Shakira brings her children to Lebanon ahead of concert!

Shakira arrived at the Beirut International Airport Thursday with her two children ahead of her performance at the Cedars International Festival in the northern town of Bsharri.

The Colombian-Lebanese superstar is in Lebanon as part of her “El Dorado World Tour,” where she is set to perform before 14,000 people during the festival’s opening concert.

Shakira arrives at the Beirut International Festival. (Chamoun Daher/Cedars International Festival Facebook)
Shakira arrives at the Beirut International Festival. (Chamoun Daher/Cedars International Festival Facebook)

A swarm of fans and local media welcomed Shakira at the airport, where she was spotted with her two children Milan and Sasha.

“I am very happy to be here in Lebanon,” she said. “This is the land of my ancestors and I’m very proud of my heritage — my Lebanese heritage.”

A swarm of fans and local media greeted Shakira at the airport. (Chamoun Daher/Cedars International Festival Facebook)
A swarm of fans and local media greeted Shakira at the airport. (Chamoun Daher/Cedars International Festival Facebook)

Her son Milan echoed her sentiments.

“I am happy to be here in Lebanon,” Milan said.

WATCH: LBC-TV coverage of Shakira’s arrival to Beirut International Airport:

In a statement, festival organizers said they invited Shakira to “send a message of peace from the cedars and from Lebanon to the world.”

RELATED: Shakira to perform in Lebanon during Cedars International Festival

Music manager Wassim Slaiby, who directs the Anghami music distribution company, helped bring Shakira to Lebanon.

Shakira arrives with her two children Milan and Sasha. (Chamoun Daher/Cedars International Festival Facebook)
Shakira arrives with her two children Milan and Sasha. (Chamoun Daher/Cedars International Festival Facebook)

“We are confident that the concert will be exceptional,” Slaiby said. “We will continue to attract world stars through Anghami and allow them to enjoy Lebanon and the Middle East.”

The Cedars International Festival aims to honor Lebanon internationally through the beauty of the Lebanese cedars.

Soccer star Mohamed Salah vacations in Beirut as World Cup continues

Egyptian soccer player Mohamed Salah and his family arrived in Beirut late Friday for a vacation, reports said.

According to the daily newspaper Al Liwaa, Salah, his wife Maggie and their daughter Makkah will be in Lebanon for three days. They will also meet with Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri during their trip.

Salah is staying at a hotel in downtown Beirut, but the exact location is not being released for security purposes, the newspaper added.

Salah was recently dumped out of the World Cup tournament in the group stages after his team lost all three of their matches and failed to receive any points to advance to the round of 16.

Mohamed Salah plays for the Egyptian National team (Express and star)
Mohamed Salah plays for the Egyptian National team. (File photo)

However, Salah led the national team to their first World Cup since 1990 and managed to score two goals himself during the tournament.

RELATED: Man stabbed to death during World Cup argument

Salah is expected to be at Liverpool FC training camp in three weeks.

The team will be at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Michigan on July 28 for their showdown with rival Manchester United.

Game of Thrones star Rose Leslie wears Elie Saab dress on wedding day

Game of Thrones actress Rose Leslie wore a stunning dress by Lebanese designer Elie Saab for her wedding to English actor and producer Kit Harington.

Leslie, who plays Ygritte in the Game of Thrones series, wore a beautiful gown featuring lace sleeves, a tight waist and trailing veil. She also carried a white bouquet, and wore a white floral crown.

A wedding was held Saturday in Aberdeenshire, Scotland area. The wedding reception was held at Leslie’s family estate, Lickleyhead Castle, in the Aberdeenshire village of Auchleven.

Photo posted on Kit Harington's Instagram page reads, "Mr. and Mrs. Harington." (Instagram/Kit Harington)
Photo posted on Kit Harington’s Instagram page reads, “Mr. and Mrs. Harington.” (Instagram/Kit Harington)

Leslie and Harington met while on the set of the HBO show in 2012. Harington plays the role of Jon Snow, King of the North, in Game of Thrones.

Co-stars Peter Dinklage, Sophie Turner and Emilia Clarke were spotted at the wedding, among a list of other A-list celebrities.

