After more than 10 years as a television host, Paula Yacoubian decided she could do more for her country as a politician.
She is among those hoping that Lebanon's first parliamentary elections since 2009 could be a political game-changer or, at least, deliver a blow to the current establishment.
“In Lebanon, you don’t only cover the news, you live the consequences,” she said. “In 2018, our country still doesn't have [24-hour] electricity and the garbage crisis is a scandal.”
The country has been facing a garbage crisis since 2015, when Beirut's main landfill shut down after running beyond its expiry date – sparking a protest movement that criticised politicians over their inability to resolve the issue.
Lebanon’s constitution stipulates four-year terms for parliament, but the current one has extended its own mandate twice. That means when voters go to the polls this May, a significant number of them will be casting their votes for the first time.
What remains to be is seen is whether new voters will choose new faces over established politicians – many of whom come from a line of government officials.
"This election is a Pandora's box," Ms Yacoubian told The National.
The 41-year-old is one of Lebanon's most recognisable television journalists, a status cemented by her selection to conduct an exclusive interview with Prime Minister Saad Hariri in Saudi Arabia last year after he made a sudden decision – which he later rescinded – to resign.
Although Ms Yacoubian had worked for a decade at Future TV – a channel owned by Mr Hariri and loyal to his party, the Future Movement – she is running as part of Sabaa, a newly formed non-sectarian political party made up of candidates drawn from civil society.
Ms Yacoubian criticised the current political establishment as made up of people from “royal families”, who rely on fearmongering to rally the support of their electorates.
“The new voters will vote differently, from their family, their parents, and they will vote for women and for human rights and candidates that will not use superstition and fearmongering,” she said.
In Lebanon’s most recent municipal elections in 2016, Beirut Madinatee – a civil society party established in 2009 – took approximately 40 per cent of the vote in the capital. The 10-point platform focused on improving quality of life Beirut, including the expansion of public transport, green space, and public libraries.
“I believe people who are running with the civil society movement are very good people – I believe they will do well. They don’t have a [chief], and they don’t have a spiritual leader,” Ms Yacoubian said, referring to many of the country’s politicians whose parties are linked to religious institutions.
“They need the support of the electorates, they cannot disappoint us or fail,” she said. “Because if they do, they will not be elected again.”
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Read more
Lebanon year in review: Is the country a failed state?
Lebanon to hold parliamentary elections in May
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Also this year, there is hope that the election will change the demographics of parliament. Women are 111 of the 976 candidates registered to run in the election – slightly more than 10 per cent.
Currently, of the 128 MPs, only four are women.
But Jessica Azar, 31, another TV journalist who is running for the upcoming election, said she did not expect a significant increase in female representatives.
“If we want to be realistic, all statistics show [the new parliament] will not exceed five or six women for the main reason that some big parties, who talk day and night about women’s rights, did not bother themselves to nominate a female candidate,” said Ms Azar, who has been working at Lebanese channel MTV for nine years.
In addition to Ms Azar and Ms Yacoubian, at least a half dozen journalists, mostly women, are standing in the election, including veteran newspaper correspondent and The National columnist Raghida Dergham, who is running for a seat in Beirut's second district.
In contrast to Ms Yacoubian, Ms Azar is running with the Lebanese Forces, an established party that grew out of one of the largest militias in Lebanon’s 1976-1990 civil war.
She said that it was more important to have new faces elected to parliament, whatever the party.
“Change can’t be made by politicians who ruled the country for decades,” she said.
The dysfunction of state institutions is not the only issue motivating new candidates.
Ms Azar is acutely aware of what rights activists have identified as a growing trend of prosecutions against journalists in Lebanon.
Jamil Al Sayyed, the former chief of Lebanon’s General Security agency, threatened to sue Ms Azar for libel this year after she re-tweeted another journalist’s tweet asserting that Mr Al Sayyed had “mischief on his hands”.
“Protecting journalists with new laws will be for sure one of my priorities if I will have the chance to be part of the new parliament,” Ms Azar said. “Freedom of the press is a shared and sacred commitment.”
Ms Yacoubian said that regardless of the results, she has given up journalism for politics.
“If I can help the civil society movement, give them a voice, and try to be on the right side of history to help my country and the future of my son, I thought that would be a very noble cause,” Ms Yacoubian said.
“Every day I’m more convinced I’m doing the right thing and that people believe in us.”
South Africa squad
Faf du Plessis (captain), Hashim Amla, Temba Bavuma, Quinton de Kock (wicketkeeper), Theunis de Bruyn, AB de Villiers, Dean Elgar, Heinrich Klaasen (wicketkeeper), Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, Morne Morkel, Wiaan Mulder, Lungi Ngidi, Vernon Philander and Kagiso Rabada.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The specs
Engine: Long-range single or dual motor with 200kW or 400kW battery
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Max touring range: 620km / 590km
Price: From Dh250,000 (estimated)
Important questions to consider
1. Where on the plane does my pet travel?
There are different types of travel available for pets:
- Manifest cargo
- Excess luggage in the hold
- Excess luggage in the cabin
Each option is safe. The feasibility of each option is based on the size and breed of your pet, the airline they are traveling on and country they are travelling to.
2. What is the difference between my pet traveling as manifest cargo or as excess luggage?
If traveling as manifest cargo, your pet is traveling in the front hold of the plane and can travel with or without you being on the same plane. The cost of your pets travel is based on volumetric weight, in other words, the size of their travel crate.
