by Jerry Maher — arabnews.com — It is no secret that Hezbollah and its followers are restless about all that is happening in Lebanon on the economic, financial and social levels as a result of the suffocating crisis the country is going through. Hezbollah’s immediate suffering is one of the consequences of the war in Syria and its involvement there, which has led to the martyrdom of a large number of young people. However, amid signs of the end of the war in Syria and Damascus’ return to the Arab fold via the Arab League, it has become clear to the families of the fighters that the blood of their sons was spilled in vain, with no gains resulting from the party’s participation in the conflict in Syria on the basis of the “strategic aims of the resistance.” Therefore, resentment among the many Shiites who make up the party’s base increases on a daily basis, amid the stifling economic crisis and unstable living conditions the country is facing.

After all, they live with other Lebanese people and they share the same suffering. It appeared clearly and publicly with the launch of the popular movement of the Oct. 17 Revolution in 2019, when areas in Southern Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley witnessed popular movements under the slogan “All means all.” They accused the political class, including Hezbollah, of bringing the country to a state of economic deterioration and financial crisis — the worst since the civil war ended. Anger and resentment against the party’s policies are now being expressed publicly, no longer behind walls or in restricted meetings. As a result of the insane increase in the price of essential consumer goods and fuel, as well as the decline in purchasing power as a result of the Lebanese pound’s deteriorating value against the US dollar, people can no longer tolerate staying silent and have started to publicly express their views. In the end, a hungry man is an angry man, and all barriers fall before starvation. The impact of Hezbollah’s policies was evident in last year’s parliamentary elections, as turnout declined significantly in some of its strongholds. It is worth noting that the party and its allies directly employed tactics of intimidation and fear toward voters. Such practices were intense and widespread.

khazen.org emphasizes the significance of elections, acknowledging that there may not be a flawless candidate. Similar to other countries that elect presidents, the race typically narrows down to two candidates, as seen in the USA and France. Despite personal disagreements with the candidates, it is crucial to make a choice between them. The absence of […]

by arabnews.com — Najla houssari –– BEIRUT: Officials at an historic Lebanese golf club have launched a drive to keep it up and running amid the country’s economic meltdown. Karim Salam, president of the Golf Club of Lebanon in south Beirut — known for its elite client base — told Arab News that innovative ways to attract a new generation of members were being pursued. After three years of struggling to survive the financial crises gripping the nation, club bosses want to tee it up for the future. “We are trying to change the club’s policies from targeting elite clients to attract members of the public who are able to pay a reasonable fee to benefit from our services,” Salam said. As part of the initiative, the club, that has played host to major international tournaments, has been running free courses to introduce the game to children aged between six and 12 from public and private schools. “We were the first Arab country to organize such courses in 2016. We are now providing reasonable and encouraging fees to attract a new generation to the club,” he added.

With basketball, tennis, and swimming far more popular in the country, Salam noted that the Lebanese Golf Federation was keen to further promote the game. The club was also encouraging people with disabilities to take up the sport. Salam said: “Our coaches carry the equipment, needed to teach the children, to schools and spend hours teaching them. We decided to transport children with disabilities who want to learn golf in specially equipped buses to the club. “I did not imagine that such a step would make children with disabilities so happy. They take the training very seriously and are good at the game. They also consider that what we offer them is an opportunity not available elsewhere. “The determined approach of the children to the game makes us confident that we will be able to represent Lebanon in the Paralympics,” he added. Set up in 1923, the club occupies one of the last green spaces in Beirut — along with the campus of the American University of Beirut — overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. The 18-hole course covers around 420,000 square meters and meets international specifications, and the site includes 18 hotels, a pool, seven tennis courts, and areas for teaching taekwondo, football, squash, chess, and other activities. Salam described the club as “a national edifice of social, environmental, economic, tourism, and sports importance.”

