Lebanon Political Corruption

At least 77 people were killed when a boat carrying migrants sank off Syria this week, the country’s health minister said on Friday, fearing the death toll could be much higher. The incident was the deadliest as increasing numbers of Lebanese, Syrians and Palestinians attempted to flee crisis-stricken Lebanon by sea for a better future …

The US Secretary of State met with Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati at the United Nations on Tuesday. Lebanon is in the grip of a severe three-year economic crisis that has left three-quarters of its population in poverty after the Lebanese pound lost more than 90% of its value. For the latest headlines, follow our …

Ice cream is back on the shelves in the village of Toula in northern Lebanon after two years of power cuts. Solar energy has made his comeback possible. Lebanon’s economy collapsed in 2019 after decades of corruption and mismanagement, leaving the state unable to provide electricity for more than an hour or two a day. …

Ihe day after the tragic explosion of the port of Beirut on August 4, 2020, the words of the Lebanese poet Nadia Tuéni were everywhere, on the roads and the walls of the city: “Beirut is dead a thousand times and is reborn a thousand times” (“Beirut is a thousand times dead, a thousand times …

House Opinion 40 years ago September 16, 1982, forty years ago: New Andhra CM The final High Command choice for the Congress (I) Party leadership of the Andhra Pradesh Legislature appears to be Lok Sabha member K Vijayabhaskara Reddy, according to reports available in New Delhi. Reddy immediately called the Prime Minister and then left …

Bahraini Undersecretary for Political Affairs discusses bilateral relations and Abraham Accords at Arab News Japan event TOKYO: Bahrain’s Undersecretary for Political Affairs, Dr. Shaikh Abdulla bin Ahmed Al-Khalifa, and his Ministry of Foreign Affairs participated in an Arab News Japan panel discussion in Tokyo on Tuesday. Speaking at the discussion, which took place at the …

BEIRUT (AP) — They literally run the country. In parking lots, on flatbed trucks, in yards and on hospital rooftops, private generators are ubiquitous in parts of the Middle East, belching dangerous fumes into homes and businesses around the clock. As the world seeks renewable energy to combat climate change, millions of people in the …

Unlike Latin America which has a true left-right political dichotomy, Britain has a false left-right political facade, as does North America and most of Western Europe, Canada and the United States. ‘Australia. Will the UK ever experience a people-led social revolution as it returns to the Dark Ages? Wow, just wow! Britain is about to …

HiddenLight Productions joined us as co-producer of a feature documentary In the shadow of Beirutmade by the team behind Gaza (2019). The documentary is a cinematic portrait of present-day Lebanon seen through the eyes of four families living in the city’s poor Sabra and Shatila neighborhoods, the scene of an infamous massacre in 1982. The …

During a speaking tour sponsored by the United States Embassy in Yemen prior to the 1993 national elections, I met with the leaders of various political parties and heard complaints about the party’s repressive and undemocratic behavior in power. Some were serious human rights violations; others were seemingly petty but still threatening in a fragile …

LONDON: Libyans are losing what little hope they have that the dire political and humanitarian situation in their country will be resolved anytime soon, a senior adviser to the US mission to the UN has warned. Jeffrey DeLaurentis told the UN Security Council that ordinary people are “losing hope that their country can be free …

HiddenLight Productions, the UK and US based production launched by Hilary and Chelsea Clinton with Sam Branson, is co-producing a feature documentary with Belfast-based Cyprus Avenue Films. Siobhan Sinnerton In the Shadow of Beirut is a cinematic portrait of present-day Lebanon seen through the eyes of four families living in the poor neighborhoods of Sabra …

(August 23, 2022 / Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs) The so-called Arab Spring of 2011 was supposed to overthrow post-colonial Arab regimes and replace them with governments suited to the reality of the 21st century. These new regimes were to have social attractiveness and an Arab and Islamic identity. They were also definitely meant to …

Start your day with LAist Sign up for How To LA, delivered weekday mornings. On a hot recent afternoon, lunch patrons enjoyed the shaded patio of a Lebanese restaurant on Brookhurst Street in Anaheim, as staff brought out plate after plate of dishes like shawarma and lahm bi ajeen, meat pies. pizza-like meat. Anaheim’s ‘Little …

