Source: The National
Security & Justice
Lebanon’s Border Villages Face Renewed Devastation Amid Israeli Withdrawal
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Interview Set to Shed Light on Mossad’s Decade-Long Covert Operation Against Hezbollah
In a highly anticipated episode of CBS’s 60 Minutes, recently retired Mossad agents provide unprecedented insights into a decade-long covert operation targeting Hezbollah. The agents, whose identities remain concealed with masks and altered voices, share with journalist Lesley Stahl the intricate details of their mission to sabotage Hezbollah’s communications network.
Friday, December 20, 2024
Opinion
Lebanon After the Assads
The United States has important equities in Lebanon, including a desire for a generally friendly government’s economic and political stability; security cooperation; long-standing relations with the large Christian community in Lebanon and Lebanese diaspora in the United States; and ultimately peace between Israel and Lebanon within a broader regional settlement. Achieving these objectives will require navigating a tumultuous period in the country’s history following a war between Hezbollah and Israel that has devastated a large part of the country, exacerbating Lebanon’s already challenging economic conditions. But perhaps the most important dynamic will be how a likely Sunni-dominated state of uncertain composition in Syria will differ in its intentions toward Lebanon from the previous Alawite-led minoritarian Assad regime.
Thursday, December 19, 2024
Europe’s Syrian Dilemma
The news of the sudden and unexpected demise of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria has met a mixed response in Europe. The jubilation that a murderous dictator and close ally of Russia and Iran has fallen is not just good for the Syrian people but serves as a morale booster for Eastern Europeans wondering whether Russia can be defeated
Wednesday, December 18, 2024
Sports
Cristiano Ronaldo Unveils New Private Jet Worth $73 Million
Cristiano Ronaldo, one of the richest global athletes, has unveiled his upgraded private jet reportedly worth $73 million. With its top-notch design, exceptional speed and range of 7500 nautical miles, the Gulfstream G650 is among the fastest jets in the world.
Monday, December 16, 2024
Guardiola Accepts Man City May Need to Sign More Players to Cope with Schedule
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola believes he will need a bigger squad to handle soccer’s ever-expanding fixture schedule.
Saturday, December 14, 2024
Thursday 25 August 2022 15:30:42
Jennifer Lopez Wore Diamond Earrings by Lebanese Jewelry Designer to Marry Ben Affleck
Jennifer Lopez chose a pair of diamond earrings by Lebanese Jewelry designer Samer Halimeh to wear at her Georgia wedding on Saturday.
Lopez wore three dresses by Ralph Lauren to marry Ben Affleck for the second time, and picked three different Jewelry sets to match.
She chose a pair of 27-carat, custom-made Samer Halimeh drop earrings as part of her second look — a mermaid gown with a keyhole neckline embellished with Swarovski crystals.
On an Instagram post, Halimeh described the Jenny From the Block singer as "glowing" while wearing his design, which were "cluster pear-shaped diamond earrings".
He added that Lopez "looked ever-stunning and breathtaking" on her wedding day. "Congratulations to the beautiful couple. Love always wins," the designer concluded his post.
Tabloid Page Six has reported that the earrings are worth $2 million. The designer has not confirmed this price point, however when the jewelry store became the first New York diamond dealer to trade and retail in Bitcoin in 2017, NewsBTC described Halimeh's pieces as "retailing between £5,000 ($5,911) up to millions of Pound Sterling for bespoke pieces which use rare diamonds".
The Samer Halimeh website describes the brand's eponymous designer as being born "quite literally amongst rubble and dust" during the Lebanese Civil War.
He seemed to have an early interest in diamond trading, as the website details: "At the age of 12, within the throngs of a dilapidated market in Beirut, Samer bartered successfully over his first diamond purchase; instinctively he knew a good deal when he saw one."
Samer Halimeh boutiques are now run out of Knightsbridge, London and Fifth Avenue, New York.
Other Jewelry pieces Lopez wore for her Georgia wedding include Mikimoto pearl and diamond drop earrings and a South Sea Pearl and diamond floral ring, which she wore for her ceremony, paired with her handkerchief ruffled, turtleneck dress. Mikimoto is a Japanese jewelry brand, known for its use of pearls.
For the reception, when she wore an old Hollywood-style dress, decorated with strings of pearls and crystals, she paired it with a pair of Mikimoto pearl and diamond stud earrings.
The couple chose Affleck's Hampton Island home, which is referred to as the Big House, as the location for their second wedding, a lavish affair that took place on Saturday.
The nuptials took place during a three-day weekend of festivities. British-Indian life coach Jay Shetty, a former Hindu monk, officiated at the ceremony.
Guests included director Kevin Smith, who posted a photo of himself at the event, as well as Affleck's long-time friend Matt Damon.
The couple officially married in Las Vegas in July. For the wedding in Sin City, Lopez wore another Lebanese design, a dress by Zuhair Murad. She wore a white, lace off-the-shoulder shoulder long-sleeve gown, which featured a sweetheart neckline, corset bodice and fishtail train. She paired the gown with a matching lace trim veil from the same designer.
Lopez has named Murad as her “favourite designer” in the past, and often chooses gowns by the house for major events, including the Met Gala.
