BAGHDAD (Reuters) – The U.S. Embassy in Baghdad said on Wednesday that all public consular operations were suspended, a day after Iran-backed militias and their supporters stormed its outer perimeter, setting fires, throwing rocks and smashing surveillance cameras. “Due to militia attacks at the U.S. Embassy compound, all public consular operations are suspended until further notice. All future appointments are canceled. U.S. citizens are advised to not approach the embassy,” it said in a statement.

by foxnews.com — The siege outside of the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad came to an end Wednesday afternoon after dozens of pro-Iran militiamen and their supporters withdrew from the compound. The two-day crisis started early Tuesday, when, in an orchestrated assault, hundreds of protesters stormed the embassy compound, one of the most heavily fortified U.S. diplomatic missions in the world. The violent protests, which included smashed windows and sprayed graffiti on the embassy’s walls, were said to be in protest of the deadly U.S. airstrikes that targeted an Iran-backed militia over the weekend, killing 25 fighters. In turn, those strikes had been in response to a rocket attack on an Iraqi Army base that killed a U.S. contractor and injured several American troops. The protests prompted the Pentagon to send hundreds of additional troops to the Middle East. Officials said more than 650 paratroopers are already on their way to Kuwait, and roughly 4,000 more have been told to pack their bags for a possible deployment. The Popular Mobilization Forces, an umbrella group of state-allied militias — many backed by Iran — called on its supporters to withdraw in response to an appeal by the Iraqi government, saying “your message has been received.”

by famagusta-gazette.com —The Lebanese have been desperately trying to invest their bank deposits in real estate and gold to escape a possible haircut in the near future. Lebanon has witnessed in the past few months a shortage in U.S. dollar, caused by an economic slowdown and the drop in cash injections from the Lebanese abroad. Hence, banks have imposed restrictions on the withdrawals of depositors and the conversion of the Lebanese pound to the U.S. dollar, creating great panic among people about the future of their savings. “Demand for real estate has increased tremendously since the start of the dollar crisis,” Mazen Moharam, CEO of Moharam and Itani Developers, told Xinhua. But the luck in acquiring an apartment or any other real estate property depends, to a great extent, on developers’ need for money, Moharam said. “If developers are indebted to banks, they may accept checks … and deposit these checks in their accounts to settle their loans to banks,” he explained. However, developers not in need of money are not selling for fear of a possible haircut of their deposits, said Raja Makarem, chairman and founder of Ramco Real Estate Advisors. “In this case, developers prefer to keep their properties instead of depositing higher amounts of money in banks,” he added. Meanwhile, people in Lebanon have also been trying to invest in gold but jewellers say they refuse payments by credit card or check. “We have a great demand for gold but we cannot sell gold in return for virtual money such as checks or credit cards,” Yasser Younes, owner of a jewellery shop in Verdun, told Xinhua. “We only sell for cash,” he said. Two other jewellers, respectively in Hamra and ABC mall, also confirmed the cash-only payments in gold transactions, adding credit cards and check payments are only accepted for regular fashion jewellery items such as pendants.

by lebaneseexaminer.com —Tiffany Trump and her Lebanese boyfriend Michael Boulos celebrated New Year’s Eve at President Donald Trump’s New Year’s Eve party at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. Tiffany Trump shined in a black and gray lace dress while walking the red carpet hand-in-hand with Boulos, who wore a black tuxedo and bow tie. President […]

BEIRUT ( Sputnik – 31st December, 2019) President of Lebanon Michel Aoun on Tuesday expressed hope that a new Lebanese government will be formed in the coming days. “We are doing everything to overcome the difficulties. But we need society’s support … I hope that a government will be formed in the coming days and […]

TOKYO—Nissan’s former Chairman Carlos Ghosn said on Tuesday he was in Lebanon and was not fleeing justice, but instead sought to avoid “injustice and political persecution” in a criminal trial in Japan for alleged financial misconduct. “I am now in Lebanon, and will no longer be held hostage by a rigged Japanese justice system where guilt is presumed, discrimination is rampant and basic human rights are denied, in flagrant disregard of Japan’s legal obligations under international law and treaties it is bound to uphold,” the statement said. Japanese media quoted prosecutors speaking anonymously who said they did not know how Ghosn had left the country while under surveillance. BEIRUT (Reuters) – The Lebanese government does not know how Nissan ex-boss Carlos Ghosn made it from Japan, where he was due to be tried for financial misconduct, to Lebanon, the foreign ministry said on Tuesday.

A very weird rumor floating around is saying that Carlos Ghosn, the former chairman and CEO of the Renault-Nissan Alliance, escaped Japanese house arrest and fled to Lebanon this past weekend by reportedly hiding in a musical instrument case. Yesterday afternoon, The Washington Post and Financial Times both reported that Ghosn had left Japan and taken a private jet to Lebanon on Sunday, but it was initially unclear whether the accused businessman had arranged something with the conditions of his bail and house arrest with Japanese authorities, or if he had fled the country. We’re a bit skeptical of the piano case rumor as of right now, however, as we’re talking about Japan, a country with fairly strong passport controls, and it’s a wild coincidence that Ghosn escaped right before New Year’s Eve – a very convenient time to bury some less-than-desirable news.

BEIRUT (AP) Zena Karam — Former Nissan chairman Carlos Ghosn, who is awaiting trial in Japan on charges of financial misconduct, has arrived in Beirut, a close friend said Monday. He apparently jumped bail. It was not clear how Ghosn, who is of Lebanese origins and holds French and Lebanese passports, left Japan where he was under surveillance and is expected to face trial in April 2020. Ricardo Karam, a television host and friend of Ghosn who interviewed him several times, told The Associated Press Ghosn arrived in Lebanon Monday morning.. “He is home,” Karam told the AP in a message. “It’s a big adventure.” Karam declined to elaborate. Local media first reported Ghosn arrived in Lebanon, but didn’t offer details. There was no immediate comment from Japan or from Lebanese officials.

