by albawaba.com: A military judge in Lebanon on Wednesday sentenced 106 to death over participating in clashes with the Lebanese army two years ago in the eastern town of Arsal near the Syrian border, AFP reported. The 73 Syrians, 32 Lebanese, and one Palestinian were convicted of belonging to “terrorist organizations,” participating in an attack […]

Life is tough, life is hard but life is also lessons we learn, it may hurt but it can change us and make our way of living much easier and less complicated.  Yes it can… Yes it is possible.  PAIN is a fact that exists and will always follow us, follow our life, our hearts, […]

Gulf news by Joseph A. Kechichian, Senior Writer – Beirut: At a time when 77 per cent of all Lebanese claimed that their
financial situation deteriorated over the past six months — according
to a Byblos Bank/AUB Consumer Confidence Index — Central Bank Governor
Riad Salameh has stressed that all local banks would abide by the latest
Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the US Department of
Treasury rules, even as he requested justifications before suspending
accounts suspected of belonging to Hezbollah operatives.

“The law
issued in the United States is an American law that is supposed to be
implemented globally and in Lebanon, and, accordingly, Memo 137 that was
issued by the Central Bank on May 3, 2016 was a Lebanese legal
obligation,” Salameh declared in a formal statement issued on Tuesday.
This was more than a technical concern because “Article 70 of the
Monetary and Credit Act required the Central Bank to ensure credit
stability [which] cannot be secured without implementing this US law.”

By Elsa Keslassy

CANNES — Lebanese actress-turned-helmer Nadine Labaki,
whose latest film “Where Do We Go Now” won prizes in Cannes and
Toronto, is set to direct her third pic, “Cafarnaúm” (Capernaum), a $4
million feature set in a Middle Eastern town.

Labaki is reteaming with her regular French producer, Anne-Dominique
Toussaint at Les Films des Tournelles — the Paris-based outfit behind
this year’s Directors Fortnight player “Tour de France” directed by
Rachid Djaidani. Labaki and her husband, Khaled Mouzanar, who is a
popular music composer, will co-produce via their newly-launched outfit
in Lebanon. “Cafarnaúm” (Capernaum) wil start shooting at the end of the summer in Liban.

The script – now completed — is based on an original story penned by
Labaki Jihad Hojeily whose credits include “Caramel” and “Where Do We Go
Now” (pictured above).

Staff writer, Al Arabiya English  Former Miss USA Rima Fakih married music Lebanese-American producer Wassim Salibi in Lebanon on Sunday. The wedding included attendance of Canadian singer The Weeknd, Moroccan-American rapper French Montana and Lebanese singers Haifa Wehbe and Wael Kfoury. The beauty queen’s husband, Salibi, 35, was recently recognized by Billboard magazine for being […]

Daily Star.com.lb By Brooke Anderson

It could be considered a marriage
of convenience between the financially strapped but politically stable
eastern Mediterranean countries of Greece and Cyprus and wealthy
Lebanese property investors.

Greece and Cyprus are fast-tracking
citizenship for high-net-worth property owners, as Lebanese who can
afford it are lining up to buy homes. This is the idea of the third
edition of the Beirut International property Fair, Residency and
Citizenship by Investment, a three-day event from May 16 to 18 at the
Beirut Habtoor Grand Hotel Convention Center. The event, with booths and
representatives from real estate agencies and immigration law firms
from different countries throughout the world – mainly Greece and
Cyprus, but also the Caribbean, Eastern Europe and Malta – are showing
Lebanese how they can invest their way to citizenship.

Brochures
being distributed throughout the halls not only give instructions on
how to obtain citizenship, but also outline the perks of second
citizenships and give overviews of quality of life, security, business
activities, tax planning and retirement in various countries.

Naharnet – Lebanese Democratic Party leader MP Talal Arslan on
Monday accused some political parties of “hiding” behind the banner of
the civil society in a bid to oust his major influence in the Choueifat
area where municipal polls were held on Sunday.

“I wish our list won all the seats but this is what
happens in elections. Sometimes there is no full victory or a full
loss,” said Arslan at a press conference, referring to the fact that the
rival list managed to clinch three seats on the municipal council. The list backed by Arslan won the other fifteen seats.

Polls opened in the second phase
of Lebanon’s municipal and mukhtar elections Sunday, with heated
battles taking place in a number of Mount Lebanon towns between
different alliances.

Elections in 45 municipalities have already
been decided by acclamation, the Interior Ministry said, however battles
are taking place in the key areas of Jounieh, Sin al-Fil, Baabda,
Hadath, Ghobeiri and others.

The vote comes one week after
municipal elections in Beirut and east Lebanon saw victories for the
country’s mainstream parties despite a powerful showing by a grassroots
group in the capital, and influential families in the east.The
mostly-peaceful municipal elections in Beirut, the Bekaa and
Baalbek-Hermel marked the first polls to be held on time since the last
municipal polls in 2010.