Latest news with #Chehab
Web Release
3 hours ago
- Business
- Web Release
Audit and Accountability in Focus at AUB Panel on the Chehab Era and the Path Forward
The American University of Beirut (AUB) hosted a timely and thought-provoking panel discussion titled Audit and Accountability – The Chehab Era and the Path Forward, organized by the Fouad Chehab Foundation (FCF), and the AUB Good Governance and Citizenship Observatory (GGCO) housed at the Asfari Institute for Civil Society and Citizenship. Held on AUB's campus, the event brought together leading legal and governance experts to examine the institutions established under former President Fouad Chehab—bodies tasked with supervising public administration and enforcing accountability—and to explore their relevance to Lebanon's current challenges in governance and state reform. The event was moderated by Attorney of Law Amine Bachir and featured three distinguished panelists: Judge Georges Attieh, president of the Central Inspection Board; Court of Accounts Judge Elie Maalouf, professor at La Sagesse University; and Judge Rana Akoum, head of the Enforcement Court in Metn. Dr. Simon Kachar, founding and current director of GGCO, welcomed the panelists and attendees, and spoke about the timeliness of the panel and the growing momentum in Lebanon for governance and institutional reform. He noted that the collaboration with the Fouad Chehab Foundation reflects a shared commitment to linking the lessons of the past with the reform efforts of today. In his recorded video message opening the event, AUB President Dr. Fadlo R. Khuri praised Chehab as 'one of the most important presidents Lebanon has known,' highlighting his commitment to the development of robust state institutions. 'We see today not only an opportunity to study the accomplishments, merits, and difficulties of the Chehab era,' Khuri stated, 'but also to apply what we learn from these studies to Lebanon's current reality.' He added that we must work toward building 'a state of institutions at a time when the Lebanese state is expressing its will and determination to reassert its authority across the country.' Khuri noted that the Chehab era was defined by the application of law and respect for institutions, a principle Lebanon has struggled to uphold since the onset of civil war, stating that enforcing the law and upholding institutional will are capabilities essential for restoring confidence in governance and rebuilding a viable state. President of the Fouad Chehab Foundation Adel Hamiyeh reflected on the enduring values behind the foundation's work. He noted that President Chehab built institutions that were not only administrative and financial, but also social, cultural, and developmental in nature. Hamiyeh said, 'We decided to organize a series of panel discussions on the Chehabist experience, addressing topics such as governance, and involving universities, with the aim of introducing the Chehabist message to the younger generation—especially during this period marked by the optimism that accompanied the election of President Joseph Aoun, his delivery of the oath of office, and the subsequent formation of a distinguished government known for its competence and its promising ministerial statement. This has given us hope that this new era may resemble that of President Fouad Chehab in terms of restoring the authority and institutions of the state and returning to a natural foreign policy.' The discussion unfolded in three parts: lessons learned from the Chehab era, the current state of institutional paralysis, and potential paths forward. The panelists discussed the rationale behind President Chehab's establishment of key institutions such as the Central Inspection, the Audit Bureau, and the Disciplinary Council. These bodies were conceived as independent mechanisms to promote transparency, discipline, and ethical governance across public administration. The discussion highlighted how these institutions once played a pivotal role in instilling accountability, protecting public resources, and professionalizing the civil service. The discussion also revisited the structural foundations that allowed these institutions to function with autonomy during the Chehab era, and considered the leadership decisions that helped insulate them from political interference. The conversation then moved to the contemporary state of these institutions, as the panel examined the range of factors that have contributed to their current dysfunction—including political encroachment, legal ambiguities, and insufficient staffing and funding. The panelists acknowledged that many of these bodies now face significant operational challenges, preventing them from fulfilling their original mandates. Despite this, there was recognition that these institutions still hold potential if revitalized with the appropriate structural and legal support. Looking ahead, panelists reflected on potential reform pathways. They explored ideas such as enacting legal safeguards to enhance institutional independence, leveraging digital tools to modernize audit and inspection functions, and fostering closer collaboration between oversight bodies, the judiciary, and civil society actors. The discussion emphasized the importance of reestablishing credibility through transparent practices and rebuilding public confidence in Lebanon's governance systems. Throughout the discussion, panelists revisited the core principles of the Chehab era—discipline, transparency, and institutional accountability—as potential foundations for Lebanon's future reform efforts. While acknowledging the serious structural and political challenges that remain, the conversation underscored the importance of rebuilding credible and independent institutions capable of advancing good governance and restoring public trust. The session concluded with an engaging Q&A, during which attendees posed questions and shared reflections, enriching the conversation around the future of institutional reform in Lebanon.
