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Jordan donates tanks, artillery to Lebanese Army

(BEIRUT, LEBANON) — Jordan donated 30 armored carriers and 12 howitzers to the Lebanese Army on Monday during a ceremony held at Beirut’s naval base, according to the Lebanese National News Agency.

The donation was first announced by Interior Minister Nouhad Machnouk two weeks ago during a private meeting with King Abdullah.

“The Jordanian military assistance aims to boost the Lebanese army’s capability of addressing regional threats and challenges,” said a statement by the Jordanian government.

Lebanese Army Deputy Chief of Staff Brig. Gen. Manuel Kirjian thanked Jordan for the military cooperation and donation to help the country battle regional spillovers.

“We thank you for the military cooperation between the two brotherly armies and the continuous cooperation to confront the common threats and challenges, especially the threat of terrorism,” he said.

Security sources say the donation was made several weeks ago, but the announcement was delayed for several weeks following the death of Jordanian pilot Moaz al-Kassabeh, who was burned to death by ISIS militants in January.

King Abdullah says his country will pledge more arms and military equipment and free training for the Lebanese army at “all bases,” according to comments published in Al-Mustaqbal newspaper.

“We are one,” he said. “Jordan is ready to offer the Lebanese army all its needs of arms and military equipment, including free training at all our bases.”

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Lebanese satirist under fire for ‘insulting Islam’

(BEIRUT, LEBANON) — Lebanese satirist Charbel Khalil is under fire for allegedly defaming Islam on Twitter.

Khalil appeared before a prosecutor on Monday after Dar al-Fatwa, the top Sunni religious authority in Lebanon, filed a complaint against him to the courts.

Lebanon’s Grand Mufti Abdel-Latif Derian urged Justice Minister Ashraf Rifi to take action against Khalil, after he posted a photo of a woman lying on a black bed-cover with the Islamic slogan, “There is no God but God and Mohammed is his Prophet” in Arabic.

The black bed cover resembled the banner of the Islamic State group and it was accompanied with the words, “Sexual jihad under the Prophet’s umbrella.”

Khalil appeared before the prosecutor at Beirut’s Justice Palace with his lawyer MP Ibrahim Kanaan. He said the photo meant to shed light on the harm being done by Islamic State militants to Islam.

State Prosecutor Samir Hammoud referred the case to the State Prosecutor of Appeals Claude Karam after he found that there was enough evidence to try Khalil.

Khalil’s friends, colleagues, and supporters gathered outside of court with black ribbons around their mouths to signify government censorship.

© AP Photo/Hussein Malla
© AP Photo/Hussein Malla

Many of them held signs reading “Je Suis Charbel”, comparing Khalil’s case to the Charlie Hebdo Magazine in Paris. The magazine headquarters came under fire on January 7 by a group that killed 11 people and injured 11 others over an alleged critical photo of Prophet Mohammed.

Khalil is the director of comedy program “Basmat Watan,” which airs on LBC-TV. The program pokes fun at politicians of all political backgrounds and religions.

In 2006, Khalil came under fire after airing a satire comedy of Hezbollah’s leader Hassan Nasrallah, sparking street demonstrations and tire burnings in Beirut.

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Iran offers donation to build dams in Lebanon

(BEIRUT, LEBANON) — Iran announced plans to offer a donation on Sunday to help Lebanon better manage its water resources by building dams in the country.

Lebanese Environmental Minister Mohammad Machnouk met with Iran’s Energy Minister Hamid Chitchian in Tehran, where they announced that Iran was prepared to offer donations to the Lebanese government for dam construction.

“We held serious talks on dam construction in Lebanon and Iran’s experiences and capabilities in the field of dam construction were explained,” Chitchian said. “Iran is ready to provide the friendly country of Lebanon with all its technical capacities and facilities.”

In 2012, Iran offered Lebanon a $40 million cash donation to support the Balaa dam in Batroun, which came under fire by several Lebanese political leaders.

