
Lebanon's PM meets basketball star Wael Arakji
The meeting focused on general sports affairs and included discussions around initiatives aimed at supporting Lebanese athletics, empowering youth, and creating an environment that nurtures emerging talent.
Both sides explored ways to encourage excellence on both the local and international stages.

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Lebanese branch of Transparency International calls for justice for Aug. 4 victims
As the fifth anniversary of the Beirut port double explosion on Aug. 4, 2020, approaches, the Lebanon branch of the organization Transparency International has issued a statement calling for justice for the victims and their families. "On this day, with its wound still gaping in the collective memory of the Lebanese people, and despite five years marked by obstruction, interference and hindrances to the judicial process, we affirm that justice for the victims and for the nation starts under the arch of the court and is achieved by establishing a state governed by the rule of law, based on rights and freedoms and putting an end to impunity," the association said in a statement. "The independence and integrity of the judiciary are essential conditions for guaranteeing accountability and justice. Our commitment to this principle is non-negotiable, especially in the face of the ongoing paralysis of the investigation and attempts to obstruct or derail it through political pressures and interference," the text continued. The investigation led by the investigative judge at the Court of Justice, Tarek Bitar, was relaunched last January after two years of political and judicial hindrances. The statement added: "The reconstruction of a new Lebanon cannot succeed until citizens' trust in their institutions is restored and until those responsible for the destruction of the capital and the loss of human life are held accountable." Transparency International also stressed the need for "transparent judicial appointments, fighting corruption and a comprehensive and independent reform of the judiciary." On Thursday, Parliament passed an organizational law aimed at freeing justice in Lebanon from political interference and strengthening its independence. Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said Friday evening on X that he had signed the decree on judicial appointments that afternoon. The association also highlighted the role of the REHUB platform ( which provides a real-time dashboard to monitor reform progress and publish official documents, "thus enabling citizens and the media to monitor the performance of authorities and have a concrete tool to strengthen transparency and accountability."


L'Orient-Le Jour
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Confiscation of 2-wheelers, fines for tinted windows: ISF toughens measures
The Internal Security Forces have recently increased efforts to confiscate unregistered motorcycles and fine vehicle owners with tinted windows, to the point that many delivery drivers avoid riding their two-wheelers when they hear about a security checkpoint on their route. "This is not exactly a nationwide campaign, but rather a tightening, over the past two weeks, of repressive measures against mopeds in irregular situations and motorists choosing to equip their vehicles with tinted windows in violation of regulations," a security source told L'Orient-Le Jour on Friday on condition of anonymity, noting that these violations are clearly increasing, although no figures were provided. In parallel, the ISF has set up "random roadblocks, mainly in Beirut and Mount Lebanon, but also throughout the country," the same source said. Arrests have also been reported, particularly of foreigners in irregular situations or wanted individuals. "These operations are routine. When we observe traffic violations, we naturally verify the drivers' identities," the source added. Likewise, no statistics are available on the number of arrests during this period, when many Lebanese from the diaspora are present, and when two-wheelers, which mostly do not respect the traffic laws, are often responsible for and victims of deadly road accidents. Lebanon adopted a new traffic code in 2012, but it wasn't enforced until 2015. Still, the country continues to struggle with enforcing basic traffic rules, including speeding, wearing seatbelts, driving against traffic or using a mobile phone while driving. Last March, Interior Minister Ahmad Hajjar already called "for strengthened security measures to reduce recurring incidents and trouble and to ensure the safety of citizens in Beirut and Tripoli." He emphasized the importance of enforcing road safety rules to ensure smoother and safer traffic. These measures were implemented during Ramadan in both cities. In spring 2024, amid the war between Israel and Hezbollah, former Interior Minister Bassam Mawlawi announced the deployment of State Security checkpoints and patrols on the airport road in Beirut following attacks on several motorists.


L'Orient-Le Jour
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Arida residents fear flooding of the al-Kabir River due to public works ministry projects
Residents of the border town of Arida in Akkar district, northern Lebanon, have expressed worries that their homes and fields might flood because of a dam built by the Public Works Ministry at the mouth of the Nahr al-Kabir River. This is due to work carried out to reopen the Arida border crossing between Lebanon and Syria and to make it easier for cars and buses to pass, our northern Lebanon correspondent reports. During a symbolic sit-in on Saturday in front of the Arida border post, they also protested the disruptions and additional expenses these projects cause fishermen, who are now forced to moor their boats outside the fishing port. Residents also voiced their fear, with winter approaching, of an al-Kabir River flood after part of its bed was blocked by debris due to the destruction of the bridge by Israeli airstrikes during the recent war between Israel and Hezbollah. "The high river flow will inevitably lead to a significant rise in the water level, and the village of Arida will be the first to be flooded, as will all the fields and lands along the river's course in Arida, Samakia and Hakr al-Dahri. These vast areas will be transformed into a huge lake," they lamented. The residents called on the relevant authorities, especially the Public Works and Transport Ministry, to urgently find solutions in order to protect the lives and property of the people living in the villages on the Lebanese bank of the al-Kabir River, warning of escalation if this is not done.