logo
Minister Shehadeh receives French Ambassador

Minister Shehadeh receives French Ambassador

MTV Lebanon25-02-2025

Minister of the Displaced and State Minister for Technology Affairs Kamal Shehadeh received in his office at the ministry, French Ambassador to Lebanon Hervé Magro who came on an acquaintance visit.
Ambassador Magro congratulated Minister Shehadeh, on assuming his ministerial posts.
Magro expressed his country's readiness "to support Lebanon and its government based on the priorities set by the Lebanese government, while stressing France's readiness to assist and cooperate in areas related to the Ministry of State for Technology Affairs."

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Army searches building in Hadath for Hezbollah weapons
Army searches building in Hadath for Hezbollah weapons

Nahar Net

time7 hours ago

  • Nahar Net

Army searches building in Hadath for Hezbollah weapons

by Naharnet Newsdesk 7 hours Army forces launched Tuesday a search in a building in a densely populated area of Hadath in Beirut's southern suburbs. A Lebanese military official said the forces were looking for weapons at the request of a five-member committee supervising the Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire. The building in the Sainte-Therese street had already been targeted during the the 14-month Israel-Hezbollah war. Israel warned on Friday that it would keep up its strikes on Hezbollah targets across Lebanon, after it struck four locations in Dahieh on the eve of the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha. The Lebanese army condemned the airstrikes, warning that such attacks are weakening the role of Lebanon's armed forces that might eventually suspend cooperation with the committee monitoring the truce that ended the Israel-Hezbollah war. It said it had tried to convince Israel not to carry out the strikes and to instead let Lebanese officials go in to search the area under the mechanism laid out in the ceasefire agreement, but that the Israeli army refused, so Lebanese soldiers moved away from the locations after they were sent.

Ahead of UN climate talks, Brazil fast-tracks oil and highway projects threatening Amazon
Ahead of UN climate talks, Brazil fast-tracks oil and highway projects threatening Amazon

Nahar Net

time8 hours ago

  • Nahar Net

Ahead of UN climate talks, Brazil fast-tracks oil and highway projects threatening Amazon

