salafist organizations” in Lebanon blackmailing Syrian refugees in Lebanon and exploiting their desperate situations to serve their own agenda. These organizations, continued the letter, offer to help refugees receive aid through the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees on condition that they announce they are against the Syrian regime and have joined the opposition. Around 160,000 Syrian and Palestinian refugees have fled to Lebanon following the outbreak of unrest in Syria in March 2011, according to the U.N. It is expected that the total number of displaced Syrians will reach a million in 2013. Abu Faour has denied the allegations that his ministry was discriminating against Syrians who support the regime of President Bashar Assad and those who favor the opposition. “Such a thing could not affect our work with the refugees because that is purely humanitarian and ethical and cannot be disrupted by some people's behavior,” the minister said.

Damascus without al-Assad and Cairo’s fears
By Abdul Rahman Al-Rashed/Asharq Alawsat
What if our hopes our disappointed and a third year passes with Bashar al-Assad still clinging on to power in Damascus?
At this point we would have no other choice but to apologize, stop writing, or pay the price for our mistaken analysis of the situation. Although I am being careful not to predict particular dates for al-Assad’s fall, all information confirms that his regime cannot last long, and the only predication that I am comfortable making is that he will fall by the end of the second year of the Syrian revolution. This is the same conclusion that I have previously heard from well-informed figures such as Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea, who made a similar predication more than 18 months ago, namely since the Syrian opposition gave up peaceful protests. At this point, he said that the regime’s collapse was guaranteed but that it would take two years, and this predication still holds.
All those preoccupied with the Syrian file, including those who are managing and funding the opposition, are saying that the al-Assad regime is worn-out and faltering and that it will most likely collapse in January or February of this year. The al-Assad regime has prolonged its life not due to the valour of al-Assad or his forces but because the superpowers took the decision not to intervene, as they did in Libya. They took this decision for plausible reasons, including Israeli national security, fear of the outbreak of a civil war, fear of the spread of jihadist groups; particularly as such groups are now running amok in Libya and threatening Tunisia. In addition to this, there is also the character of President Barack Obama who prefers to avoid becoming embroiled in foreign military adventures. We must also not forget that the Iranians and Russians have thrown their weight behind al-Assad in an unprecedented manner. Despite all this and the conspiracies against the Syrian revolution, the al-Assad’s regime’s life is quickly running out. This is because the Syrians people’s determination did not weaken in the face of barbaric shelling and massacres; which was al-Assad’s strategy to intimidate and silence his people.
The forthcoming year will be a crucial one, without al-Assad. However our region will continue to witness the dangerous repercussions of the 2011 revolutions. Egypt is still in the throes of childbirth, threatened by a year full of political and economic dangers if the Brotherhood fail to govern the country correctly and drop their hegemony project, which they began to implement early on when they monopolized the constitutional drafting process, seized control of the judiciary and excluded their revolutionary partners. They will not help themselves by cooking up battles over the return of Egyptian Jews or exploiting Hamas to stir up trouble in order to create heroes. The weakening of the Egyptian Pound is the greatest threat to Mohamed Mursi’s presidency; greater than Israel and the opposition. The year will not pass peacefully unless the Brotherhood accept a genuine democratic system, as President Mursi previously pledged to do. Without this, Egypt will find itself facing economic threats and political turmoil. We could even see tanks returning to Tahrir Square following a new revolution, with a military council returning to power once more!
Iran is a difficult puzzle to resolve. After losing Syria, as well as losing half of its oil revenue as a result of Western sanctions, Tehran may be obliged to agree to a truce and the freezing of its nuclear program. Even if this were to happen, Gulf States are still facing numerous threats, particularly with the al-Maliki government in Iraq explicitly falling under Iran’s sway.