If traveling as excess luggage, your pet will be in the rear hold of the plane and must be traveling under the ticket of a human passenger. The cost of your pets travel is based on the actual (combined) weight of your pet in their crate.
3. What happens when my pet arrives in the country they are traveling to?
As soon as the flight arrives, your pet will be taken from the plane straight to the airport terminal.
If your pet is traveling as excess luggage, they will taken to the oversized luggage area in the arrival hall. Once you clear passport control, you will be able to collect them at the same time as your normal luggage. As you exit the airport via the ‘something to declare’ customs channel you will be asked to present your pets travel paperwork to the customs official and / or the vet on duty.
If your pet is traveling as manifest cargo, they will be taken to the Animal Reception Centre. There, their documentation will be reviewed by the staff of the ARC to ensure all is in order. At the same time, relevant customs formalities will be completed by staff based at the arriving airport.
4. How long does the travel paperwork and other travel preparations take?
This depends entirely on the location that your pet is traveling to. Your pet relocation compnay will provide you with an accurate timeline of how long the relevant preparations will take and at what point in the process the various steps must be taken.
In some cases they can get your pet ‘travel ready’ in a few days. In others it can be up to six months or more.
5. What vaccinations does my pet need to travel?
Regardless of where your pet is traveling, they will need certain vaccinations. The exact vaccinations they need are entirely dependent on the location they are traveling to. The one vaccination that is mandatory for every country your pet may travel to is a rabies vaccination.
Other vaccinations may also be necessary. These will be advised to you as relevant. In every situation, it is essential to keep your vaccinations current and to not miss a due date, even by one day. To do so could severely hinder your pets travel plans.
Source: Pawsome Pets UAE
More coverage from the Future Forum
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
Farasan Boat: 128km Away from Anchorage
Director: Mowaffaq Alobaid
Stars: Abdulaziz Almadhi, Mohammed Al Akkasi, Ali Al Suhaibani
Rating: 4/5
Brief scores
Barcelona 2
Pique 36', Alena 87'
Villarreal 0
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Ticket prices
- Golden circle - Dh995
- Floor Standing - Dh495
- Lower Bowl Platinum - Dh95
- Lower Bowl premium - Dh795
- Lower Bowl Plus - Dh695
- Lower Bowl Standard- Dh595
- Upper Bowl Premium - Dh395
- Upper Bowl standard - Dh295
The%20specs
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EPowertrain%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESingle%20electric%20motor%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E201hp%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E310Nm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESingle-speed%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBattery%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E53kWh%20lithium-ion%20battery%20pack%20(GS%20base%20model)%3B%2070kWh%20battery%20pack%20(GF)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETouring%20range%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E350km%20(GS)%3B%20480km%20(GF)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFrom%20Dh129%2C900%20(GS)%3B%20Dh149%2C000%20(GF)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Now%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAlmouneer%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202017%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dr%20Noha%20Khater%20and%20Rania%20Kadry%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EEgypt%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20staff%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E120%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EBootstrapped%2C%20with%20support%20from%20Insead%20and%20Egyptian%20government%2C%20seed%20round%20of%20%3Cbr%3E%243.6%20million%20led%20by%20Global%20Ventures%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
A timeline of the Historical Dictionary of the Arabic Language
- 2018: Formal work begins
- November 2021: First 17 volumes launched
- November 2022: Additional 19 volumes released
- October 2023: Another 31 volumes released
- November 2024: All 127 volumes completed
The specs
Engine: 3.8-litre twin-turbo flat-six
Power: 650hp at 6,750rpm
Torque: 800Nm from 2,500-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto
Fuel consumption: 11.12L/100km
Price: From Dh796,600
On sale: now
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
MATCH INFO
Manchester United v Brighton, Sunday, 6pm UAE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Nag%20Ashwin%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EPrabhas%2C%20Saswata%20Chatterjee%2C%20Deepika%20Padukone%2C%20Amitabh%20Bachchan%2C%20Shobhana%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%E2%98%85%E2%98%85%E2%98%85%E2%98%85%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs: 2017 GMC Sierra 1500 Denali
Price, base / as tested Dh207,846 / Dh220,000
Engine 6.2L V8
Transmission Eight-speed automatic
Power 420hp @ 5,600rpm
Torque 624Nm @ 4,100rpm
Fuel economy, combined 13.5L / 100km
Company profile
Name: The Concept
Founders: Yadhushan Mahendran, Maria Sobh and Muhammad Rijal
Based: Abu Dhabi
Founded: 2017
Number of employees: 7
Sector: Aviation and space industry
Funding: $250,000
Future plans: Looking to raise $1 million investment to boost expansion and develop new products
RESULT
Huddersfield Town 2 Manchester United 1
Huddersfield: Mooy (28'), Depoitre (33')
Manchester United: Rashford (78')
Man of the Match: Aaron Mooy (Huddersfield Town)
Ziina users can donate to relief efforts in Beirut
Ziina users will be able to use the app to help relief efforts in Beirut, which has been left reeling after an August blast caused an estimated $15 billion in damage and left thousands homeless. Ziina has partnered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to raise money for the Lebanese capital, co-founder Faisal Toukan says. “As of October 1, the UNHCR has the first certified badge on Ziina and is automatically part of user's top friends' list during this campaign. Users can now donate any amount to the Beirut relief with two clicks. The money raised will go towards rebuilding houses for the families that were impacted by the explosion.”
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