MP Boutrous Harb said the Iranian donation to Batroun was a political gain for Iran and its allies in the region.

Chitchian confirmed on Sunday, however, that Tehran did not end up funding the Balaa dam, which is currently under construction.

Machnouk, who was visiting Iran for an environmental conference, said the meeting also discussed water pollution, drought, and other water-related problems in Lebanon.

Iran currently has dam construction projects in Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and in neighboring Azerbaijan and Armenia, according to the Iranian state-run news agency. Sources say Iran has also begun to develop dams in Nicaragua and Ecuador.

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Lebanon’s winter season attracting more tourists this year

(BEIRUT, LEBANON) — Lebanese Tourism Minister Michel Pharaon reports that tourism numbers in Lebanon increased in January 2015 by 22.6 percent compared to January 2014.

Pharaon says this year’s heavy snowfall has made for a good skiing season, which is a main attraction for foreign tourists.

“We hope to be able to maintain such an improvement in the number of visitors in February, especially since the skiing season is successful this winter and prices of tickets to Lebanon have dropped lately,” Pharaon said.

Middle East Airlines reduced its former fuel surcharge from 15 percent to 7.5 percent, after the recent drop in oil prices.

The statement said that the number of Arab visitors reached 34,734 during January 2015, showing an increase of 38.4 percent compared with January 2014. The majority of tourists came from Iraq, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia.

The statement added that visitors from Europe and the United States increased this month by 13.9 percent and 16 percent, respectively. France, Germany, and British visitors were most common, according to the report.

Visitors from the United States made up 14.9 percent of total tourists during January.

The Ministry reports that there were 90,784 tourists in January 2015, compared with last year’s 70,090.

Winter sports in Lebanon are becoming more in demand due to the close geographical location of the mountain peaks from the Mediterranean sea. Lebanese winter sports include alpine skiing and cross country in addition to paragliding, snowmobiling, and hiking.

There are more than six ski resorts in the country.

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Lebanon signs diplomatic agreement with Cuba

(BEIRUT, LEBANON) — Lebanese Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil signed a historic diplomatic agreement with Cuba, marking the first official visit by a Lebanese foreign minister to Havana since 1970.

Bassil and Cuba’s foreign minister Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla signed the collaboration on Friday, according to Bassil’s media office.

Parrilla expressed solidarity with Lebanon and other Arab countries, citing his country’s stand against Israel.

“We express our support to the Lebanese and Arab causes, especially to the Palestinian cause,” Parilla said.

Bassil thanked Cuba for working with Lebanon and voiced opposition of international support to Israel.

“We will firmly as Lebanese stand for our rights against the oppression of Israel and we will defeat Israel who will never win a gain over us,” he said.

Parrilla hosted a private reception for Bassil attended by ambassadors to Cuba and influential members of the Cuban-Lebanese community.

The Lebanese population is Cuba is estimated to be more than 30,000.

Bassil congratulated Parrilla for reaching an agreement with the United States, which is normalizing relations between Cuba and the U.S.

The agreement between the two countries lifts some U.S. travel restrictions, fewer restrictions on remittances, U.S. banks access to the Cuban financial system, and the establishment of a U.S. embassy in Havana, which closed after Cuba became closely allied with the USSR in 1961.

Bassil says he hopes the Lebanese community in Cuba will help the bonding process between the U.S. and Cuba, especially in economic and cultural relations.

Bassil also met with Cuba’s Deputy Prime Minister Ricardo Cabrisas Ruiz during the trip, and the two officials agreed on forming a diplomatic committee for securing a better relationship between Lebanon and Cuba.

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Winter storm batters Lebanon; closes schools for days

(BEIRUT, LEBANON) — Lebanese officials have begun assessing damages after a two-day storm battered villages across the country, adding thick layers of snow, blocking roads, and cutting power supply in some areas.

The meteorological department at Beirut’s Rafik Hariri International Airport reported that heavy snowfall was witnessed in areas 900 meters above sea level and winds were recorded at speeds up to 90 kilometers per hour, according to AlBawaba News.

