Khazen

UN asks Israel to pay Lebanon $850m over oil spill

 

he UN General Assembly has passed a resolution asking Israel to pay Lebanon more than $850m (£544m) for a major oil spill during Israel’s 2006 war with Hezbollah.

The UN has asked Israel to compensate Lebanon before but this is the first time a figure has been given.

The assembly voted overwhelmingly in favour by 170 votes to six, but its resolutions are not legally binding.

Israel’s UN mission said the resolution was biased.

The slick was created when Israeli jets bombed a power station, releasing about 15,000 tonnes of oil into the eastern Mediterranean sea.

At its peak, it stretched for 120km (75 miles) along the shore.

The resolution calls the incident an "environmental disaster” which caused extensive pollution.

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Astrology & Horoscope prediction 2015 – 2016

 

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Astrology & Horoscope prediction 2016 – 2017

 

Below horoscope for 2015-2016

 

 

For Fire Signs  Aries, Leo, Sagittarius, 2015 will feel natural, if not very comfortable. Your challenge is to avoid getting scattered and then fail to sufficiently narrow down your primary goals. Focus, and work away, so that none of your valuable energy goes up in smoke.

This year Venus, Jupiter, and Saturn all have retrograde periods in Fire Signs, giving you built-in breathers so you don’t burn out. With Uranus still in Aries, there will be ample chances to surprise the world, and to surprise yourself. Be bold but not reckless. Sometimes it’s wise to hold back and see what good things randomly find you.

 

The Earth Signs (Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn)   it may seem a hectic year. With Pluto still in Capricorn, there are days of discomfort or displeasure for everyone, but you are best suited to deal with them and put aside days for rest and refuge. There should be few obstacles to obtaining and keeping what you need and want, but you can still get what you want if your pursuit is direct enough.

If the action is more high-paced than you like, you can patiently observe and act at the correct moment. 2015 starts with the Moon in an Earth Sign (Taurus). It’s a gift that can make other people more accessible and easier for you to read.

 

 

For Air Signs (Gemini, Libra, Aquarius) , have the perfect year to think things through, to network, organize and motivate others. All three of the Mercury retrograde periods happen in Air Signs. This allows you to pinpoint where you apply your passions and to think and act with more precision than ever before. In a fiery, fast year, make the most of these slightly slower, more thoughtful times.

You may be busier and more involved with groups this year, and you may take on more responsibilities. The year starts with Mars in an Air Sign, and you should have energy to spare all year long.

 

Water Signs (Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces)   can turn up the heat and make intense progress in an inconspicuous way. Be dedicated and feel deeply about what you do, then look back on a year of long-lasting achievements.

Keep those passions perking and don’t be lulled into dozing off and losing precious days, or weeks – a hazard of Neptune in Pisces. If you think you’re in danger of drifting off into dreamland, keep lists or check in with friends. Instead of feeling left behind, you can calmly, quietly move ahead of the pack this year.

 

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Why Saudi Arabia is Picking Up Lebanon’s $3 Billion Weapons Tab

By Virgile Dall’Armellina,

 

 

France has signed an agreement to sell and deliver $3 billion worth of military equipment to Beirut — paid for by Saudi Arabia — to help the Lebanese army fight jihadists encroaching on its border with Syria, officials announced Monday.

French foreign affairs minister Laurent Fabius welcomed the agreement, which he said "reflects the exceptional quality of French-Saudi relations." But the complex arms-sharing ménage à trois involves more than just the three actors, with Iran and Syria also factoring into the equation.

The deal, which has been in the pipeline since 2013, will provide much needed modern weaponry to Lebanon, which is currently fighting Islamic State militants in the Beqaa Valley, a mountainous region 19 miles east of Beirut on the Syrian border.

Beirut has been increasingly pulled into neighboring Syria’s fight against the Islamic State, which began its bloodied land grabs across large swathes of Syria and Iraq this summer. Lebanon has also suffered several terrorist attacks by the militant group in recent months.

