Tag Archives: Lebanon

“How on earth do you get to the point where somebody like Carlos (Ghosn) has to hang out with shadowy figures to smuggle him out across an international border, halfway across the world, safely?” Nick Green, the director of an upcoming documentary about the former Nissan chairman called “The Last …

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will visit Israel and the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank on Wednesday and Thursday as part of Washington’s efforts to build on the Gaza truce, a source briefed on the planning said on Saturday. US, Israeli and Palestinian officials have not published Blinken’s …

While Lebanese people gathered to stand up against corruption and oppression almost two years ago in October 2019, you could hear all around the country that “the revolution is a woman”, “the future is a woman” and “the revolution is feminist”.By Abbas TalebIndeed, the most notable thing about the Lebanese …

Iranian militia groups have active cells operating in the US capital Washington DC and other US cities, according to chatrooms used by the groups. Kawtheryoon Electronic Team, a Telegram network used by Iranian militia groups and supporters, claimed in a recent posting that Iranian “resistance cells are rooted even in …

Social media is inundated with offensive content, including hate, anger, personal attacks and, of course, exaggerated and false claims. Much of it is driven by angry political hyperbole and partisan attacks. It can be nauseating. But every once in a while you come across a social media account that is …

As a kid, Sami, the little boy growing up in the village of Aytat, Mount Lebanon, used to love going to that mysterious place, always known as the “Talhouk Castle” to play in its courtyard with the owner’s son. For Sami, the place had always been enigmatic and full of …

Five judges at Scotland’s highest court of criminal appeal are on Friday expected to rule on a posthumous challenge by the family of the only man convicted of the 1988 Lockerbie bombing. The family of Abdelbaset Ali Mohmet Al-Megrahi, a former Libyan intelligence officer, have battled for years to bring …

Israeli missile strikes on Syria killed at least six Iran-backed fighters on Friday, a war monitor said. The dead were all foreign paramilitaries fighting alongside Bashar Assad’s forces, the Syrian Observatory for Human Right said. The missiles, which were fired from Lebanese airspace, hit positions held by Iran-backed militias in …

Syrian President Bashar al Assad on Wednesday blamed U.S. sanctions and pressure on the United Nations and Syria’s neighbours for the reticence of more than 5 million refugees who fled the conflict there to return. “There are many hurdles,” Assad said, citing U.S. sanctions at the opening of a conference …

The Saudi Cabinet on Tuesday reiterated the importance of confronting Iran over its destabilizing activities in the Middle East, and throughout the world, and its sponsorship of terrorism. Only by agreeing to end such provocative behavior will the country be reintegrated into the international community and sanctions be lifted, ministers …

The Levant News publishes voices from a wide variety of people with different backgrounds. After stories from Italy, Saudi Arabia, America today Erwin Sanders writes about the tragic events in Beirut earlier this week.. Not Covid-19 but an enormous explosion in Beirut’s harbor is main topic of this week’s global …

The Levant News publishes voices from a wide variety of people with different backgrounds. After stories from the Netherlands, America, Saudi Arabia and Italy today reporter Alberto de Luca writes about the tragic events in Beirut earlier this week.. Tuesday the 4th was a day awaited by many Lebanese in …

There’s no other place in the world where you can find more myths than reality, than in the vast domain of “Lebanese politics”. The charade of “lying”, producing “very special” effects, going by “exceptions” instead of rules and “inventing” circumstances, is in Lebanese politics always at its best. By Patricia …

Lebanon on Sunday hosted its annual famous music festival in the ancient northeastern city of Baalbek without an audience. The unprecedented move was dubbed by the organisers as “an act of cultural resilience” to the global coronavirus pandemic as well as the country’s unprecedented economic crisis. By Arthur Blok Held …

A Turkish jet executive on trial over Carlos Ghosn’s dramatic escape from Japan told a court on Friday that the former Nissan (7201.T) boss spoke about Hollywood making a movie of his getaway as he flew in a private jet to Beirut. Ghosn, once a leading light of the global …

Dozens of people lay flowers on a main Beirut street where a man killed himself on Friday, with some blaming his death on the country’s economic collapse that has left more and more Lebanese hungry. Reuters could not establish the motive for the apparent suicide. The 61-year-old man shot himself …

Almost 7 billion euros were pledged today to support war-torn Syria at a donor conference in Brussels. Around 60 countries and international agencies gathered to drum up financial aid for the Arab nation as the corona-virus and economic chaos wreak even more havoc in a country shattered by a conflict …

Lebanon: whenever you hear this word, it is usually in some American film, most probably linked to a terrorist group, a war, or something similar. Not the land of Cedars – which are almost gone anyways – not the bridge between east and west, not the land of the best …

The ongoing political and economic crisis in Lebanon is no longer news. The country is in a crisis that had been cooking since 1990, and finally came to its boiling point in recent months with new agents of corruption joining in 2005 under the motto of – ironically – “fighting …

Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said on Wednesday that Israel is now concentrating its attacks in Syria on missile-manufacturing sites. Israel has conducted many raids inside Syria since the start of the civil war in 2011. It sees the presence of Hezbollah and its ally Iran there as a strategic …

At least a dozen Lebanese banks across the country were torched and vandalized during the third consecutive night of angry protests fueled by frustration over the national currency’s unfettered depreciation. While the country is on fire, wealthy Lebanese try to escape on their private jets. By Alberto de Luca Banks …

People all around the globe are currently directly, or indirectly, affected by the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. The Levant News publishes voices from a wide variety of people with different backgrounds. After stories from the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia and Italy today George Labaki writes from the mountains of Lebanon. As a …