A strong hail storm was also reported in Beirut, prompting officials to close schools in the country for several days.

The storm, nicknamed ‘Windy’, has since ended, but officials have already begun assessing the damage and cleanup costs caused by the intense wind and snowfall.

Telecommunication Minister Boutros Harb called on Lebanon’s mobile communication companies Alfa and Touch to quickly fix the malfunctions that hit their network as a result of the storm.

Electricity outages were also reported in many areas in North Lebanon, including Akkar, which is only receiving 45 minutes of electricity each day, according to Beirut-based newspaper The Daily Star.

“Electricity flow is reaching for around 10 minutes every 40 minutes, which does not exceed three hours every 24 hours,” the residents said in a statement. “There will be escalatory measures if the situation continues as is.”

Syrian refugees in the Bekaa are also facing treacherous winter conditions, leaving many informal settlements without heat.

UNICEF says they’re distributing winter clothing kits to over 100,000 children in informal settlements across the country, putting a priority on north Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley, where temperatures often drop below zero, according to the organization.

The most recent storm comes after Storm Zina battered Lebanon last month, closing schools for several days, and threatening the country’s weak infrastructure.

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Lebanese-American doctor saves Michigan man’s life

(SAGINAW, MI) — Lebanese-American neurosurgeon Dr. Joseph Adel saved a Michigan man’s life after using a new scanner to reverse the symptoms of a stroke.

Adel, who works at St. Mary’s Medical Center in Saginaw, Mich., said Doug Sands was taken to a local medical center near his home, but it didn’t have the necessary technology he needed to survive.

Sands was then rushed 45 miles away from his home to St. Mary’s of Michigan Medical Center, where he was treated by Adel.

When Sands arrived, the left side of his  body was paralyzed and he couldn’t speak, according to a medical report.

But Adel used a new scanner to pinpoint a clot in his neck and head, which prompted an urgent surgery to remove the clots.

Adel said the new scanner saved Sands’ life.

“Our success rate was 50 percent initially,” Adel told WNEM-TV. “Now, with the recent technology that we have, it’s up to 70, even 80 percent chance of being able to open the blood vessels.”

Adel added that modern medical technology can reverse stroke symptoms within six hours after they first develop.

Sands says he’s thankful for Adel’s quick-thinking.

“It’s hard to put into words, without him I might still be laying here not being able to talk,” he said.

Adel has completed fellowship training in cerebrovascular, endovascular, and skull base surgery.

He earned his medical degree from American University of Beirut Medical Center in Lebanon and completed a residency in neurological surgery at Northwestern University in Chicago, according to his online biography.

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Lebanese-Australian journalist honored for reports on ISIS

(SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA) — Lebanese-Australian journalist Rania Abouzeid was recently awarded with one of the highest honors in journalism for her extensive special reporting on the Islamic State and their emergence in Iraq and Syria.

Abouzeid will receive the George Polk Award at a ceremony in New York on April 10. The awards, given by Long Island University, place a premium on investigative and enterprising reporting that gains attention and achieves results.

The award committee released the following statement about Abouzeid:

Australian-Lebanese journalist Rania Abouzeid will receive the George Polk Award for Foreign Reporting for “The Jihad Next Door,” an extensive and authoritative account of the rise of the Islamic State, published online by Politico Magazine. Abouzeid gained access to Jihadist fighters and their leaders, showing how they used the conflict in Syria to gain strength and support, outflanking badly equipped and disorganized moderate rebels to form a powerful and more dangerous offshoot of Al-Qaeda.

Abouzeid, a daughter of Lebanese immigrants, has 15 years of experience reporting in the Middle East.

“Thank you for all kind words re (sic) Polk award,” Abouzeid wrote on Twitter. “Honored & humbled. Thanks to @politico which ran my piece at length. Congrats to other winners.”

To read Abouzeid’s award-winning report, click here.