Abducted by Hezbollah, Lebanese suffer from Stockholm syndrome Hezbollah and its boss in Tehran use the same technique: arm twisting and threats of chaos. (Reuters photo) We have a family history involving one of our parents who is now deceased. As he entered the bathroom, which had just been cleaned, he was unable to find …

The situation in Lebanon contains the main ingredients of another popular uprising: the serious economic and financial crisis; worsening food and fuel shortages; rampant corruption; and growing public contempt for political elites. Together, these grievances can be a potent mix leading to social unrest, as seen with the October 17 revolution in 2019, which was …

KABUL: When the Taliban captured Kabul on August 15, 2021, amid the withdrawal of US-led forces from Afghanistan, the group’s stunning return to power marked the end of two decades of war, which had killed tens of thousands of Afghans on their own soil. A year later, with the country impoverished and isolated on the …

Placeholder while loading article actions BEIRUT — A gunman hijacked a bank branch in Beirut on Thursday, quickly becoming a folk hero for a weary and angry nation. A man identified as Bassam al-Sheikh Hussein entered the Federal Bank of Lebanon in the Hamra district with a can of gasoline, threatening to set himself on …

A former Twitter Inc executive accused of spying for Saudi Arabia was found guilty on Tuesday of six counts, including acting as an agent of the country and attempting to conceal a payment of an official linked to the Saudi royal family. Ahmad Abouammo, a US-Lebanese dual citizen who on Twitter helped oversee relations with …

Cutting Hezbollah’s grip is Lebanon’s only salvation Lebanese activists gathered on August 4, 2022 to mark the 2nd anniversary of the deadly explosion in the port of Beirut. (Reuters) Two years after the Beirut port disaster – which was an apt metaphor for the whole state of Lebanon – the port’s huge grain silos continue …

BEIRUT — A ship bringing corn to the port of Tripoli in northern Lebanon would normally not make a sound. But it attracts attention because of its origin: the Ukrainian port of Odessa on the Black Sea. The Razoni, laden with more than 26,000 tonnes of corn for chicken feed, is emerging from the edges …

Comment this story Comment BEIRUT – A large block of the giant grain silos in the port of Beirut, shredded by a massive explosion two years ago, collapsed on Thursday as hundreds of people marched through the Lebanese capital to mark the second anniversary of the explosion that killed dozens. The north block of the …

The silos, a towering reminder of the August 4, 2020 explosion A smoldering fire had left Beirut residents on edge for weeks 2020 explosion seen as symbol of Lebanese elite corruption BEIRUT, July 31 (Reuters) – Part of the grain silos at the port of Beirut collapsed on Sunday days before the second anniversary of …

Ukrainian forces have stepped up their counteroffensive to regain lost territory in the south, as Russia launched deadly strikes in central Ukraine and near the capital as Moscow faces a growing personnel shortage in the East. The Ukrainian military said its planes hit five Russian strongholds around the city of Kherson and another nearby town …

BEIRUT (AP) — Lebanon plans to build two new grain silos to combat its worsening food security crisis, the country’s acting economy minister told The Associated Press on Wednesday. Amin Salam said several countries and international organizations have expressed interest in funding and bidding for the new silos, which will cost a total of $100 …

Story Highlights Trust in the Lebanese judicial system among the lowest in the world, at 16% More see Beirut Criminal Court investigation as fair than biased The majority of the Shia community opposes the continuation of the investigation WASHINGTON, DC – Nearly two years have passed since one of the largest …

Normal text sizeLarger text sizeVery large text size Sydney lawyer Tom Zreika was two years old when his family fled war-torn Lebanon by boat. Thousands of people made the same journey before the end of the civil war in 1990, and many died at sea. “Never in my wildest dreams” did he think he would …

Two weeks ago, I returned to Beirut for my first visit to Lebanon since an economic crash turned the country into a perverse laboratory experiment in the limits of human tolerance for totally avoidable deprivation and abusive governance. The human impact of the crisis, which began in October 2019, has been extensively chronicled, but it’s …

By MARINA VILLENEUVE – Associated Press ALBANY, NY (AP) — Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul has a campaign war chest seven times larger than Republican challenger Lee Zeldin ahead of the November election. State campaign finance reports due Friday show Hochul has $11.7 million in the bank, compared to $1.6 million reported by Zeldin, a U.S. …

