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In 2015, French President François Hollande made a significant phone call to Sleiman Frangieh, a prominent Lebanese political figure and leader of the Marada Movement, to discuss his potential candidacy for the Lebanese presidency. This conversation marked an important development in efforts to resolve Lebanon’s prolonged presidential vacancy, which had persisted for 18 months. During their 15-minute conversation, Hollande and …

In 2015, Lebanese political dynamics were particularly tense as the country grappled with a prolonged presidential vacuum. Amidst these complexities, Kataeb Party leader Samy Gemayel made headlines with his stance on Sleiman Frangieh’s candidacy for the presidency. Gemayel emphasized that his party would not endorse Frangieh unless he demonstrated a willingness to meet halfway, indicating a need for significant political …

In 2015, Lebanon’s Central Bank Governor Riad Salameh emphasized the critical importance of holding a legislative session to address pressing financial and economic issues facing the country. Salameh highlighted that without legislative action, Lebanon risked further economic instability and a deterioration of public confidence in the financial system. Salameh stressed the urgency of passing several key financial laws. These included …

On September 11, 2015, rebel rocket fire on the Syrian capital, Damascus, resulted in the deaths of 11 people, with at least 20 others injured. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that the attack targeted the Duwaylaa neighborhood on the southeastern outskirts of the city, primarily affecting civilians. State news agency SANA confirmed four deaths and 25 injuries from …

BEIRUT — Tensions escalated in Beirut as riot police charged a protest organized by the ‘YouReek’ movement, resulting in one person being injured. The demonstration, which took place in Martyrs’ Square, was part of the ongoing protests against the Lebanese government’s handling of the garbage crisis. The ‘YouReek’ movement, known for its vocal stance against corruption and environmental mismanagement, gathered …

In 2015, Lebanon’s health minister stressed the urgent need for drastic measures to resolve the country’s severe waste management crisis. The crisis began when the Naameh landfill, which had been accepting waste for 18 years far beyond its intended capacity, was closed without a viable alternative in place. This led to garbage piling up on the streets of Beirut and …

Iran is spending billions of dollars a year to prop up the Syrian dictator Bashar Assad, according to the U.N.’s envoy to Syria and other outside experts. These estimates are far higher than what the Barack Obama administration, busy negotiating a nuclear deal with the Tehran government, has implied Iran spends on its policy to destabilize the Middle East. On Monday, a spokeswoman for the U.N. special envoy …

BEIRUT: With most of its natural and mineral resources having fallen under rebel control, Syrian state revenues have shrunk, leaving the government dependent on unstable sources of income for its survival. Four years of conflict have decimated the state coffers. Now the government’s only revenues are drawn from dwindling customs and income taxes, heavily bolstered by lines of credit from …