Lebanon

Dar Al-Fatwa: Ramadan Starts Tomorrow
Dar Al-Fatwa: Ramadan Starts Tomorrow

Dar al-Fatwa, seat of the Sunni religious authorities, announced that tomorrow, March 11, is the first day of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. The announcement came shortly after Saudi Arabia said the crescent of the ninth month of the lunar calendar had been sighted on Sunday evening, ushering in the fasting month. While Lebanese Sunnis are ...

Derian on Eve of Ramadan: Lebanon Endangered by Absence of a President
Derian on Eve of Ramadan: Lebanon Endangered by Absence of a President

Grand Mufti of Lebanon Sheikh Abdel Latif Derian warned against the dangers Lebanon is facing due to the presidential vacancy. "Electing a president is the first step towards building the state and towards a straight path to redress the work of the government's declining institutions," he said. Speaking on Sunday, on the eve of the holy month ...

BDL’s Fate Linked to Handling Money Laundering, Terrorism Financing
BDL’s Fate Linked to Handling Money Laundering, Terrorism Financing

In light of the strong ties between the Lebanese Central Bank (BDL) and the US Treasury, Jesse Baker, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the US Treasury for Asia and the Middle East in the Office of Terrorist Financing and Financial Crimes, undertook a significant visit to Beirut. Following a two-hour meeting with BDL’s Acting Governor Wassim ...

Audi Calls on Citizens to Hold MPs Accountable
Audi Calls on Citizens to Hold MPs Accountable

Metropolitan Elias Audi called on the Lebanese to hold the MPs they elected accountable for the promises they made and failed to fulfill. "What encouraged them to do so is the citizens' reluctance to hold them accountable," he said. In his Sunday sermon, the Greek-Orthodox Metropolitan of Beirut lamented that it "seems like there is no real will ...

Behind the Scenes of the Berri-Hochstein Meeting
Behind the Scenes of the Berri-Hochstein Meeting

According to a leading figure in the March 8 bloc, American envoy Amos Hochstein told Speaker Nabih Berri, who received him earlier in the week, that Lebanon, and more specifically Hezbollah, should announce the suspension of military operations on the southern border. But Berri was quick to point out that military operations in Gaza had to stop ...

Zoya Rouhana Honored on International Women's Days
Zoya Rouhana Honored on International Women's Days

Described by colleagues, friends, family members and officials from regional NGOs as "authentic, persevering, firm, wise, courageous and the epitome of quiet strength," Zoya Jureidini Rouhana, a feminist activist, director and co-founder of the NGO Kafa, was honored on Friday evening on the occasion of International Women's Day. The ceremony, ...

The Civil Servants Announce Temporary Strike Suspension Extension
The Civil Servants Announce Temporary Strike Suspension Extension

The Civil Servants' Assembly announced on Saturday the temporary suspension extension of their strike until March 15. In a statement, they emphasized their commitment to their demands, notably "the establishment of a fair salary scale, which includes adjustments to social, medical and family allowances, as well as end-of-service benefits." The ...

Presidential Election: Berri Is \
Presidential Election: Berri Is "Optimistic", Says National Moderation

Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri is rather "optimistic" about the success of the National Moderation parliamentary bloc’s initiative to break the deadlock in the presidential election, according to MP Walid Baarini, a member of the bloc. Following a meeting on Saturday between a delegation from the bloc and Berri, Baarini said that the ...

Stateless Children: Trafficking Risks & Legal Protection
Stateless Children: Trafficking Risks & Legal Protection

The lack of official outcomes of the demographic shifts occurring in Lebanon isn't solely due to the internal circumstances of neighboring regional countries; it also stems from illegal practices such as the failure to register Lebanese children with civil authorities. Between the absence of Lebanese identity for stateless children and the peril ...

Retired Soldiers’ Ultimate Battle for Their Salaries
Retired Soldiers’ Ultimate Battle for Their Salaries

The Book of Ecclesiasticus is one of the Bible’s most accessible texts, due to its pertinence and its ability to impart a wealth of practical wisdom. It most specifically refers to matters that are "gratifying to God," such as "neighbors who live in harmony," and others that are more sorrowful, such as "the soldier who ages in poverty.” All ...

Kanaan: 32,000 Current Illegal Administrative Jobs
Kanaan: 32,000 Current Illegal Administrative Jobs

Chairman of the parliamentary Finance and Budget Committee Ibrahim Kanaan has criticized the Public Prosecutor’s Office and the Judicial Police for their failure to respond to his information notes regarding illegal sales of tax stamps. According to Kanaan, these illicit transactions are taking place within public administration premises, citing ...