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Lebanon must make sacrifices for captives: Abu Faour

  BEIRUT: Sacrifices will have to be made if Lebanon ever wants to see its 25 captive servicemen freed, Health Minister Wael Abu Faour and Speaker Nabih Berri agreed Thursday. “Our position and Berri’s position is that there should be a swift move in this file,” the health minister said after his meeting with the […]

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Lebanon Defense Ministry outlines gun permit procedures

  BEIRUT: Defense Minister Samir Moqbel issued Thursday a memo outlining the conditions under which gun permits could be renewed for the year 2015. In a statement released by the ministry, the defense minister noted that permits would only be issued to the bodyguards of former or current ministers and MPs, party heads, diplomats and […]

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Salam Considers Cabinet ‘Hijacked’, Sets Roadmap to End Case of Captive Servicemen

  Prime Minister Tammam Salam expressed ire on Thursday at his 24-member cabinet, considering that the government is hijacked by the political arch-foes as each minister has the right to use the veto power on any decision, including the appointment of cleaning workers. Despite the complications surrounding him, Salam, according to his visitors’ comments in […]

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UK minister arrives in Lebanon for talks

  BEIRUT: U.K. Government Minister at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Tobias Ellwood arrived in Beirut Wednesday for talks with Lebanese officials on the situation in Lebanon and the Middle East. A source at Beirut airport said Ellwood was greeted upon arrival by British Ambassador to Lebanon Tom Fletcher. Ellwood wrote on his Twitter account […]

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Beirut named one of 7 Cities of The New ‘Urban Wonders’ Of The World

 

A global campaign to name various new Seven Wonders of the World has announced the results of its Cities competition. 

The New7Wonders project was created by Bernard Weber in order to highlight some of the greatest natural and man-made wonders of the world not covered in the original list. The Cities project is the third of Weber’s installments — in 2007, more than 100 million people voted in his New Seven Wonders of the World competition

Weber’s latest campaign to find the best cities on Earth aimed to showcase the "cities that best represent the achievements and aspirations of our global urban civilization," according to the New7Wonders website

The global competition began with more than 1200 nominees from 220 countries. That list was reduced to 77, since there was a limit of one city per country. Then the 77 remaining cities were narrowed down by a panel of experts headed by Federico Mayor, former director-general of UNESCO, to 28 suggestions. 

Following the announcement of the 28 finalists, the winning seven cities were chosen by voters from around the world. 

The seven winning cities beat out finalists such as Istanbul, London, St. Petersburg, Seoul, Reykjavik, and Chicago. None of the world’s seven winning cities are in Europe or the US. 

 

Below are the seven cities that have been named the new urban wonders of the world (in alphabetical order): 

1. Beirut, Lebanon

The capital city of Lebanon has been rebuilt several times due to unrest. Beirut’s architecture is a stunning mix of modern, Ottoman, and colonial French. 

The Middle Eastern hub is often referred to as "The Paris of the Mediterranean."

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Super-Mole Discovered Working in Upper Ranks of Hezbollah on Behalf of Israeli Mossad

 

BY:

JERUSALEM—A super-mole working in the upper ranks of Hezbollah on behalf of the Israeli Mossad has been exposed, according to a Lebanese website, El Nashra, citing informed sources.

The man, whose initials were given as M. Sh., was identified as a Lebanese businessman who traveled widely abroad on special missions for Hezbollah. He was said to be a senior official in Hezbollah’s Unit 910, responsible for “external operations against specific Israeli targets.” On one of M. Sh.’s trips to a western Asian country, he was recruited by the Mossad and agreed to provide top-secret information about Hezbollah operations and personnel, said the report.

According to the website, he was instrumental in thwarting a number of attempts by the organization to carry out retaliatory attacks for the assassination in 2008 of its top military figure, Imad Mughniyeh. A headrest in Mughniya’s car was replaced with one carrying explosives while he was visiting his mistress in Damascus. When he returned to the vehicle, the bomb was detonated remotely, killing him. Hezbollah accused Israel of the assassination and vowed revenge. Israel has never claimed responsibility.

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Ministry limits over 60 jobs to Lebanese

  BEIRUT: Labor Minister Sejaan Azzi issued Tuesday a decision outlining the professions confined solely to Lebanese nationals, with certain exceptions applicable. According to a statement released by the Labor Ministry, the decision comes at a time when the Lebanese workforce is witnessing fierce competition. The decision also seeks to show the key role that […]

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