“In Lebanon, the harassment of journalists can be deadly and Lokman Slim is proof of that,” said Sabrina Bennoui, head of RSF’s Middle East desk. “Harassment can escalate into threats and finally threats can be carried out. We urge the authorities to shed light on those responsible for Slim’s murder and to take victims seriously …

By KRISHAN FRANCIS – Associated Press COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — A weekend of political chaos in Sri Lanka dragged into Monday as opposition leaders have yet to agree to replace embattled President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and his prime minister. , whose residences remain occupied by protesters angered by the country’s economic collapse. Crowds of protesters …

Interim Information Minister Ziad Makari said “it is not possible to form a new government during this short period, as it is transitory as presidential elections approach and various forces will compete.” Thus, he considered that “reviving the interim government and restoring its confidence is the best solution”. The words of the interim minister came …

ANKARA Many leaders have been assassinated for various reasons, including US President John F. Kennedy, Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto and Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin. Influential Japanese politician and former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has died of injuries sustained after being shot during an election campaign event. It remains unclear whether Abe’s assassination was …

PA BRATISLAVA, Slovakia (AP) — The Slovak government is facing another serious crisis after a junior party threatened Wednesday to pull out of the four-party coalition over disagreements over how to deal with rising inflation . The liberal Freedom and Solidarity party has said it is no longer willing to be in government because of …

TEL AVIV, Israel — Acting Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid held his first Cabinet meeting since taking office on Sunday, promising a functioning government despite political instability that sends Israel to its fifth election in less than four years. . Lapid, seated next to his predecessor power-sharing partner Naftali Bennett, also warned that Israel would …

As Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping market their authoritarian rulers as alternatives to a “moribund” Western democratic system, Tehran’s Khomeinist mullahs are also throwing their hats, sorry turbans, into the ring as contenders for the head of a new world order. An early version of the mullahs’ candidacy emerged nearly …

BANGKOK (AP) — Cambodia’s foreign minister arrived in Myanmar on Wednesday for his second visit as special envoy of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to the country, which is mired in violence and civil unrest since the military took over last year. State broadcaster MRTV reported that Prak Sokhonn and his group arrived in …

BEIRUT (AP) — Dona-Maria Nammour was looking for a romance. The night she first met Mazen Jaber, they ended up dancing for hours. But their story is much more than a romance between cute and happily ever after. It’s also about friction in their native Lebanon over sectarian politics and civil rights, the role of …

BEIRUT — Lebanon and Sri Lanka may be worlds apart, but they share a history of political turmoil and violence that has led to the collapse of once-thriving economies plagued by corruption, clientelism, nepotism and corruption. ‘incompetence. The toxic combinations have led to disaster for both: collapsing currencies, shortages, triple-digit inflation and growing hunger. Winding …

BEIRUT (AP) — Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati won the backing of more than 50 lawmakers on Thursday to keep his post after last month’s legislative elections as the country’s multiple crises worsen with no solution in sight. After a day of binding consultations between President Michel Aoun and the parliamentary blocs, Mikati was nominated …

Lebanon’s central bank governor Riad Salameh said the country’s foreign exchange reserves fell by $2.2 billion in 2022. As his comments aired on television, police raided his home in as part of an investigation into allegations of corruption. Riad Salameh is under investigation for financial misconduct and corruption [Getty] Lebanon’s central bank governor Riad Salameh …

By BRIAN SLODYSKO – Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Facebook on Monday removed a campaign video of Republican U.S. Senate candidate Eric Greitens from Missouri that shows him brandishing a shotgun and saying he’s hunting RINOS, or Republicans in name only. In the ad, Greitens, a former governor of Missouri who resigned in disgrace in …

Russia “important partner” for Egypt, says El-Sisi at St. Petersburg forum CAIRO: Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sissi praised Egypt-Russia relations during a speech at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum. He said: “Russia is an important partner for Egypt in various fields, and relations between the two countries are distinguished.” During his speech, El-Sisi added: …

