BEIRUT: Syria’s presence in Lebanon and the debate it inspired laid the groundwork for former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri’s assassination, a Lebanese MP testified before the Special Tribunal for Lebanon Monday. “These are the roots of the conflict which, in my opinion, ended with the assassination of Prime Minister Hariri,” Marwan Hamade, the MP […]

  The relatives of abducted soldiers and policemen briefly blocked on Monday several roads in the capital Beirut to demand the judiciary to lift sanctions against several Islamist inmates after jihadists threatened to start killing the captives. The families blocked Beirut’s Saifi road and near the port by setting tires on fire. The relatives had […]

  BEIRUT: For the third consecutive year, the Boghossian Foundation, an organization established to support international educational, urban, artistic and cultural projects, has awarded three prizes to young Lebanese artists and designers. In a ceremony held at Beirut Exhibition Center Saturday, organizers announced that this year’s prize winners were visual artist Chafa Ghaddar, fashion designer […]

When many Americans think of Germany, images of WWII soldiers and Hitler often come to mind. But what many people don’t realize is that Germany is the industrial powerhouse of Europe, and is a leading manufacturer of goods for export to developing Asian nations. We don’t hear about the superiority of German engineering in Volkswagen commercials for nothing!

The economic engine of the EU, Germany single-handedly saved the Eurozone from collapse in 2012. At the same time, German workers enjoy unparalleled worker protections and shorter working hours than most of their global counterparts. How can a country that works an average of 35 hours per week (with an average 24 paid vacation days to boot) maintain such a high level of productivity?
 

Working Hours Mean Working Hours

In German business culture, when an employee is at work, they should not be doing anything other than their work. Facebook, office gossip with co-workers, trolling Reddit for hours, and pulling up a fake spreadsheet when your boss walks by are socially unacceptable behaviors. Obviously, in the United States these behaviors are frowned up on by management. But in Germany, there is zero tolerance among peers for such frivolous activities.

  United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon Head of Mission and Force Commander Major-General Luciano Portolano briefed on Friday Speaker Nabih Berri and Prime Minister Tammam Salam on UNIFIL’s joint efforts with the Lebanese army to maintain calm and stability in the South and along the Blue Line. Portlando discussed with the two officials in […]

  BEIRUT: General Security banned an Iranian film that focuses on the 2009 “Green Movement” from theaters in Lebanon, the director of the Cultural Resistance International Film Festival of Lebanon told The Daily Star Saturday. “Authorities banned it, yes … because they considered it an offense to a country,” Jocelyne Saab said, adding that she […]

  International powers are seeking to pressure local authorities to stage the presidential elections, highlighting the dangers of vacuum given the developments in the region, reported the daily An Nahar on Saturday. This was emphasized by the visits of ambassadors of countries of permanent membership at the United Nations Security Council to Maronite Patriarch Beshara […]

  BEIRUT: The majority of the Arab public opposes ISIS and supports the U.S.-led coalition airstrikes against the group’s elements in Syria and Iraq, according to a survey. However, most Arabs still believe that Washington and its closest ally, Israel, remain the greatest threat to the region. The Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies […]

Though President Barack Obama’s administration has touted the consistency of its military approach to the Islamic State, its public statements have continually evolved.

Notably, Obama has repeatedly and passionately insisted no US troops will be actively involved in ground operations — though they will have weapons and be prepared to shoot back if needed.

However, there have been some indications that US troops are already fighting the Islamic State (also known as ISIS or ISIL) on the ground. Additionally, in recent days and weeks, the US’ top military commander opened the door to using ground troops in order to retake Mosul, Iraq’s second largest city, from the jihadist forces.

"I’m not predicting at this point that I would recommend that those forces in Mosul and along the border would need to be accompanied by US forces, but we’re certainly considering it," Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Martin Dempsey said on Thursday.

In order to keep track of this evolution, Business Insider created a timeline of the US’ role in the fight against the Islamic State.

  BEIRUT: The Lebanese Army was the first military to defeat ISIS, Czech Foreign Minister said Wednesday, adding that his country may send weapons to support Lebanon in its battle against jihadists. “I salute Lebanon and its army for what it has shown in its capacity to confront the dangerous attack by the ISIS group,” […]