?❤️ . #roseleslie #kitharington #couple #wedding

A post shared by Kit Harington (@kitharingtonn) on

Lebanese designer Elie Saab has dressed major VIPs, including Queen Rania of Jordan, Angelina Jolie, Celine Dion and Taylor Swift.

Saab has a main workshop in Lebanon, with other locations in Milan and Paris. His couture collections are available in Paris, London and Beirut, with clothing sold in more than 160 global retailers.

Tickets for Tomorrowland Lebanon are on sale now for $70

Tomorrowland is returning to Lebanon on July 28, and tickets are now on sale to the general public for $70 per person!

The one day event takes place from 3 p.m. to 3 a.m. at the Beirut International Exhibition and Leisure Center, near the main highway in Beirut.

Tommorrowland is the largest music festival in the world. It takes place in Belgium every year and draws thousands of people.

Lebanon is one of seven countries that will be a part of the Tomorrowland’s international festivals. The special effects at the festival will be synchronized with the show in Belgium “adding value to the global connection,” the official website says.

RELATED: Shakira to perform in Lebanon during Cedars International Festival

Last year the event took place on July 29 and UNITE Tomorrowland held festivals in Lebanon, Dubai, Germany, Israel, Malta, South Korea and Spain — and they were all connected through one world theme.

The 2018 line-up of local & international artists will be announced soon.

You can buy your tickets for Unite Tomorrowland, by clicking here.

Watch the official trailer for 2018 UNITE With Tomorrowland below:

Amal Clooney attends American University of Beirut gala in London

Lebanese human rights attorney Amal Clooney looked glamorous Saturday while attending a gala dinner for the American University of Beirut alumni group in London.

The 40-year-old Lebanese-British barrister wore a burgundy sleeveless gown designed by Italian dressmaker Alberta Ferretti. It featured a ruched waistline and a beautiful velvet texture.

An invitation lists Amal Clooney and her father as guest speakers at an AUB alumni event. (WAAAUB UK Chapter/Facebook)
An invitation lists Amal Clooney and her father as guest speakers at an AUB alumni event. (WAAAUB UK Chapter/Facebook)

She accessorized the look with black pumps, diamond earrings and a silver clutch.

Clooney spoke during the WAAAUB Annual Gala Dinner held at the glamorous Jumeirah Carlton Tower Hotel in London.

WAAAUB stands for the Worldwide Alumni Association of the American University of Beirut. The alumni group has chapters in countries all over the world.

According to their Facebook page, the group was formed as a “platform to allow fellow AUBites in the UK and abroad to network and socialize while also raising funds to support AUB’s financial aid program.”

The Saturday program included remarks by Clooney and her father Ramzi Alamuddin. The ticket price was about $230.

Her father is from Baakline, a village in the Chouf district. He received an MBA degree at the American University of Beirut and was the owner of COMET travel agency.

Salma Hayek attends British Lebanese Association gala in London

The British Lebanese Association hosted a gala dinner with Salma Hayek appearing as the guest of honor, along with special appearances by musician Guy Manoukian and singer Aline Lahoud.

The black tie event was hosted at the five-star Dorchester Hotel in London. Tickets were sold for about $330 per person.

“Everywhere you go (in the world) there is a Lebanese community and it feels like home,” Hayek said.

Salma Hayek visited Lebanon in 2015. (File photo)
Salma Hayek visited Lebanon in 2015. (File photo)

Hayek visited Lebanon in 2015 to launch “The Prophet,” an animated feature film she co-produced.

“I wanted to do something special for future generations and I said I want to go to Lebanon before anyone else sees it,” she added.

RELATED: Salma Hayek receives humanitarian award from Arab American Institute

After speaking, Hayek stayed for a meet-and-greet with guests.

Lebanese singer Aline Lahood also took to the stage to entertain the dinner guests.

Nancy Ajram celebrates daughters’ birthday at Jeita Country Club

Lebanese superstar Nancy Ajram hosted a birthday party Saturday for her two daughters Mila and Ella at the Jeita Country Club.

The singer posted photos of the fun on her Instagram account, showing the beautiful family celebrating the two birthdays.