By Melissa Cantor, Editor at LinkedIn News –– It appears some helicopter parents never taught their kids how to fly. According to The Wall Street Journal, parents are increasingly present in the workplace — filling out applications on behalf of their now-adult children, asking to sit in on job interviews, and even dropping into offices […]

by thecradle.co — Recently nominated Lebanese presidential candidate Jihad Azour will take a leave of absence from his post at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to avoid any perceived conflict of interest, The National reported on 9 June. Azour is the director of the Middle East and Central Asia office at the IMF and was nominated for the position of Lebanese president, which has been vacant since October, when Michel Aoun’s term expired. The IMF said Azour, who served as finance minister of Lebanon between 2005 and 2008, was to take leave “to avoid any perception of conflict of interest.” In April of 2022, Lebanon and the IMF reached a staff-level agreement on an economic reform plan to unlock around $3bn of funding over several years. However, the agreed reforms have yet to be implemented.

The IMF alleges the reforms are needed to end Lebanon’s economic crisis, which began in 2019 when a decades-long Ponzi scheme involving the country’s central bank and commercial banks collapsed, causing the Lebanese lira to lose some 98 percent of its value and plunging much of the country into poverty. The crisis caused many Lebanese residents to lose their entire life savings and to suffer from widespread shortages of state-supplied electricity, clean water, and medicine. Scenes of women and children asking for money in the streets of downtown Beirut have become ubiquitous. Efforts to solve the country’s energy crisis by importing gas from Egypt via Syria have stalled as US officials refuse to give assurances that relevant US sanctions on Syria will be waived. However, while reform of the Lebanese banking sector is needed, some observers have questioned the merit of the proposed IMF reforms.

By ILIAS TSAGAS — By the end of 2020, Lebanon fell short of its national target of 100 MW for solar capacity, reaching a cumulative total of 89.84 MW. This shortfall reflected the bleak state of the solar sector, mirroring the overall economic downturn. Lebanon’s ongoing political and economic deadlock persists, marked by soaring inflation, […]

by Nada Homsi — thenationalnews.com — Former Lebanese president Michel Aoun has denied that his surprise visit to Damascus on Tuesday was to seek the backing of Syria’s President Bashar Al Assad. Mr Aoun’s media office issued a statement amid speculation that the founder of the Free Patriotic Movement was seeking Mr Al Assad’s intervention in the Lebanese presidential election amid differences with its ally Hezbollah over the choice of candidates. Both the FPM and the Iran-backed Hezbollah group are aligned with Syria. The former president “did not request a mediation or support for the position of the Free Patriotic Movement leader,” the statement said, emphasising Mr Aoun’s dedication to Lebanon’s sovereignty.

Gebran Bassil endorses Jihad Azour but says position is not entrenched “President Aoun’s visit was strategic, about Syria and Lebanon’s shared interests and the return of refugees to Syria, and it was not related to internal affairs,” an FPM representative told The National. Lebanon’s presidential post has remained vacant for seven months since Mr Aoun completed his term last year as parties and political blocs attempt to find a consensus candidate. Hezbollah backs Suleiman Frangieh, leader of the Christian Marada Movement and known to be close to Damascus. But the FPM has categorically refused to support Mr Frangieh, allying with opposition parties to back former finance minister Jihad Azour.

 By Dario Sabaghi foreign policy –– Investigations at home and abroad offer hope of justice for the country’s crisis. For more than three years, Lebanese citizens have continued to stage sporadic protests amid a dire economic crisis, directing their rage at the country’s political elite. One of the most prominent targets is Riad Salameh, the governor of Banque du Liban, Lebanon’s central bank. Posters at demonstrations across the country regularly feature Salameh’s face, whether stained with a bloody handprint or depicted in a fake mugshot. The message is clear: Lebanon’s protestors want Salameh out of power—and held to account. Salameh has headed Lebanon’s central bank for nearly 30 years. Now, he faces the prospect of prison time. On May 16, France issued an arrest warrant for Salameh over his failure to appear for questioning before investigators in Paris. The country launched a corruption investigation into Salameh and his associates over, among other things, the alleged laundering of more than $330 million from Lebanon’s public funds for personal use, including the purchase of luxury properties in Europe. The next week, Germany issued its own arrest warrant. Salameh has denied any wrongdoing.

