Lebanese denied visa in Australia over sexual orientation

A Lebanese man who says he is gay and became engaged to an Australian woman to please his abusive father has been denied a protection visa because he was not believed to be homosexual. (more…)

Smoking Chimp evacuated from Lebanon

A 12-year-old chimpanzee was heading to a sanctuary in Brazil on Monday after animal rights workers discovered him smoking cigarettes to entertain visitors at a Lebanese zoo. (more…)

Bush believes 2006 war strengthened Lebanon

Former US President, George W. Bush considered in his memoirs “Moments of Decision” that the Israeli war on Lebanon in July 2006 contributed to the weakening of Hezbollah and strengthened what he used to call “the newly born democracy in Lebanon”. About the July war, Bush said: “The newly born democracy in Lebanon became stronger due to this aggression, because it bore the experiment”, but “the results for Israel were various”, and “its campaign against Lebanon weakened Hezbollah and helped it to protect its border”. (more…)

Iran joins Lebanon’s battle for oil

Tehran believes its experience in the energy sector could help Lebanon tap into oil reserves in eastern Mediterranean waters, an official said. (more…)

Tribunal can’t be stopped by Lebanon says Kerry

Lebanon is powerless to stop a UN-backed probe into the murder of ex-premier Rafiq Hariri despite a campaign by Hezbollah to torpedo the court, visiting US Senator John Kerry said on Monday.

“This is a tribunal that was not created by the United States, not created by any individual entity in this region,” said Kerry, chairman of the Senate’s foreign relations committee, after meeting with Lebanese President Michel Sleiman and Prime Minister Saad Hariri, son of the slain ex-premier. (more…)

STL to indict up to 6 members of Hezbollah

The United Nations-backed court investigating the 2005 assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri is moving to indict between two and six members of the militant group Hezbollah by year-end, according to people briefed on the tribunal’s work, stoking fears of renewed sectarian strife in the Middle East country. (more…)

Investors told to ‘run away’ from Venezuela

On this booming continent, oil-rich Venezuela is the exception: South America’s only shrinking economy this year. Officials are rationing hard currency. Government takeovers of private businesses are increasing. One prominent financial analyst recently had just two words of advice for investors here: “Run away.” (more…)

AN earthquake rattles northwestern Iran

An earthquake in northwestern Iran on Saturday injured at least 80 people, Iranian news agencies reported. (more…)

France considering meetings between Sarkozy, Lebanese officials

Former Lebanese president and Phalange Party leader Amin Gemayel told An-Nahar newspaper in an interview published Sunday that France is looking into the possibility of scheduling meetings between French President Nicolas Sarkozy and Lebanese officials.

“There is no invitation, but France is considering the possibility of holding meetings at the highest level between President Sarkozy and some Lebanese officials,” Gemayel said (more…)

Israel to withdraw from northen Ghajar, report

According to Israeli newspaper Jerusalem Post , Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu is expected to inform United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon of his plan to withdraw from the northern part of the Ghajar village when the two men meet in New York on Monday. (more…)