Given the lack of an extradition agreement between Japan and Lebanon, the UN Convention against Corruption UNCAC is the sole course of action to trie Ghosn on Lebanese soil. Global anti-corruption treaty enacted in 2009, signed by 141 countries including Japan and Lebanon.”Article 44 and 22 of the UN Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) paves the way to return the accused to face trial in Lebanon if charges apply in both countries,”

Ghosn, 65, has been on bail in Tokyo since April and is facing charges of hiding income and financial misconduct. He has denied the charges. He had been under strict bail conditions in Japan after spending more than 120 days in detention. Lebanon-based paper Al-Joumhouriya said Ghosn arrived in Beirut from Turkey aboard a private jet. AP has not been able to confirm those details or how he was able to leave Tokyo. A house known to belong to Ghosn in a Beirut neighborhood had security guards outside with two lights on Monday night, but no sign otherwise of anyone inside. The guards denied he was inside, although one said he was in Lebanon without saying how he knew that. Ghosn was arrested last year in Japan and has been charged with under-reporting his compensation and other financial misconduct. He denies wrongdoing and was out on bail. His trial had not started.

Ghosn’s lawyers say the allegations are a result of trumped-up charges rooted in a conspiracy among Nissan, government officials and prosecutors to oust Ghosn to prevent a fuller merger with Nissan’s alliance partner, Renault SA of France. Ghosn, one of the auto industry’s biggest stars before his downfall, is credited with leading Nissan from near-bankruptcy to lucrative growth. Even as he fell from grace internationally, Ghosn was still treated as a hero in Lebanon, where many had long held hopes he would one day play a bigger role in politics, or help rescue its failing economy. Politicians across the board mobilized in his defense after his arrest in Japan, with some suggesting his detention may be part of a political or business-motivated conspiracy.

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by reuters — A Chinese court sentenced the scientist who created the world’s first “gene-edited” babies to three years in prison on Monday, according to the official Xinhua news agency, on charges of illegally practicing medicine. He Jiankui, then an associate professor at Southern University of Science and Technology in Shenzhen, said in November 2018 […]

by MAYA ALLERUZZO The Associated Press — BEIRUT — Dozens of Lebanese protesters held a brief sit-in inside a bank in Beirut and another in the country’s south on Saturday, part of their focus on banking policies they complain are inefficient and corrupt. Lebanon is facing its worst economic crisis in decades, while protests against corruption and mismanagement have gripped the country since October. The local currency has lost more than 40% of its value after more than 20 years of being tied to the dollar. Banks are imposing unprecedented capital controls to protect their deposits amid a deepening confidence crisis. Meanwhile, layoffs and salary cuts are becoming the norm, while politicians argue over forming a new government.

Dozens of protesters entered a private bank in the commercial Hamra district in Beirut, protesting capital controls and insisting that no one would leave without the money they came for. Banks have put a withdrawal ceiling of $200 a week on most accounts, while totally blocking outside transfers. “Thieves! Thieves!” two dozen protesters chanted, some sitting on counters and others on the floor. Bank staff watched and security guards did not interfere. The protesters later helped a woman with a cane get to the second floor, again shouting that she wouldn’t leave until she got the money she needs. The protesters posted videos of their actions on a Twitter account linked to the protest movement.

by naharnet – The Lebanese judiciary has launched an investigation into reports claiming that nine Lebanese politicians have transferred $2 billion abroad over the past 15 days, a media report said. The judicial probe got underway simultaneously with the investigations that are being carried out by the central bank, Asharq al-Awsat newspaper reported Sunday. “Intensive […]

By Ester Carpenter — Five Gen-Zer squatted in early November on a small pile of rubbish in the middle of Martyrerplatz in downtown Beirut. In white gloves, they sorted bottle caps, cigarette butts, mouthpieces for hookahs, adhesive tape and plastic food packaging – all waste of the protests from the previous day. Although the five were students, they had not been in class for 26 days. Some of her teachers were upset, but the activists thought cleaning up after the protests that had hit the country since mid-October was more important than learning. They wanted to show the country how to take care of themselves, said 17-year-old Paul Hanna and took a break from sorting. “Without recycling, most of the garbage goes into the sea.” “We don’t want to see garbage on the street,” said Mira Raheb, also 17. “If we clean here, it will change (the mentality).”

Like youth activists around the world, Lebanese environmentalists reject the status quo, which means in Lebanon to protest against rampant government corruption, a sluggish economy and a long list of environmental issues that dominate everyday life. Hoping to take advantage of the current unrest, they are also working to make the country greener. Since the end of the civil war in the 1990s, Lebanon has not been able to provide its citizens with 24/7 electricity, a functioning public transport network, proper waste disposal, or drinking water. The lack of basic supplies has a particularly severe impact on poor families and working-class families, and the environment also suffers from people turning to diesel-powered generators and relying on plastic water bottles.

Last October, wildfire broke out in a forested area south of Beirut that quickly got out of control and set fire to more than 3,000 acres. Hot, windy conditions played a role, but so did the government’s incompetence (three privately donated fire helicopters were in poor condition at a nearby airport). Five days later, over a million Lebanese were on the streets demanding the government’s resignation. Prime Minister Saad Hariri had resigned until the end of October. “The forest fires were an important forerunner of the revolution.” “The forest fires were an important forerunner of the revolution,” said 36-year-old Adib Dada. As part of the protests, Dada, an environmental architect and biomimics specialist, led a guerrilla gardening project that planted 30 native trees and shrubs in downtown Beirut, a group called Regenerate Lebanon.