Although Lebanon does not extradite its citizens, investigations into Salameh’s alleged crimes—including embezzlement, money laundering, illicit enrichment, and tax evasion—that are underway in Lebanon and six European countries may mark a turning point for Lebanon. For years, many Lebanese have felt hopeless about the country’s political and economic quagmire. Virtually no one among the Lebanese elite has faced any repercussions for their role in the crisis and its devastating impact on Lebanon’s population. But these probes may bring about, for the first time in years, some accountability. For many Lebanese, it’s a small sign that change could be coming. Salameh played a central role in the meltdown of Lebanon’s financial system that came to a head in 2019. “He is the author of a monetary policy put in place that led to a deep financial crisis,” said Sami Nader, director of the Levant Institute for Strategic Affairs.

BY AFP — The French probe into Adwan followed complaints by two former embassy employees, sources close to the investigation had told AFP, confirming an earlier media report. The French government has urged the Lebanese authorities to lift Adwan’s diplomatic immunity and allow him to go on trial. The Lebanese foreign ministry has decided to “urgently send an investigation committee headed by the ministry’s secretary-general… to the embassy in Paris to question the concerned ambassador and hear statements from embassy staff”, it said in a statement. The committee will meet with French authorities “to clarify that which was reported in the media and which was not communicated to the Lebanese foreign ministry via diplomatic channels”, the statement added.

The first former employee, aged 31, filed her complaint in June 2022 for a rape she says was committed in May 2020 in the ambassador’s private apartment, according to sources close to the investigation confirming a Mediapart report. According to the complaint, she had a relationship with the ambassador, who carried out “psychological and physical violence with daily humiliations”. The second woman, aged 28, made a complaint last February after what she said was a series of physical attacks after she turned down sexual relations. She claims Adwan tried to hit her with his car after an argument on the sidelines of last year’s Normandy World Peace Forum. “In view of the seriousness of the facts mentioned, we consider it necessary for the Lebanese authorities to lift the immunity of the Lebanese ambassador in Paris in order to facilitate the work of the French judicial authorities,” the French foreign ministry told AFP late Friday.

By Najia Houssari — arabnews.com — BEIRUT: Patriarch Bechara Al-Rai has praised Christian politicians as they united around a presidential candidate, in a move that could end a nearly eight-month power vacuum in Lebanon. His blessings during Sunday sermon came after opposition parliamentary blocs agreed to support the nomination of Jihad Azour, a former minister who is the director of the International Monetary Fund’s Middle East and Central Asia department. He is expected to contest the presidency against Suleiman Frangieh, the preferred candidate of Hezbollah, the Amal Movement and their allies. Al-Rahi also sent Bishop Paul Abdel Sater on Sunday to meet Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah as part of “dialogue with non-Christian forces, especially Hezbollah, to elect a president for all of Lebanon.” The bishop is expected to continue visiting all political forces this week.

Sunday’s move by the opposition parliamentary blocs follows an announcement by the Free Patriotic Movement on Saturday. There is now agreement between Christian MPs, Change MPs and some independent MPs to nominate Azour after Michel Moawad, an MP, withdrew from the election on Sunday. Some had previously supported Moawad, whom Hezbollah saw as a provocative candidate. The Progressive Socialist Party bloc is due to announce its position on Azour on Tuesday. The decision to back Azour by the FPM, the largest Christian party in parliament, came after its leader Gebran Bassil fell out with Hezbollah after the group’s nomination of Frangieh. “In the event of a call to a presidential election session, the FPM will vote for the agreed-upon name instead of submitting a blank ballot,” he said. Waddah Sadek, an MP, told Arab News that estimates of the opposition indicate that Azour will receive more than 65 votes, which means he would win if a vote went to a second round. “The ball will then be in the court of Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, who has been delaying the call for an election session since January unless he and his allies secure the election of Frangieh,” he said.