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Ex-PM Saad Hariri speaks at ceremony honoring late father

(BEIRUT, LEBANON) — Former Prime Minister Saad Hariri arrived in Beirut on a rare visit to participate in a ceremony honoring his late father Rafic Hariri, who was assassinated on Feb. 14, 2005.

Speaking at a ceremony marking the 10-year anniversary since the former premier’s death, Hariri said his father’s legacy for Lebanon “remains valid” today.

“Ten years ago, the first earthquake struck dear Beirut,” Hariri said. “They assassinated Rafic Hariri and killed a major symbol for success and construction. Throughout 10 years, several quakes occurred one after one to reach unprecedented levels of organized chaos and murder.”

Hariri added that those behind his father’s assassination are still working to kill his legacy of religious unity and coexistence.

“The martyr premier exerted efforts to confront civil war and he rebuilt the state and here we are facing a plan to divide it and destroy its institutions,” he said. “We are facing a plan to empty the state and destroy its institutions and we’re facing a marginalization of Lebanon in its Arab and international ties and a deterioration in development and the standard of living of the Lebanese.”

Hariri criticized Hezbollah for involving Lebanon into regional matters, adding that Lebanon has “no right” to interfere in the foreign affairs of other countries.

“Lebanon is not in an axis that extends from Iran to Syria to Palestine,” Hariri said. “Lebanon is not in any axis and the Lebanese are not products to be used on anyone’s table.”

But he also underlined the importance of dialogue with his political rivals, saying talks launched between the two parties in December were “serious.”

“Dialogue with Hezbollah is not “political luxury” or a step to leave behind the points of contention,” he said. “Dialogue is simply a necessity in this period — an Islamic need to contain the Islamic tensions and a national need due to the ongoing vacuum.”

Hariri urged Hezbollah to withdraw from Syria, saying Lebanon should not have to bear consequences of the conflict’s spillover.

“We support the state and army in the face of extremism and terrorism and there is no middle ground between moderation and extremism,” he said. “There is no middle ground between the army and the militia, between national unity and civil war, or between a sovereign, independent Lebanon and a divided Lebanon.”

Hariri’s last visit to Lebanon was in August following deadly attacks in the northeastern town of Arsal. He has been living in self-imposed exile between France and Saudi Arabia since 2011.

WATCH Saad Hariri’s full remarks:

RELATED: Lebanese officials remember Rafic Hariri. Read more.

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Italy donates spare equipment, parts to Lebanese Army

(BEIRUT, LEBANON) — Italy donated 773,000 euros, or $880,000 USD, worth of spare parts for trucks and helicopters to the Lebanese Army, according to a statement by the Italian Embassy in Beirut.

The Italian Pinerolo Brigade, which operates as part of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, made the donation to the Lebanese Armed Forces at the Command of the Logistics Brigade.

“Italy supports Lebanon through its participation within UNIFIL and the direct aid granted to the Lebanese Armed Forces,” Italian Ambassador to Lebanon Giuseppe Morabito said. “The Lebanese Armed Forces are doing an excellent job in order to preserve Lebanon’s stability, which is also in Italy’s interest.”

Italian Defense Attache of the Embassy of Italy in Lebanon Gen. Pierluigi Monteduro said the donation was made on behalf of the Italian government to boost anti-terrorism capabilities.

The Lebanese Army’s Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics Gen. Manuel Kirejian thanked the Italian government and the Pinerolo Brigade for their efforts, recalling previous aid from Italy, particularly in south Lebanon.

The Italian contingent in Lebanon is assigned by UN Resolution 1701 of 2006, to monitor hostilities cessation, support the Lebanese Armed Forces, and provide assistance to the local population for the development of the economy, according to the Lebanese National News Agency.

The Italian donation comes just one week after the United States delivered a shipment of weapons totaling $25 million.

Meanwhile France’s Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said his country would begin delivering weapons purchased with a $3 billion Saudi grant to the Lebanese military in the first week of April.

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