Impressions Of Beirut, Lebanon in Pictures

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 by onemileatatime.com -- Ben Schlappig (aka Lucky)

There’s quite a bit to see in the city itself, from the Pigeon Rocks to the Roman Baths to the National Museum of Beirut.

You can also visit a mountain in Harissa, with beautiful views of the coast.

'This has been a nightmare': Carole Ghosn, wife of ousted Nissan chief, fears Japan trial may be unfair

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by AP -- Carole Ghosn, the wife of former Nissan and Renault chief Carlos Ghosn, said in an interview that she is worried whether her husband, detained in Japan on financial misconduct allegations, will receive a fair trial, and expressed outrage over a justice system that dragged him back into custody. “This has been a nightmare. We’re devastated, our lives turned upside down. And we see no end in sight. For him to be rearrested, and he is on bail, that’s something unheard of. I’m shocked,” Carole Ghosn said Wednesday in a telephone interview from New York. Carlos Ghosn, who led Nissan Motor Co. for 20 years, rescuing it from the brink of bankruptcy, was arrested in November and released on bail last month, but was arrested again on April 4. His wife recalled the scene of his rearrest earlier this month, saying 20 prosecutors came into their Tokyo apartment at 5:50 a.m., when she was still in her pajamas, and seized her cellphone, passport and documents that defense lawyers had been preparing for the trial. Although such seizures might lead to a mistrial in the U.S., prosecutors are allowed such actions in Japan, legal experts say. Early morning arrests and raids are routine. “We are concerned about a fair trial,” she said. “They now know what we were planning as a defense, what evidence we have.”

He has been charged with falsifying financial documents in underreporting his retirement compensation and with breach of trust in dubious payments. He says he’s innocent, noting the compensation was never decided and saying the payments were legitimate. In a video prepared before his latest arrest, he accused some executives at Nissan of plotting against him over what he called selfish fears they had about his leadership and Nissan merging with French alliance partner Renault SA. Nissan has said an internal investigation found wrongdoing, ousted Ghosn from its board and promised to fix faulty governance. Ghosn’s detention has been approved through April 22, but that can be extended further. Prosecutors say the latest breach of trust allegations are new, and there is risk evidence may be destroyed. Carole Ghosn said she will return to Japan when her husband is released on bail. She said the conditions of her husband’s detention are harsh, using a term that refers to long detentions without convictions in Japan, “hostage justice.”

Like others who undergo detention in Japan, Ghosn is in solitary confinement, and is interrogated by prosecutors all day. He gets fresh air a half hour each day, but is not allowed outdoors over the weekend. Carole Ghosn said she was worried about his health because he has been weakened by the long detention and is not getting enough sunlight. She was also recently questioned in a Japanese court. She declined to give details, but said there was little substance to the questioning. She is not a suspect but agreed to be questioned voluntarily. She stressed that her husband is ready for a fight, and said she was proud of him. “When you’re put in a situation that is so unfair, it eats you up and you want to fight every moment that you can because he knows how unjust it is, and he knows he’s been stabbed in the back,” she said. “Anyone who is put in an unfair situation, you want to fight for your rights. You want to fight for your innocence. You want to fight to clear your name.”

Lebanese PM warns of catastrophe without austerity

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BEIRUT (Reuters) - Lebanon faces catastrophe if the government does not agree what may be the most austere budget in its history, the prime minister said on Wednesday, urging national unity and saying everyone should be ready for sacrifices if necessary. Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri’s government is finalizing a 2019 state budget expected to follow through on its promise of “difficult and painful” reforms to put the public finances on a sustainable path. The budget is seen as a critical test of its will to enact reforms that economists say are more pressing than ever for an economy that has suffered years of low growth. State finances are strained by a bloated public sector, high debt servicing costs and hefty subsidies spent on the power sector. Small protests over the last two days against cuts have underlined the political minefield facing a government that has put off reforms for years. Some public sector workers went on strike on Wednesday. On Tuesday, retired army officers blocked highways with burning tires to warn against any pension cuts. “What is required from us as a government today is to carry out a budget that may be the most austere in the history of Lebanon,” Hariri told reporters after a meeting of parliament, saying the government must be “sincere” with the people. While Lebanon was not in “a state of collapse”, Hariri said that “if we continue like this we will reach a catastrophe”. Unlike other states that had suffered financial crises such as Greece, Lebanon would have no-one to save it, he added.

Beirut's new airport to be opened in June

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BEIRUT, (Xinhua) -- Lebanon's Interior Minister Raya El Hassan said Tuesday that Beirut's new airport will be opened in June 2019, the National News Agency reported. "We will try to launch the new airport within a few months from now in a bid to facilitate the lives of people traveling through the airport," Hassan said during her tour with Public Works and Transportation Minister Youssef Fenianos at the airport to supervise the work being implemented in the location. Hassan said that the airport should be ready to receive tourists during the summer. Officials have on many occasions called for expansion of Rafic Hariri International Airport (RHIA) in addition to buying new equipment for the establishment in a bid to cater to an increased number of passengers. Last year, Lebanese Finance Ministry approved 18 million U.S. dollars in funding for the expansion of RHIA. The funding came following a steady increase in the passenger number at the airport since 2008, according to a study released by the airport's Research and Studies Department in March 2018. The study predicted that as many as 10 million passengers would travel via the RHIA by 2020 while the airport has the capacity of hosting only six million passengers annually.

