By Sunniva Rose — thenationalnews — The Beirut Bar Association called for a two-day strike in protest against what they described as the illegal arrest of lawyer Rami Ollaik on Thursday by unidentified men in civilian clothes. Mr Ollaik was recently at the centre of a politicised court case seen as a proxy power struggle between judges who support prime minister-designate Saad Hariri and those who side with President Michel Aoun. The two men have quarrelled openly for the past eight months over the formation of a new Cabinet. The High Judicial Council, Lebanon’s top court of 10 judges, advised public prosecutor Ghassan El Khoury to prosecute Mr Ollaik for slandering the High Judicial Council and state prosecutor Ghassan Oueidat, the National News Agency (NNA) reported on Wednesday. The state-run agency did not specify which comments the High Judicial Council was referring to. But Mr Ollaik refused to be questioned by the information division of the local police, or Internal Security Forces, and asked for a review of his case by the Beirut Bar Association.

The association said Mr Ollaik was arrested as he was walking to its offices near the Justice Ministry on Thursday. “Unidentified civilians took him violently towards an unknown destination,” they said, calling for a two-day strike on Friday and Monday. The arrest is illegal because Lebanese law stipulates that the public prosecutor must ask the Beirut Bar Association for authorisation before interrogating a lawyer, a source at the association told The National. The Tripoli Bar Association declared a one-hour strike on Friday morning in rejection of “transgression or violation of legal norms”, in an apparent reference to Mr Ollaik’s arrest.

by lb.usembassy.gov — Ambassador Dorothy Shea joined Rear Admiral Curtis Renshaw and Chief of Defense Joseph Aoun to commemorate the conclusion of the Resolute Union 2021 Joint Military Exercise. Conducted May 17-28 in Lebanon and in the Eastern Mediterranean, the event is designed to enhance interoperability and fortify military-to-military relations between the U.S. Navy and the LAF, provide training between the U.S. Navy and regional partners, facilitate the future advancement of the Resolute series, maintain warfighting readiness, and demonstrate the U.S. Navy’s commitment to regional maritime security.

Following are Ambassador Shea’s remarks as prepared for delivery:

Good afternoon. Thank you for joining us today to commemorate the culmination of Resolute Union 21, the U.S. military’s largest annual exercise with the Lebanese Armed Forces. In particular, I want to thank Rear Admiral Curtis Renshaw, Deputy Commander of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, and General Joseph Aoun, Commander of the Lebanese Armed Forces, for their strong support for the U.S.-Lebanese security partnership. This year, it is a distinct pleasure to welcome the participation of our colleagues from the Jordanian Armed Forces. In particular, I’d like to thank Major General Huneiti, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Colonel al-Jarrah, Head of the Jordanian Navy, for joining us today. Last but certainly not least, I’d like to thank the many U.S., Lebanese, and Jordanian military personnel who invested countless hours in planning and executing Resolute Union. Congratulations on the completion of another successful exercise!

by middleeasteye.net — The Lebanese composer Samir Sfeir was released on Thursday from detention in Saudi Arabia and arrived in Lebanon’s capital, Beirut. Sfeir, a celebrated musician and composer, had spent a month and a half in a Saudi prison after he was arrested over his political opinions and tweets regarding Saudi Arabia. His whereabouts remained unclear until 28 April, when Lebanon’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants tried to ask Saudi authorities about him and the reasons for his detention. Sfeir said on Thursday that he was for detained in solitary confinement for his “political opinions” for 50 days, and only saw his three interrogators.