It is well known that factionalism and corruption have long stood in the way of the kinds of structural reforms that Lebanon needs. But an overlooked problem is the inaction of foreign powers who could easily impose domestic changes if they had the right incentives. OXFORD – Lebanon’s political economy is paralyzed. The country’s political …

By Nadia Al Faour After more than a decade of civil war, regime-controlled Syria is in a state of economic ruin. Conflict, endemic corruption, drought and the massive migration of skilled workers have taken their toll, leaving the country ripe for exploitation. According to the World Bank, Syria’s gross domestic product fell by at least …

DUBAI: When Lebanese cardiologist Walid Alami, 59, was 19, he volunteered in an emergency operating room and helped dozens of people injured during Lebanon’s 1975-1990 civil war. After a massive explosion tore through the port of Beirut on August 4, 2020, he again found himself in the midst of life-saving emergency action. However, as has …

By ALAN SUDERMAN and JIM MUSTIAN – Associated Press The prestigious Brookings Institution placed its president, retired four-star Marine General John Allen, on administrative leave Wednesday as part of a federal investigation into his role in an illegal lobbying campaign on behalf of the wealthy Gulf nation. Persian, Qatar. Brookings’ announcement came a day after …

By BRIAN WITTE – Associated Press OWINGS MILLS, Md. (AP) — Crime, education and the economy were the top issues discussed Monday by eight candidates seeking the Democratic nomination for governor of Maryland in their first wide televised debate. of State. The candidates also took the opportunity during the debate on Maryland’s public television to …

By Maria Maalouf* The suffering of the Iranian people can no longer be hidden, as thousands of them take to the streets, publicly and courageously, to protest against the inhuman conditions they have long endured. While most political commentators, particularly in the United States, have attempted to portray the most recent protests as a return …

By FABIANO MAISONNAVE – Associated Press RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Peru has entered one of the worst political crises in its history and the protection of its Amazon rainforest is failing, according to a report released Thursday. Peru is home to the second largest part of the Amazon rainforest after Brazil. The country had …

DOVER, Delaware (AP) — Prosecutors have dismissed criminal bribery charges against Delaware’s state auditor on a legal technicality, but plan to seek a new grand jury indictment next week, court officials said Wednesday. This decision comes after the auditor’s defense attorney Kathy McGuiness pleaded in a Wilmington courtroom On Tuesday the case should be dropped …

By MANUEL RUEDA – Associated Press BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — Left-wing Senator Gustavo Petro celebrated his first-round header in Colombia’s presidential election as most politicians would: in a conference room packed with hundreds of supporters as confetti rained down on him. The man he will meet in a June 19 run-off had a different approach. …

Views) : File photo of a queue for cooking gas. I am not surprised by the current economic crisis in Sri Lanka, but I am very sad about it. It could have been avoided. I’m sad about that, because we had enough time to make corrections and change direction to avoid it; but we …

By MICHAEL R. BLOOD – AP Political Writer LOS ANGELES (AP) — Many voters in heavily Democratic Los Angeles are seething over rising crime and homelessness, which could prompt the city to turn to the political right for the first time in decades. . One of the leading mayoral candidates is Rick Caruso, a billionaire …

DAVOS: Public and private sector funding is vital for Ukraine’s reconstruction in a post-war scenario, but it is also essential to ensure that corruption does not block reconstruction efforts, said a Maryam Forum Foundation panel at the World Economic Forum (WEF). The Ukraine4All: Building an Inclusive Future event invited leading figures from business and politics, …

The recent Lebanese elections, which saw Hezbollah lose its allies and the parliamentary majority, and the entry of independents into parliament, are not only a lesson for the party, Iran and the Lebanese, but rather a message for the whole region. The first lesson is “not to trust the agents”, be they personalities, families or …

“Human trafficking is not only an injustice to the victim, but it is an injustice to the families and friends of that victim” -Asa Don Brown The world today is in turmoil. A quick glance around us would show signs of unrest, dissatisfaction, economic collapse, rising inflation, armed conflict, political upheaval, pandemics, terminal illnesses, accidents …

The Lebanese people were able to elect a 128-member parliament, a dozen of whom are independent, as Reuters reported on Tuesday. Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati met Wednesday in Beirut with Qatar’s envoy to the country, Ibrahim Al Sahlawi, following the Lebanese legislative elections. According to Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Qatar (MOFA), the Gulf …

