Lebanon

Le Drian in Cairo Saturday to Resume Quintet Mission
Le Drian in Cairo Saturday to Resume Quintet Mission

Jean-Yves Le Drian, the former French Foreign Minister and President Emmanuel Macron’s Special Envoy to Lebanon, is expected in Cairo on Saturday for a meeting on Sunday with Egyptian officials to resume the Quintet mission, which consists of assisting Lebanon in electing a president of the republic. As reported by Asharq Al-Awsat, Le Drian ...

Morounoye Lo Mtaxe, What Bogs Us Down
Morounoye Lo Mtaxe, What Bogs Us Down

Morounoye lo mtaxe, which means “the Maronite is undisciplined,” is essentially the first "lesson" that the Maronite bishop of Batroun, Mounir Khairallah, imparted to his theology students in Kaslik at the beginning of the year. It's a lesson with a dual nature, both commendable and bitter. Yes, Maronites are strong-willed, and there's nothing ...

Saudi-Iranian Truce in Lebanon… For the Time Being
Saudi-Iranian Truce in Lebanon… For the Time Being

According to informed Arab sources, Saudi-Iranian communication has resulted in a political “truce” on the Lebanese scene for the time being and under the current regional situation. However, opposition circles are skeptical that such a truce could be beneficial or sustainable since “Iran’s arms” in the region are put on hold, awaiting ...

Agenda of Cabinet's Exceptional Saturday Session
Agenda of Cabinet's Exceptional Saturday Session

The General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers announced the agenda of the exceptional Cabinet session scheduled for Saturday. It will be mainly focused on the issue of public servant salaries and retiree pension and compensation. The meeting was scheduled on Thursday amid protests by Army and Security Forces retirees, who were calling for ...

August 4: Sit-In by Victims' Families in Front of the Courthouse
August 4: Sit-In by Victims' Families in Front of the Courthouse

Families of the victims of the August 4 double explosion held a sit-in in front of the Beirut Justice Palace on Thursday, condemning the maneuvers being used by the political class to block the investigation, the latest being Judge Sabouh Sleiman's revocation of the arrest warrant in absentia against Youssef Fenianos, a former minister accused ...

Cabinet Appoints Army Chief of Staff, Approves 2024 Budget
Cabinet Appoints Army Chief of Staff, Approves 2024 Budget

The Council of Ministers appointed a new Army chief of staff and approved the 2024 budget on Thursday in a session that was delayed for three hours due to protests by retired military personnel attempting to block the entrances to the Grand Serail. The Cabinet appointed General Hassan Audi as Chief of Staff of the Army after he was promoted to ...

Slim: Appointing an Army Chief of Staff Is a Sheer Violation
Slim: Appointing an Army Chief of Staff Is a Sheer Violation

Caretaker Minister of Defense Maurice Slim slammed the appointment of a new Army chief of staff by the Council of Ministers on Thursday as a blunt violation of the Constitution in the absence of a president. "This is a constitutional and legal violation committed by the Prime Minister, the latest in a series of other violations since the ...

Samy Gemayel to Johnson: We Must Ensure Lebanon’s Neutrality
Samy Gemayel to Johnson: We Must Ensure Lebanon’s Neutrality

Kataeb leader Samy Gemayel emphasized on Thursday “the need to protect Lebanon by ensuring its neutrality, for the country not to be dragged into the ongoing regional war,” emphasizing the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. Gemayel made these remarks during a formal visit of the new US ambassador, Lisa Johnson, to the party’s ...

Retired Army and Security Officers Demand Their Rights
Retired Army and Security Officers Demand Their Rights

Retired Military Personnel Have Entered the Area around Parliament, Which is Normally Closed Off by Barricades. #RetiredMilitary Personnel Have Entered the Area around #Parliament, Which is Normally Closed Off by Barricades. pic.twitter.com/OvktGBXPgR — This is Beirut (@ThisIsBeirut_) #RetiredMilitary Personnel Have Entered the Area around ...

Council of Ministers Meeting Begins
Council of Ministers Meeting Begins

After a wait of almost 3 hours, the meeting of the Council of Ministers finally commenced at the Grand Serail after a quorum was secured. Sixteen of the twenty-four ministers were able to make it to the government session, which was due to take place at half past nine this morning, to discuss an agenda consisting of 25 items, the most important ...

Abdollahian in Lebanon on Friday
Abdollahian in Lebanon on Friday

The Iranian Ambassador to Lebanon, Moujtaba Amani, announced on Thursday via the X platform that "the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Dr. Hossein Amir Abdollahian, will arrive in Beirut tomorrow, where he will hold important meetings with senior officials of the Lebanese Republic as part of consultations on the various ...

Army Retirees Protest Ahead of Cabinet Session
Army Retirees Protest Ahead of Cabinet Session

Retired army and security officers protested on Thursday morning ahead of a scheduled cabinet meeting at the Grand Seray, demanding their rights before the discussion of the 25-point agenda.