Egypt Independent In an interview with state-run news agency MENA, Lebanese Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri said that he called on President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to take part in training the Lebanese army; a request to which Sisi responded favorably during their meeting at the presidential palace on Wednesday. Hariri praised Sisi’s understanding of the difficult […]

by Ingrid Melander, Michel Rose, Reuters

PARIS (Reuters) – The top candidates in France’s presidential
election clashed in a televised debate on Monday, with centrist
Emmanuel Macron accusing far-right leader Marine Le Pen of
lying and seeking to divide the French. The debate, the first between the five main contenders ahead of
a two-round election on April 23 and May 7, could help viewers
make up their minds in a French election where nearly 40
percent of voters say they are not sure who to back. Opinion polls show Macron and Le Pen pulling away from the pack
in an election that has been full of twists and turns, and
which is taking place against a backdrop of high unemployment
and sluggish growth.

One of the most heated exchanges came between the two
frontrunners, after Le Pen accused Macron of being in favor of
the burkini, a full-body swimsuit worn by Muslim women that
created weeks of controversy in France last summer. “You are lying (to voters) by twisting the truth,” retorted
Macron, a 39-year-old former economy minister under Socialist
President Francois Hollande who is running as an independent.

The debate on TF1 television grew testy when the candidates
were asked about migration and Islam. “I want to put an end to immigration, that’s clear,” Le Pen
said, before talking about a rise of Islamist fundamentalism in
France and saying the security situation in France was
“explosive”. After the surprise of Britain’s Brexit vote and the election of
Donald Trump in the United States, markets are nervous about
the possibility of a Le Pen victory. She is pledging to take
France out of the euro and hold a referendum on EU membership.

by daily star.com.lb Beirut has been ranked among the world’s best cities to eat in, according to a New York-based travel magazine. The magazine listed Beirut as their top choice in a recent article about international cuisine. The Mediterranean city came out at number 1 in a readers-chosen survey conducted by Travel and Leisure, making […]

by middleeastmonitor.com The Israeli government is planning to annex a large area of territorial waters also claimed by Lebanon, which has issued bids for gas and oil investment, Ynet News revealed on Tuesday. The area in question is believed to be rich in natural resources and has been disputed between Israel and Lebanon for years, […]

by middleeastmonitor.com/ Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri has arrived in Egypt where he is scheduled to meet with President Abdul Fattah Al-Sisi and Prime Minister Sharif Ismail with the view of strengthening ties between the two countries. Hariri will also meet with Pope Tawadros II of the Coptic Church and Grand Imam Ahmed Al-Tayeb of […]

by Al Monitor Scott Preston

In a report published by The New Arab on Feb. 10, a Hezbollah official declared Hezbollah’s plan to establish a safe zone in Qalamoun, where Syrian refugees could soon be relocated from neighboring Lebanon. The first draft
of the deal proposed 24 terms to be negotiated between Hezbollah and a
militia in Qalamoun known as Saraya Ahl al-Sham. Syrian journalist Ahmad
al-Quasir, who has been following the situation closely, recently told
Al-Monitor that Saraya Ahl al-Sham was established by local opposition
forces in 2015 and is linked to the Free Syrian Army (FSA).

Under the initial terms of the agreement, Hezbollah and Syrian regime
forces would vacate the areas of Qalamoun where Saraya Ahl al-Sham is
present. Saraya Ahl al-Sham would also create local
committees responsible for the administration and policing of their
communities. Excluded from the deal would be several Christian-majority villages
along the M-5 highway. The road, which serves as an important supply
corridor for Hezbollah linking Damascus to the group’s stronghold in Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley, would be open to traffic to and from Syria and Lebanon. The arrangement also would provide major incentives to draw refugees
back to Qalamoun. Most notably, returnees would be issued identification
documents after screening by local authorities. New papers would be
hugely beneficial to the over 70% of Syrian refugees
who no longer have valid national ID cards, without which they cannot
travel, get married or obtain legal residency in host countries.

Returnees who join Saraya Ahl al-Sham’s brigade would also be exempt
from conscription into the Syrian Arab Army even if they had previously
fled Syria to escape the draft. They could return without punishment if
they join Saraya Ahl al-Sham. Quasir said renewed discussions of safe zone initiatives along the Turkish and Jordanian borders, following the recent endorsement of the United States,
was a key motivator for the proposed deal. Quasir said Hezbollah first
submitted the draft agreement in an effort to beat the international
community to the most practical area for a Lebanese-Syrian safe zone,
thereby determining the framework for itself.

By Yassmine Alieh business news LB Aigle Azur, a French airline company, will start direct flights from Paris Orly to Beirut Rafic Hariri International Airport (BRHIA)on June 23.  Middle East Airlines (MEA), which has a code-sharing agreement with Air France, is the only carrier so far on the Paris-Beirut route.  A high-ranking source at the […]

by naharnet

The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL)
marked Monday the 39th anniversary of its establishment with a ceremony
at its Headquarters in Naqoura highlighting “the Mission’s commitment to
providing a safe and secure environment for the local population in
southern Lebanon,” a UNIFIL statement said. “Since 2006, UNIFIL successfully facilitated the
development of communities and civil society, while simultaneously
assisting the Government of Lebanon in extending its authority in the
South of the country,” said the UNIFIL Head of Mission and Force
Commander Major-General Michael Beary. “Our work, conducted in conjunction with our valued
strategic partners and colleagues in the Lebanese Armed Forces, has also
created an environment for economic development and investment,
activities that will, in time, facilitate meaningful economic growth for
the growing population of South Lebanon,” he added. In attendance at the ceremony were representatives of
the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) and other security agencies, the
Governor of Nabatieh Mahmoud al-Mawla, local mayors and religious
leaders.

Beary and Brigadier-General Mohamed Janbay, representing
LAF Commander, laid wreaths at the UNIFIL cenotaph paying tributes to
the memory of the 325 U.N. peacekeepers from all around the world who
have “given their lives in the cause of peace in southern Lebanon since
UNIFIL’s establishment in 1978,” the UNIFIL statement said. During the ceremony, UNIFIL’s leadership and the LAF
representative awarded 45 military staff officers with the U.N. Medal
for their contribution to fulfilling the Mission’s mandate. In addressing the ceremony, the UNIFIL Force Commander
highlighted the Mission’s continued presence in south Lebanon as “a
clear demonstration of the U.N.’s commitment and enduring support to
Lebanon and its people.” “I will never tire from expressing my admiration of the
residents of the South. UNIFIL and its 40 different Troop Contributing
Countries have been welcome guests since 1978 throughout our entire area
of operations,” Beary said.