Lebanon

09 Dec 2019; MEMO: Lebanon’s leading Sunni Muslim politician, Saad al-Hariri, re-emerged as a candidate for prime minister on Sunday when businessman Samir Khatib withdrew his candidacy to lead a government that must tackle an acute economic crisis, Reuters reports.

BEIRUT (AP) — A possible candidate for prime minister of Lebanon said Sunday he is withdrawing from consideration for the post, prolonging the country’s political crisis.

Samir Khatib said the country’s top Sunni religious authority told him the community supports the re-appointment of former Prime Minister Saad Hariri, who resigned Oct. 29 under fire from anti-government protesters.

Lebanon appealed to more friendly states on Saturday to help it import essential goods as it wrestles with an acute economic crisis and hard currency shortages, the office of caretaker Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri said, Reuters reports.

08 Dec 2019; MEMO: Hariri wrote to the leaders of Germany, Britain and Spain on Saturday to request help in securing credit for imports, having made the same appeal on Friday to Saudi Arabia, France, Russia, Turkey, the United States, China, and Egypt.

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Lebanon said on Friday it had asked friendly states to help finance imports of essential goods, as sources said France is planning an international meeting to mobilize support for its former colony’s deep economic crisis.

Caretaker Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri said that his office had sent an appeal for assistance in securing credit for imports of food and raw materials for manufacturing.

The appeal was sent to Saudi Arabia, France, Russia, Turkey, the United States, China, and Egypt, Hariri said in a statement.

BEIRUT, Dec 4 (NNN-NNA) – Hundreds of Syrian refugees have headed home, in the first batch to leave Lebanon, since protests broke out in the small Arab country, more than a month ago.

Since the early hours of Tuesday, scores of Syrians boarded buses in several locations in Lebanon, before heading back to their hometowns in war-torn Syria.

Vanessa Moya of the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, said, some 225 Syrian refugees were scheduled to head back to Syria, raising the number to about 27,000 refugees who have returned to Syria over the past two years.

BEIRUT, Dec 3 (NNN-NNA) – A UN senior official, said, Israeli settlements in occupied Palestine, constitute a flagrant violation of international law.

The remarks were made by Rola Dashti, executive secretary of the UN Economic and Social Commission for West Asia (ESCWA), during a celebration of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, at ESCWA’s headquarters in Beirut.

Dashti also voiced commitment to safeguarding the rights of the Palestinian people.

BEIRUT (AP) — Nadyn Jouny’s sister taped up two messages in her memory inside a closet at the family home — one of motherly love tinged with pain, another of defiance.

The first Jouny wrote to her 9-year-old son on the one day a week she was allowed to see him under a custody ruling by a Shiite religious court. “Peace be upon the holy nights when you fall asleep near me,” she wrote. “Peace be upon the trace of love painted on your face and features ... This is my night.”

BEIRUT, Dec 1 (NNN-NNA) – The Arab League assistant secretary general said, Arab funds are ready to help Lebanon, once the political crisis in the country is over.

“Lebanese officials must accelerate the formation of a new government, because any economic support is not possible without a new cabinet supported by the Lebanese people,” Hossam Zaki was quoted as saying.

Zaki said that the Arab League may hold an exceptional economic meeting soon.

BEIRUT, Nov 30 (NNN-NNA) – Lebanese demonstrated on Friday, to protest against the naturalisation of Syrian and Palestinian refugees in Lebanon.

The protesters gathered in front of the headquarters of the EU delegation in Lebanon, complained about the economic burden imposed by refugees in Lebanon, which exacerbates the economic deterioration.

They added that Lebanon has done its full duties towards refugees in the past years.

BEIRUT, Nov 28 (NNN-NNA) – The Lebanese Syndicate of Gas Station Owners, announced Wednesday, that, it will start an open strike on Thursday (today), because of its huge losses caused by the increase in the price of U.S. currency to the Lebanese pounds.

Gas stations in Lebanon are losing money because they are buying fuel from oil importing companies by paying in U.S. dollars, while they are selling it to clients in Lebanese pounds. Meanwhile, gas stations’ owners need the U.S. dollars, because they pay their suppliers with the U.S. currency.