By Gulfnews  Ali Al ShoukStaff Reporter Bassam Za’za’Legal and Court Correspondent — Dubai: The suspected killer of a Lebanese woman, whose body was found in her flat, was arrested by Dubai Police in less than 18 hours of the crime, Gulf News has learnt. The suspect, also Lebanese, is currently being interrogated by the Public Prosecution. The […]

BEIRUT (Reuters) – The main leader of the Druze sect in Lebanon on Friday attacked the Syrian government for failing to stop an Islamic State massacre of Druze in Syria, saying it should have noticed the militants gathering to attack. “No one can tell me that the squadrons of many American, Russian and foreign planes […]

BEIRUT, July 27 (Xinhua) — Russia and Lebanon signed Friday a cooperation agreement to boost collaboration in trade and investment between the two countries, according to a statement issued by Lebanon’s Chamber of Commerce, Agriculture and Industry. “The agreement aims at facilitating cooperation between Russia and Lebanon in trade, investment, technology and industry, in addition […]

by daily star.com.lb — More high-level talks on the government’s formation are scheduled for the next 48 hours, political sources said Thursday, following recent marked progress on the issue raised hopes that a new Cabinet could be announced before the end of the month. While no new details were announced Thursday, the country’s three top leaders discussed the latest developments in Cabinet formation negotiations, now in their third month, in a joint meeting at Baabda Palace. The meeting among President Michel Aoun, Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri and Speaker Nabih Berri took place after they had held talks with a Russian delegation on a Russian proposal on the return of Syrian refugees from Lebanon. A source close to Berri said that the speaker had stressed translating the prevailing positive atmosphere into forming a government as soon as possible, noting its necessity in preventing Lebanon’s economic crisis from being further exacerbated. The three leaders were in agreement on the need to accelerate the government’s formation and agreed that Hariri intensify his meetings during the next 48 hours to that end, a statement from Aoun’s office said. Cabinet formation had been discussed in light of communications made by Hariri following his meeting with Aoun Wednesday. Berri later withdrew from the meeting, leaving Aoun and Hariri alone.

Adding to the positive atmosphere, caretaker Finance Minister Ali Hasan Khalil, Berri’s key aide, said before heading into a joint session of parliamentary committees that a government was “closer than ever.” The major remaining knot is the bitter row between the Free Patriotic Movement and the Lebanese Forces over the ministerial share each party will have in the next Cabinet. Speaking about that disagreement in comments published Thursday, LF chief Samir Geagea said that his party maintained its right to appoint at least five ministers, and that the FPM, along with the president’s share of ministers, should have eight. Geagea told local daily Al-Joumhouria that the LF had secured 36 percent of the Christian vote in May’s elections, which he said translates into a third of the 15 ministries allocated to Christians. “In all cases, we are entitled to six ministries, according to the Maarab Understanding,” he added, referring to a landmark 2016 agreement between the LF and the FPM that detailed the division of the Christian share of political power in the country between the two parties.

by lebaneseexaminer.com — As a young girl growing up, actress Shannon Elizabeth always maintained close ties to Lebanese culture. After all, her parents belonged to a local Lebanese-Syrian club in Waco, Texas, and building a strong community bond was central to the family. “I was really proud of that side of my life,” Elizabeth told […]

by aawsat.com — Indications of an attempt by what was known as the March 8 coalition to keep the normalization of relations with Syria on the discussion table have raised objections by the so-called March 14 alliance, which mainly includes al-Mustaqbal Movement, the Lebanese Forces (LF) and the Progressive Socialist Party (PSP). This dispute has […]

by entrepreneur.com — TechCrunch, the global online publisher of technology news, is hosting its first ever startup competition for entrepreneurs across the MENA region. Partnering with Facebook, TechCrunch is bringing its flagship Startup Battlefield challenge to Beirut on October 3, 2018, to be hosted at the Beirut Digital District (BDD) in Beirut, a hub for […]

Source: Reuters BEIRUT: Lebanon’s prime minister-designate Saad al-Hariri said on Wednesday he was more optimistic than before that a new government would be formed. “In the coming days we will complete the positive consultations with the president … and God willing, matters are on the way to a solution,” he said in televised remarks after […]

BEIRUT, July 24 (Reuters) – Russia is talking to Lebanon about Moscow’s plans for the mass return home of Syrian refugees, the Lebanese prime minister’s office said on Tuesday, adding Lebanon hoped the Kremlin’s initiative would tackle what it called a “displacement crisis”. “(Hariri) is looking forward to the roadmap prepared by the Russian Defence […]

by infomigrants.net — More than 800 Syrian refugees living in the border city of Arsal in Lebanon have now returned to Syria. Since the beginning of 2018, around 13,000 Syrian refugees have returned to their home country. Hundreds of Syrians left Lebanon on Monday for their home country, Syria. In the eastern border town of […]