BEIRUT: Hezbollah and its allies in Lebanon are on the verge of losing their parliamentary majority after voters delivered a stunning rejection of the country’s corrupt political elite. Election results showed major victories for non-traditional political forces since polls closed at 7 p.m. Sunday. Vote counting continues after Sunday’s election and full results are not …

The country’s currency has lost 90% of its value to the US dollar since 2019 as people lack access to their savings at local banks. Lebanese President Michel Aoun expressed the importance of Qatar’s support for Lebanon in these difficult times in an exclusive interview with Doha State News Agency (QNA) the Saturday. In his …

Speaking in a televised speech broadcast live from the southern suburbs of the Lebanese capital, Beirut, on Tuesday evening, Seyed Hassan Nasrallah said Lebanese voters would face a choice in the upcoming legislative elections between a faction whose main concern is Lebanon and another that seeks to please. United States, “Today you choose between those …

BEIRUT (Reuters) – Lebanon is holding elections on May 15 that could see a change of power that sends shockwaves far beyond this tiny country wedged between Syria and Israel. Here is a timeline of the nation’s recent history, from assassinations and war to a devastating explosion and economic collapse. 2005 Lebanese billionaire former Prime …

MIAMI (AP) — A former ally of Hugo Chávez wanted to be prosecuted by his socialist successor Nicolás Maduro has quietly visited Miami as part of a major corruption scheme involving oil joint ventures with foreign partners. Jhonnathan Marín was mayor of the port city of Guanta in 2017 when he abruptly resigned and fled …

To manage these investments and ensure that they are safe and secret, these kleptocrats and their cronies need facilitators: bankers, lawyers, auditors, real estate agents and other financial advisers from Wall Street, London, Zurich and more and more Dubai, the new favorite haven for Russian oligarchs who are now feeling the heat of sanctions in …

By JIM GOMEZ – Associated Press MANILA, Philippines (AP) — A supporter has penned a moving campaign song that has been played nearly 4 million times on Spotify. Other volunteers are breaking into Filipino villages, canvassing to support Vice President Leni Robredo in next week’s presidential election. The stakes are high: if Robredo’s opponent, Ferdinand …

By ADRIANA GOMEZ LICON and DÁNICA COTO – The Associated Press MIAMI (AP) — The prime minister of the British Virgin Islands appeared in federal court in Miami on Friday following his arrest on charges of cocaine trafficking, while the British governor of the Caribbean territory announced that a corruption investigation had found good reasons …

April 28, 2022 Today, U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and Todd Young (R-Ind.) sent a bipartisan letter to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, urging the administration to engage with Lebanon to ensure fairness and transparency in its next parliamentary session. May 15 elections. In light of the ongoing political, economic and health crises …

By SYLVIE CORBET – Associated Press PARIS (AP) — In just five years as president of France, Emmanuel Macron has gone from a young political novice to a key global player and heavyweight decision-maker in the European Union who has been deeply involved in the efforts to end Russia’s war in Ukraine. And now he …

RAMALLAH: The UN has expressed deep concern over the escalation of violence between Israel and the Palestinians, as clashes erupted again at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem on Friday. “We are deeply concerned by the escalation of violence in the occupied Palestinian territory and in Israel over the past month,” said Ravina Shamdasani, spokesperson …

CHICAGO: A leading Israeli journalist has launched a scathing attack on the Tel Aviv government for the manner in which police and soldiers brutalized civilians and journalists inside the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in the Haram Al -Sharif over the past week, and called for an investigation into their actions. Nir Hasson, who covers Jerusalem and …

Abu Dhabi, UAE (CNN) – Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati is due to visit Saudi Arabia within the next two weeks, a first trip by a Lebanese prime minister to the Arab powerhouse in nearly four years following a unprecedented breakdown of relations. The last visit was in 2018 by then-Prime Minister Saad Hariri, who …

People pass a mother and her daughter begging in Beirut’s Hamra shopping street. Lebanon and the International Monetary Fund have reached an agreement in principle on comprehensive policies that could eventually pave the way for the release of billions of dollars in loans to the crisis-hit country. (AP File Photo/Hussein Malla) BEIRUT (AP) — Lebanon …