The National
19-04-2025
- Business
- The National
Dubai chocolate makers in the UK savour sweet taste of success
UK chocolatiers and big retailers say Dubai chocolate is here to stay, despite the rising cost and patchy availability of key ingredient pistachios. The chocolate filled with sweetened creamed nut and butter-fried vermicelli originated in Dubai but has been mimicked by manufacturers around the world after it became a viral sensation on social media. It was created by the Dubai-based Sarah Hamouda in 2021, who wanted the combination of chocolate and pistachio-filled Arabic sweets to satisfy her pregnancy cravings. Social media influencers then popularised the treat. UK supermarkets have begun marketing their own versions, with retailer Marks & Spencer launching its own Dubai-style chocolate in April. Supermarket chain Waitrose rationed sales to two bars per customer when it began stocking the Swiss chocolatier Lindt's Dubai-style chocolate last month. But independent chocolatiers and confectioners have been making their own variants on the Dubai chocolate theme for months now. Maison Samadi, a chocolatier in Hammersmith, West London, with Lebanese origins, was among the first in the UK to make its own Dubai-style chocolate, which it launched in October last year. Founder Maria Chehab had been developing a new line of chocolates that would be inspired by her own family traditions when the craze for Dubai chocolate hit Europe. Her great-grandfather Muhieddine Samadi was known in Beirut for his kunafa − the sweet made of vermicelli pastry and clotted cream − from which Dubai chocolate draws one of its key ingredients. 'Pistachio and kunafa have always been part of our heritage at Maison Samadi, going back to my great-grandfather's shop in Beirut,' said Ms Chehab. She had used pistachio and kunafa in her chocolates in the past, but never in combination until she created her own variants of Dubai chocolate. Today she sells her kunafa and pistachio Dubai Viral Style Chocolate as part of her brand's 'heritage collection' – a nod to her family's history in pastry-making and confectionery. The pistachios are the sourced from Aleppo in Syria, with a 110g bar costing £16.75 ($22.18). But she has tweaked the recipe to make sure it is in line with her clients' tastes – less sugar, with more cocoa and pistachio. 'Our bars are less sweet, with the right balance of ingredients and you can taste the quality,' said Ms Chehab. Model, BBC television presenter and activist Leomie Anderson described the bars as the 'elite' version on her TikTok channel. Ms Chehab recalled how her uncles set up shop in London's Hyde Park Corner and in Bond Street, selling traditional Lebanese sweets, as well as chocolate and confectionery. Their own grandfather Muhieddine Samadi established Samadi Sweets in Beirut in 1979, and his children continued the business expanding it to the Gulf countries, and to the UK. She founded Maison Samadi in 2019 to continue the family tradition, focusing on chocolate. The trend is marked by rising costs of pistachios in the UK, which are mainly imported from the US and Iran. Rude Cookies, a bakery in Glasgow which makes its own Dubai chocolate complained of a 'national pistachio paste shortage which has left us a little bit unprepared' on its social media channels in April. The shop has recently launched its own variants on the Dubai chocolate theme, including an Easter egg filled with crunchy pistachio cream, and a 'crunchy Dubai-style spread' in four flavours including pistachio, hazelnut, caramel and biscoff. The pistachio 'shortage' was due to an incoming EU ban on Iranian pistachios, after these were found to be contaminated with a fungus known as aflatoxin, suppliers told The National. In Warwickshire, central England, pistachio importer Hassan Miremadi said this had encouraged US-based suppliers to put up their prices and become 'reluctant' to recommit to yearly contracts. 'It's been a difficult year. The biggest contracts have been virtually impossible,' he said. 