Ajram’s most popular Instagram posts include photos of her daughters, 9-year-old Mila and 7-year-old Ella.

The birthday party was hosted at the SkyKids play area of the country club.

Nancy Ajram celebrates her daughters' birthday at the Jeita Country Club. (Facebook photo)
Nancy Ajram celebrates her daughters’ birthday at the Jeita Country Club. (Facebook photo)

Mila’s birthday was on May 16, while Ella’s birthday was on April 23.

The Jeita Country Club even posted photos of the two large cakes made for the special girls.

A Facebook album also showed the ‘Under the Sea’ birthday theme, featuring mermaids and sea creatures.

Ajram is married to prominent dentist Fadi El Hachem. Mila and Ella are their only children.

VIDEO: Dancers perform Lebanese routine during Argentina festival

A group of dancers performed a Lebanese dance routine during a festival in Argentina celebrating diversity and culture in the South American country.

The performers danced to Joseph Attieh’s song ‘Sodfi Gharibe,’ a love song meaning ‘A weird coincidence’ in English.

Dancers perform to Lebanese love song at a festival in Buenos Aires. (YouTube screenshot)
Dancers perform to Lebanese love song at a festival in Buenos Aires. (YouTube screenshot)

The dancers wore colorful dresses on stage with a backdrop commemorating the festival.

Buenos Aires Celebra was started in 2009 to celebrate the history and culture of other nations, and to showcase dancing, music, food, parades and art, according to its website.

Some of the other countries included in the festival include Greece, Russia, China, Italy, Ukraine and Ireland.

VIDEO: Dancers perform to Joseph Attieh’s ‘Sodfi Gharibe’

Report: Tele Liban to broadcast the World Cup in Lebanon for free

Great news for football fans in Lebanon! The Lebanese government has reached a preliminary deal to acquire the broadcast rights of the 2018 FIFA World Cup, according to a source close to Beirut-based newspaper An-Nahar.

Under the terms of the deal, Tele Liban will broadcast the World Cup games free-of-charge through its local broadcast network.

Tele Liban is the country’s public television network, owned by the Lebanese government.

According to An-Nahar, the preliminary deal allows the Lebanese government to work with SAMA Group to air the games. SAMA is the only channel in Lebanon that holds distribution rights to beIN Sports to broadcast the World Cup.

SAMA previously charged 150,000LL, or about $100, for the World Cup package, while Tele Liban aims to broadcast it for free.

Lebanese Information Minister Melhem Riachy. (Photo provided/NDU)
Lebanese Information Minister Melhem Riachy. (Photo provided/NDU)

The announcement comes one month after Lebanese Information Minister Melhem Riachy said negotiations were underway with SAMA group to provide live coverage of the games for free.

A source told An-Nahar that the deal will be publicly announced a few days after the tournament kicks off in Moscow on June 14.

The reported deal is expected to cost mobile operators Alfa and Touch about $5 million each on a contract fee on behalf of the government, An-Nahar added.

Shakira selling home in Miami Beach for $11.6 million

Shakira is selling her waterfront home in Miami Beach for $11.6 million, real estate records showed.

The Columbian-Lebanese singer, who is starting her international El Dorado World Tour, put her home on the market on June 1.

The Miami Beach estate is 20,726 square-feet, and features six bedrooms and 7.5 bathrooms.

shakira home miami beach sale 1

Shakira first bought the home in 2001 for $3.3 million, and listed the property in 2013 for $14.9 million, records showed.

The home is located at 3140 North Bay Road, overlooking the Biscayne Bay. There is even 101 feet of water frontage for a yacht.

shakira home miami beach sale 4

Shakira’s brother Antonio Mebarak is co-listing the home with Ana Lourdes Martinez, an agent at Douglas Elliman.

According to the real estate listing, the home features an open-floor plan, imported light wood floors and a spacious grand room with abundant natural light.

shakira home miami beach sale 3

RELATED: Tickets on sale for Shakira’s concert in Lebanon start at $75

Shakira’s El Dorado World Tour started on June 3 in Hamburg, Germany. She plans to perform in Lebanon during the Cedars International Festival in July.

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