Lebanon

August 4: 'A Thunder Day' in the Vatican for Victims' Parents
August 4: 'A Thunder Day' in the Vatican for Victims' Parents

“A thunder day!” Cardiologist Nazih al-Adem is elated with the outcome of his visit to the Vatican, a sentiment echoed by all the parents of the victims of the August 4, 2020, Beirut port explosion. On August 26, Pope Francis and Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s Secretary of State, held a lengthy meeting with them. Fueled by a resolve ...

Southern Lebanon: Four Injured in Israeli Raids on al-Majadel and Chihine
Southern Lebanon: Four Injured in Israeli Raids on al-Majadel and Chihine

An Israeli raid on al-Majadel, east of the caza of Tyre, shattered the precarious calm that prevailed early on Tuesday morning in southern Lebanon. The strike wounded three people, according to the Emergency Operations Center linked of the Lebanese Ministry of Health. Another raid on the town of Chihine also wounded a civilian. An Israeli drone ...

A Second Airport Is No Aberration
A Second Airport Is No Aberration

  We are being led to believe that attorney Majd Harb has committed a serious offense by submitting an urgent draft law proposal, signed by several MPs, to establish additional airports in Lebanon. The opposition to this proposal can be categorized into three main groups. While none of these groups have relied on weak excuses to justify ...

Flights to Beirut Resume on Tuesday
Flights to Beirut Resume on Tuesday

Flights to Beirut will resume on Tuesday following a speech by Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah on Sunday. Nasrallah announced that the retaliation against Israel had been "accomplished," which appears to have reassured airlines. Sunday's Hezbollah attack on Israel was part of the "response" to the murder of Hezbollah executive Fouad ...

ROSNEFT Abandons Project to Develop Tripoli Facilities
ROSNEFT Abandons Project to Develop Tripoli Facilities

ROSNEFT has abandoned its contract to develop oil storage facilities in Tripoli, which were supposed to stock 450,000 tons of petroleum derivatives. The contract, signed in January 2019 under the sponsorship of then-Minister of Energy Cesar Abi Khalil, had a lifespan of 20 years and required an investment of $30 to $50 million to set the project ...

Lebanon Bids Farewell to Former Prime Minister Salim Hoss
Lebanon Bids Farewell to Former Prime Minister Salim Hoss

Politicians and leaders from across Lebanon’s political divide praised former Prime Minister Salim Hoss, who was put to rest on Monday in a national funeral. The five-time prime minister and veteran economist passed away on Sunday at the age of 94. Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri praised Hoss as one of the few great men “who contributed to ...

August 4: Pope Francis Calls for ‘Truth and Justice’
August 4: Pope Francis Calls for ‘Truth and Justice’

Pope Francis calls for “truth and justice” regarding the Beirut Port explosion, on August 4, 2020. In a meeting with the families of victims on Monday, the Pope affirmed his stance “in seeking truth and justice which have not yet been achieved.” “It is widely acknowledged that the matter is intricate and problematic, with various ...

Borell Backs Lebanon’s Calls for Immediate Implementation of 1701
Borell Backs Lebanon’s Calls for Immediate Implementation of 1701

Josep Borell, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, supported Lebanon’s demands for the immediate implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701. In a phone conversation with caretaker Minister of Foreign Affairs Minister Abdallah Bou Habib on Monday, both sides expressed disappointment over ...

Editorial – Political Behavior and the Realities of Lebanon
Editorial – Political Behavior and the Realities of Lebanon

  In his book Lebanon and the Surrounding Countries, the renowned historian Jawad Boulos—who played a key role in the Lebanese Front, a sovereignty-oriented group during the early stages of the war—argues that geography and the natural environment are fundamental factors in shaping the history of a nation. With the dramatic advancements ...

Who Was Salim Hoss?
Who Was Salim Hoss?

Former Prime Minister Salim Hoss passed away on Sunday at the age of 94. Born in Beirut on December 20, 1929, he served as prime minister five times between 1976 and 2000. Hoss also had a long tenure as a Member of Parliament, leaving a significant mark on Lebanese politics. “With deep sadness and pain, I inform the Lebanese of the death of ...

Rai: Reconciliation Is a Necessity for Lebanese Society
Rai: Reconciliation Is a Necessity for Lebanese Society

The Maronite Patriarch, Bechara Rai, underlined that "reconciliation is necessary for our Lebanese society," stressing that  "with it, wars of personal interest, which are more dangerous than armed wars, would end." He also underlined the importance of national reconciliation, in a country where divisions are growing deeper, and the election of ...