Efforts to fight a massive fire that engulfed swathes of forest area in the
Baabda region Monday were called into question by locals who complained the response was slow and inefficient.
“We
saw a small fire far away so we called the fire department and the
municipality, but no one came to put it out,” said Elie Meshab, a
resident of the area. “If they had come, it wouldn’t have grown as big
as it did.”
Many residents said that Monday’s fire was the biggest
they’ve seen in years. Plumes of thick, dark smoke and bright orange
flames filled the air in the morning, burning through large sections of
the thick, green forest of
Betshai
and leaving behind only piles of grey and black ash. Many residents
temporarily left their homes to stay with relatives or in hotels, as
firefighters and the Army’s engineering unit struggled to fight back the
flames.
--
Cedars tracks hopes to raise awareness
Cedars: The Remix’ may not be topping the charts yet, but a new
initiative hopes tracks produced using the rhythm of the ancient trees
will raise awareness about the need to preserve conifers.
“3,000 Years' is the first track in history created using a rhythm
extracted from inside a Lebanese cedar tree. Composed by Beirut-based DJ
ESC (Ribal Rayess), the track is the focal point of the 'Save the
Music' campaign for cedar conservation in Lebanon,” reads the
information on the website where three tracks, the original mix and two
remixes, are available for download. The tracks were released by VL
Records.
--
Experts: Prevention key to addressing drug abuse
Often cited by authorities and experts as the most effective defense
against abuse and addiction among adolescents, methods of prevention are
underfunded in
Lebanon despite the rise in drug use among youths.“Experts
suggest that when tackling substance use among adolescents primary
prevention is the best choice,” read an assessment released in 2013 by
Sagesse Universityin coordination with World Vision and Australian AID.
“The earlier prevention is introduced into adolescents’ lives, the
better chance they would have to stay away from substance use and other
risky behaviors.”
--
Citizens, like politicians, divided over president
With Wednesday’s parliamentary presidential election session looming,
several Lebanese described to The Daily Star what qualities the next
president should embody.As has been the case throughout Lebanon’s
history, the population is divided over what characteristics President
Michel Sleiman’s successor should possess. Most, however, agreed on one
universal principle: The next president should be able to lead
Lebanon away from instability.
“Everyone
has his own opinion, but I think we need someone to stop the economic,
security and political crises,” said Samir al-Asmar, a 62-year-old taxi
driver from Hadath.
--
The unusual suspects in the presidential race
While a known political figure is widely expected to fill the
soon-to-be-vacant post of Lebanese president, the lack of selection
criteria has given rise to a number of nonpolitical candidates as well,
including a few looking for a change from the usual suspects. When a
Lebanese citizen decides to run for Parliament, they must meet certain
criteria. They must be a Lebanese citizen for more than 10 years, hold a
clean judicial record and pay an LL10,000,000 registration fee to be
eligible to run. The post of president however, only requires that the
candidate be a member of the Maronite sect. If this prerequisite is
satisfied, then the candidate only needs to hold a news conference to
announce their candidacy.
--
Drug industry insiders allege dubious practices in sector
Pharmaceutical industry insiders say dubious business practices are
widespread in the Lebanon’s drugs sector following an announcement by a
British company that it was investigating bribery allegations in
Jordan and Lebanon.
GlaxoSmithKline
is the United Kingdom’s largest drug firm and has recently been beset
by controversy for allegedly bribing doctors in exchange for favoring
their pharmaceutical products. Pharmaceutical industry insiders
interviewed by The Daily Star said that while full-on bribery was
uncommon in Lebanon, a number of shady strategies are employed by
pharmaceutical companies to push their products both locally and abroad.
“I believe that at least 90 percent of pharmaceutical companies offer
certain kinds of, I wouldn’t say bribes, but sponsorship,” said a
nine-year veteran of the pharmaceutical industry, speaking on condition
of strict anonymity. All industry insiders requested their names be
withheld for fear of losing their jobs or hurting their chances at
future employment.
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