By KATHY GANNON and MUNIR AHMED – Associated Press ISLAMABAD (AP) — Pakistan’s political opposition ousted Prime Minister Imran Khan in a no-confidence vote in parliament early Sunday after several political allies and a key party in his ruling coalition deserted him. The opposition, which spans the political spectrum from leftists to religious radicals, will …

“I am here to implement an independent policy. There is no political interference in my regime, I have made that very clear to the authorities,” new governor Nandalal Weerasinghe said in a later press briefing. “I have the full support and blessing of the government, the opposition parties and, above all, the general public.” Weerasinghe’s …

By ILAN BEN ZION – Associated Press JERUSALEM (AP) — A lawmaker quit Israel’s ruling coalition on Wednesday after a dispute over religious observance during the Passover holiday, throwing the fragile alliance into disarray with no majority in parliament and raising the prospect of a new round of elections. Backbencher Idit Silman had recently objected …

By JAVIER CÓRDOBA – Associated Press SAN JOSE, Costa Rica (AP) — President-elect Rodrigo Chaves said Monday his second-round victory was a “revolution” by marginalized communities against Costa Rica’s elites. The conservative economist, who served briefly as finance minister in the outgoing administration of President Carlos Alvarado, had cast himself as the underdog in the …

DHAHRAN: Anas Bukhash was on stage at Ithra’s first Sync Summit wearing a traditional light-colored Emirati dishdasha and a big smile. In a sea of ​​suits, he was authentically himself. A well-known Emirati serial entrepreneur, who speaks seamless Arabic or English, he is a professional interviewer with one of the most beloved voices in the …

BEIRUT: As Ramadan approaches, Beirut and other cities lack the decorations that filled the streets for this occasion. Instead, photos of parliamentary candidates are plastered everywhere. Only a few modest banners are raised, reminding people to donate to charity during the holy month. Lebanon is grappling for the third year in a row with a …

DUBAI: The empowerment of women in leadership positions around the world continues to lag behind, with too few governments taking steps to encourage women leaders, says a senior UAE minister. Ohoud Al-Roumi, Minister for Development in the Government of the United Arab Emirates, made the statement during a session titled “Women in Government: Shaping a …

PA DILI, East Timor (AP) — East Timor is heading to a runoff in the presidential election after Nobel Peace Prize laureate Jose Ramos-Horta failed to secure more than 50 percent of the vote despite a considerable lead over another veteran independence fighter, incumbent President Francisco “Lu Olo” Guterres. Ramos-Horta won 46.6% of the vote …

Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, Iran’s foreign minister, said the entire Middle East would benefit from a renewed nuclear deal between Tehran and world powers. But during a meeting with Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati on Thursday evening, Amir-Abdollahian said “we have not yet reached the final point on lifting sanctions”. Opponents of reviving the 2015 nuclear deal …

ATLANTA (AP) — A jury on Wednesday found a political operative and former Atlanta city employee guilty on charges of money laundering, wire fraud and conspiracy to commit bribes resulting from a lengthy federal investigation into corruption at City Hall. Mitzi Bickers was the first person to stand trial for the corruption investigation during the …

foreign direct investment is a cross-border investment in which a resident or company of one country exercises control or significant influence over the management of a business in another country. (On the other hand, these are the the most self-sufficient economies in the world.) To determine the countries where foreigners control the largest share of …

LONDON: A special UN event for the humanitarian crisis in Yemen saw world powers pledge increased financial support to the country and condemn the Iran-backed Houthi militia for its attacks on Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates . Opening the event, attended by Arab News and co-hosted by Sweden and Switzerland, UN Secretary-General Antonio …

With more than 2 million Ukrainian refugees fleeing to Europe to escape the Russian onslaught and many more on the move, European social services are beginning to buckle under the strain. Having taken in millions of refugees from Syria, Afghanistan and elsewhere over the past decade, Europe simply cannot afford another major crisis that not …

The leader of the Free Patriotic Movement, Jebran Bassil, stressed on Sunday that “victory over the enemy is not achieved exclusively by arms”. “I’m with a solution for the maritime border that would preserve our right to undersea gas,” Bassil said at the FPM’s seventh annual conference. “The water is nobody’s, but the gas is …

