http://www.iloubnan.info/en/rss Iloubnan Articles en_En Thu, 20 Nov 2008 19:05:34 EET Thu, 20 Nov 2008 19:05:34 EET http://www.iloubnan.info lara@ebizproduction.com lara@ebizproduction.com http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/29737 A month after Syria and Lebanon set up diplomatic relations, the two neighbours appear far from a full normalisation as proven by mutual accusations over a radical Islamist group. Visits to Damascus by high-ranking Lebanese officials, including President Michel Sleiman and Interior Minister Ziad Baroud, the setting up of a joint security commission and the decision to open embassies in each capital had been touted as signs of political rapprochement. But a bitter war of words has erupted following the broadcast earlier this month on Syrian television of purported confessions by members of Fatah al-Islam claiming responsibility for a bomb attack in Damascus that left 17 dead in September. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/29664 As the French Haute Cuisine Week (sponsored by Gabriel Bocti sal), ended in late October, Vintage Wine Cellar boutique invited five oenologist as well as owners of the most reputed Chateaux of France, to present their finest wine ranges in Beirut. Together, they organized several vine tasting sessions in Vintage Wine Cella’s premises in Saifi as well as many dinners in renowned restaurants like La Table d'Alfred and the Buddha Bar in Beirut. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/29577 It seems that the whole world hailed Barack Obama’s victory last week. iloubnan.info hit the streets to see what people here in Lebanon think of the new US President. There’s one thing everyone agrees upon: “he can’t possibly be worst than his predecessor”. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/29544 Used effectively, the Internet offers a great platform for any communication campaign. Here in Lebanon, it remains a relatively un-tapped tool for social activism. Social Media Exchange is helping nonprofit organizations, young entrepreneurs and other actors of civil society increase their impact by using alternative media more efficiently. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/29474 The election of Barack Obama as US president may offer breathing space for Islamist groups in the Middle East from the guns blazing attitude of his predecessor but no radical changes are expected, analysts say. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/29427 http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/29402 Lebanon's rival political leaders gather on Wednesday for a second round of talks to resolve lingering disputes but analysts and participants say a deal is a long way off given deep-seated differences. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/29326 Halloween is an international holiday celebrated on the evening of October 31; today is is often celebrated in the morning and afternoon as well. Halloween activities include trick-or-treating, ghost tours, bonfires, costume parties, visiting haunted attractions, carving jack-o'-lanterns, reading scary stories, and watching horror movies. Irish and Scottish immigrants carried versions of the tradition to North America in the nineteenth century. Surprisingly in Lebanon they will be celebrating it quite differently and creatively this year here is the list to the freakiest frightening Halloween parties in Beirut for the upcoming weekend: http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/29260 Sixty years after her death in a mysterious car crash, a television series about Arab singing diva and spy Asmahan is captivating audiences with details of her short but racy life. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/29137 The number of internet users in the Middle-East increased by 1176% from 2000 to 2008, amounting to 42 millions, according to Internet World Stats agency study. This phenomenal increase is the highest in the world. The Lebanese Eastline Marketing firm seeks to invest this internet “boom” in the Middle East through optimizing the visibility of some sites on the web. This is called “online marketing”. It is smoothly making its way in Lebanon. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/29237 Iraq said on Monday a deadly raid on Syria was targeting an area used by insurgents plotting attacks on its soil, as Damascus protested about what it branded a cold-blooded war crime by US forces. "Iraq is in contact with the American side about reports regarding the attack along the frontier with Syria. This region is a theatre of insurgent activities against Iraq using Syria as a launch pad," government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh said in a statement. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/29185 Three months after his release from an Israeli jail in a prisoner swap, Lebanese militant Samir Kantar says he is more than ever committed to working to wipe the Jewish state off the map. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/29158 http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/29069 We now want to revive and reposition the French restaurant Méditerranée” says Alain Chatel, the new General Manager of the Mövenpick Hotel & Resort appointed a month ago. “This restaurant has been open for 6 years and has experienced many ups and down due to instability in Lebanon: open, then closed, then open again…I want to re-launch it and make it the most beautiful buffet in Beirut”. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/29034 « We set our limits by ourselves. However, we are strong enough to shrug up the threshold more and more and achieve our objectives. The main idea is to search out enough strength inside of us and know how to develop it. Sometimes, I guess that faith can really move mountains”. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/28989 The opening of diplomatic ties between Syria and Lebanon on Wednesday needs to be followed up by concrete steps proving Damascus recognises the independence of its smaller neighbour, analysts say. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/28985 Syria and Lebanon formally established diplomatic ties on Wednesday for the first time since independence 60 years ago, turning a new page in relations between Beirut and its powerful neighbour. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/28954 Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has issued a decree for the opening of full diplomatic ties with Lebanon for the first time since independence 60 years ago, the official SANA news agency said on Tuesday. The decree calls for "the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Syrian Arab Republic and the Lebanese republic and the creation of a diplomatic mission at ambassador level in the Lebanese capital Beirut," it said. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/28877 Iranian filmmaker Babak Payami was this year’s president of the jury at the Beirut International Film Festival. iloubnan.info met with the award winning director, writer and producer who shared his thought concerning film production in the Middle East and the difficulties of making movies in the region. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/28830 A battle over hommus and tabbouleh is shaping up between Lebanon and Israel -- two neighbours still technically at war -- with efforts underway to clearly identify such dishes as exclusively Lebanese. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/28809 The play Sharon and My Mother-in-Law will premiere on October 15 at Beirut’s Monnot Theatre. The play is based on the eponym book by Palestinian writer Suad Amiry; the original English edition has been translated into 17 languages and was adapted for the stage by Afaf Shawwa Bibi, who also plays the leading role. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/28751 A Syrian troop buildup on the Lebanon border and comments by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad about extremist threats have stoked fears that Damascus may be planning to reassert control over its tiny neighbour. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/28692 Four Lebanese soldiers were killed on Monday in a car bomb blast targeting a military bus on the outskirts of the restive northern Lebanese port city of Tripoli, security and military officials said. The attack risks further undermining stability in the troubled country and efforts to reconcile rival political factions. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/28628 US President George W. Bush welcomed Lebanese President Michel Sleiman for talks Thursday to underline "US support for democratic rule in Beirut free from any undue Syrian influence". Lebanese-Americans "want Lebanon to be free and sovereign and independent, and so do I, and so do you," Bush told his guest during a brief joint public appearance as they met in the Oval Office for the first time. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/28425 Lebanon's rival political leaders gather on Tuesday for talks focused on the potentially explosive issue of the Shiite militant group Hezbollah's weapons amid heightened security concerns. The talks, headed by President Michel Sleiman, will see 14 political figures from the country's pro- and anti-Syrian camps try to mend fences but there is little hope for success because of deep divisions. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/28399 Lebanon's rival political leaders meet on Tuesday for talks set to focus on the divisive issue of Hezbollah's weapons as Lebanon grapples with new security concerns after another deadly bombing. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/28383 Edward Maalouf recently won two bronze medals in Handbiking during the 13th paralympic games which began on September 8 in Beijing (and which are still on till September 17). This paralympic athlete is the only representative of the Cedar Land in Beijing. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/28355 A reconciliation agreement was signed Monday in Tripoli between the Alawites (a Shiite sect) and the Sunnis. What is its aim? Reestablishing the control of the State over the capital of North Lebanon and putting an end to the confrontations which have lead to the death of 23 people since four months. The director of the Lebanese Center of Political studies, Oussama Safa, explains this agreement that calls for the withdrawal of the armed men from the streets and the deployment of security forces in Tripoli. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/28327 The killing of a Lebanese politician in the first such attack against a pro-Syrian figure jeopardises national reconciliation efforts already undermined by deep rifts between rival factions. Saleh Aridi, a senior member of the Lebanese Democratic Party, was assassinated in a car bombing late on Wednesday in his hometown of Baysur, southeast of Beirut. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/28299 Lebanon's political leaders will begin a national dialogue on September 16 in a bid to resolve their political differences, President Michel Sleiman announced on Tuesday. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/28252 http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/28195 French President Nicolas Sarkozy winds up a two-day visit to Syria Thursday with a four-way summit including Turkey and Qatar aimed at boosting the roles of France and the European Union in Middle East diplomacy. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/28191 The Lebanese young painter Teymour Toutounji who recently exposed his work in Graffiti Hamra, visits Lebanon for a short while and speaks of his art and his enamored passion for blending colors. Born from a Lebanese family and raised in Egypt, Toutounji pursued his studies in the United Kingdom and is currently working as a banker in Canada. A unique talent and aspiration for mixing colors, celebrating the true vivid flush of life with a wide smile and a rich spirit. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/28139 French President Nicolas Sarkozy arrives Wednesday in Damascus on a high-profile visit aimed at restoring top-level ties and drawing Syria further out of international isolation. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/28141 Prime Minister Fouad Siniora presented a six-point plan on "Tripoli Day", an official measure to end the violence that has raged in the northern city for over a year. The schedule focuses on humanitarian relief, aid to area residence, the need to rebuild destroyed infrastructures or procure job opportunities in collaboration with the private sectors. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/28083 Thirty years after Lebanese Shiite leader Mussa Sadr vanished without trace in Libya, the imam lives on for his followers but the circumstances of his disappearance are as mysterious as ever. Lebanon this week issued an arrest warrant for Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi over the disappearance of the imam on August 31, 1978 while he was in Tripoli with two companions, who vanished with him. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/28060 http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/28045 His movie was one of the ten selected short films at the Lebanese Film festival. Gilbert Abou Zeid, only 23 years old, triggered all senses through “Présence feminine” (Feminin Presence), indeed a stirring film that tributes motherhood. The young director refuses to be taken by the Lebanese trend which only deals with social matters. He prefers to tackle issues of everyday life, and the dark side of it which people rarely expose. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/28004 Artists from around the Middle East gathered on Sunday 24th of August at the Voile Beach Rmeileh in an artful celebration. 50 years after the creation of the Peace Sign (the famous sign representing peace, designed by Gerard Holtom during the hippy period), this event was organized by ArabAd for the Peace Poster Design contest and hosted by Mix Fm's Nemer Nassar. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/27975 Human Rights Watch calls on the official steering committee tasked with improving the situation of migrant domestic workers in Lebanon to investigate the root causes of several deaths of domestic workers, and develop a concrete national strategy to reduce them. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/27964 France's Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner on Monday offered help to Syria and Lebanon on thorny issues linked to their resolve to normalise ties for the first time since the French mandate ended 60 years ago. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/27901 The “Memorandum of understanding” signed by Hezbollah and dozens of Salafists from North-Lebanon have not lived for long. A few hours after its signing, it was suspended by the Salafists who expressed “their refusal to divide the Sunni community” with such an agreement. Since this turnaround, the interrogations increased about the real reasons that pushed the Salafists to turn back. While some people evoke the fear from a Sunni-Shiite connection, Press talks about intense pressures made by Saudi Arabia. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/27866 Israel has warned the Lebanese government against giving greater legitimacy to the Shiite militant group Hezbollah, saying it would make the entire country a target in any future war. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/27775 Syria and Lebanon agreed on Thursday to take formal steps to demarcate their borders as part of a string of decisions to normalise their relations for the first time after decades of tension. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/27766 The bomb attack that killed nine soldiers in Lebanon was a message to the army and aimed at undermining a landmark visit by President Michel Sleiman to former powerbroker Syria, analysts said. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/27734 Syria and Lebanon agreed on Wednesday to start diplomatic ties for the first time since independence about 60 years ago, during a landmark visit to Damascus by Lebanese President Michel Sleiman. Sleiman and his Syrian counterpart Bashar al-Assad decided that relations should be at ambassadorial level, presidential counsellor for politics Bussaina Shaaban said in a statement at the end of a meeting between the two leaders. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/27715 A bomb blast targeting the Lebanese army killed nine soldiers and five civilians in the northern city of Tripoli on Wednesday hours before a landmark visit by President Michel Sleiman to Syria. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/27684 Lebanese President Michel Sleiman begins on Wednesday a two-day groundbreaking visit to Syria, as the two neighbours seek to establish diplomatic ties. Here are the key events in relations between the two countries since the 1970s. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/27680 Lebanese President Michel Sleiman made a landmark visit to Damascus on Wednesday for talks with Syrian counterpart Bashar al-Assad aimed at establishing diplomatic relations for the first time. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/27675 Lebanon's new national unity government won a vote of confidence in parliament on Tuesday following a stormy debate among lawmakers on the thorny issue of Hezbollah weapons. The vote will allow the 30-member cabinet -- which was formed by Prime Minister Fuad Siniora a month ago under a May power-sharing accord that ended a protracted political crisis -- to finally start work. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/27668 Lebanon's parliament was set to hold a confidence vote in the new national unity government on Tuesday following a stormy debate among lawmakers on the thorny issue of Hezbollah weapons. MPs from rival factions have been locking horns during days of sharp exchanges over the arsenal of the Shiite militant movement Hezbollah, which insists it has the right to resist Israel. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/27593 Summer concerts are remarkably booked fully in success, and here are the upcoming and most awaited concerts schedules in Lebanon: http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/27583 General Mohammed Suleiman, an officer of the Syrian Arab Army was found dead in Tartus. He was assassinated in Syria only six months after the assassination of Imad Moghniya. Pro-Syrians called it an accident while some others considered it an assassination. What is sure is that he was shot? Shot to shut up or shot to be shot? That is a question that has been mingling in the headlines of the major newspapers for the last couple of days. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/27509 Name of the expedition: “Elbrus Project”. Place: Caucasia. Objective: fundraising to help orphanages in Lebanon. On August 4, two Lebanese mountain climbers, Kheiry Sammakieh and Nicholas Ankle, join this expedition to climb the Mount Elbrouz, one of the seven most “considered” mountains in the world. The two sportsmen will try to take the challenge to get to the peak of “twin Elbrouz mountain” in the West part. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/27476 The summer of 2009 was long awaited by the Lebanese, who made plans and had hopes for it to be prosperous. The inhabitants of Tripoli were among those people too. However, did the ongoing cycles of violence in the northern Capital deprive it from the tourist boom that is engulfing Lebanon? http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/27351 We cannot really talk about the element of Surprise, because the change of opinions, stands, and visions have always labeled MP Walid Jumblatt, the head of the Progressive Socialist Party. Much controversy has surrounded Jumblatt’s statements concerning his political views and alliances lately. Some welcomed them, and some were more or less cautious of these statements. What do experts say? http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/27347 LSA group: a unique rising academic project in hospitality servicesLebanese night life has been rising enormously in the past few years in the Hospitality and tourism sector. However, this business still holds some gaps in the service offered by local restaurants and staff. Therefore, the Lebanese Systematic Academy (LSA) has launched a very interesting project which consists of training all the needed staff for a successful restaurant or club, starting from the Valet to the management. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/27243 The Doha agreement may have solved many things for some time, but it surely didn’t solve everything for all the time. And one of the issues that remain unsolved is a consensus over the Ministerial statement. If it took a lot to get this exceptional bouquet that the cabinet represents together, what will it take for the Ministerial statement to be put together? And what is to be expected of this statement? http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/27209 The beginning of the week brought a new beginning with it on the local and regional levels, and sometimes on both. The visit of Syrian Minister of Foreign Affairs Walid Moualem carrying an invitation to President Suleiman to visit Syria on one hand, and the clash that occurred between the army and the families of the detainees in the Syrian prisons on the other. What are the foreseen results for Moualem’s visit? And what happened near the Presidential Palace? http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/27172 Visiting Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem said on Monday that Damascus was keen to open a new chapter in its relations with Lebanon and to delineate the border between both countries. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/27161 According to the newspaper “Daily Star”, three factors are posing a serious threat to Lebanon's economy: sharp inflation, better job opportunities for highly skilled Lebanese abroad, and the long road to recovery ahead of the country's tourism sector, as the Business Monitor International (BMI) said Wednesday. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/27125 The current Beirut retail market is paradoxical. On the one hand, demand from both international and local brands has been high, despite the uncertain political and security situation. On the other hand it’s becoming increasingly difficult to find availability when it comes to locations for commercial rentals. In the most attractive retail areas such as downtown, Hamra, Verdun, ABC Achrafieh or Kaslik, supply has severely dried up. The multitudes of people who frequent these areas make many retailers dream of being there. These are after all ideal places in Beirut to have a shop window. Retailers are however clambering over one another and having to show great patience in order to obtain a good placement. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/27113 As Hezbollah boasted of victory in this week's prisoner swap with Israel, analysts said that the exchange gave the Shiite group increased political leverage at home. On Wednesday Israel handed over its last five Lebanese prisoners, including convicted murderer Samir Kantar, and the bodies of 199 Lebanese and Palestinian fighters. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/27087 Samir Kantar, Lebanon's longest serving prisoner who was freed by Israel in a swap, said on Thursday he had no regrets over the triple murder three decades ago that put him behind bars. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/27071 After decades of confinement in the Israeli prisons, and after years of mandatory exile, the detainees returned today. Samir Kantar, Khodor Zidan, Maher Kurani, Mohammed Sarur and Hussein Suleiman are to step on the Lebanese soil once again after a very long time. All - or some - of them returned, while many – especially the families of the detainees in Syria - have always wished the Joy would be completed by the return of their sons. When will this be fulfilled? And where would this new turning point lead to, locally and regionally? http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/27042 Five Lebanese prisoners freed by Israel arrived to a hero's welcome in Lebanon Wednesday, hours after Hezbollah handed over the bodies of two Israeli soldiers seized by its guerrillas two years ago. Among those freed in a prisoner swap greeted with triumph in Lebanon but anguish in Israel was Samir Kantar, who was sentenced to five life terms for a 1979 triple murder, including of a child. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/27013 Five Lebanese prisoners arrived to a triumphant red carpet welcome in Lebanon on Wednesday after being freed by Israel in a prisoner swap after years behind bars. The five -- convicted murderer Samir Kantar and Hezbollah fighters Khaled Zidan, Maher Kurani, Mohammed Sarur and Hussein Suleiman -- were given a heroes' welcome when set foot on Lebanese soil late afternoon at the Naqura border crossing between Lebanon and Israel. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/27012 The stark sight of two black coffins sparked anguish and tears among relatives of two missing Israeli soldiers on Wednesday -- the first evidence they had that the pair were dead. Immediately after television channels aired footage of Lebanese Hezbollah handing over the caskets, neighbours and friends gathered outside the family home of soldier Eldad Regev lighting candles and quietly shedding tears. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/27010 Israeli ministers expressed sadness after the apparent remains of two soldiers captured by Hezbollah were handed over on Wednesday and poured scorn on the Lebanese militant group's conduct of the prisoner swap. Newspaper editorials voiced concern that the exchange gave a propaganda victory to Hezbollah and set a dangerous precedent for future swap deals. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/27002 Hezbollah on Wednesday handed over two black coffins believed to contain the remains of two Israeli soldiers captured two years ago, the first stage of a prisoner swap being celebrated in Lebanon but greeted with anguish in Israel. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/26978 Lebanon's Hezbollah and Israel were to carry out a prisoner exchange on Wednesday, two years after a devastating war sparked by the capture of two soldiers who could return home in coffins. While the mood in Israel was sombre, with a tense wait to discover the fate of its soldiers, Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev, included in the swap, Hezbollah has prepared a hero's welcome for its fighters. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/26973 Israel gave its final go-ahead on Tuesday for a prisoner swap with Hezbollah set to take place on Wednesday. Five Lebanese prisoners, including the perpetrator of a brutal 1979 triple murder, will be swapped for two soldiers captured by Hezbollah in a deadly 2006 raid that sparked a vicious 34-day war. Israel is also to transfer the bodies of almost 200 Palestinian and Lebanese fighters, some from Hezbollah, as well as release a number of Palestinians under the swap mediated by a UN-appointed German diplomat. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/26967 Its prisoner swap with Israel boosts the standing of Hezbollah which vowed to secure the release of all Lebanese detainees through "resistance," even at a high cost for Lebanon, analysts say. The exchange is set to take place on Wednesday, almost exactly two years after a cross-border raid in which Hezbollah guerrillas captured two Israeli soldiers as bargaining chips to demand the releases. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/26957 As Israel and Hezbollah prepare to exchange prisoners, commentators in the Jewish state question whether it is paying too high a price and risks bolstering its arch-foes in the region. Barring a last-minute snag, Israel will on Wednesday release four Hezbollah fighters and Samir Kantar, convicted of a brutal triple murder, at the border with Lebanon. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/26946 Every time Palestinian Naama Audallah hears of a new prisoner exchange she reaches for the pictures of two sons she has not seen since 1998 and who were probably killed in battle. The 67-year-old cannot be certain about their fate because she has not seen them since they disappeared during a battle with Israeli troops outside the West Bank town of Hebron in which the army said they were killed. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/26941 Israel gave the green light on Tuesday for a prisoner swap with Lebanon's Hezbollah after pardoning its longest serving Arab prisoner to bring home two of its soldiers, dead or alive. The release to take place on Wednesday of five Lebanese prisoners includes the perpetrator of a brutal 1979 triple murder, in exchange for the two Israeli soldiers captured by Hezbollah in a deadly 2006 raid that sparked a 34-day war. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/26902 Lebanese militant Samir Kantar, who is set to be freed from jail on Wednesday, has been serving a 542 jail sentence in Israel for a triple murder including the brutal killing of a four-year-old girl. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/26896 The opening of diplomatic relations between Syria and Lebanon is a major strategic shift, but analysts say it remains to be seen whether Damascus's influence over its smaller neighbour has really ended. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/26884 Britain, Germany and the United States late Saturday welcomed a decision by Lebanon and Syria to open diplomatic relations, but Washington urged Damascus to end its "destabilizing tactics" in the region. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/26882 Lebanon and Syria said on Saturday that they had agreed to establish diplomatic relations, opening embassies in each others' capitals for the first time since their independence from colonial rule. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/26853 While the formation of a national unity government is an important step towards stability in Lebanon, the country's political crisis is far from resolved, analysts cautioned on Saturday. A new 30-member cabinet that gives the Hezbollah-led opposition veto power on decisions and includes one minister from the militant group was announced on Friday, seven weeks after an accord which saved Lebanon from the brink of renewed civil war. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/26847 Syrian President Bashar al-Assad made a strong comeback on the international stage Saturday as President Nicolas Sarkozy welcomed him to France and announced he would soon pay a visit to Damascus. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/26846 Lebanon announced a 30-member national unity government on Friday tasked with resolving the country's worst political crisis since a 1975-1990 civil war. The lineup was announced in a decree signed by President Michel Sleiman and Prime Minister Fuad Siniora, seven weeks after an accord which saved Lebanon from the brink of renewed civil war. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/26839 Follows are some of the key members of Lebanon's 30-member national unity government announced on Friday. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/26837 Lebanon announced a 30-member national unity government on Friday tasked with resolving the country's worst political crisis since a 1975-1990 civil war. The lineup was announced in a decree signed by President Michel Sleiman and Prime Minister Fuad Siniora, seven weeks after an accord which saved Lebanon from the brink of renewed civil war. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/26829 http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/26804 Two years after the war between Israel and Lebanese Shiite guerrillas, Beirut is still grappling with political instability, sectarian unrest, economic stagnation, and an increasingly powerful Hezbollah. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/26802 … That is the question. We waited for it before the French President Nicholas Sarkozy’s visit to Lebanon. We waited for it before the Lebanese President Michel Suleiman’s departure to Paris. And we are still waiting… Are we waiting for Godot*? –who never came - Or will the government see light within the few hours or days? What do the analysts have to say? http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/26780 Deadly gunbattles between rival sectarian factions in Lebanon's northern city of Tripoli ended on Thursday as army reinforcements shored up a fragile ceasefire, an AFP correspondent said. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/26767 Should have been …Would have been…Must have been formed. It was supposed to be formed this Monday. The people were waiting for it, PS Berri was expecting it, and the presidency needed it, while PM Saniora seemed to have held it so certainly in his hand: The government seems to be eluding everyone. What should the Lebanese expect after the last few days that promised an end to the five-week impasse? http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/26761 Patti Smith: Qana the miracle is love! Patti Smith opened yesterday the Byblos Festivals 2008 in Jbeil in the presence of the Lebanese President Michel Sleiman, Joe Sarkis Minister of tourism, Jihad Azour Minister of Finance and many other public figures. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/26758 Four people were killed and 58 wounded in street battles between rival sectarian camps armed with rockets, sniper rifles and grenades in the north Lebanese city of Tripoli on Wednesday. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/26608 While the residential sector is enjoying a period of growth with rising prices, sustained demand and multiplication of new projects, the office market is still stagnating. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/26550 Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah on Wednesday said a prisoner swap between his Lebanese Shiite movement and Israel would take place within two weeks and that news of missing airman Ron Arad was part of the deal. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/26451 The Israeli cabinet gave the green light on Sunday for a prisoner exchange with Hezbollah, even though two soldiers captured by the Lebanese militia two years ago are known to be dead. Twenty-two of the 25 cabinet members voted in favour of the deal under which the two soldiers -- or their remains -- are to be handed over in exchange for five Lebanese "fighters" and an undetermined number of Palestinians held in Israeli prisons. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/26299 Life is back again to Down Town Beirut, restaurants were busy with guests and squares were jammed with people. However, the traditional celebrated Music Festival on 21st of June was somehow timid this year. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/26289 Next year, Beirut will turn a new page and become the World Book Capital 2009, a prestigious title that the UNESCO grants every year to a new city in the world. During the whole year 2009, Beirut, as well as all the regions of Lebanon, will enjoy the greatest events dedicated to books, reading, and writing. A call for a project is also open to choose between the individual and the local institutional candidacies of people or local institutions willing to launch any initiative regarding this literary year. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/26282 It has been exactly 147 years since the establishment of the Internal Security Forces (ISF) in Lebanon. This institution has witnessed decades of war and peace, eras of occupation and independence, last of which was the Syrian presence. The latter froze all the institutions in Lebanon, including the Internal Security Forces. Where are the ISF, headed by Major General Achraf Rifi, today? What are the challenges they are facing? Through some information divulged to i-loubnan.info, we have tackled the status-quo of those in charge of the protection of the citizens and the state. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/26388 Few days prior to the music festival, “Think Lebanon” invited Toufic Faroukh and his “Absolute Orchestra” to Geneva to celebrate the Second art and the first anniversary of this association, which seeks to promote the Lebanese culture by supporting the charity work in Lebanon. Here is a flashback on a high color concert, which profits went back to “Child of Lebanon” NGO. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/26232 One month after a breakthrough deal to end a long-running political crisis, Lebanon remains without a government as rival clans fight it out over key cabinet posts, raising fears of a renewed conflict. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/26221 The end of the opposition’s sit-in at Riad Solh and Debbas will give a new push to Down-Town Beirut, the city that has been in a real uncomfortable situation since 18 months. The first positive sign of the Doha conference agreements was the popular infatuation every evening at the restaurant terraces. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/26160 US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice made a surprise visit to Lebanon on Monday to bolster the troubled country's new president, as rival political leaders still struggle to form a new government. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/26046 Repeated clashes between feuding factions in Lebanon are undermining a political accord struck last month and reflect deep-seeded rivalries that remain unresolved, analysts said on Wednesday. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/26034 Syria's culture minister was in Paris Tuesday on the first visit by a Syrian government member in three years, confirming a thaw in Franco-Syrian ties following the political breakthrough in Lebanon. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/25961 French President Nicolas Sarkozy stressed his country's support for newly elected Lebanese President Michel Sleiman and for reconciliation through dialogue, during a brief visit to Beirut on Saturday. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/25841 Israel on Sunday freed and deported to Lebanon a convicted Hezbollah spy while the Lebanese Shiite militant group handed over what it said were the remains of Israeli soldiers killed in 2006. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/25810 In 2006 it was the Hezbollah-Israel war, in 2007 it was the struggle against Fatah al-Islam militants in the north, and this year internal sectarian clashes dragged Lebanon to the brink of a new civil war. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/25806 UN chief Ban Ki-moon called Monday for a "visionary" global deal to ban cluster bombs, as delegates from more than 100 countries opened a conference here aimed at outlawing the lethal weapons. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/25804 Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Siniora held the first of two days of talks on forming a new government on Friday after an accord last week ended a protracted political crisis that turned deadly. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/25764 Lebanon's new President Michel Sleiman on Wednesday appointed incumbent premier Fuad Siniora to head a government of national unity. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/25763 Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Siniora, who is set to head the new cabinet under new President Michel Sleiman, spent much of his first term in office embroiled in a face-off with the Hezbollah-led opposition. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/25761 Lebanon's new President Michel Sleiman was holding consultations on Wednesday on the makeup of a national unity government set to be headed by the current premier Fuad Siniora. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/25718 Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah has sent a stern message to Lebanon's new president of a red line by warning against any attempt to disarm his powerful Shiite militia, analysts say. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/25717 Expressions of goodwill from key international players flooded in for Lebanon's new President Michel Sleiman, as he began his first full day in office in Beirut Monday. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/25703 For the last time yesterday we wrote “General” Sleiman. For the first time today we write “President” Sleiman. After a vacancy of 7 months, the presidential palace welcomed the 12th President of the Lebanese Republic. The parliament which opened after a mandatory closure launched Sunday the beginning of a new presidential era, which resulted from the end of a national and regional conflict. The consensus president’s oath raised the eyebrows of the opposition and the 14th of March. While some seemed to have a welcoming impression, others seemed unhappy at some point of the speech. The oath which tackled many and some specific delicate issues was controversial and debatable in nature, in addition to the fact that it raised the curiosity of the public opinion. What do experts say? http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/25701 Lebanon's new President Michel Sleiman began his first full day in office on Monday, preparing to launch consultations to form a unity government but facing tough challenges ahead. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/25688 While the election in Lebanon of army chief Michel Sleiman as president may have ended a prolonged political crisis, the underlying issues remain unresolved, analysts said on Monday. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/25682 Lebanon's newly elected president Michel Sleiman prepared to launch consultations on forming a national unity government on Monday as he began his first full day in office. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/25665 The international community hailed the election of Michel Sleiman as Lebanon's new president on Sunday as a crucial first step in reuniting the divided nation. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/25646 Lebanese lawmakers elected army chief Michel Sleiman as president on Sunday in a first step towards defusing an often deadly 18-month standoff between feuding political factions. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/25637 Lebanese lawmakers were poised on Sunday to hold a much-delayed presidential election as a first step to defusing often deadly feuding that paralysed the country for 18 months. Michel Sleiman, 59, was due to become the third army chief to be elected to the presidency and Lebanon's 12th head of state, after a breakthrough deal between rival factions brokered on Wednesday by the Arab League in Qatar. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/25635 The Lebanese parliament convenes on Sunday to elect army chief Michel Sleiman as president in a first step towards defusing an often deadly 18-month standoff between feuding political factions. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/25508 Army chief Michel Sleiman, set to be elected Lebanon's 12th president on Sunday, is viewed as a man acceptable to Syria who has kept his troops united in the face of political and security crises. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/25632 Lebanese premier Fuad Siniora, whose term in office has been dominated by a standoff with the Hezbollah-led opposition, said on Saturday that he will step down with a clear conscience and is ready to turn the page. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/25614 Lebanese lawmakers are poised to elect army chief Michel Sleiman as president on Sunday in a first step toward defusing a crippling and often deadly 18-month standoff between rival factions. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/25611 The Bush administration's campaign to isolate Iran and Syria has backfired as the two Middle East hardliners ended up this week sidelining the United States, analysts said. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/25581 Staff at Lebanon's Baabda presidential palace, empty for six months, are feverishly preparing for the long-awaited arrival of a new tenant, mowing the lawn, cleaning windows and dusting the chandeliers. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/25577 Residents of the hometown of Michel Sleiman rejoiced on Thursday at his upcoming election on Sunday as president of Lebanon, even though some feared he could become a lame duck head of state because of the bitter rivalries that plague the country's politics. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/25571 Lebanon was brimming with a new sense of optimism on Thursday amid hopes a deal between rival factions that pulled the nation back from the brink of civil war would be more than just a temporary reprieve. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/25570 Gas-rich Qatar scored a diplomatic coup by pulling off a deal on Wednesday to end Lebanon's protracted crisis, thanks to its ties with the rival factions and regional powers with influence in Beirut. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/25554 The United States led global applause Wednesday for an agreement to end Lebanon's 18-month political crisis that was warmly welcomed by the regional backers of the rival factions in Beirut. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/25547 Lebanon's rival leaders and their regional backers hailed a deal hammered out on Wednesday to end a long-running political crisis, saying they hoped it would pave the way for long-lasting peace in the troubled country. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/25540 The accord to end Lebanon's deep political crisis will ease tensions that nearly sent the country to all-out civil war but fails to address key issues such as Hezbollah's military might, analysts say. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/25539 Weary Lebanese expressed relief on Wednesday at the announcement of a deal to end 18 months of crisis that drove the country to the brink of civil war but also concern it might be only a temporary reprieve. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/25538 Supporters of the Hezbollah-led opposition began dismantling a protest camp outside the prime minister's office in Beirut on Wednesday after a deal was reached to end the country's political crisis. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/25537 Key events in Lebanon since 2005, when the assassination of former billionaire prime minister Rafiq Hariri sparked a new crisis in the small Middle Eastern nation: http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/25531 An agreement between Lebanon's government and opposition to end an 18-month crisis calls for the election of a president and the formation of a unity cabinet in which the opposition has veto power. It also bans resort to weapons in pursuit of political aims and features an agreement on a new electoral law. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/25505 Rival Lebanese leaders clinched a deal on Wednesday to end an 18-month political feud that exploded into deadly sectarian fighting this month and nearly drove the country to a new civil war.  The agreement, announced after days of tense talks in Doha, will see the election of a president for Lebanon within days and the creation of a unity government in which the Hezbollah-led opposition will have the power of veto. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/25518 Come Thursday, Nahida Ghandour is leaving Lebanon and she won't be looking back. Like many of her fellow citizens, the latest bout of sectarian violence to rock Lebanon has pushed her over the edge and left her with a deep sense of disgust toward the country's rival politicians as they battle it out for power. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/25495 Crisis talks between rival Lebanese leaders stumbled toward a Wednesday deadline as the Hezbollah-led opposition sought more time to study Arab proposals to end a political feud that nearly drove the country to a new civil war. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/25472 Crisis talks between rival Lebanese leaders were on a knife-edge on Tuesday after the Hezbollah-led opposition rejected a proposal by the Qatari hosted aimed at ending a political feud that exploded into deadly sectarian violence. Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassem bin Jabr al-Thani was due to hold a press conference expected to reveal the outcome of the negotiations between the opposition and the pro-government side that began on Saturday. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/25466 Crisis talks between rival Lebanese leaders hung in the balance on Monday after the Hezbollah-led opposition rejected a Qatari proposal aimed at ending a crisis which took Lebanon to the brink of civil war. The rebuff threatened to derail the talks with government representatives on their third day. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/25460 Lebanon's Hezbollah-led opposition on Monday rejected a proposal at Arab-mediated talks with pro-government rivals aimed at breaking a political deadlock which took the country to the brink of civil war. The rebuff threatened to derail the crisis talks on their third day, and came after host Qatar proposed an immediate presidential vote and formation of a unity government while postponing discussion of a disputed electoral law. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/25439 US President George W. Bush said on Sunday that peace in the Middle East was possible by the end of the year but that it needed action on both sides and "tough sacrifices". http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/25426 Tension mounted on Sunday's second day of talks between rival Lebanese leaders trying to end a feud that pushed their country towards all-out sectarian war, as politicians traded charges over the divisive issue of Hezbollah arms. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/25411 Lebanon's bickering political leaders on Saturday began Arab-brokered crisis talks in Qatar in a bid to end a long-running feud that drove their country to the brink of a new civil war. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/25406 The United States voiced support Friday for talks in Qatar aimed at ending Lebanon's sectarian clashes while hoping from afar that Hezbollah does not turn its military gains into political ones. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/25403 6 points is all it took to lift the barricades and re-open the roads to Beirut airport. 6 points is all it took to silence the guns and reestablish peace- hopefully a lasting one. 6 points drafted and declared by the Arab Ministerial Committee were enough to stop the bloodshed and shift the crisis from Beirut streets to a peaceful political dialogue in Doha. If Syrian Foreign Affairs Minister Walid el Maalem called the 6 point plan declared by the Arab ministerial committee an “Arab Achievement”, and expressed his congratulation, the US State Department Spokesman for Near East Affairs, David Foley, said that his country supports the Arab Ministerial Committee’s decisions on the crisis in Lebanon. Yet, the question remains: who benefits more from this plan? http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/25391 By hosting rival Lebanese politicians, the tiny gas-rich state of Qatar has successfully bolstered an active diplomacy which has often unsettled its neighbours, notably regional heavyweight Saudi Arabia. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/25390 Lebanese news media have found themselves engrossed in the latest political and sectarian violence to hit Lebanon, as they are used as weapons both sides. Most newspapers, television and radio stations are affiliated with or owned by poltical parties, a phenomenon that many blame for biased reporting and an absence of independent coverage despite a wide diversity of opinion. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/25377 Lebanon's squabbling political leaders headed to Qatar on Friday for Arab-brokered talks aimed at ending a long-running feud that drove the country to the brink of a new civil war. After nearly a week of fighting that left 65 people dead, the US-backed government and the Hezbollah-led opposition agreed to a national dialogue aimed at electing a president and forming a unity government. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/25376 Israel's Ari Folman, in Cannes to premiere his fiercely anti-war animation "Waltz With Bashir," says his country is awash with ex-soldiers like himself who have repressed horrific memories of their time in the Israeli army. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/25366 Key events in the latest crisis to shake Lebanon: http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/25365 Arab foreign ministers announced on Thursday they had brokered a deal to end Lebanon's 18-month-old political crisis which escalated into deadly sectarian clashes last week. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/25348 Arab mediators unveiled a deal on Thursday to defuse a long-running feud between rival political factions that drove deeply divided Lebanon to the brink of a new civil war. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/25344 The Lebanese cabinet's climbdown in its latest showdown with Hezbollah marks a major victory for the Shiite Muslim militant group and a slap in the face for US policy in the region, analysts said. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/25336 The United States groped Wednesday for a way to support Lebanon's besieged pro-Western government, mulling action within the UN Security Council and speeding up modest aid deliveries to the army. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/25335 The Lebanese government conceded a key demand of the Hezbollah-led opposition on Wednesday for ending a week of sectarian bloodshed, formally rescinding two decisions against the Shiite militant group. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/25327 Sitting next to a mound of dirt blocking the highway leading to Beirut airport, young Hezbollah militants smoke water pipes, drink tea and eat sunflower seeds, patiently waiting for the "collapse" of Lebanon's Western-backed government. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/25324 An Arab League delegation met with rival leaders in Beirut on Wednesday in a bid to mediate a settlement to deadly sectarian gunbattles that have driven Lebanon close to civil war. The team, headed by Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassem al-Thani, held talks with members of the US-backed government and the Hezbollah-led opposition, who have been locked in a bitter political feud for 18 months. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/25322 The Lebanese army has come under heavy criticism for standing by during the sectarian clashes that have shaken the country but analysts say its own divisions and lack of resources mean it would have struggled to make a difference. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/25320 For the wealthy who can afford to fork out hundreds of dollars, escape from Lebanon's week-long violence has been possible by luxury yacht, charter plane or taxi. With the country reeling from its worst sectarian fighting since the end of the 1975-1990 civil war, entreprising Lebanese have set up private firms to ferry people out of the Mediterranean country. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/25284 An Arab League delegation was due in Beirut on Wednesday to meet with rival leaders in a bid to mediate a settlement to deadly sectarian gunbattles that have driven Lebanon close to civil war. The team, headed by Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassem al-Thani, was to meet members of the US-backed government and the Hezbollah-led opposition who have been locked in a bitter political feud for 18 months. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/25399 Yasmine had to call off her wedding party on Sunday. Restaurant manager Michel had to throw away piles of rotting food. Farid was the only person to show up to work at the bank on Saturday. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/25276 Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Siniora is a financier turned politician now facing the toughest challenge of his careeer as he battles to steer his deeply divided nation away from all-out civil war. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/25256 BEIRUT - Lebanon's army, backed by US pledges of support, said it was ready to use force on Tuesday to restore order after six days of deadly sectarian gunbattles that have shaken the nation to the core. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/25239 Fierce fighting erupted in northern Lebanon on Monday morning, further exacerbating tensions after days of deadly sectarian battles that have driven the nation to the brink of full-blown civil war. At least one man was killed in clashes between supporters of the Western-backed government and militants loyal to the Shiite Hezbollah-led opposition in the port city of Tripoli, a security official said. By late afternoon the fighting had died down as the army moved in, appealing to militants to get off the streets. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/25221 Lebanon's once prominent Christian community is watching anxiously as deadly clashes rage between Muslim rival factions, amid fears that any move to join the fray would further fracture its ranks. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/25198 Lebanon was on a knife-edge on Monday after days of deadly sectarian battles that have driven the nation to the brink of civil war, as Arab ministers prepared to send in a team to try to end the crisis. Fierce fighting erupted again in northern Lebanon on Monday between supporters of the Western-backed government and militants loyal to the Hezbollah-led Shiite opposition. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/25170 http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/25167 The army deployed across much of Lebanon on Sunday after Hezbollah ceded control of west Beirut but clashes raged on in the north and in the Druze mountains as Arab foreign ministers held crisis talks. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/25159 The Lebanese army failed to protect civilians during four days of bloody clashes between pro- and anti-government militias before announcing plans to restore law and order, analysts said on Saturday. "The army could have done more to protect its citizens. An army should protect its capital," the director of the Beirut-based Carnegie Middle East Centre Paul Salem told AFP. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/25157 Lebanon's Hezbollah-led opposition on Saturday said it was ending its takeover of west Beirut after the army revoked government moves against the Shiite group that sparked days of deadly fighting. "The opposition welcomes the army's decision and will proceed with the withdrawal of all its armed elements so that control of the capital is handed over to the military," an opposition statement said. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/25144 A private telephone network built by the Shiite Hezbollah organisation is at the centre of a political storm that has brought Lebanon perilously close to a new civil war. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/25143 Lebanon was steeped in tension on Saturday after Hezbollah seized control of west Beirut in three days of deadly fighting with pro-government forces, triggering fears of all-out civil war. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/25122 Hezbollah's power grab in west Beirut marks a turning point in Lebanon's long-running political crisis and could have serious implications for the wider Middle East, analysts say. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/25110 Unable to pressure Syria or Iran into halting Hezbollah's offensive in Lebanon against US-backed leader Fuad Siniora, the United States has opted for "remote-control" diplomacy using its allies. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/25109 Convoys of gunmen firing celebratory shots into the air and flashing the victory sign took to the streets on Friday after the Hezbollah-led opposition seized control of west Beirut following fierce firefights with Sunni pro-government supporters. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/25090 Hezbollah fighters, their guns blazing, seized control of west Beirut on Friday after three days of deadly street battles with pro-government foes pushed Lebanon dangerously close to all-out civil war. Convoys of triumphant Shiite opposition gunmen firing celebratory shots into the air and flashing victory signs took to the streets after routing Sunni militants loyal to the Western-backed government in the deeply divided nation. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/25056 The Lebanese government faces a stark choice between retreat or war in the deadly standoff with the Hezbollah-led opposition, the local press warned on Friday as gunbattles raged in Beirut. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/25054 Hezbollah-led opposition fighters seized control of pro-government strongholds in Beirut on Friday as gunbattles rocked the Lebanese capital for a third day, edging the nation dangerously close to all-out civil war.  http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/25041 Sectarian fighting rocked the Lebanese capital for a third day on Friday as the country teetered on the brink of a new civil war, prompting urgent appeals for calm from the international community. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/25025 Deadly gunbattles erupted in Beirut on Thursday after Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah charged that a Lebanese government crackdown on his group was tantamount to a "declaration of war," raising fears of a full-blown sectarian conflict. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/25024 Lebanon's prolonged political crisis has entered a dangerous new phase, analysts warned on Thursday as Hezbollah's firebrand leader Hassan Nasrallah issued a defiant new challenge to the government and deadly clashes rocked Beirut. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/25009 Hezbollah is a potent mix of politics and firepower that wide enjoys popular support in Lebanon but is a bete noire for Israel and is branded by the West as a terrorist outfit. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/25008 Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah, leader of the Lebanese Shiite movement Hezbollah, enjoys cult status in the Arab world where many view him as a courageous fighter who neutralised Israel's military might. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/24981 Hezbollah-led opposition supporters staged a second day of anti-government protests on Thursday, blocking roads in the capital and forcing Lebanon's only international airport to close in a major escalation of a long-running political crisis. Three people were reported wounded in the east of the country as a general strike descended into shootouts between government and opposition supporters. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/24957 Protesters blocked roads with blazing tyres in the Lebanese capital and disrupted air traffic during a general strike on Wednesday that escalated into a confrontation between rival political camps. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/24950 Lebanese workers were preparing for a general strike on Wednesday to demand more money despite the government having raised the minimum wage, amid fears that protests could escalate into clashes between pro- and anti-Syrian camps. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/24935 Tuesday in Lebanon is Martyrs' Day, commemorating the hanging of Lebanese nationalists by the Ottomans in Beirut on May 6, 1916. Nearly a century later, many still view dying for their beliefs as a noble sacrifice. Billboards of dead politicians and fighters line Beirut's streets in a stark reminder that the concept of martyrdom still pervades a Lebanon rife with sectarian loyalties. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/24886 On the eve of Labor Day, Human Rights Watch has launched a campaign to highlight the often invisible abuses that many domestic workers suffer in Lebanon. Of course, nobody talks about the Lebanese who treat their domestic workers with respect. And this is very annoying for those decent employers. Anyway, Human Rights Watch says that Lebanese employers, placement agencies, and the Lebanese authorities should improve the treatment of domestic workers by ensuring fair contracts, timely payment of wages, and a weekly day’s leave. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/24842 This article gives a brief historical overview of the Lebanese migration. It contests the common use of the term diaspora in a homogenising sense when referring to the Lebanese immigrants. Scholars commonly portrayed emigration from Lebanon as a result of the Phoenician practice of maritime seafaring that prepared the Lebanese to travel (Hooglund, 1987). Beyond this image, the literature which examines the drivers of Lebanese migration refers to political, economic, and social factors. Additional reasons were linked to family migration: For example Lebanese emigrants sent back for others from their families and villages in Lebanon making the process of emigration cumulative (Hourani, 1992). http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/24832 Three years after Syria ended its near 30-year military presence in Lebanon, the western-backed majority accuses Damascus of still pulling strings there and leaving its tiny neighbour paralysed by political deadlock. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/24759 The 18th attempt to elect a Lebanese president, due to take place next Tuesday, is likely to see a fate similar to that of its predecessors, with rival factions now setting their sights on the 2009 parliamentary elections. The 17 previous attempts have all failed, with MPs who are supposed to pick the new head of state, not even holding the meetings called to elect one. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/24758 Lebanese families fighting to learn the fate of hundreds of their relatives thought to be held in Syria have been encouraged by the unexpected release of a prisoner after 16 years in Syrian detention. An organisation called Support of Lebanese in Detention and Exile (Solide) recently announced that a Lebanese man arrived in Beirut after spending 16 years in a Syrian prison. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/24729 Among the many issues that storm the Lebanese political scene today are the parliamentary elections, stressed upon mainly by the opposition who still insists on early elections as a first step to solve the current crisis. However, in order to reach parliamentary elections, an electoral law should be voted upon. And here is the main conflict. Up till now the only effective and approved law is the Syrian-generated law from 2000. And discussion between the opposition and the government have been running about one main point, which is whether or not to apply the smaller caza districting scheme of the pre-Taef period. Furthermore, many of both the conflicting parties have agreed on this point. Yet the step towards voting on the Fouad Boutros commission law has not yet been taken till now. Why ? http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/24685 Lebanon is a liberal Middle East country with unfettered Internet access, but state censorship is also rife on any topics that touch upon Israel or sensitive issues such as religion. Oscar-winning films such as "Schindler's List," the music of late violinist Yehudi Menuhin, the songs of Enrico Macias, the animated film "Persepolis" (which will finally be authorized) : the list of artists and their works deemed to be inappropriate is long. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/24670 Lebanese families fighting to learn the fate of hundreds of their relatives thought to be held in Syria have been encouraged by the unexpected release of a prisoner after 16 years in Syrian detention. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/24615 The head of the UN panel probing the 2005 murder of Lebanese ex-premier Rafiq Hariri on Tuesday cautioned against expecting early indictments and urged the Security Council to give his team more time to complete its work. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/24592 Lebanese parliament speaker and opposition leader Nabih Berri issued a new call for dialogue between his country's feuding political factions on Monday but was swiftly rebuffed by Prime Minister Fuad Siniora. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/24562 http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/24653 When one of the country's feuding political leaders makes a televised speech, celebratory gunfire that rings out across the capital and other regions. No sooner does Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah, majority leader Saad Hariri or any other of the country's top officials take to the air than the rat-tat-tat of gunfire reverberates through Beirut. The frequent celebratory gunfire in this heavily armed city is killing Beirut, literally , as one man's burst of joy turns into another's mourning. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/24540 Lebanon just started a national anti-measles and anti-rubella vaccination campaign. The campaign will target more than 900,000 children. This campaign is part of its commitment to the UNICEF and World Health Organization (WHO) strategy to eliminate the diseases by the end of 2010. This campaign runs until May 3rd. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/24574 One man was able to recover only a family photo album. Another desperately sought the key to his home in what was once Palestine. And one woman sifted for hours through the rubble but, like most others, could not salvage anything. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/24517 An Arab summit failed to clinch a breakthrough on Lebanon on Sunday, spotlighting the rift between host Syria and boycotting US allies which blame Beirut's political crisis on Damascus. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/24476 Mariam Saidi spends her days creating clay busts of her beloved son who vanished without a trace 26 years ago, aged only 16, in the midst of the savage civil war which tore through Lebanon. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/24465 http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/24464 http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/24459 Lebanon’s House Speaker Nabih Berri has hinted that the parliament session scheduled for March 25 to elect a president might be postponed for the 17th consecutive time. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/24458 hj http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/24414 In the late 1950s and early 1960s the Lebanese were considered to be the foremost cinemagoers in the world. They used to be so drawn to movie theatres because there weren’t many options as far as entertainment was concerned (TV etc…) and primarily because the ticket price to see a movie was one of the cheapest in the world at the time (less than $0.25 compared to $3 in the U.S.A and 5 Francs in France). It is interesting to note that while cinemas in present day Lebanon have a fixed ticket price throughout the country, this bygone era had 3 different types of tickets depending on where you sit with Orchestra being the cheapest (less than $0.25), Balcony being the medium and Fauteuil Club being the most expensive (at $1.50). Pricing also differed from city to city, with Beirut naturally being the most expensive. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/24463 http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/24398 US financier Warren Buffett has overtaken Bill Gates as the world’s richest man, according to Forbes annual billionaire’s list, which this year saw Russia, China and India making increasing inroads. Mr Buffett, the 77-year-old chief of the Berkshire Hathaway holding company, saw his wealth jump from US$52 billion (S$72 billion) last year to US$62 billion, pushing Microsoft co-founder Gates into third position after 13 years at the top. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/1464 http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/1462 A major new survey by Arab Advisors Group reveals that terrestrial TV still has a solid audience base in Lebanon with 93% of households watching terrestrial TV. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/498 http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/497 http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/496 http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/495 http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/494 http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/493 http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/492 http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/491 http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/490 http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/489 http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/488 http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/487 http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/486 http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/485 http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/484 http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/483 http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/482 http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/481 http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/480 http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/479 http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/478 http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/477 http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/476 http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/475 http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/474 http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/473 http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/472 http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/471 http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/470 http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/466 http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/465 http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/464 http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/463 http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/462 http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/461 http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/460 http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/459 http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/458 http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/457 http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/456 http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/455 http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/454 http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/453 http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/452 http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/451 http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/450 http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/449 http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/448 http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/447 http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/446 http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/445 http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/444 http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/443 http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/442 http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/441 http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/440 http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/439 http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/438 http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/437 http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/436 http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/435 http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/434 http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/433 http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/432 Lebanon, left without a president, may stay in political limbo for weeks, analysts warned on Sunday, although life was going on as normal despite the crisis. "This situation may last for weeks," political analyst Michael Young said. "But there is nothing really new as Lebanon has been in political paralysis for over a year now, with institutions that do not function properly, including the presidency, the government and parliament." http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/431 http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/430 http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/429 http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/428 http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/427 http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/426 http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/425 http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/424 http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/423 http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/422 http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/421 http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/420 http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/419 http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/418 http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/417 http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/416 http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/415 http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/414 http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/413 http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/412 http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/411 http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/410 http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/409 http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/408 http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/407 http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/406 http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/405 http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/404 http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/403 http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/402 http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/401 http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/399 http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/398 http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/397 http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/396 http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/395 http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/394 http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/393 http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/392 http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/391 http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/390 http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/274 http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/273 http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/272 http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/271 http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/270 http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/269 http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/268 http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/267 http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/266 http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/265 http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/264 http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/263 http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/262 http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/261 http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/260 http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/258 http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/257 http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/256 http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/255 http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/254 http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/253 http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/252 http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/242 From October 14 – October 21, in different locations around the world, a wide variety of events will be taking place focusing on the issue of Fair Trade www.tradeweek.org. The Fair Trade concept promotes alternatives to the exploitation of lesser developed and poorer countries by the rich nations of the world. Fair Trade highlights the adverse effects of an “open market system," which assumes that deregulation is good for all. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/241 http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/240 http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/238 http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/237 http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/236 In the field bordering the remnants of his home, Amin Akel Saad points to skeletal tobacco plants pushing up out of land burnt by Israeli bombs. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/235 BEKAA VALLEY - Standing next to a huge pile of green leaves stored in a barren concrete room at the back of his house, Mohammed is all smiles as he surveys his bumper crop of cannabis. http://www.iloubnan.info/en/article/id/234 KHIRBET QANAFAR - Better known as a fertile ground for drugs and militancy, Lebanon’s Bekaa V