Lebanon

BEIRUT (AP) — Hundreds of people rallied in Beirut on Saturday to protest measures imposed against the unvaccinated, saying individuals should have the right to decide whether to be inoculated or not.

Vaccination is not compulsory in Lebanon, but in recent days authorities have cracked down on people who are not inoculated or don’t carry a negative PCR test.

Saturday’s protest by nearly 300 people in downtown Beirut came a day after the daily number of new cornoavirus cases hit a record 7,974.

BEIRUT, Jan. 7 (Xinhua) -- Lebanon's security authorities on Friday arrested 23 Syrians for illegally entering the country, Elnashra news website reported.

The Syrians, who were arrested in Lebanon's northern district of Akkar, have been referred to judicial bodies for investigation and other legal procedures, according to Elnashra.

Lebanon's security forces have been exerting great efforts to fight against human smuggling from Syria.

06 Jan 2022; MEMO: Lebanon's Minister of Interior and Municipalities has ordered all posters deemed to be offensive to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to be removed from streets in the southern suburbs of Beirut. Bassam Mawlawi issued the order earlier today.

BEIRUT, Jan. 3 (Xinhua) -- Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati on Monday rejected the accusation by Hezbollah's leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah that Saudi Arabia supports the Islamic State (IS) group in Syria.

"These remarks do not represent the Lebanese government and people. It is not in Lebanon's interest to offend any Arab country, especially the Gulf states," Mikati said in a statement.

BEIRUT, Dec 30 (NNN-NNA) – The customs authorities at the Beirut port yesterday seized a shipment of oranges, hiding nine million captagon pills, destined for the Gulf region.

Lebanese Interior Minister, Bassam Mawlawi, visited the Beirut port and inspected the shipment, shortly after its seizure, while assuring that Lebanon is working seriously on halting such practices.

Mawlawi addressed the Gulf countries, saying that, this operation proves the readiness of Lebanese security agencies, to seriously combat crime and drug smuggling.

BEIRUT, Dec. 30 (Xinhua) -- Lebanon and Kuwait agreed on Thursday to boost security cooperation and exchange of information to fight smuggling, the National News Agency reported.

The agreement came in a phone call between Kuwaiti Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Ahmad Mansour Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah and Lebanese Interior Minister Bassam Mawlawi, after Lebanon's customs authorities seized 9 million captagon pills hid in a shipment of oranges destined for Kuwait.

Al-Sabah said he appreciates the efforts of Lebanon's interior ministry in fighting smuggling.

BEIRUT (AP) — Satellite images taken this week over the Syrian port of Latakia show the smoldering wreckage after a reported Israeli missile strike, hours after firefighters contained a massive blaze.

29 Dec 2021; MEMO: Lebanon has set 15 as a date for the country's parliamentary elections, Anadolu News Agency reports.

President Michel Aoun "signed a decree inviting the electoral bodies to elect members of parliament on May 15 for those residing in Lebanon," his office said in a statement.

Employees participating in the electoral process will vote three days earlier on 12 May, while Lebanese living abroad will cast their votes on 6 and 8 May, the statement added.

BEIRUT, Dec 29 (NNN-NNA) – Lebanese Prime Minister, Najib Mikati, yesterday called for a national dialogue among the different governing political parties, to discuss Lebanon’s ties with Gulf countries.

“We need to reach an understanding to strengthen Lebanon’s ties with Arab nations, especially Gulf countries, by not offending them or interfering in their internal affairs,” Mikati said, in a televised speech.

BEIRUT, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati called on Tuesday for a national dialogue among the different governing political parties to discuss Lebanon's ties with Gulf countries, the National News Agency reported.

"We need to reach an understanding to strengthen Lebanon's ties with Arab nations, especially Gulf countries, by not offending them or interfering in their internal affairs," Mikati said in a televised speech.