'It's the politics of the pistachio industry.' This meant that for all the new demand for pistachios and pistachio paste, the total volume of sales had remained consistent owing to the 'skyrocketing' price of pistachios in the UK, according to Liverpool-based supplier Nuts in Bulk. Yet retail experts have questioned the need to ration sales of Dubai chocolate in big supermarkets. Steve Dresser, who leads the consultancy Grocery Insight, questioned whether with Waitrose was 'trying to generate scarcity' when it imposed a two bar limit. Ms Chehab said Maison Samadi had not been affected by the rising costs, as it mainly imports its pistachios from Syria − a nod to regionally famous pistachios of Aleppo. Ms Hamouda has previously said that she encourages independent chocolatiers to come up with their own versions, despite having trademarked her brand Fix Dessert Chocolatier in the UAE and other countries. Fix continues to supply up to five hundred orders a day in the UAE, but her partner Yezen Alali recently told the BBC that the imitations were 'very frustrating because people are trying knock-offs, which damages our brand'. The trademark can't stop people from making chocolate stuffed with pistachio, vermicelli and tahini, but copycats face challenges in how to name and brand their chocolate. German supermarket brand Aldi was banned from selling a version made in Turkey by a German court last year, after judges ruled that consumers would take a product called Alyan Dubai Handmade Chocolate 'to mean that the chocolate was manufactured in Dubai'. Instead, the court sided with Dubai-based businessman Andreas Wilmers, who produced his own handmade Dubai chocolate in the emirate, and sold it in Germany for €30 ($34.1). Likewise in the UK, chocolatiers are opting for 'Dubai-style' or in Maison Samadi's case 'Viral Dubai' to avoid confusing customers and breaching marketing regulations. There are also likely to be restrictions on how the product is marketed to children, given its high fat, sugar and salt contents. The UK's Advertising Standards Authority said they had not yet received a complaint related to Dubai chocolate brands.
The National
18-04-2025
- Business
- The National
Dubai chocolate makers in the UK enjoy sweet taste of success
UK chocolatiers and big retailers say Dubai chocolate is here to stay, despite the rising cost and patchy availability of key ingredient pistachios. The chocolate filled with sweetened creamed nut and butter-fried vermicelli originated in Dubai but has been mimicked by manufacturers around the world after it became a viral sensation on social media. It was created by the Dubai-based Sarah Hamouda in 2021, who wanted the combination of chocolate and pistachio-filled Arabic sweets to satisfy her pregnancy cravings. Social media influencers then popularised the treat. UK supermarkets have begun marketing their own versions, with retailer Marks & Spencer launching its own Dubai-style chocolate in April. Supermarket chain Waitrose rationed sales to two bars per customer when it began stocking the Swiss chocolatier Lindt's Dubai-style chocolate last month. But independent chocolatiers and confectioners have been making their own variants on the Dubai chocolate theme for months now. Maison Samadi, a chocolatier in Hammersmith, West London, with Lebanese origins, was among the first in the UK to make its own Dubai-style chocolate, which it launched in October last year. Founder Maria Chehab had been developing a new line of chocolates that would be inspired by her own family traditions when the craze for Dubai chocolate hit Europe. Her great-grandfather Muhieddine Samadi was known in Beirut for his kunafa − the sweet made of vermicelli pastry and clotted cream − from which Dubai chocolate draws one of its key ingredients. 'Pistachio and kunafa have always been part of our heritage at Maison Samadi, going back to my great-grandfather's shop in Beirut,' said Ms Chehab. She had used pistachio and kunafa in her chocolates in the past, but never in combination until she created her own variants of Dubai chocolate. Today she sells her kunafa and pistachio Dubai Viral Style Chocolate as part of her brand's 'heritage collection' – a nod to her family's history in pastry-making and confectionery. The pistachios are the sourced from Aleppo in Syria, with a 110g bar costing £16.75 ($22.18). But she has tweaked the recipe to make sure it is in line with her clients' tastes – less sugar, with more cocoa and pistachio. 