2013…The year of the economy
By Ali Ibrahim/Asharq Al-Awsat
As we enter a new year it is customary for people to hope it will be better than the last one, especially if the past year was full of turmoil and unrest. When we look back on 2012 it was a year full of horrors, especially in the Middle East, whilst globally it was a tough year economically. The truth is that the last three years have witnessed unprecedented events globally and regionally, beginning with the collapse of financial institutions. These institutions were worth more than several countries, and no one thought could simply tumble like a house of cards. Yet the crisis, having stemmed from the irrational speculation and risks taken on the international financial scene, soon extended to the states themselves, and thus we saw the major economies of the Western world in recession, with fears of a great depression similar to the one in the 1930s. Likewise we saw the countries of the EU, the second largest economic bloc in the world, borrowing and succumbing to the conditions of the IMF in order to get out of their crises, and questions began to be raised about the status of the Euro.
In the Middle East, 2012 was an extension of the events of 2011 and the uprisings that took place in major Arab republics. The transitional phase has so far been full of turmoil and has yet to settle down, and this has added pressure on economies which are already suffering from structural defects including high unemployment. In addition to this there is the unique case of the Syrian crisis, which last year took on a serious bloody dimension, and as the fog of war continues it is hard to see the political future in 2013, let alone the economic vision.
Controversy is still at its peak in the Arab states that witnessed changes in their ruling regimes, such as Egypt, Tunisia, Libya and Yemen. Meanwhile, Syria continues to wait for a military or political solution but this is expected to change at the very least in the first quarter of 2013. Yet the economic world is increasing its pressure on the living conditions of the people and even the entities of the Syrian state itself, and this is what we must give our focus and attention to in the coming period because that will determine the course of events in the coming year.
2013 is the year of the economy, not just regionally but also internationally. If the Arab transitional phase needs to get its house in order to stop the deterioration and revitalize the economy, then global economies must also take into account the overlapping nature of global finance and the mutual influence of one region on another. It was not surprising that the entire world was watching until late last night whether or not President Obama would be able to reach a financial agreement on the “fiscal cliff” issue, to save the US government budget in the new year.
The road in 2013 does not seem easy; recent international expectations indicate that the major Western economies may not emerge from recession and restore their activities until 2017, which of course will reflect upon the crisis-stricken economies of other countries that are seeking funding and foreign investment. The major challenge facing governments, whether Western or those embroiled in the Arab transitional phase, is that the patience of the ordinary citizen is short when they cannot find a job or maintain a decent standard of living. We have already seen this in countries with far better economies than some of those in the Middle East, such as Greece, Spain and Italy, which all witnessed widespread protests last year against austerity policies.

Asharq Al-Awsat 2013: New year, new challenges
Asharq Al-Awsat
London, Asharq Al-Awsat - Asharq Al-Awsat starts a new year today confident of meeting all future challenges based on a qualitative leap in terms of the newspaper’s content and concept. This leap is in line with professional journalistic requirements that will ensure that Asharq Al-Awsat continues bringing its readers the most up-to-date news and features in the most efficient manner.
Since launching in 1978 Asharq Al-Awsat’s philosophy has been based on providing groundbreaking news coverage, while interacting with its loyal readership. Our newspaper has ceaselessly pursued this methodology 365-days a year, and will continue to do so in all aspects of our journalistic endeavors.
Throughout its rich history Asharq Al-Awsat has been keen to combine inclusiveness in dealing with regional and international news with geographic and subject-orientated specialization, from investigative news reports to comprehensively following up local and regional concerns. Regarding the new, we will see the return of Asharq Al-Awsat’s Lead Editorial, which – commencing from next week – will be published every Monday. This will serve as an independent voice for the newspaper reflecting Asharq Al-Awsat’s editorial policy. In addition to this, the Asharq Al-Awsat Lead Editorial will also serve as an opportunity for the newspaper’s Editorial Board to comment on the most pressing political and economic news in the world, particularly the Middle East. Within the framework of ensuring continuous interaction with our readers and based on Asharq Al-Awsat’s policy of keeping abreast with the latest technology, our writers and Editorial Staff will append their articles with their e-mail addresses and social networking accounts, in order for readers to communicate with them directly.
In today’s ever-changing world the goal of providing excellent journalism remains constant. This is something that has not and will not change. Therefore, Asharq Al-Awsat will develop and move forward with confidence, sticking to its principles and objective of providing excellent journalistic content. As for other new developments, the Asharq Al-Awsat Editorial Board has taken the decision, starting from 7 January 2013, to publish the newspaper in one part rather than two. In addition to this, the “World of Sports” and “Your Health” supplement magazines will be incorporated into the body of the newspaper in order to enrich and diversify the newspaper’s content, enhancing the services provided to the reader in line with the requirements of an international newspaper published in Arab and international capitals.
As the newspaper approaches its 35th year, Asharq Al-Awsat attests that its success can be traced back to the efforts of its editors, journalists, reporters and writers whose contributions cemented Asharq al-Awsat’s character.