While the infamous “curves” of the coronavirus infected are flattening, one by one the world governments are starting to get ready to move into phase 2 of the Covid-19 crisis. The plan is to progressively relax the lockdowns allowing the return of much needed economical activities, as well as allowing …

In October the financial banking system in Lebanon suddenly turned from provider to with-holder. A transformation from the good Dr Henry Jekyll, to the evil Edward Hyde. It happened so fast that people did not see it coming. No one understood what happened, and people still do not get it! …

The Global Compact Network of Lebanon (GCNL) launched a new campaign “الليرة بتشبع” in collaboration with the World Food Programme (WFP) Wednesday to support a two-month crowd-funding campaign. The campaign led by the private sector in Lebanon is in support of the National Poverty Targeting Program (NPTP). The NPTP is …

Lebanese police have seized about 25 tonnes of hashish. The drugs were set to be smuggled to an African state. According to Lebanese security forces it is the country’s biggest drug bust in recent history. The hashish was hidden in eight trucks which were stopped last month on their way …

As the deadly covid-19 pandemic spreads throughout the world, it is important to realize that there are many unknown heroes who are putting their lives and those of their families at risk while fighting the dangerous virus. More than we realize. By Haytham Mouzahem I am not only talking about …

Now that Hezbollah realizes its efforts to hide virus cases won’t work anymore, Washington should urge Beirut to put LAF medical and border-control personnel to work without resorting to a full state of emergency. By Hanin Ghaddar Hezbollah has been under serious scrutiny by the Lebanese people in the past …

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei will pardon 10,000 prisoners including political ones in honor of the Iranian new year on Friday, state TV reported. “Those who will be pardoned will not return to jail … almost half of those security-related prisoners will be pardoned as well,” judiciary spokesman Gholamhossein …

by: Dr. Haytham Mouzahem | Today, Lebanon is witnessing an escalating Socio-economic crisis and financial collapse, in light of ongoing protests for two months and of the government’s resignation while disputes continue about the Prime Minister and the government form, as most of the protesters demand a government of technocrats. …

The U.S. Treasury added three top Hezbollah figures to its list of sanctioned individuals on Tuesday, including two members of the Lebanese Parliament and a security official responsible for coordinating between Hezbollah and Lebanon’s security agencies. It was the first time the U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control had …

Lebanon will not be lured by a U.S. plan to invest billions in the country in return for settling Palestinian refugees, its parliament speaker Nabih Berri said on Sunday. U.S. President Donald Trump’s blueprint for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, set to be presented by his son-in-law Jared Kushner at a conference …

Gunmen in Nigeria’s oil-rich Rivers state kidnapped two Lebanese workers helping to build a road, a police spokesman told Reuters on Sunday. The workers were abducted on Friday from a site in the Andoni local government area, Rivers state police spokesman Nnamdi Omoni said. “Some people have been invited for …

Lebanon’s Iran-backed Hezbollah pledged on Friday to confront the U.S. Middle East plan that President Donald Trump has touted as “the deal of the century.” Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of the heavily armed Shi’ite movement, said it was unlikely Washington and its allies would launch a war against Tehran …

By: Ibrahim AL Alou*   The sisters of Noah, Lebanon. They witnessed the rise and fall of civilizations, stood against plagues and epidemics, greeted the sun rising and setting down over thousands of days, yet stood defiant in glory and glamour. These are the oldest olive trees alive bearing their soulful …

Lebanese exporters hoping to send their goods to the lucrative Gulf market through the reopened Syrian-Jordanian border are grappling with higher Syrian customs duties and competition from producers who have taken their place. The Oct. 15 reopening of the Nassib border crossing holds out the prospect of a much-needed boost …

Lebanese President Michel Aoun said on Wednesday the differences blocking a deal over a new national unity government were “not easy” and signaled he was at odds with his ally Hezbollah over the last outstanding issue. Five months since an election, prime minister-designate Saad al-Hariri has been unable to clinch …

Beirut – By Niyazi G. Atay* — EU Delegation in Lebanon organized a public event in Beirut Hippodrome to raise awareness on the importance of green spaces in the city. It was one of the sunniest days of Beirut autumn. Before the stormy rain season starts, probably the best day …

by Roudi Baroudi   It is now a very safe bet that the seabed off Lebanon’s coast and onshore Lebanon contains enormous amounts of oil and gas, and sound management of this resource could power a new era of unprecedented socioeconomic development. It’s not just scientific studies of our own …

Fifty thousand Syrians have returned home from Lebanon so far in 2018 and the number could reach 200,000 in a year’s time if it continues at this rate, a top Lebanese official said on Tuesday. Major General Abbas Ibrahim, head of Lebanon’s General Security directorate, told Reuters his security agency …

PRESS RELEASE – September 18, 2018 Under the Patronage of the Minister of Culture H. E. Dr. Ghattas Khoury, BEIRUT ART WEEK (September 18-25) was launched, continuing its annual tradition of bringing contemporary art to the heart of Beirut. BEIRUT ART WEEK is a unique offsite program of BEIRUT ART …

srael is building a massive wall along its northern border, saying the barrier is needed to protect civilians from Hezbollah attacks, but the project has raised tensions with Lebanon, which fears the fence will encroach on its territory. The Israeli military insists the entire barrier is being constructed in Israeli …

The UN Security Council voted unanimously Thursday to renew for another year the mandate of the UN peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon. The measure backing the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) calls on the Lebanese government to boost its naval capabilities, with the ultimate aim of drawing down …

By Ghassan Michel Rubeiz East Meredith, New York   This week a Swiss delegation led by President Alain Berset is visiting Lebanon to strengthen “bilateral relations”. The team is also discussing the pressing issue of the Syrian refugees. Lebanon hosts the largest refugee population in the world, per capita; and …