Lebanon MPs sit in as 11th vote for president fails
Two politicians have spent the night inside Lebanon’s parliament building to protest MP’s failure to elect a new president for the 11th time. The two, Najat Saliba and Melhem Khalaf refused to leave the chamber until after the latest round of voting. The outgoing president’s term ended on October 31
Israel-Lebanon gas field deal staves off war threat
Israel and Lebanon have technically been in a state of war since Israel’s founding in 1948, in a dispute over rights to a gas field in the Mediterranean Sea. The two countries have signed an agreement that sets their borders in the Mediterranean. Hezbollah, the militant and political group in
Dozens of migrants killed as boat sinks off Syrian coast
71 migrants’ bodies have been found after a boat carrying them sank off Syria’s coast. 20 survivors are being treated in a hospital in the city of Tartus in Syria. Lebanese, Syrian and Palestinian nationals were believed to be on board when the boat snak on Thursday. A rescue attempt
Hezbollah and allies lose parliamentary majority in Lebanon election
In Lebanon’s parliamentary elections, the Iran-backed Shia Muslim Hezbollah movement and its allies lost their majority number of seats. The results of Sunday’s election shows that the bloc’s candidates won 62 of 128 seats, three fewer than it needed to maintain a majority. While Hezbollah itself retained its own seats,
As the Iran nuclear deal nears, Saudi Arabia is rebuilding its stake in Lebanon
In the first trip to Saudi Arabia by a Lebanese Prime Minister in almost four years, Najib Mikati will visit Saudi Arabia in the next two weeks. The last visit was in 2018 by Prime Minister Saad Hariri who stepped down in 2021. Saudi Arabia is one of Lebanon’s biggest
Hamas ammunition warehouse explodes causing casualties in southern Lebanon
On Friday, a warehouse owned by Hamas exploded at a Palestinian refugee camp located in southern Lebanon. According to Lebanon state-run NNA news, the warehouse was filled with ammunition. Several casualties have been reported. The media outlet stated that the sound of the explosion was audible in the Palestinian refugee
Lebanese protesters block roads over economic meltdown
In Lebanon, thousands of demonstrators gathered to protest the country’s rampant economic struggles just days after the Lebanese pound sank to record lows. Lebanon’s economic crisis began in 2019 and has propelled more than three-quarters of the population below the poverty line. In just a few years, the local currency’s
Hezbollah threatened top judge probing Beirut port blast, source says
New speculation that Hezbollah urged the Lebanese government to stop investigating the Beirut port blast has emerged. According to those familiar with the situation, high-ranking Hezbollah official Wafiq Safa issued a verbal warning to Judge Tarek Bitar via an unidentified intermediary. The intermediary was reportedly a known individual to the
Court allows Judge Bitar to resume Beirut blast investigation
Former ministers charged in the investigation of the Beirut Port blast requested that Judge Tarek Bitar be removed from the investigation. The Beirut Appeals Court rejected their request. The investigation had been paused seven days ago after the judge continued to pursue ex-ministers and other high-ranking officials in politics and
Lebanon gets new government amid deepening crisis
Over a year after the previous administration quit a new government has been announced in Lebanon. Lebanon’s richest man, Najib Mikati, became prime minister and the rest of the cabinet was named as well. The appointments end months of political standstill in Lebanon. After the resignation of the previous prime