
Ambassador Bukhari meets Minister of Displaced
Minister Shehadeh briefed Ambassador Bukhari on the Ministry of Technology's strategy, with discussions touching on ways to enhance cooperation and coordination with relevant authorities in the Kingdom in a way that serves the interests of the two brotherly countries.
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Abdallah introduces two bills concerning public sector employees
BEIRUT — MP Bilal Abdallah on Tuesday introduced two bills in Parliament, one concerning public sector contract workers and the other relating to the accumulation of years of seniority for civil servants, according to the state-run National News Agency (NNA). The first bill allows public sector contract workers to choose, at the end of their service, between a severance indemnity paid by the National Social Security Fund (NSSF), or a retirement pension. The second bill enables civil servants employed and covered by the retirement system to 'accumulate their previous years of service' in public administration, the Lebanese University, Parliament or the Public Sector Employees' Cooperative, whether that service was permanent or temporary, contractual, daily, or on a per-task basis. Civil servants held a strike in July after the government approved a series of pay raises for several categories of high-ranking officials, a move that several public sector unions described as 'contemptuous,' as public employees' salaries have still not been adjusted to their pre-2019 crisis levels, when the Lebanese pound underwent a severe depreciation.


L'Orient-Le Jour
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Iraq approves support package for Lebanon after Baghdad meeting
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L'Orient-Le Jour
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During a visit with Michel Aoun, Hezbollah insists Israeli withdrawal should be 'priority'
A Hezbollah delegation, led by MP Ali Fayad, was met Monday morning in Rabieh by former President Michel Aoun, where they discussed the cease-fire with Israel and disarmament, emphasizing the party's condition that Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territory must precede any other discussion, according to the state-run National News Agency (NNA) and al-Manar. During their meeting, the delegation and the former president discussed the "latest developments," at a time when the question of Hezbollah's arsenal is dividing Lebanon's political scene. A Cabinet meeting is scheduled for tomorrow, Tuesday, in Baabda to discuss this issue, which has hardened the positions of the various parties in recent days. According to the NNA, those who took part in the meeting discussed "views on the implementation of the cease-fire agreement provisions," which came into effect on Nov. 27, 2024, after 13 months of war between Hezbollah and Israel. The agreement, which notably calls for the group's disarmament, its total withdrawal from south of the Litani and a halt to Israeli violations, is breached daily by Israel, which conducts attacks in Lebanon and continues to occupy five positions along the border. The parties agreed on the importance of "national cohesion" in order to achieve solutions that will maintain the country's stability and security. Fayad calls for a 'unified Lebanese position' At the end of the meeting, Fayad stated, according to al-Manar, that he was "open to a resolution through the implementation of U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701," which serves as the basis for the truce agreement. "We must respect the sequence of measures as established in the ministerial statement, the inaugural speech, and the Lebanese document submitted to American mediator Tom Barrack," argued the Hezbollah MP, who said that "the first step must be Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territories, cessation of hostilities, and release of prisoners — steps that are imperative before addressing any other issues." Denouncing an attempt to "bypass" the truce agreement, he called for a "unified and firm Lebanese position regarding Israeli withdrawal." President Joseph Aoun has in recent months favored dialogue with Hezbollah over the weapons issue. He raised his tone last week in a speech calling on the party and its base to "place their trust in the state," while calling on the party's critics, notably the Lebanese Forces, to avoid "provocations." The Lebanese Forces and their allies, as well as the United States, call for the establishment of a specific timetable for disarmament. Michel Aoun was allied with the party during his term (2016-2022) before ties grew strained between the Free Patriotic Movement – which was founded by the former president – and Hezbollah. The FPM notably strongly criticized Hezbollah's decision to open a "support front" for Hamas in Gaza on Oct. 8, 2023, following the deadly attack by the Palestinian movement in Israel and the start of the Israeli army's violent offensive on the enclave. Relations between the two former allies, who solidified their understanding on Feb. 6, 2006, also became tense due to Hezbollah's support for a presidential bid by Sleiman Frangieh, a well-known opponent of FPM leader and Michel Aoun's son-in-law, Gebran Bassil. After more than two years with the presidency vacant, it was finally Joseph Aoun who was elected in January 2025.