Tag Archives: Beirut

Lebanon’s struggling banks on Friday decided to suspend their strike, which started earlier this month, for one week after caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati asked them to do so. The Association of Banks in Lebanon did not give further details about the suspension. The strike began Feb. 7 in protest …

The northern section of the grain silos damaged two years ago by a blast at the Beirut port collapsed early on Tuesday after warnings the structure was leaning too far to stay up. The crash sent a cloud of brown-grey dust billowing over the waterfront, the LBCI television station reported. …

Lebanese media reported on Friday that a massive fire broke out in a building located near Beirut port.

The Lebanese Interior Minister Bassam Mawlawi announced on Monday the official results of the parliamentary elections in five districts, hailing the democratic achievement of holding the vote. Mawlawi announced the names of the winners as follows: 1- Bekaa I: Ramy Abu Hamda, George Akis, Michel Daher, Elias Estephan, Salim Aoun, …

Polls have closed in Lebanon’s parliamentary elections, which many hope could set the stage for recovery from economic woes fueled by US-led sanctions on the country.

An American diplomat working for the U.S. consulate in Lebanon has been arrested in Turkey on suspicion of selling a fake passport for $10,000 to a Syrian national, Turkey’s state news agency said on Wednesday. According to Turkey’s Anadolu Agency, which cited a statement from the Istanbul Security Directorate, the …

Lebanon’s president told central bank governor Riad Salameh on Wednesday to provide data for a forensic audit of the bank, saying the restructuring consultancy Alvarez & Marsal(A&M) had said it did not have the information it needed a month after starting. President Michel Aoun made the comments in a meeting …

A senior Lebanese journalist has identified a US embassy employee as one of the snipers who opened fire at supporters of Hezbollah and Amal movements who were marching peacefully towards the Palace of Justice in central Beirut. In a post on his Twitter account on Friday, Hosein Mortada released a …

Heavy gunfire was heard in Beirut on Thursday near an area where the Lebanese were gathering to protest against the judge investigating last year’s catastrophic port explosion. People ran for cover as shots and ambulance sirens could be heard in a live broadcast by Lebanon’s al-Jadeed TV. Its reporter at …

A probe into the catastrophic Beirut port explosion was frozen on Tuesday for the second time in less than three weeks after two politicians wanted for questioning filed a new complaint against the lead investigator, Judge Tarek Bitar. The investigation has been facing obstacles since Bitar sought to question some …

Lebanon’s new Prime Minister Najib Mikati says he has no “magic wand” to fix the country’s economic and financial crises, following more than a year of political deadlock over the formation of a government. Mikati made the remark in a statement on Monday, saying he has “no magic wand to …

The appointment of a new government in Lebanon is a “very important step” for the crisis-hit country, UN chief Antonio Guterres said Friday, wishing Prime Minister Najib Mikati “the best success.” Guterres added of the new government that “of course it is not enough, there are many other things to …

Lebanon’s Prime Minister Najib Mikati said on Friday he hoped to stop his country’s collapse and bring back prosperity. In an emotional speech after signing a decree with President Michel Aoun to form the new cabinet, Mikati said the situation in the country was “difficult,” adding that there were no reserves …

The UN Security Council Monday voted to renew the mandate of the UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon for another year, Beirut’s envoy to the UN said. “The UN Security Council just voted unanimously to renew the mandate of UNIFIL in Lebanon after difficult negotiations. Good news 4 UNIFIL, for its …

The Lebanese parliament on Friday told the judge who is investigating last year’s Beirut port explosion that he had exceeded his powers by issuing a subpoena for caretaker Prime Minister Hassan Diab after he failed to show up for questioning. Judge Tarek Bitar, leading the inquiry into the huge explosion, …

The lead investigator into Beirut’s huge port blast has issued a subpoena for caretaker Lebanese Prime Minister Hassan Diab after he failed to show up for questioning. Lebanon’s news agencies said on Thursday that Judge Tareq Bitar had issued requests in July to question Diab but after the caretaker premier …

Lebanon’s lawyers have sued a British chemical firm linked to the devastating explosion of 2020 at Beirut’s port at the High Court in London. The Beirut Bar Association and four others, including a survivor of the explosion and the families of two victims of the blast, filed the lawsuit against …

At least 22 people were killed and 79 injured when a fuel tank exploded in northern Lebanon early on Sunday, the health minister said. Military and security sources said that the army had seized a fuel storage tank hidden by black marketeers and was in the midst of handing out …

Lebanese central bank governor Riad Salameh maintained his innocence amid allegations of corruption, saying in a radio interview on Saturday that his conscience was clear. Salameh is under investigation in Switzerland on charges related to embezzlement, and probes are underway or being planned in several other European countries. Last week, …

Lebanon’s caretaker prime minister said on Thursday the central bank had broken the law by deciding to remove fuel subsidies, and the damage done would outweigh the benefits of preserving the mandatory reserves which the bank is trying to protect. A loss of fuel subsidies would open a new phase …