Source: L'Orient Today
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
Tuesday 8 February 2022 16:43:56
Cabinet Rejects Bill that Would Curtail Public Prosecutor's Powers
At a session Tuesday, the cabinet agreed to hold a session dedicated to the electricity file and rejected a bill that would curtail the public prosecutor’s powers, acting Information Minister Abbas Halabi and at a press conference following the meeting. He also confirmed that the cabinet will meet on Thursday at 2 p.m. in Baabda to finalize the draft 2022 budget.
Here’s what we know:
• The government did not approve a bill dating from 2018 to curtail the mandate of the public prosecutor at the Court of Cassation, a role currently held by Judge Ghassan Oueidat. According to several local media outlets, this proposal has been referred to Parliament. The bill in question was presented four years ago by Free Patriotic Movement MP Ziad Aswad, and if passed would remove the public prosecutor’s power to make the final call in cases in which a higher authority in the Lebanese administration rejects the prosecution of one of its employees.
• The cabinet also decided to form a committee made up of the ministers of justice, industry, economy and public works to determine who is authorized to demolish wheat silos in the port of Beirut after the completion of the cleaning phase. The silos were badly damaged in the Beirut port blast in 2020.
• The acting information minister said following the cabinet meeting that “the cabinet decided to authorize the telecommunications minister to negotiate with LibanPost [the company that facilitates postal services in Lebanon] and renew its contract [which expired in 2019 and has been renewed several times since then] until April 30, before launching a new tender.”
• Prime Minister Najib Mikati on Monday promised to give contract teachers in public institutions “a transport allowance but according to standards,” said Halabi, noting that “the cabinet [on Tuesday] tasked the education minister to set these standards.”
• It was decided that discussion on the electricity file will be carried on after the approval of the draft budget. An article in the original 2022 budget draft noted that Electricité du Liban would get an advance payment of LL5.25 trillion to buy fuel. Energy Minister Walid Fayad was asked to justify the advance payment, before it was decided to separate the electricity and budget plans last week.