Lebanon

BEIRUT, Dec 11 – Hezbollah called on Friday for a Lebanese government to be formed as quickly as possible, weeks after the country elected a president and named a prime minister. Prime minister-designate Saad al-Hariri said last month his efforts to form the government faced “stumbling blocks”, testing hopes he could quickly steer the country

Wildlife in Lebanon suffers from excessive hunting and human ignorance Pictures and story by Mostapha Raad Baloo the Syrian brown bear, does not know if it had any relatives living in the Lebanese wilderness. In fact, Baloo, 18, and his wife Teddy, 13, have been living alone for over a decade now, in a small house

BEIRUT, Dec 5 – Gunmen killed a soldier and wounded another in northern Lebanon early on Monday when they opened fire on a military installation, the army said. Security sources initially reported that two soldiers were killed. The attack took place before dawn in an area about 20 km (13 miles) east of the city

By Sally Hayden BEIRUT, Dec 5 – Construction of a new luxury resort on Beirut’s waterfront could enclose the city’s last free public beach, leaving only wealthy residents who can afford lofty daily fees to enjoy the Mediterranean shore. The battle for Ramlet al-Baida beach on the Lebanese capital’s highly developed shoreline is at the center

By Tom Perry BEIRUT, Nov 23  – In Beirut’s rapidly evolving skyline, a newly built cathedral bell tower has risen next to the soaring minarets of a landmark mosque, symbolising both religious coexistence and competition in a city split by sectarian war from 1975 to 1990. The new bell tower of the 19th century Saint

By Lisa Barrington BEIRUT, Nov 21  – Lebanon’s prime minister-designate Saad al-Hariri said on Monday his efforts to form a new government faced “stumbling blocks”, testing hopes he could quickly steer the country out of its political crisis. Hariri was named prime minister more than two weeks ago in a political deal that saw former

The Levant holds its breath awaiting Donald Trump’s next move By Marlene Khalife There are two main priorities, which Lebanon expects the U.S. President-elect Donald Trump to tackle: eliminating Daesh, and freezing U.S. attempts to dismantle regimes in favor of creating a new map for this region; a process which his contender, Hillary Clinton, was

BEIRUT, Nov 8 – Iran’s Mohammad Javad Zarif on Monday became the first foreign minister to meet Lebanon’s new president, a move that underscored Tehran’s tussle for influence in Beirut with its regional arch rival Saudi Arabia. A Christian leader and close ally of Lebanon’s Iran-backed Shi’ite Muslim group Hezbollah who was elected president last

By Tom Perry and Laila Bassam BEIRUT, Nov 3 – Lebanon‘s president asked Sunni leader Saad al-Hariri to form a new government on Thursday, after he won the support of a majority of MPs including the influential parliament speaker who said he would cooperate with efforts to set up the new cabinet. Hariri’s nomination is

How General Michel Aoun won the presidency  By Marlene Khalife  With a majority of 83 votes, 36 white papers, and cameo nominations for Zorba the Greek and Lebanese Forces MP Strida Geagea, MP Michel Aoun, the head of the Free Patriotic Movement’s (FPM) parliamentary bloc became Lebanon’s 13th president since its independence from France, seven decades