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Lebanon: Independent, 'Dissident' MPs Seek to Form Opposition Front

A demonstrator rests on the ground as he and other demonstrators block a highway during ongoing anti-government protests in downtown Beirut, Lebanon, October 23, 2019. REUTERS/Alkis Konstantinidis
A demonstrator rests on the ground as he and other demonstrators block a highway during ongoing anti-government protests in downtown Beirut, Lebanon, October 23, 2019. REUTERS/Alkis Konstantinidis
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Lebanon: Independent, 'Dissident' MPs Seek to Form Opposition Front

A demonstrator rests on the ground as he and other demonstrators block a highway during ongoing anti-government protests in downtown Beirut, Lebanon, October 23, 2019. REUTERS/Alkis Konstantinidis
A demonstrator rests on the ground as he and other demonstrators block a highway during ongoing anti-government protests in downtown Beirut, Lebanon, October 23, 2019. REUTERS/Alkis Konstantinidis

A number of Lebanese independent deputies and others, who withdrew from parliamentary blocs they had joined after the recent elections, are seeking to form a unified opposition entity in order to support civil society movements through the parliament.

MP Neemat Frem revealed ongoing talks between a number of deputies to establish a unified opposition, pointing that some MPs could leave their blocs.

In the wake of the massive protests that started on October 17, Frem decided to withdraw from the Strong Lebanon parliamentary bloc, which is headed by MP Gebran Bassil, President Michel Aoun’s son-in-law.

MP Paula Yacoubian, for her part, emphasized that talks were underway with deputies “who actually embraced the demands of the revolution, and not within the framework of folklore and slogans, to try to form an opposition parliamentary front.”

“Our aim is to strengthen and expand the opposition so that its voice can be heard and it can assume its role in promoting real reform and change,” she told Asharq Al-Awsat.

Kataeb MP Elias Hankash noted that the opposition front was yet to be crystallized, adding that communication was underway between independent deputies to study the possibility of forming such a front under the current circumstances.

“This is why we are calling for early parliamentary elections to increase the number of independent deputies, in order to extend the front that we aspire to form,” he said in remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat.

MP Shamel Roukoz, the other son-in-law of Aoun, is actively working within an opposition front composed of retired officers.

Sources close to Roukoz said that the deputy was seeking to expand the “national rescue movement” to all Lebanese areas.

“The movement is operating under the slogans of revolution, and it aims to build a state of law and institutions,” the sources noted.

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Which Does More for Your Skin: Vitamin C or Vitamin E?

Vitamin C and vitamin E are essential for maintaining healthy, glowing skin. (University of Iowa)
Vitamin C and vitamin E are essential for maintaining healthy, glowing skin. (University of Iowa)
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Which Does More for Your Skin: Vitamin C or Vitamin E?

Vitamin C and vitamin E are essential for maintaining healthy, glowing skin. (University of Iowa)
Vitamin C and vitamin E are essential for maintaining healthy, glowing skin. (University of Iowa)

Walk down any skincare aisle, and you’ll see vitamin C and vitamin E everywhere—serums, oils, moisturizers, you name it. They’re both often credited for helping skin look its best, but when it comes to choosing vitamin C vs. vitamin E, which is better for your skin?

Dermatologists and nutritionists affirm the benefits of both vitamins. However, they said, each has a different role, and the best results are often obtained when they are used together, according to Prevention magazine.

One of the most obvious ways in which vitamin C is beneficial for skin is that it helps with the production of collagen.

“[Collagen] is important for skin structure, wound healing and firmness,” said Marissa Beck, MS, RDN, owner of REVV Health in Seattle, Washington. “It also helps protect against oxidative stress from UV light, and also pollution.”

Beyond those extremely necessary functions, there’s also evidence to suggest vitamin C may help reduce the appearance of wrinkles and raised scars, as well as assist with tightening up sagging skin.

Vitamin C also helps to brighten the skin and improve discoloration to even skin tone.

A recent study even suggested vitamin C might help reactivate genes related to skin growth and repair.

Unlike vitamin C, vitamin E is actually already produced by our body; it’s part of the sebum that serves as a barrier to help skin stay moisturized. This is also why you’ll often find vitamin E as an ingredient in popular moisturizing products. Vitamin E oil, in particular, might be useful for treating dry, flaky skin or improving symptoms of eczema.

“Vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin, and because of this, it works primarily within the cell membranes of the skin by helping reduce UV-induced free radical damage and supporting the skin barrier,” Beck explained. “It might also help with inflammation as an antioxidant.”

When it comes to ensuring you’re getting enough of each vitamin to support skin health, you can look to both diet and topical application.

For vitamin C, nutritionists recommend oranges, bell peppers, tomatoes, kiwi, strawberries and broccoli. To increase vitamin E intake, they suggests looking to plant-based oils such as wheat germ oil, nuts, seeds, and avocados.

Experts conclude that the two vitamins will serve best working in tandem, while keeping all the other important aspects of skin health in mind.

Of course, eating a balanced diet is important for overall health, but adding vitamin C or vitamin E-infused products to skincare routine has its own benefits.

Arab World

Iraq’s Newly Elected Parliament Holds First Session

A view of the Iraqi Parliament building in Baghdad, Iraq, Monday, Dec. 29, 2025. (AP)
A view of the Iraqi Parliament building in Baghdad, Iraq, Monday, Dec. 29, 2025. (AP)
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Iraq’s Newly Elected Parliament Holds First Session

A view of the Iraqi Parliament building in Baghdad, Iraq, Monday, Dec. 29, 2025. (AP)
A view of the Iraqi Parliament building in Baghdad, Iraq, Monday, Dec. 29, 2025. (AP)

Iraq's newly elected parliament convened ​on Monday for its first session since the November national election, opening the ‌way for ‌lawmakers ‌to begin ⁠the ​process ‌of forming a new government.

Parliament is due to elect a speaker and ⁠two deputies ‌during its first meeting. ‍

Lawmakers ‍must then ‍choose a new president by within 30 days of ​the first session.

The president will subsequently ⁠ask the largest bloc in parliament to form a government, a process that in Iraq typically drags on for ‌months.

Business

Chile to Restore Global Leadership in Lithium Production

Aerial view of brine ponds and processing areas of the lithium mine of the Chilean company SQM (Sociedad Quimica Minera) in the Atacama Desert, Calama, Chile, on September 12, 2022. (AFP)
Aerial view of brine ponds and processing areas of the lithium mine of the Chilean company SQM (Sociedad Quimica Minera) in the Atacama Desert, Calama, Chile, on September 12, 2022. (AFP)
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Chile to Restore Global Leadership in Lithium Production

Aerial view of brine ponds and processing areas of the lithium mine of the Chilean company SQM (Sociedad Quimica Minera) in the Atacama Desert, Calama, Chile, on September 12, 2022. (AFP)
Aerial view of brine ponds and processing areas of the lithium mine of the Chilean company SQM (Sociedad Quimica Minera) in the Atacama Desert, Calama, Chile, on September 12, 2022. (AFP)

Chile's state-owned copper producer, Codelco, together with Chinese-backed private miner, SQM, announced on Saturday the creation of a giant company to exploit lithium, often referred to as "white gold."

The South American country is the world’s second-largest producer of lithium, a key component of EVs and other clean technologies and has about 40% of the world’s lithium reserves.

The partnership between the firms will allow them to jointly ramp up the exploration of lithium in the Atacama region of northern Chile.

The public-private partnership will be named Nova Andino Litio SpA, said Codelco, which described the agreement as one of the most significant deals in Chilean business history.

The Chinese firm Tianqi holds 22% stake in SQM.

In a statement, Codelco said the new partnership will carry out lithium exploration, extraction, production, and commercialization activities in the Atacama salt flat until 2060.

The agreement was approved by more than 20 national and international regulatory authorities, including those in China, Brazil, Saudi Arabia, and the European Union.

Chile was the last of the countries to clear the deal. Last month, China gave the green light to the planned partnership between Codelco and SQM.

The new venture is intended to help Chile regain global leadership in lithium production, a position it lost to Australia nearly a decade ago.

The partnership aims to expand lithium output in the Atacama region, with plans to increase production by around 300,000 tons per year. In 2022, Chile produced 243,100 tons of lithium.

The partnership also aligns with Chile’s National Lithium Strategy, announced in 2023 by the leftist government of President Gabriel Boric, aimed at reclaiming Chile’s global leadership in lithium production.