In downtown Beirut, empty buildings are covered with representations of more than 200 faces. These are the faces of the lives lost on August 4, 2020, when a neglected stockpile of ammonium nitrate stored in the port of Beirut ripped through metal and flesh, taking over 200 livesleaving more 6000 people injured and more than …

By HYUNG-JIN KIM and KIM TONG-HYUNG – Associated Press SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Yoon Suk Yeol, a conservative former prosecutor and foreign policy neophyte, was elected president of South Korea in a victory that should herald a desire to seek a stronger alliance with states. United States and take a tougher line on North …

By KIMBERLEE KRUESI and JONATHAN MATTISE – Associated Press NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – A Republican lawmaker in Tennessee resigned Monday shortly after court documents were unsealed revealing she faces a federal wire fraud charge involving a disgraced former state House speaker . Representative Robin Smith’s legal team also reached a plea deal with prosecutors, according …

By MICHAEL TARM and JOHN O’CONNOR – Associated Press CHICAGO (AP) — Michael Madigan, the former speaker of the Illinois House and for decades one of the nation’s most powerful lawmakers, was charged Wednesday with a nearly $3 million racketeering and bribery scheme dollars, becoming the most high-profile politician swept up in a federal investigation …

By WILL WEISSERT and PAUL J. WEBER – Associated Press AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas voters will kick off the midterm campaign season with primaries that will test just how far right the Republican Party will change in a state where many GOP members have already tightened their grip on former President Donald Trump. Outgoing …

BEIRUT: Lebanese President Michel Aoun on Friday sent a telegram of congratulations to King Salman on the occasion of Saudi Arabia’s founding day. “This occasion marks many brilliant milestones in the history of the Kingdom, which, with its vision and efforts, has succeeded in securing a leading position among modern countries in search of broader …

“IIf a war breaks out between Iran and Israel, Hezbollah might not get involved,” said Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah. He gave the very public assessment in an interview with an Iran-based news channel, according to Naharnet, a Lebanese online news source. Faced with increasing pressure from within and without, is it possible that Hezbollah …

(MENAFN-IANS) By Sanjeev Sharma New Delhi, Feb 22 (IANS) At least five senior Arab leaders, including heads of state or government, held accounts at Credit Suisse, according to leaked data. The former Sultan of Oman, Qaboos bin Said, had two accounts, including one opened in 1971 that was worth more than 177 million Swiss francs …

By SHEIKH SAALIQ – Associated Press FATEHGARH SAHIB, India (AP) — Amandeep Kaur Dholewal stood up from a traditional Indian crib and began speaking to a small gathering of men and women sitting cross-legged in a park in front of a domed gurdwara white, a place of worship for Sikhs. The 37-year-old doctor was surrounded …

Beirut, Lebanon – A dozen teenagers gathered outside the French Embassy in the Lebanese capital holding portraits of their 15-year-old classmate Elias Khoury, who was killed in the Beirut port explosion in August 2020. They called last week for an international inquiry to help move forward a local investigation that senior Lebanese officials have obstructed …

BEIRUT: Eighty-nine percent of respondents in a recent poll said they trusted the Lebanese Armed Forces to ensure the country’s stability, while 80% felt the same about religious leaders and 75% about the justice system. In contrast, only 19% of those polled – regardless of their religious beliefs – believed that political parties could be …

PA SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Residents in parts of San Francisco are voting for a new member of the state Legislature in Tuesday’s special election, a seat that opened following a scandal in federal public corruption in the city. The main candidates to replace Democrat David Chiu, who left the state Legislature to become San …

By QASSIM ABDUL-ZAHRA – Associated Press BAGHDAD (AP) — Iraq’s top court banned a former Kurdish politician from the country’s presidency on Sunday, citing lingering corruption allegations. Hoshyar Zebari, a former foreign minister and longtime Iraqi diplomat, had been a favorite against incumbent President Barham Salih. In the Iraqi political system, parliament votes to choose …

DUBAI: When the United Arab Emirates set to work planning Expo 2020 Dubai, organizers had one important goal in mind: to ensure that every country was represented, regardless of size, wealth or condition current social and political life. It is this commitment that allowed Lebanon in crisis to participate. It was only in May 2021, …