Page 19 - Lebanon

Kuwait bans Barbie movie, under fire in Lebanon for promoting homosexuality

Interestingly, 'Barbie' and director Greta made history the past weekend, flying past over $1 bn in worldwide box office gross, becoming the first movie directed solely by a woman to do so

Food inflation still high worldwide; Venezuela, Lebanon worst hit

In real terms, food price inflation exceeded overall inflation in 79.8% from 163 countries where data are available, the World Bank said in its latest food security update

Israel attacks Syria; Syrian air defence missile explodes over north Israel

Israel carried out airstrikes on areas near the central Syrian city of Homs early Sunday causing material damage but no casualties, the Syrian military said in a statement. Syrian state media quoted an unnamed military official as saying the air defences shot down some of the missiles fired by Israeli warplanes flying over neighbouring Lebanon. Israeli authorities did not comment on the airstrike on Homs but said one of the Syrian air defence missiles exploded over northern Israel without causing any damage. Israeli army spokesman Avichay Adraee later said that Israel's military retaliated for the firing of the air defense missile that exploded over the country's north by attacking Syrian air defence batteries from where the missile was fired. The warplanes also attacked other targets in the area, Adraee tweeted without elaborating. Israel, which has vowed to stop Iranian entrenchment next door, has carried out hundreds of strikes on targets in government-controlled parts of ...

SAFF Championship: Lebanon crush Bhutan, move closer to the semi-finals

Lebanon moved closer to the semifinals of the SAFF Championship with a commanding 4-1 victory over Bhutan at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium here on Saturday. Lebanon came to the match as the favourites and they underscored that status with chilling authority, slamming in four goals in the first half itself. With six points and a match to go against Maldives on June 28, Lebanon are on top of Group B and that much nearer to a last-four berth. Bangladesh and Maldives have three points apiece and they are also in the race to enter the semifinals. With two defeats from as many matches Bhutan are out of contention. On a night when the skies opened up with vengeance, Lebanon went ahead as early as in the 11th minute through Mohamad Sadek. Ali Al Haj swelled the scoreline to 2-0 in the 23rd minute, beating a diving Bhutan goalkeeper T Dendup with a sweet first-touch shot from inside the box. Lebanon seemed to have perfectly understood the group equations as they pressed on for more goals and

Chhetri, Chhangte help India beat Lebanon 2-0 to win Intercontinental Cup

India sealed the Intercontinental Cup 2023 after overpowering Lebanon 2-0 in the final at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar on Sunday

Israeli troops fire tear gas to disperse protesters along Lebanon border

Israeli soldiers fired tear gas to disperse scores of protesters who pelted the troops with stones along the border with Lebanon Friday, leaving some Lebanese demonstrators and troops suffering breathing problems. The tension on the edge of the Lebanese border village of Kfar Chouba began earlier this week over the Israeli military digging in the area that Lebanon claims. On Wednesday, a Lebanese villager tried to stop an Israeli bulldozer from digging a trench along the border. Once the villager's legs were covered with sand as the bulldozer moved ahead, U.N. peacekeepers jumped in and convinced the driver to move back. Videos of the elderly man with his legs stuck in the sand dune went viral on social media. Israel ended an 18-year occupation of southern Lebanon when its troops withdrew from the area in May 2000. Friday's protest took place on the edge of Kfar Chouba hills, which Beirut says is Lebanese land occupied by Israel. Kfar Chouba hills and the nearby Chebaa Farms, ar

World Bank approves $300 million financing to help the poor in Lebanon

The World Bank approved a USD 300 million additional financing to Lebanon's poor, providing cash payments to help families struggling through the country's historic economic meltdown, institution said in a statement Friday. The new financing comes two years after the World Bank approved a USD 246 million loan to Lebanon to provide emergency cash assistance to hundreds of thousands in the tiny Mediterranean nation of 6 million people. Lebanon is in the throes of the worst economic and financial crisis in its modern history. The meltdown, rooted in decades of corruption and mismanagement by Lebanon's ruling class, began in October 2019 and has left more than three quarters of Lebanon's population in poverty. The additional financing will enable the Government of Lebanon to continue to respond to the growing needs of poor and vulnerable households suffering under the severe economic and financial crisis, said Jean-Christophe Carret, World Bank Middle East Country Director. The World B

Lebanon's booming dollar cash economy hinders economic recovery: World Bank

Crisis-hit Lebanon's economic recovery is hampered by a growing dollarised cash economy, which is predicted to be $9.9 billion in 2022, or almost half size of country's economy, the World Bank said

34 rockets fired into Israel from Lebanon, most sustained attack since 2006

At least 34 rockets were fired into northern Israel from Lebanon, of which 25 were successfully intercepted, according to the latest information from the Israeli army

