Spotlight
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange interviewed Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah on Tuesday in the debut of his "The World Tomorrow" talk show on Russia's state-funded RT cable broadcaster.
Assange remains under house arrest and was speaking from his study in London to Nasrallah at his Lebanese office via a computer video link.
Full StoryPresident Michel Suleiman noted on Tuesday the social diversity in Lebanon and Australia, adding that the challenges faced in the world require solutions that “go beyond national limits.”
He said: “Diversity cannot survive without dialogue, moderation, and partnership.”
Full StoryU.N. Special Coordinator for Lebanon Derek Plumbly visited on Tuesday the northern area of Akkar where he met displaced Syrian families and held meetings with Lebanese army representatives.
In a statement he delivered during his visit, Plumbly said the impact of the Syrian crisis is probably most acute in northern Lebanon because of the proximity to the Syrian border and because of the displacement of Syrians.
Full StoryLebanese wine industry is going through a rebirth. Whereas there were only 5 wineries in the early 90s, there are over forty operating today. In order to make sense of this exciting and diverse landscape, Le Commerce du Levant has decided to partner up with Tamyras to publish the first bilingual (English/French) guide to Lebanese wine.
The Zawaq Guide presents every single Lebanese winery, region by region. For each region, the guide lays out the main tourist attractions, as well as tips on accommodation and restaurants in the area, so that the reader can blend the pleasures of wine with an appreciation of Lebanon’s rich cultural heritage. The Zawaq Guide tells the story of forty wineries, from the big brands to the smallest “garage wines’, detailing the characteristics of their terroir. The guide also looks at the wineries in the making and those around the world that are run by members of the Lebanese Diaspora.
Full StoryMarch 14 opposition lawmakers launched a strong attack on Premier Najib Miqati’s government on Tuesday, describing it as an “expired” cabinet that took the country to the era of tutelage.
Deputy speaker Farid Makari was the first to address the parliament at the start of a three-day parliamentary session aimed at assessing the performance of the executive authority.
Full StoryTwo members of the same family were killed and another man was injured in the eastern city of Baalbek at dawn Tuesday when a former convict opened fire on them over an old dispute.
Voice of Lebanon radio station (93.3) said that Mohammed Shuqair, who was released from prison 48 hours ago, shot at Internal Security Forces Sergeant Mohammed Aqid Solh and Mohammed Baqbouq Solh from his Nissan Sunny, killing them instantly.
Full StoryA vote of confidence against Premier Najib Miqati’s government is “out of the question,” Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat said Tuesday.
“We don’t have anything to do with it,” Jumblat, who is a centrist, told As Safir daily about threats by several March 14 opposition lawmakers that they would seek a vote of confidence against the government and mainly Energy Minister Jebran Bassil and Telecommunications Minister Nicolas Sehnaoui.
Full StoryPremier Najib Miqati told parliament on Tuesday that the government made several achievements and promised to implement other plans despite the disputes among its members.
Miqati stressed at the start of the three-day parliamentary session that he exerted strong efforts to preserve stability by visiting the South and funding the Special Tribunal for Lebanon.
Full StorySpeaker Nabih Berri has launched an initiative for the adoption of a draft-law on the parliamentary elections that would consider Lebanon a single electoral district to appease both ex-PM Saad Hariri and Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat who have rejected proportionality.
Berri’s initiative lies in carrying out the polls in 2013 on the basis of a single electoral district through a proportional representation to form a parliament that would preserve the rights of sects and shares while limiting the high-level of sectarianism, As Safir daily reported Tuesday.
Full StoryA group calling itself ‘Raise Your Voice’ hacked on Tuesday around 15 Lebanese government websites to ask for an improvement in living standards, the day the parliament launches a three-day session to assess the cabinet’s performance.
“We are RYV, short for Raise Your Voice, and we are simply a group of people who could not bear sitting in silence, watching all the crimes and injustice going on in Lebanon,” the group said.
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