Speaking at Beirut airport on Thursday, he said that he made “a mistake” in the way he criticised Saudi Arabia and expressed his support for Lebanese President Michel Aoun and Hassan Nasrallah, leader of the Hezbollah movement. “I thank God, maybe he wanted this to happen to me, to bring me back to my consciousness,” Sfeir said in an interview with Al-Jadeed TV. “I don’t say that my opinions are wrong, but I say that the way I defended and interpreted my opinions is wrong.” He vowed to focus on music and leave politics to politicians, apologising to Lebanese pop stars for his past criticisms. He also thanked Saudi Arabia “for bringing me back to consciousness”. Lebanese media reported that Sfeir was questioned about his political tweets criticising Saudi Arabia and mocking its war against Yemen, which has so far resulted in 233,000 deaths, according to a United Nations report. Sfeir is well-known for his ties to Aoun’s Free Patriotic Movement party. He has been living in Saudi Arabia permanently for the past nine months and has visited Riyadh frequently in the past five years.

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الفِلسطينيّون يعلنون الانتصار، وإسرائيلُ تَضُمُّ أراضيَ فِلسطينيّةً جديدةً، وتُدمّرُ، كلّما اقتَضَت الحاجة، الرُقعةَ الباقيةَ تحت سلطةِ الفِلسطينيّين. تمنّيتُ العكسَ، فيُعلنُ الفِلسطينيّون ذاتَ مرّةٍ الخَسارةَ ويَستعيدون هُم أرضًا ومساحةَ وجود. أورشليم، رمزُ فلسطين ورمزُنا، أمْسَت عاصمةً موحَّدةً لدولةِ إسرائيل. بقدْر ما كان شعبُ فِلسطين بحاجةٍ إلى تلك الفورةِ الوطنيّةِ التي تَفجَّرت بعدَ “حربِ غزة” (من 10 إلى 21 أيار الجاري)، لم يكن بحاجةٍ إلى حربِ غزّة. البعضُ يظنُّ أنَّ تعديلَ مسارِ المفاوضاتِ الفلسطينيّةِ/الإسرائيليّةِ ما كان ممكنًا من دون غزّة، لكنَّ الرئيسَ الأميركيَّ جو بايدن كان قد أعلنَ العودةَ إلى “حلِّ الدولتين” قبلَ حربِ غزّة.

الخَشيةُ اليومَ من أن تَحذوَ حماس حَذْوَ إسرائيل وترفضَ العودةَ إلى حلِّ الدولتين، وتنقلَ صِراعَها مع إسرائيل حولَ الأرضِ إلى صراعٍ داخليّ مع الشرعيّةِ الفِلسطينيّةِ في رام الله حولَ السلطة. إنَّ حساباتِ حماس مختلفةٌ عن حساباتِ السلطةِ الفِلسطينيّة. الأخيرةُ تَحمِلُ مشروعًا فِلسطينيًّا ـــ عربيًّا، بينما تَحمِلُ الأولى مشروعًا فِلسطينيًّا ـــ إيرانيًّا.

في لبنانَ نعيش تجربةً مماثلةً إِذ رَفضَ حزبُ الله، منذ سنةِ 2000، توظيفَ المقاومةِ والتحريرِ في حلِّ الدولةِ الواحدة، الدولةِ اللبنانيّةِ، وتَصرّفَ كأنّه اعتمَد حلَّ الدولتين: دولةِ لبنان ودولتِه. لا بل وظّفَ بعد التحريرِ قُدراتِه العسكريّةَ في سوريا والعراق واليمن، ورَبطَ، بالتنسيقِ مع إيران، مصيرَ لبنانَ بأسرِه، من سنةِ 2006 إلى اليوم، بحروب الـمِنطقة. هكذا بقي التحريرُ فِعلًا جَنوبيًّا تَنقُصه التغطيةُ الوطنيّة، وبَقيت المقاومةُ حالةً مستقلّةً تتحدّى الدولةَ اللبنانيّةَ وأصدقاءَها. وإذا كانت بيئةُ حزبِ الله تشعرُ بالأمنِ والكرامة في الجنوب ـــ وهي على حقٍّ ـــ فاللبنانيّون فَقدوا الشعورَ بالأمنِ والاستقرارِ والازدهارِ، وبالسيادةِ والاستقلالِ ووِحدةِ الدولة. هذه العناصرُ الوطنيّةُ لا تتعايشُ مع سلاحِ حزبِ الله ومشروعِ إيران، ولا مع أيِّ سلاحٍ آخَر ومشروعٍ آخَر خارجَ مشروعِ لبنان.