by Naharnet Newsdesk 10 June 2025, 21:51 Months before hosting the U.N.'s first climate talks held in the Amazon, Brazil is fast-tracking a series of controversial decisions that undercut President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's lofty environmental rhetoric and show widening divisions within his cabinet. The country's federal environmental agency approved plans for offshore drilling near the mouth of the Amazon and rock blasting along another river in the rainforest, while Congress is moving to make it harder to recognize Indigenous land and easier to build infrastructure in the rainforest. These efforts would be controversial in normal times. But on the eve of the COP30 climate summit, environmental advocates say they're undermining Lula's claims to be an environmental defender whose administration has made headway in slowing deforestation in the Amazon. "What will Brazil show up with at COP30 in November?" asked Cleberson Zavaski, president of the National Association of Environmental Public Servants. "Will it be, once again, a list of commitments that contradict what the country itself is putting on the table today — such as expanding the highway network and oil exploitation?" Lula pushed controversial drilling project Protecting the environment was a central part of Lula's presidential campaign in 2022, when he ran against President Jair Bolsonaro, who presided over increasing deforestation and illegal activities in the Amazon, such as gold mining and land-grabbing. But when Brazil's environmental protection agency rejected the bid of Petrobras, the country's state-run oil company, to conduct exploratory drilling in an about 160 kilometers (99 miles) off Brazil's Amazonian coast, Lula supported the company's appeal and in February criticized the agency for taking too long, saying it "seems like it's working against the government." On May 19, the Brazilian Institute of the Environment and Renewable Natural Resources or IBAMA, approved an emergency plan to allow the drilling. A week later, IBAMA approved a rock-blasting operation along 40 km (25 miles) of the Tocantins River to enable year-round navigation, despite criticism from local grassroots organizations. The river, which cuts through the Amazon rainforest, is set to become a critical waterway to ship soybeans, mainly to China. The Federal Prosecutor's Office said the authorization was illegal because it failed to address issues highlighted during the environmental study, and filed a lawsuit seeking to have it overturned. Since taking office in 2023, Lula has argued that Brazil can both further its development while protecting the environment. "France, the U.K., Norway and the U.S. also produce oil. And Brazil has the cleanest energy mix in the world: 90% of our electricity comes from renewables," Lula said in an interview to French newspaper Le Monde published last week. Brazil gets most of its own electricity from hydropower and other green energies, while its oil exports, a major source of income for the country, are on the rise. Emails to the president's chief of staff seeking comment were not answered. Congress weakens environmental protections On May 21, the Senate approved sweeping legislation that weakens federal agencies' environmental licensing powers. Among other measures, the bill streamlines review for projects deemed priorities by the federal government, reducing the approval process from three bureaucratic steps to one and imposing a one-year deadline for review. It also elimates reviews for upgrades to existing highways, which could clear the way for to pave the whole of BR-319, a highway that runs about 900 kilometers (560 miles) through the western part of the Amazon. Environmentalists argue that the paving will lead to mass clearing of a pristine area of rainforest. The bill is opposed by Lula's Workers' Party, but it's expected to pass the lower chamber of Congress. Lula could veto all or parts of the bill, but according to press reports he is expected to support of the bulk of the changes with only minor adjustments. Lula has said he has no position on the environmental bill. Meanwhile, Congress has also approved rules that make it harder demarcate Indigenous lands and is moving forward with legislation to weaken licensing rules that, among other impacts. The bill is opposed by Lula's Workers' Party, but according to several press reports Lula will support of the bulk of the changes and will only negotiate minor adjustments. "It's the perfect combo to wipe out environmental protections and Indigenous land demarcations in the country, accelerate the tipping point of the world's largest tropical forest and set off a carbon bomb against the global climate," Climate Observatory, a network of 133 environmental, civil society and academic groups, said in a statement. Former U.S. Interior Interior Bruce Babbitt, who sits on the board of the nonprofit Amazon Conservation, said in a statement that the bill "will lead to massive destruction of the Amazon rainforest. It should be opposed by all Brazilians and friends of Brazil in the international community." Divisions over the bill appear to sideline Environment Minister The licensing bill has also deepened internal divisions within Brazil's government. Environment Minister Marina Silva said the law will end one of Brazil's crucial mechanisms of environmental protection, but she appears increasingly sidelined in the administration. Local media have reported that Lula's Chief of Staff Rui Costa promised the bill's sponsor that Lula would not oppose changes to licensing rules, and Minister of Transportation Renan Filho said in a social media post that the bill is "excellent" news that will get the highway project moving. At a press conference last week, Lula praised Silva, calling her "loyal" and adding that it's normal to have friction between the environmental and other ministries of government. But many see echoes of Lula's previous administration, during which Silva resigned from the same post after being marginalized by the rising influence of agribusiness. João Paulo Capobianco, executive secretary of the environment ministry, reiterated her criticism of the bill in a speech last week, calling it a "real risk of setback." He added that Silva is working with Lula's cabinet toward "a point of convergence between those who seek efficiency — and deserve a response — and the need to preserve the system without dismantling environmental licensing."

UNIFIL statement on patrol obstruction Hallusiyat al Tahta
UNIFIL statement on patrol obstruction Hallusiyat al Tahta

MTV Lebanon

time12 hours ago

  • MTV Lebanon

UNIFIL statement on patrol obstruction Hallusiyat al Tahta

The following is statement issued by UNIFIL: 'This morning, UNIFIL peacekeepers conducting a planned patrol coordinated with the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) were confronted by a group of individuals in civilian clothing in the vicinity of Hallusiyat al Tahta, in southern Lebanon. The group attempted to obstruct the patrol using aggressive means, including throwing stones at the peacekeepers. One peacekeeper was struck, fortunately, no injuries were reported. In response, UNIFIL personnel employed non-lethal measures to ensure the safety of both the patrol members and those present. The LAF was promptly informed and arrived on the scene shortly thereafter. The situation was quickly brought under control, and the patrol was able to proceed. Freedom of movement is a core requirement for the implementation of UNIFIL's mandate. This includes the ability to operate independently and impartially, as outlined in UN Security Council Resolution 1701. Any restriction on this freedom — while conducting operational activities with or without LAF — constitutes a violation of that resolution. It is unacceptable that UNIFIL peacekeepers continue to be targeted. UNIFIL calls on the Lebanese authorities to take all necessary measures to ensure that its peacekeepers can carry out their duties without obstruction or threat.'

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store