Author: Abdul Quddoos

Lebanon’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants on Tuesday condemned the attack on the Jordanian embassy in Khartoum a day earlier. In a statement posted on its Twitter account, the ministry condemned the storming of the embassy building and the acts of vandalism, calling on all parties to respect international conventions and norms by refraining from attacking diplomatic facilities. The ministry also expressed its “solidarity with the brotherly government and people of Jordan.” On Monday, Jordan’s Foreign Ministry said its embassy in Khartoum was stormed and vandalized. Sudan has been witnessing deadly armed clashes between the Sudanese Army and the…

Lebanon’s state security on Thursday arrested two Syrian nationals over ties with the Islamic State (IS), the National News Agency reported. The first terrorist suspect was arrested in the Bekaa region for activities of financing the IS and communicating with its prominent leaders. The other suspect was arrested in southern Lebanon for taking military and security training with the terrorist group. The suspect, who entered Lebanon illegally in 2017, also monitored people who violated the rules of the IS. The two suspects were referred to the competent judiciary system for further investigation and other legal procedures.

Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri on Sunday said the Arab League (AL)’s decision to restore Syria’s membership in the league is a step in the right direction to a unified Arab stance. “This decision was delayed for years, but it is a step in the right direction towards a return to Arab righteousness,” Berri said in a statement released by the National News Agency. He added: “With the return of Syria to the Arabs and the return of the Arabs to Syria, there is a glimmer of hope for a new resurrection of joint Arab action.” Meanwhile, caretaker Foreign Minister…

At the just concluded Middle East Clean Energy 2023 held in Beirut, Lebanon, multiple Chinese companies brought their sustainable power-generating solutions. SOROTEC, a manufacturer in the UPS (uninterruptible power supply) field, was one of them. Booths of Chinese exhibitors attracted the attention of many as Lebanon is suffering from deepening electricity crisis and fuel shortage. Fadi Halloum, a local electrical engineer, welcomed Chinese products as green solutions. He also said that Chinese companies have good technical support for their Lebanese partners, which helps deliver better service to local people. Lack of electricity remains a chronic problem in Lebanon, as households…

Lebanese Energy Minister Walid Fayyad on Friday signed contracts with 11 private sector companies to build solar power plants with a capacity of 15 megawatts per station, the National News Agency reported. Fayyad said solar energy generated from the 11 power plants would be sold at different prices, with the Bekaa region’s power plants charging 5.7 U.S. cents per kilowatt-hour, and power plants in the rest of the country charging U.S. 6.27 cents per kilowatt-hour. Fayyad said the prices are cheaper than the power produced by the state-run Elecricite Du Liban, which costs 17 U.S. cents per kilowatt-hour. Lack of…

French energy and petroleum company TotalEnergies signed a fixed contract with U.S. drilling contractor Transocean to use its drilling rig for the first well in Lebanon’s Block 9. “The semi-submersible drilling rig ‘Transocean Barents’ will sail towards Lebanon upon the end of its current operations in the British North Sea,” TotalEnergies said in a statement on Tuesday. Lebanon and Israel finalized a U.S.-brokered maritime border demarcation deal in October 2022, bringing both countries closer to oil and gas exploration in their waters after years of negotiations. Qatar signed an agreement with Lebanon to join the consortium of TotalEnergies and Italy’s…

Furry pandas, Chinese Gods of Wealth wearing traditional costumes… A parade with various kinds of characters along Lusail Boulevard in Qatar’s Lusail City attracted hundreds of visitors on Thursday night. It is part of a flower festival dubbed “Darb Lusail Flower Festival,” which lasts from May 25 to 27 and also consists of flea markets and a range of other fun activities. Artists perform during a parade at the Darb Lusail Flower Festival at Lusail Boulevard in Lusail City, Qatar on May 25, 2023. (Photo by Nikku/Xinhua) A flower-decorated float with Chinese Gods of Wealth performs during a parade at the Darb Lusail Flower Festival at Lusail…

China faces a relatively easy Group A in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup Qatar 2023 following the draw made here on Thursday, with Qatar, Tajikistan and Lebanon being the other three teams in the group. Scheduled to take place from January 12 to February 10, 2024, the highly anticipated continental tournament promises to deliver thrilling football matches. The 24 teams were divided into six groups. Host Qatar is poised to kick off its title defense against contenders including two-time runner-up China. Chinese team manager Shao Jiayi told Xinhua after the draw that the team’s initial goal is to…

Iranian forces have seized another tanker in the strategically important Strait of Hormuz, marking the latest in a series of seizures and attacks by Iranian forces on commercial vessels navigating the sensitive Gulf waters. The U.S. Navy has reported that on on May 3rd, around 6:20 a.m. local time, the Panama-flagged anker Niovi, a Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC), was intercepted and captured by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy (IRGCN) as it was passing through the Strait of Hormuz. The tanker, which was not carrying any oil at the time, had departed from Dubai and was en route to the…

An oil tanker seized by Iran last Thursday was carrying Kuwaiti crude and had a crew of 24 Indians, according to the operator. The US has demanded the immediate release of the the Marshall Islands-flagged Advantage Sweet, which was travelling in international waters and near the Gulf of Oman when the incident happened, according to the US military. The ship was heading to the US, a spokesperson for Advantage Tankers, the vessel’s Turkey-based operator, said to Bloomberg on Friday. It was carrying oil and was chartered by Chevron Corp., the spokesperson confirmed. The seizure underscores continued tensions in a vital corridor for oil…