The Daily Star Lebanon Breaking News, Lebanon News, Middle East News & World News

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 …

BAGHDAD: Iraq’s national museum officially reopened Saturday after 12 years of painstaking efforts during which close to a third of 15,000 pieces looted during the U.S.-led invasion were recovered. The reopening was brought forward in what officials said was a response to the destruction of priceless artifacts by ISIS in the northern city of Mosul. “We have been preparing to reopen for …

BEIRUT: A selfie showing Miss Lebanon Saly Greige posing next to Miss Israel Doron Matalon, a wide smile on their faces, caused uproar in Lebanon as the hashtag “Two words for Miss Lebanon” trended over the weekend. Greige defended herself against accusations that she posed for a selfie with Miss Israel during the Miss Universe contest currently being held in Miami, saying Matalon photobombed the picture. …

BEIRUT: Hezbollah’s deputy chief implied Sunday that news of the arrest of a senior party official over espionage for Israel was true. “There is no party in the world as big and sophisticated as Hezbollah that was able to stand with the same steadfastness despite some major infiltrations,” Naim Qassem told Hezbollah’s An-Nour radio station. “Hezbollah has worked intensely on battling espionage among its ranks and …

BEIRUT: Lebanon’s General Security approved unprecedented entry restrictions for Syrian nationals who will no longer be able to enter Lebanon without a visa, in a move aimed at curbing the entry of refugees fleeing almost four years of conflict. A statement released by General Security on New Year’s Eve said that under the new regulations, which will take effect on Jan. 5, …

BEIRUT: The Agriculture Ministry Wednesday morning set the wheels in motion for a reforestation project to plant 40 million trees, sponsored by Prime Minister Tammam Salam. The U.N.’ Food and Agriculture Organization representative in Lebanon, Maurice Saade, announced during a news conference at the Grand Serail that the FAO would offer the Agriculture Ministry technical help and funding to the tune of almost $300,000 …