Tax returns show many 2020 Democrats have one financial habit in common

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by businessinsider.com --A handful of 2020 Democratic presidential candidates publicly released their tax returns on Monday, attempting to contrast themselves with President Donald Trump, who has withheld his private financial information for his entire presidency, even in the wake of congressional investigations. But many of those Democratic candidates' tax returns revealed how little they give to charity each year compared with average American households with similar income levels. This is despite the significant wealth of those presidential candidates. Former Texas Rep. Beto O'Rourke released 10 years of tax returns filed jointly with his wife, Amy. In 2017, the O'Rourkes earned $366,455 but only gave $1,166 to charity. That is just over 0.3% of their income in charitable contributions. Similarly, the O'Rourkes gave just 0.2% of their income to charity in 2016.

By comparison, the average American household in the same income bracket that itemizes its deductions gave $21,364 to charity in 2016, according to IRS data. The O'Rourkes' charitable contributions do not get much larger in other years either. The last time they gave more than $10,000 was in 2013, when they donated just over 4% of their income to charity. Like O'Rourke, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders gave relatively little to charity compared with other Americans, despite writing a book that made him a millionaire in 2016.

Sanders, who for years resisted releasing several years of his tax returns, earned $1,073,333 but gave $10,600 to charity — or just less than 1% of his income. Based on 2014 IRS data, people who made more than $1 million that year took an average charitable deduction of $382,953, or 5.6% of their income. Sanders' campaign said that proceeds from his 2012 book, "The Speech," are donated to charity and not reflected in his returns. Sanders boosted his charitable giving in the years since 2016, giving 3.4% of his adjusted gross income in 2018 and 3% in 2017.

Other candidates also donated relatively small amounts to charity, including Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, who along with her husband donated less than 2% of their $215,000 income to charity last year. Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar and her husband gave $6,600 of their $338,500 to charity, a percentage similar to Gillibrand's. California Sen. Kamala Harris gave 1.4% of her and her husband's $1.9 million income to charity in 2017. And during several years of her time as California's attorney general, Harris reported no charitable donations.

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Notre Dame cathedral in Paris on fire - What we know and we do not know

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by cnn.com--The cathedral has been a symbol of Catholicism and French identity for over 850 years. Its foundation stone was laid in 1163 by Pope Alexander III, and the cathedral was completed in the 13th century. Today, with its towers, spire, flying buttresses and stained glass, Notre Dame is considered a feat of architecture, as well as a major religious and cultural symbol of France. Its central spire, which tragically collapsed Monday in the blaze, was built in the 19th century amid a broad restoration effort, partly buoyed by the success of Victor Hugo's novel "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" in 1831. The cathedral draws millions of visitors. Located in Île de la Cité, a small island in the middle of the city, the cathedral is one of Paris' most popular attractions, drawing an estimated 13 million visitors a year.

by catholicherald.co.uk --The roof of Notre Dame cathedral in Paris has collapsed after the building caught fire on Monday afternoon. Footage posted online shows flames engulfing the upper part of the building, including the spire and bell towers. Unconfirmed reports suggest most of the major religious and artistic relics, including the Crown of Thorns, were removed as the fire began. The cause remains unclear, but officials have said say it could be linked to renovation work.

A major operation is now underway, officials added, and an area of Paris around the cathedral has been cleared. Built between the 12th and 14th centuries, the cathedral is one of the most recognisable landmarks in the French capital, receiving more than 12 million visitors a year. Cardinal Daniel DiNardo, President of the US bishops’ conference, called the fire “horrific.” “This particular cathedral is not only a majestic Church, it is also a world treasure. Noble in architecture and art, it has long been a symbol of the transcendent human spirit as well as our longing for God,” the cardinal said. “Our hearts go out to the archbishop and the people of Paris, and we pray for all the people of France, entrusting all to the prayers and intercession of the Mother of God, especially the firefighters battling the fire.” Cardinal Vincent Nichols, President of the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, said: “It is an iconic building visited by millions but more importantly is a symbol of faith which is at the heart of Europe. We pray the fire is extinguished quickly & with a shared effort the building made good.”

by NYT - What we know about the damage

• By 11 p.m., Mr. Gallet said that the structure, including its two frontal towers, had been “saved and preserved as a whole,” but that two-thirds of the roof had been destroyed. • “The worst has been avoided even though the battle is not completely won,” President Emmanuel Macron of France said, adding that he would launch a national funding campaign to help rebuild the cathedral. • The 295-foot spire, a wood-frame structure covered in lead that was built when the cathedral was renovated in the 19th century, appeared to be destroyed: After its partial collapse, the fire consumed much of the roof where the spire had stood. • Some of the cathedral’s art may have been saved because of recent renovations. Last week, for instance, 16 copper statues representing the Twelve Apostles and four evangelists were removed with a crane so that the spire could be renovated. • Firefighters were able to save some of the cathedral’s artworks, including linen fabric associated with Saint Louis, the Holy Crown of thorns and the cathedral’s treasury, according to Monsignor Chauvet.

What we don’t know

• The cause of the fire remains unknown. • The condition of many works, inside the cathedral and part of its structure, remains unknown. The flames threatened to melt the cathedral’s three huge “rose” stained-glass windows, for instance, and could have destroyed or damaged the church’s three organs and dozens of paintings and sculptures, some dating to the 17th century. • Many parts of the structure were already damaged and in need of restoration: Broken gargoyles and fallen balustrades had been replaced by plastic pipes and wooden planks. Such areas may have been particularly vulnerable to the flames and falling debris