Source: TRT World
Security & Justice
From Supporters to Plaintiffs: Shiite Residents Break Fear Barrier with Lawsuits Against Hezbollah
The lawsuits, coupled with mounting financial and political pressures, suggest that Hezbollah is facing a moment of reckoning. As the group’s support base grows increasingly disillusioned, its ability to maintain dominance in the south is being called into question. For many, these legal challenges mark a significant step toward breaking the silence and holding Hezbollah accountable for the consequences of its actions.
Monday, December 16, 2024
One Killed in Israeli Strike in South Lebanon
Lebanon’s health ministry said an Israeli drone strike in the south killed one person on Saturday, the latest deadly raid despite a more than two-week ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah.
Saturday, December 14, 2024
Opinion
Beirut Gets a Reprieve—but for How Long?
If history is any guide, the latest Lebanese ceasefire may well have broken down by the time you read this.
Tuesday, December 17, 2024
Iran’s Axis Crumbles as Hezbollah and Assad Falter
The dramatic sequence of events that began on October 7, 2023, with Hamas’s strike in Israel, has cascaded through the Middle East, toppling regimes and reshaping the region’s fault lines. On the very day Israel and Hezbollah agreed to a ceasefire halting hostilities in Lebanon, the Syrian militant group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) launched a bold offensive to capture Aleppo, marking the end of an era for Syria. Earlier this month, the reign of President Bashar al-Assad—a tenure synonymous with repression, conflict, and decay—crumbled under the weight of accumulated resistance.
Monday, December 16, 2024
Sports
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
Eddie Jordan Reveals Cancer Battle Which F1 Legend Says Has Spread 'Aggressively'
Former Formula 1 team owner Eddie Jordan has revealed he is fighting an "aggressive" battle with cancer.
Friday, December 13, 2024
Tuesday 8 October 2024 11:11:12
World Bank Looking to Free up Emergency Funds for Lebanon
The World Bank is looking to free up emergency funds for Lebanon, potentially including up to $100 million through the use of special clauses in existing loan deals, its managing director of operations told Reuters.
The Washington-based development lender currently has $1.65 billion in loans to the country including a $250 million loan approved this week to help connect dispersed renewable energy projects in the country.
Amid fighting across southern Lebanon, the bank was currently discussing ways in which it could help support the economy, including through the use of so-called Contingent Emergency Response Component (CERCs) clauses.
"We can use our existing portfolio and free up some money for really critical, short-term liquidity needs," Anna Bjerde said.
CERCs are present in around 600 of the bank's existing projects, globally, and allow it to redirect funds that have yet to be disbursed, if requested to by a government, for example after a health or natural disaster, or during conflict.
Lebanon has yet to make such a request, Bjerde said.
Social protection programme
After a year of exchanges of fire between Hezbollah and Israel mostly limited to the frontier region, the conflict has significantly escalated in Lebanon.
Hezbollah fired rockets at Israel's third largest city Haifa on Monday, while Israeli forces looked poised to expand ground raids into south Lebanon on the first anniversary of the Gaza war, which has spread conflict across the Middle East.
Lebanon's government could choose to use an existing social protection programme that was put in place during the Covid-19 pandemic that allows for financial support to be sent to individuals, Bjerde said.
"It has the benefit of being totally digital so you can reach people, plus it can be verified a bit... so we will also probably use that to top up the social safety net for those that are particularly affected."
Up to 1 million people have been internally displaced in the country, she added: "So it's important we focus on that".
Lebanon's finance ministry and economy ministry did not immediately respond when asked for comment.