Without reforms, the country could see hyperinflation: IMF warns Lebanon

The International Monetary Fund gave a grim assessment on Thursday of Lebanon's prospects for getting out of its deepening financial crisis, saying that without reforms, the country is headed for hyperinflation. Since late 2019, tiny Lebanon has fallen into the worst economic crisis in its modern history, rooted in decades of corruption and mismanagement by a political class that has ruled the country since the end of the 1975-90 civil war. Three-quarters of Lebanon's population of over 6 million, including a million Syrian refugees, now lives in poverty and inflation is soaring. Ernesto Ramirez Rigo, the head of the IMF mission visiting Lebanon, said at a news conference on Thursday that continued inaction by Lebanese leaders would leave the nation in a never-ending crisis in which it could spiral into hyperinflation, affecting the quality of life of many Lebanese for years to come. The IMF visit came as progress towards finalizing a sorely needed IMF bailout package for the ...

UN peacekeeping forces report no Blue Line crossing amid Israeli claim

The Blue Line is a 120-kilometre line drawn by the United Nations between Lebanon and Israel in 2000 to verify the withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon

World Bank pledges $500mn to support Lebanon's agri, vulnerable population

The World Bank announced that it will allocate about $300 million this year to provide social protection to Lebanon's vulnerable population and invest $200 million in the country's agriculture sector.

World Bank grants $8.86 mn to improve Lebanon's solid waste management

The aid will be financed by the Global Environment Facility, a multilateral funder of green endeavours in developing countries which comprises UN affiliates and national entities

Lebanese PM calls on UN to help secure safe return of Syrian refugees

Lebanon's caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati said the UN should help authorities in his country to secure a safe return for Syrian refugees to their homeland

European Union assists Lebanon's armed forces with 6 million euros

The statement added that the assistance measure will finance healthcare equipment to support military medical services and personal gear

US announces to give Lebanon $80.5 million in aid amid economic crisis

The United States announced Wednesday that it will give $80.5 million in aid for food assistance and solar-powered water pumping stations in the crisis-battered country of Lebanon. The announcement was made by USAID chief Samantha Power during a visit to Lebanon ahead of a trip to Egypt for the COP27 U.N. climate conference. During the visit, Power is set to meet with Lebanese political leaders to push for a resolution to the country's political vacuum and for leaders to carry out a slate of political and economic reforms required by the International Monetary Fund to clinch a $3 billion aid package. The visit comes as Lebanon is in the grip of its worst economic and financial crisis in its modern history. On Oct. 31, the six-year term of President Michel Aoun ended with no replacement elected. Power declined to say, however, whether any U.S. assistance would be contingent on Lebanon taking these measures. We are not focused on what happens if those reforms don't happen. The refor

Landmark maritime Lebanon-Israel pact could have important ramifications

Under the agreement, Lebanon is awarded 840 square kilometres of the previously disputed area

Lebanon and Israel sign US-mediated sea border deal, deliver them to UN

Lebanon and Israel signed copies of a US-mediated sea border deal on Thursday and delivered them to the UN in the coastal border town of Naqoura. The agreement to demarcate the maritime border comes after months of indirect talks mediated by Amos Hochstein, the US envoy for energy affairs, and would mark a major breakthrough in relations between the two nations, which have formally been at war since Israel's creation in 1948. Lebanon and Israel both claim around 860 square kilometers (330 square miles) of the Mediterranean Sea that are home to offshore gas fields. Lebanon hopes that demarcating maritime borders will pave the way for gas exploration to help lift it out of its crippling economic crisis, which has plunged three-quarters of its population into poverty. Israel hopes that the deal will reduce the risk of war with Lebanon's Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah. Lebanon and Israel sent delegations to the United Nations Interim Force In Lebanon, who received separately sign

Zara owner Inditex to transfer Russian business to Lebanese retail

Zara owner Inditex has reached an agreement to sell its Russian business to a Lebanese retail and real estate conglomerate, the Spanish fashion giant said on Tuesday in a statement to the country's competition authorities. The buyer is Daher Group and the potential purchase is pending approval from Russian authorities, Inditex said, without disclosing financial details. Inditex halted its business in Russia on March 5, shortly after Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the invasion of Ukraine at the end of February. Following other western brands, the fashion retailer closed its 502 shops and stopped online sales. Tuesday's announcement marks the end of Inditex's business in Russia, although the retailer said it would consider returning through a franchise collaboration with Daher if market circumstances changed. The statement to CNMC, the commission that oversees competition in Spain, made no direct reference to the war in Ukraine. The sale agreement includes the transfer of

Lebanese parliament fails to elect new President twice over lack of quorum

The Lebanese parliament has failed for the second time in a month to elect a new head of state as President Michel Aoun's term is about to end in about two weeks