'Our bars are less sweet, with the right balance of ingredients and you can taste the quality,' said Ms Chehab. Model, BBC television presenter and activist Leomie Anderson described the bars as the 'elite' version on her TikTok channel. Ms Chehab recalled how her uncles set up shop in London's Hyde Park Corner and in Bond Street, selling traditional Lebanese sweets, as well as chocolate and confectionery. Their own grandfather Muhieddine Samadi established Samadi Sweets in Beirut in 1979, and his children continued the business expanding it to the Gulf countries, and to the UK. She founded Maison Samadi in 2019 to continue the family tradition, focusing on chocolate. The trend is marked by rising costs of pistachios in the UK, which are mainly imported from the US and Iran. Rude Cookies, a bakery in Glasgow which makes its own Dubai chocolate complained of a 'national pistachio paste shortage which has left us a little bit unprepared' on its social media channels in April. The shop has recently launched its own variants on the Dubai chocolate theme, including an Easter egg filled with crunchy pistachio cream, and a 'crunchy Dubai-style spread' in four flavours including pistachio, hazelnut, caramel and biscoff. The pistachio 'shortage' was due to an incoming EU-ban on Iranian pistachios, after these were found to be contaminated with a fungus known as aflatoxin, suppliers told The National. In Warwickshire, central England, pistachio importer Hassan Miremadi said this had encouraged US-based suppliers to put up their prices and become 'reluctant' to recommit to yearly contracts. 'It's been a difficult year. The biggest contracts have been virtually impossible,' he said. 'It's the politics of the pistachio industry.' This meant that for all the new demand for pistachios and pistachio paste, the total volume of sales had remained consistent owing to the 'skyrocketing' price of pistachios in the UK, according to Liverpool-based supplier Nuts in Bulk. Yet retail experts have questioned the need to ration sales of Dubai chocolate in big supermarkets. Steve Dresser, who leads the consultancy Grocery Insight, questioned whether with Waitrose was 'trying to generate scarcity' when it imposed a two bar limit. Ms Chehab said Maison Samadi had not been affected by the rising costs, as it mainly imports its pistachios from Syria − a nod to regionally famous pistachios of Aleppo. Ms Hamouda has previously said that she encourages independent chocolatiers to come up with their own versions, despite having trademarked her brand Fix Dessert Chocolatier in the UAE and other countries. Fix continues to supply up to five hundred orders a day in the UAE, but her partner Yezen Alali recently told the BBC that the imitations were 'very frustrating because people are trying knock-offs, which damages our brand'. The trademark can't stop people from making chocolate stuffed with pistachio, vermicelli and tahini, but copycats face challenges in how to name and brand their chocolate. German supermarket brand Aldi was banned from selling a version made in Turkey by a German court last year, after judges ruled that consumers would take a product called Alyan Dubai Handmade Chocolate 'to mean that the chocolate was manufactured in Dubai'. Instead, the court sided with Dubai-based businessman Andreas Wilmers, who produced his own handmade Dubai chocolate in the emirate, and sold it in Germany for €30 ($34.1). Likewise in the UK, chocolatiers are opting for 'Dubai-style' or in Maison Samadi's case 'Viral Dubai' to avoid confusing customers and breaching marketing regulations. There are also likely to be restrictions on how the product is marketed to children, given its high fat, sugar and salt contents. The UK's Advertising Standards Authority said they had not yet received a complaint related to Dubai chocolate brands.