by catholicnewsagency.com — Catholicos-Patriarch Gregory Peter XX Gabroyan, leader of the Armenian Catholic Church, died on Tuesday at the age of 86. He died May 25 in the Lebanese capital, Beirut, the seat of the Armenian Catholic Patriarchate of Cilicia. Among those paying tribute to the leader who had guided the Armenian Catholic Church since […]

BEIRUT,  (Xinhua) — Majed Halabi, who owns 120 beehives in a rich citrus orchard in Lebanon’s southern town of Hasbaya, has seen a worrying decline in his honey production from 12 kg to fewer than seven kg per beehive during a regular honey season. Climate change and economic crisis in Lebanon, in the eyes of the 40-year-old beekeeper, are the top causes of such a sharp decline. “The weather turns from severe cold in winter to high heat in summer, hitting hives and exposing bees to death,” Halabi told Xinhua. The economic crisis that affects the honey season in Lebanon involves mainly the high cost of maintaining beehives, according to Halabi. In addition, the pesticides used by farmers against weeds kill the bees and turn fresh green pastures into dry barren lands. Experts in the honey industry told Xinhua that the Lebanese authorities haven’t given much attention to the industry over the past years, urging support for beekeepers in different ways given the environmental importance of the industry and its role in creating job opportunities for rural residents.

According to the Lebanese Agriculture Ministry, the honey industry in the country hosts 10,000 beekeepers who own 300,000 beehives and produce 2,000 tons of honey annually. Jalal Mansour, head of the Environmental Association for the Protection of Bees in Western Bekaa in Lebanon, told Xinhua that the authorities must hold a series of seminars that invite specialists to expound on the important role of bees in maintaining a balanced healthy environment and improving food security by pollinating crops. Tariq Abou Faour, head of the Cooperative Society for Bee Care in Khalwat in southern Lebanon, agreed that the beekeeping in Lebanon has been largely neglected by the authorities and is supported only by non-governmental initiatives such as those of the beekeepers cooperatives across the country. Ghaith Maalouf, a local agricultural engineer, called on local and international organizations to help compensate for beekeepers’ losses suffered from natural disasters by providing the necessary equipment for sorting and preserving honey and medicines for bees’ diseases, and promoting the use of biological pest control instead of chemical pesticides.

by reuters — Sources said the Lebanese Army Commander General Joseph Aoun had today, Wednesday, in France warned that die Economic crisis die Army on the verge of collapse and that Paris offered to provide urgent food and medical aid to the armed forces in the hope of maintaining law and order. France, that die Led relief efforts to Lebanon, tried to put pressure on rival Lebanese politicians die have not yet agreed to form a new government and carry out reforms, die would provide foreign financial aid to their country. Dissatisfaction among the Lebanese security forces is growing over the currency collapse, the die ruined most of their salaries.

In unusual statements in March, Aoun said his warnings to Lebanese officials that it could lead to an internal collapse fell on deaf ears. According to three sources, die with his visit in Paris were familiar, Aoun told senior French officials that die The situation is fragile and unsustainable. A source, die familiar with the meetings held today, including a meeting with President Emmanuel Macron, said: “We are concerned about that die Lebanese army is the backbone of the country. “Two sources said France would provide food and medical supplies to the military, their salaries in have fallen sharply recently, leading many of them to take on additional jobs. A source said France was working to organize a conference in June to provide International community support to help the lebanese army. The Lebanese pound has lost 90 percent of its value since the end of 2019. This is a financial crisis die die greatest threat to die Represents stability of Lebanon since the civil war from 1975 to 1990.

