Source: Reuters
The official website of the Kataeb Party leader
Security & Justice
State Action Signals Change in Tackling Longstanding Illegal Land Grabs in Jbeil District
For years, the serene villages of Jbeil's highlands have been far from peaceful. Ghabat, a Maronite village nestled between the predominantly Shiite towns of Afqa and Lassa, has become a focal point of growing tensions due to territorial disputes.
Friday, December 20, 2024
Mawlawi Ensures Strict Monitoring for Wanted Syrian Regime Figures at Beirut Airport
Caretaker Minister of Interior, Bassam Mawlawi, conducted an inspection tour of Rafic Hariri International Airport in Beirut to review the security arrangements and measures implemented by the Airport Security Apparatus ahead of the holiday season.
Thursday, December 19, 2024
Opinion
Lebanon After the Assads
The United States has important equities in Lebanon, including a desire for a generally friendly government’s economic and political stability; security cooperation; long-standing relations with the large Christian community in Lebanon and Lebanese diaspora in the United States; and ultimately peace between Israel and Lebanon within a broader regional settlement. Achieving these objectives will require navigating a tumultuous period in the country’s history following a war between Hezbollah and Israel that has devastated a large part of the country, exacerbating Lebanon’s already challenging economic conditions. But perhaps the most important dynamic will be how a likely Sunni-dominated state of uncertain composition in Syria will differ in its intentions toward Lebanon from the previous Alawite-led minoritarian Assad regime.
Thursday, December 19, 2024
Europe’s Syrian Dilemma
The news of the sudden and unexpected demise of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria has met a mixed response in Europe. The jubilation that a murderous dictator and close ally of Russia and Iran has fallen is not just good for the Syrian people but serves as a morale booster for Eastern Europeans wondering whether Russia can be defeated
Wednesday, December 18, 2024
Sports
Cristiano Ronaldo Unveils New Private Jet Worth $73 Million
Cristiano Ronaldo, one of the richest global athletes, has unveiled his upgraded private jet reportedly worth $73 million. With its top-notch design, exceptional speed and range of 7500 nautical miles, the Gulfstream G650 is among the fastest jets in the world.
Monday, December 16, 2024
Guardiola Accepts Man City May Need to Sign More Players to Cope with Schedule
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola believes he will need a bigger squad to handle soccer’s ever-expanding fixture schedule.
Saturday, December 14, 2024
Thursday 23 November 2023 12:01:57
Leaking Secrets: Pakistan Court Orders Jailed Imran Khan to Appear in Public Trial
A Pakistani court on Thursday ordered authorities to produce former Prime Minister Imran Khan for trial on November 28 on charges of leaking state secrets, his lawyer said, in what would be his first public appearance since he was jailed in August.
The former cricket star has been embroiled in a tangle of political and legal battles since he was ousted as prime minister in a vote on no-confidence in 2022, which he denounced as unfair.
“The court has ordered that Imran Khan be produced on November 28,” Khan’s lawyer, Naeem Panjutha, said in a post on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter.
“We now have to see that this order is implemented.”
The court cited procedures, without elaborating, in stipulating the November 28 date for Khan’s appearance. A spokesperson for the law ministry, which will decide if Khan is to appear, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The 71-year-old was jailed on August 5 for three years for unlawfully selling state gifts during his tenure as prime minister from 2018 to 2022.
He denied wrongdoing and has dismissed all of the various charges brought against him, including graft and the leak of a
state secret, as cooked up at the behest of the military to block him from a February 8 general election.
Khan’s state secret trial was being held in prison after authorities cited security risks but the Islamabad High Court on Tuesday declared the prison trial illegal, and ordered that it be restarted, which it did again on Thursday in a public court.
Khan’s legal woes threaten to overshadow the election campaign and both he and his party can be expected to take advantage of a court appearance to reiterate their condemnation of what they say is his unfair treatment.
The election is shaping as a fight between Khan’s party, even though his conviction prevents him from standing, and that of another ousted former prime minister, Nawaz Sharif.
The military, which has ruled directly or overseen civilian governments since Pakistan’s creation in 1947, denies any involvement in Khan’s troubles.