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Via Christi first to perform new heart procedure
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — Via Christi St. Francis is the first hospital to perform a new procedure to treat people with Coronary Artery Disease. The most common cause of heart attacks and strokes is Coronary Artery Disease. It is caused by plaque buildup along the walls of the arteries in the heart. Over time, this causes the arteries to narrow, blocking blood circulation to the heart. Once the disease has progressed far enough, it often requires surgical intervention. One of the treatments for the disease in its advanced stage is angioplasty, which involves the insertion of stents in the artery to restore blood flow. A wire is threaded through the circulatory system, up to the artery, and a small balloon is inflated, which expands a small wire mesh called a stent, that helps hold the artery open and restore blood flow. Surgeons often use techniques that involve scoring or cutting the artery wall to break up calcified deposits, or they use catheters with rotating blades or lasers. Via Christi is participating in the testing of a new device that uses sound waves to break up the deposits. It's called TECTONIC Coronary Artery Disease Intravascular Lithotripsy. The device is produced by Abbott Laboratories, a company that manufactures diagnostic and medical devices, as well as generic pharmaceuticals and other products. Via Christi St. Francis was the first hospital in the nationwide investigational study of Abbott's IVL to successfully treat a patient. Interventional Cardiologist Bassem Chehab, MD, performed the procedure. Ava Jones announces cancer is 99% clear 'Participating in the TECTONIC CAD IVL trial explores a promising new technology that could significantly improve outcomes for patients with severe coronary artery calcification,' says Dr. Chehab, in a news release from Via Christi. 'By participating in the potential of intravascular lithotripsy, we're helping take a vital step towards enhancing patient care and offering more effective treatment options for this challenging condition.' Chehab adds, 'Being able to treat the first patient ever in a novel and groundbreaking technology solidifies the global and national trust in the expertise of Via Christi as a leader in advanced cardiac care regionally and nationally.' The TECTONIC CAD IVL is undergoing clinical trials and is not currently commercially available. It can take 3 to 7 years for a new medical device to successfully complete a clinical trial and receive FDA approval for widespread use. For more information about Ascension Via Christi Cardiology, click here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
New York Times
16-03-2025
- Health
- New York Times
Surgeon and Professor Is Deported to Lebanon Despite a Judge's Order
A kidney transplant specialist and professor at Brown University's medical school has been deported from the United States, even though she had a valid visa and a court order temporarily blocking her expulsion, according to her lawyer and court papers. Dr. Rasha Alawieh, 34, a Lebanese citizen who had traveled to Lebanon last month to visit relatives, was detained on Thursday when she returned to the United States, according to a court complaint filed by her cousin Yara Chehab. Judge Leo T. Sorokin of the Federal District Court in Massachusetts ordered the government on Friday evening to provide the court with 48 hours' notice before deporting Dr. Alawieh. But she was put on a flight to Paris, presumably on her way to Lebanon. In a second order filed Sunday morning, the judge said there was reason to believe U.S. Customs and Border Protection had willfully disobeyed his previous order to give the court notice before expelling the doctor. He said he had followed 'common practice in this district as it has been for years,' and ordered the federal agency to respond to what he called 'serious allegations.' A hearing in the case is scheduled for Monday. Court documents related to the case were provided to The New York Times by Clare Saunders, a member of the legal team representing Ms. Chehab, who filed petitions to prevent her cousin's deportation, and then to request that her cousin be allowed to return to the United States. Ms. Chehab's petitions name several members of the Trump administration as defendants, including Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the acting commissioner of Customs and Border Protection, Peter Flores. Thomas Brown, a lawyer representing Dr. Alawieh and her employer, Brown Medicine, said that while the doctor was in Lebanon, the U.S. consulate issued her an H-1B visa, which allows highly skilled foreign citizens to live and work in the United States. Brown Medicine, a nonprofit medical practice, had sponsored her application for the visa. According to Ms. Chehab's complaint, when Dr. Alawieh landed at Boston Logan International Airport on Thursday, she was detained by Customs and Border Protection officers and held at the airport for 36 hours, for reasons that are unclear. Ms. Saunders said in an affidavit that she went to the airport Friday and notified Customs and Border Protection officials there — before the flight to Paris was scheduled to depart — that there was a court order barring the doctor's expulsion. She said that the officers there took no action and gave her no information until after the plane had taken off. The agency did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Dr. Alawieh graduated from the American University of Beirut in 2015. Three years later, she came to the United States, where she held medical fellowships at the Ohio State University and the University of Washington, and then worked as a resident at Yale. Before the new visa was issued, she held a J-1 visa, the type commonly used by foreign students. There is a shortage of American doctors working in Dr. Alawieh's area of specialty: organ transplants. The field is known for grueling, unpredictable work hours, with doctors often flying through the night to pick up donated organs before performing emergency surgery. 'It's very disruptive to family life,' said Dr. David Weill, a former director of Stanford's lung transplant program who is now a consultant to hospitals. Because many younger American physicians have growing concerns about work-life balance, 'a lot of hospitals are turning to talented doctors from outside the U.S. to get this work done,' Dr. Weill said.
