Progressive Socialist Party (PSP) leader, Walid Jumblatt, announced his resignation as party leader, a position he has held since the assassination of his father, Kamal Jumblat, in 1977. This unexpected departure came with Jumblatt’s simultaneous resignation from the PSP’s leadership council, as per reports from the party’s news portal, al-Anbaa. Jumblatt, who at 73 years old, has been a force in Lebanese politics for decades, urged the need for an electoral convention. The convention is scheduled for June 25, in compliance with the party’s constitution and bylaws. READ ALSO: The Time Walid Jumblatt Appeared In Playboy Magazine His instructions to…
Author: Alexis Hachem
In Saida, a predominantly Sunni city on Lebanon’s coastline, an escalating dispute over beachwear has provoked widespread protests. The tension was ignited when Maysa Hanouni was physically attacked for her ‘improper’ swimwear by a group led by a religious figure on a public beach. The incident has deeply divided the country, giving rise to two distinct protests. One group is championing the freedom of dress on beaches, while the other is promoting a ‘conservative’ dress code. Numerous women, rallying against stringent clothing rules, took to the streets with banners proclaiming, “Bikini was invented in 1930”, “Keep your eyes off me…
Central Bank Governor Riad Salameh has decided to skip the scheduled May 16 interrogation session in Paris, opting instead to retire in Sharjah, UAE, according to media reports. Salameh reportedly fears detention or a travel ban if he travels to France. His legal team will argue that he has not been officially notified of the French interrogation request. Lebanese investigative judge Charbel Abou Samra confirmed to al-Akhbar newspaper that Salameh has not been officially informed of the session’s date. “I have not found him anywhere and accordingly he has not been notified in the proper manner,” Abou Samra said. A…
Lebanon’s Caretaker Interior Minister, Bassam Mawlawi, has requested the Ministry of Telecommunications to halt the operation of the Bolt app in the country starting May 8, 2023. This move follows a sharp increase in complaints from public transport unions and a series of protests across various Lebanese regions. Mawlawi’s request aims to ensure compliance with traffic laws and other regulations in force, addressing concerns raised by the unions. In addition to this, he has instructed the General Directorate of Internal Security Forces to strictly pursue and penalize drivers who use forged public license plates or operate public transport vehicles with…
Lebanon’s financial crisis has severely impacted the country’s economy, and depositors are growing increasingly concerned about their funds. Delving deeper into the government’s latest plan, according to LBCI, it is crucial to note two key figures: This $21 billion is distributed as follows: Of the total deposits, 88% represent small depositors (less than $100,000), and the remaining 12% belong to large depositors. The government’s latest plan proposes returning $100,000 to each depositor, ensuring that all funds for small depositors are returned. However, for larger deposits, the process is more complicated. For those with more than $1 million in deposits, they…
On the 40th anniversary of the devastating Iranian-backed Hezbollah bombing of the US Embassy in Beirut, the US State Department announced that it is offering a reward of up to $7 million for information leading to the identification, location, arrest, and/or conviction of Ibrahim Aqil, a high-ranking Hezbollah leader. Aqil, also known as Tahsin, is a key member of Hezbollah’s Jihad Council, the organization’s highest military body. In the 1980s, he was a principal figure in the Islamic Jihad Organization, a Hezbollah terrorist cell that claimed responsibility for the US Embassy bombing in Beirut in April 1983, which killed 63…
This year, Lebanon experienced a unique opportunity as Easter and Eid Al-Fitr coincided, attracting numerous tourists and Lebanese in the diaspora back to the country for the extended holidays. In April, despite security concerns in the south, over 12,000 Lebanese from the diaspora arrived through Beirut-Rafic Hariri International Airport. Tourism sources informed Al Markazia that they expect these numbers to increase further due to Eid al-Fitr at the end of the week. The tourist surge has been a boon for the hotel sector, with occupancy rates in some hotels exceeding 90%. Meanwhile, the restaurant industry anticipates being fully booked throughout…
In a recent case of espionage involving Hezbollah members, the Lebanese Information Branch has documented the confession of Amir Zaghieb, who served as an official in the Nabatieh area and was part of the electronic surveillance unit, according to Hezbollah-affiliated Al Akhbar newspaper. Janoubia noted that Zaghieb had close ties with Jawad Hassan Nasrallah, the son of Hezbollah’s leader Hassan Nasrallah. In 2016, Zaghieb (born 1997) received a nursing degree from the Rasul Al-Akram Institute and worked at Al-Zahraa University Hospital until 2021. Later, he joined a company selling cosmetic products and barber supplies in the southern suburbs of Beirut…
Former Lebanese minister and Al Mawarid Bank chairman, Marwan Kheireddine, faces charges in France, resulting in a travel ban but no detention. He’s accused of covering up money laundering crimes involving the Salameh brothers and Marianne Hoayek. Al-Akhbar newspaper reported that Raja Salameh’s accounts at Al-Mawarid Bank, which grew from $15 million in 1993 to $150 million in 2019, are central to the questioning. Stranded in Paris, Kheireddine may have no choice but to cooperate with French judiciary, according to the daily. Al-Akhbar’s informed French sources indicated that if Kheireddine offers “names and details” about the suspects, judicial measures against…
Political sources have stated that the Lebanese presidential file is not a priority in the ongoing Saudi-Iranian negotiations. Additionally, the five-nation group focused on Lebanon, which includes the US, France, KSA, Egypt, and Qatar, also does not prioritize this matter. Despite Qatar’s efforts in this area, the sources revealed to the PSP’s al-Anbaa news portal that the situation remains unchanged. As a result, the sources confirmed that the Lebanese presidential file’s discussion will be delayed until after the Arab Summit, scheduled for May 19.
