Egyptian singer Amr Diab will perform in Beirut for the first time in 12 years.
Taking to social media, the multi-award-winning singer, composer and actor announced he would be performing in the Lebanese capital on August 19.
Diab has been on the music circuit since the early 1980s, and has earned a huge following and won multiple accolades.
His 2014 album Shoft El Ayam topped the Billboard World Albums Charts, making him the first Egyptian and Middle Eastern performer ever to do so. In 2016, he earned a Guinness World Record title for Best Selling Middle Eastern Artist.
Diab is also a seven-time winner of the Worlds Music awards, with five platinum albums.
On his Instagram handle, Diab referred to himself using his nickname El Hadaba (the hill). Diab earned the moniker while shooting his 1993 film Deahk We La'ab (Laughter and Fun), alongside international Egyptian movie star Omar Sharif.
The post also revealed Diab's support act to be DJ Rodge, who picked up the Best DJ Award at the Middle East Music Awards 2023.
Diab last took to the stage in Beirut in 2010, when he played at a New Year's Eve event alongside Lebanese artist Melissa in a set that lasted over two hours.
The Tamally Ma'ak and Yetalemo singer has a vast catalogue – including 93 songs he has written himself – so anyone attending his return concert in Beirut can expect a veritable musical marathon.
The story of Edge
Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, established Edge in 2019.
It brought together 25 state-owned and independent companies specialising in weapons systems, cyber protection and electronic warfare.
Edge has an annual revenue of $5 billion and employs more than 12,000 people.
Some of the companies include Nimr, a maker of armoured vehicles, Caracal, which manufactures guns and ammunitions company, Lahab
How Apple's credit card works
The Apple Card looks different from a traditional credit card — there's no number on the front and the users' name is etched in metal. The card expands the company's digital Apple Pay services, marrying the physical card to a virtual one and integrating both with the iPhone. Its attributes include quick sign-up, elimination of most fees, strong security protections and cash back.
What does it cost?
Apple says there are no fees associated with the card. That means no late fee, no annual fee, no international fee and no over-the-limit fees. It also said it aims to have among the lowest interest rates in the industry. Users must have an iPhone to use the card, which comes at a cost. But they will earn cash back on their purchases — 3 per cent on Apple purchases, 2 per cent on those with the virtual card and 1 per cent with the physical card. Apple says it is the only card to provide those rewards in real time, so that cash earned can be used immediately.
What will the interest rate be?
The card doesn't come out until summer but Apple has said that as of March, the variable annual percentage rate on the card could be anywhere from 13.24 per cent to 24.24 per cent based on creditworthiness. That's in line with the rest of the market, according to analysts
What about security?
The physical card has no numbers so purchases are made with the embedded chip and the digital version lives in your Apple Wallet on your phone, where it's protected by fingerprints or facial recognition. That means that even if someone steals your phone, they won't be able to use the card to buy things.
Is it easy to use?
Apple says users will be able to sign up for the card in the Wallet app on their iPhone and begin using it almost immediately. It also tracks spending on the phone in a more user-friendly format, eliminating some of the gibberish that fills a traditional credit card statement. Plus it includes some budgeting tools, such as tracking spending and providing estimates of how much interest could be charged on a purchase to help people make an informed decision.
* Associated Press
Small Victories: The True Story of Faith No More by Adrian Harte
Jawbone Press
French business
France has organised a delegation of leading businesses to travel to Syria. The group was led by French shipping giant CMA CGM, which struck a 30-year contract in May with the Syrian government to develop and run Latakia port. Also present were water and waste management company Suez, defence multinational Thales, and Ellipse Group, which is currently looking into rehabilitating Syrian hospitals.
