In his first public appearance since his appointment as economy minister, Alain Hakim Wednesday urged the Lebanese to increase consumption to help revive the struggling economy. “I call upon the Lebanese people not to give in to security threats prevailing in Lebanon and to join their efforts in activating internal tourism and increasing their consumption […]

  Sources close to Baabda Palace say that President Michel Sleiman is in a hurry to draft Cabinet’s policy statement and have the government gain a vote of confidence from Parliament before March 5, the date set for the International Support Group for Lebanon’s conference in Paris that Sleiman will be attending. The sources pointed […]

  Coalition chairman Yariv Levin’s proposal to legally differentiate between Christian and Muslim Arabs passed its second and third readings in the Knesset Labor, Health, and Welfare Committee on Wednesday. Levin’s proposals would identify Christians as a minority group separate from Arabs, most of whom are Muslim, and give them their own, unique representation on the […]

    Population Movements to Keserwan   During the Ottoman rule, and specifically during the reign of Prince Assaf el Turkmani in Keserwan, a lot of Lebanese  migrated towards Jounieh. The Shiites came from Baalebck as well as the Bekaa Sunnites, Druzes from Mount Lebanon and Christians from Tripoli province. Prince Mansour Al Assafi succeeded to […]

  President Michel Suleiman urged on Monday the Lebanese to be aware amid the critical stage the country is passing through.   The president also called for solidarity among the Lebanese in order to confront the terrorist plots targeting innocent people and that aim at destabilizing the country.   Suleiman stressed during a separate meeting […]

  BEIRUT – The Maronite League redeemed a huge tract land in the town of Hadath near Baabda after lengthy negotiations with the main buyers from the Shiite sect.   The land, around 80,000 m² in size, was redeemed in exchange for at least $40 million, a well-informed source told NOW.   Its location is […]

  Despite the recent storms of criticism facing the International Criminal Court, particularly from the African Union, there are many good reasons for states to join the Rome Statute, the founding treaty of the ICC. Lebanon is not a member of the ICC, but it should seriously consider becoming one.   The ICC was created […]

  HERMEL/BEIRUT: A suicide car bombing targeting an Army post in the northeastern town of Hermel killed three people including two soldiers and wounded 17 others Saturday, a security source told The Daily Star.    The Lebanon branch of the Nusra Front, a radical Syrian rebel force, claimed responsibility for the suicide bombing, saying it […]

Ukraine President Viktor Yanukovych fled from Kiev on Saturday as the protest movement against his government continued to gain ground. His departure follows a deal signed yesterday with opposition leaders that dilutes his power, establishes a transitional government, and moves toward early elections, according to The Washington Post.

It also left his presidential residence just 12 miles from the city unoccupied, but not for very long.

Hundreds of protesters and journalists entered his incredible compound to find that Yanukovych was living in the lap of luxury. Besides his huge mansion, the president had his own private zoo, golf course, helipad, and even a massive boat.

  Former Prime Minister Saad Hariri held talks Friday with Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi in the Italian capital Rome, in a meeting that focused on the issue of the upcoming presidential election.   "We will seek to hold the presidential election on time," Hariri said after the meeting.   "The March 14 forces will nominate […]