By Najia Houssari — arabnews.com — BEIRUT: Lebanon’s Ministry of Health will launch a “vaccination marathon” next Saturday for people aged over 30 to receive Astrazeneca jabs in health centers across the country. In an effort to promote mass vaccination, Lebanese authorities will declare the province where the largest number of people receive vaccinations as the winner of the marathon. A significant number of Lebanese citizens have refused to receive vaccines produced by AstraZeneca, despite receiving text messages outlining appointment dates. It comes after viral news circulated that purported to show dangerous side effects of the vaccine, including risks of stroke and death. Reports said that a man died three days after receiving an AstraZeneca vaccine. However, Hamad Hasan, Lebanon’s health minister, said that an investigation into the case “is still underway.” Another eight other people were also reported dead after receiving the vaccine, but “whether their deaths were linked to the vaccine” is another question, Hasan added.

A health ministry study estimated that herd immunity reached 42 percent among Lebanese citizens and about 47 percent among Palestinian refugees in the country. “This means that the herd immunity rate is rising to 50 percent, and is expected to reach about 75 percent in August, with large quantities of vaccines expected to be delivered,” said Hasan. Lebanon is due to receive 2 million vaccines in June and July. Dr. Abdul Rahman Bizri, head of the National Committee for the Administration of the Coronavirus Vaccine, told Arab News: “A high percentage of those registered to take the vaccine refrained from taking AstraZeneca. As part of our initiatives to encourage people to get vaccinated, we organized an open day enabling citizens to receive the vaccine without booking an appointment.” Bizri said that a new Lebanese study showed an improved presence of antibodies among the population, but that total immunity had not yet been achieved. “The result should not make us feel reassured, as we need to continue to abide by the precautionary measures,” he added. He said: “Lebanon is buying vaccines from the state treasury and will give priority to Pfizer vaccines.”

رغم اهمية وعظمة تحرير الجنوب من الاحتلال الاسرائيلي الذي حققته المقاومة عام ٢٠٠٠ في مثل هذا اليوم، فان اهدافه الوطنية لم تستكمل بنشر الجيش في البقعة المحررة بسبب عدم سماح القرار السياسي بذلك الى حين انتشاره بعد حرب تموز ٢٠٠٦ التي دمرت قرى وبنى تحتية حيوية لبنانية في الجنوب وعلى امتداد مساحة الوطن. وبالتالي لم […]

By Najia Houssari – arabnews.com — BEIRUT: Lebanese political parties have reacted strongly to a Beirut demonstration on Sunday by the Syrian Social Nationalist Party (SSNP), with the speaker of the Lebanese parliament reiterating the need for a national government on Monday. Chants by SSNP members were “a return to the language of the civil war,” the parties said. The demonstration, authorized by the Ministry of Interior, took place in light of a complex and deadly political stalemate. It also came after four days of raising pictures of Syrian President Bashar Assad, with Syrian workers and refugees, who were cheering Assad, being attacked by some Lebanese citizens. The SSNP demonstration came within the framework of the commemoration of the liberation of southern Lebanon from the Israeli occupation. At the forefront of the celebrating parties was Hezbollah, whose supporters spread in the border areas.

Those groups waved Lebanese and Hezbollah flags, and drove their cars and motorbikes to smash an iron gate bearing an Israeli symbol before travelling to the town of Naqoura. The speaker of the Lebanese parliament, Nabih Berri, warned on Monday that “creating crises on purpose, if it continues without a quick initiative to address them, will topple Lebanon.” Berri called on “the loyalists and the opposition to feel the danger of the fateful stage.” He urged political forces and NGOs “to liberate Lebanon from the complex of choosing personal interests over the interests of the homeland by some people, and recognize that our governmental problem is 100 percent internal.” Berri said: “The only solution is to form a national government, without preconditions, with non-partisan competencies, no obstructing third for anyone, according to the French initiative, and its only program of action should be to restore the confidence of the Lebanese and the Arab brothers in Lebanon.”