Lebanon

Dear Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mind Your Own Affairs!
Dear Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mind Your Own Affairs!

It takes a little bit of everything to make up this world. Even someone like Abdallah Bou Habib. The caretaker Minister of Foreign Affairs has only one thing on his mind: to accumulate political and media babbling and gesticulation. For some time now, Bou Habib has been letting loose with outrageous and nonsensical statements clearly unworthy of ...

25 Items in the Upcoming Cabinet Session
25 Items in the Upcoming Cabinet Session

Caretaker government will convene on Thursday 8 February at 9:30 a.m. Among the 25 items on the agenda, one item concerns the issuance of decrees by procuration, on behalf of the president, in matters concerning employment affairs, officers and individuals’ affairs, the acquisition of foreign nationalities, honor position, schools, waste, ...

Bou Habib Unilaterally Decides on Matters of National Security
Bou Habib Unilaterally Decides on Matters of National Security

Caretaker Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdallah Bou Habib took it upon himself to be the spokesperson of the Lebanese Army Commander-in-Chief General Joseph Aoun and make public statements to the international press regarding national security matters and the army, which certainly does not fall within the scope of his duties. He declared on ...

Geagea Meets US Ambassador in Meerab
Geagea Meets US Ambassador in Meerab

The leader of the Lebanese Forces (LF), Samir Geagea, received the new US Ambassador to Lebanon, Lisa A. Johnson, in Meerab on Tuesday in a first official introductory visit after assuming her post. The meeting focused on Lebanese and regional developments as well as the presidential file. "We have a constitution and real institutions in ...

Presidential Election: No Breakthrough Before US Elections
Presidential Election: No Breakthrough Before US Elections

Optimism conveyed by the Qatari envoy regarding Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri’s position on the presidential issue didn’t resonate the way it should have. The cautious hope by the ambassadors of the five-nation group, known as the Quintet (Saudi Arabia, Egypt, US, France and Qatar), about a potential – even modest – breakthrough in the ...

Retired Soldiers Demand a Return to Dignity 
Retired Soldiers Demand a Return to Dignity 

Retired military personnel blocked the main roads in front of the Ministry of Finance, the port of Beirut and Bechara el-Khoury on Tuesday morning. These simultaneous protests come in reaction to the 2024 Budget vote, which failed to answer the calls of these former civil servants, outraged at the lack of consideration shown by the state that they ...

Hajjar Instead of Oueidate: A Guarantee for Politicians?
Hajjar Instead of Oueidate: A Guarantee for Politicians?

Jamal Hajjar is to succeed Ghassan Oueidate as the prosecutor general at the Court of Cassation. It would be the latest politico-judicial attempt by officials to ensure that "delicate" cases concerning them remain dormant. That's what This is Beirut has learned from well-informed sources. What is really happening behind the scenes? What are the ...

S. Gemayel: We Refuse to Be Under Hezbollah's Authority
S. Gemayel: We Refuse to Be Under Hezbollah's Authority

Kataeb leader Samy Gemayel has denounced the media campaign orchestrated against him by Hezbollah, which he was subjected to last week, as well as the direct threats made against him following an interview with BFMTV. Gemayel retorted, "We're used to dealing with this type of attack, but when it becomes a topic of discussion on Manar and Akhbar's ...

Geagea Criticizes Berri’s Call to Dialogue
Geagea Criticizes Berri’s Call to Dialogue

The leader of the Lebanese Forces (FL), Samir Geagea, asserted that his party remains "in favor of dialogue at any time" but that it "will not succeed because the Shiite tandem (Amal-Hezbollah) is clinging to the candidacy of Marada leader Sleiman Frangieh." In an appearance on MTV on Monday evening, Geagea pointed out that "the extension of the ...

Saydet el-Jabal Calls on MPs to Act: “Lebanon’s Future Depends on It”
Saydet el-Jabal Calls on MPs to Act: “Lebanon’s Future Depends on It”

The Saydet el-Jabal gathering warned on Monday "against deals being made in and to the detriment of the region" in the run-up to the end of the war in Gaza. It pointed out that "Hezbollah is involved because of its links with Iran," while the presidential vacuum has lasted since October 2022. During their weekly meeting, the Saydet el-Jabal ...

Beirut Airport Hacking: No News About Probe Outcome
Beirut Airport Hacking: No News About Probe Outcome

Following the hacking of information screens at Beirut’s Rafic Hariri International Airport on January 7, caretaker Minister of Public Works and Transport Ali Hamiye vowed to conduct a thorough and quick investigation to reveal the causes of the cyberattack within a couple of days. However, almost a month passed and no information has been ...