Latest news with #Al-Jadeed
Nahar Net
a day ago
- Business
- Nahar Net
Ex-Hezbollah minister reportedly named as president's reconstruction adviser
Former public works and transportation minister Ali Hamie, who was named by Hezbollah to the previous government, has been appointed as President Josep Aoun's adviser for reconstruction affairs, media reports said on Tuesday. The president had told a Hezbollah delegation last week that 'there is no link between (Hezbollah's) weapons and reconstruction, explaining the role of a ministerial committee tasked with preparing a reconstruction study,' sources told Al-Jadeed television. Aoun added that he was seeking to hold an international conference with the participation of the UAE, Saudi Arabia, the U.S., France and Egypt to rally support for Lebanon's reconstruction process. Foreign Minister Youssef Rajji reportedly told visiting Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Monday that 'there will be no reconstruction funds without disarming Hezbollah.' Araghchi for his part said after meeting Speaker Nabih Berri that Iranian companies are ready to take part in Lebanon's reconstruction if the Lebanese government wants that. Araghchi's visit comes after Iran's main Lebanese ally, Hezbollah, was weakened by a 14-month war with Israel that left much of the Iran-backed group's political and military leadership dead. Araghchi's visit is his first since October, which came at the height of the Israel-Hezbollah war that ended a month later with a U.S.-brokered ceasefire. The war killed more than 4,000 in Lebanon, displaced over 1 million people and caused destruction that the World Bank said will coast $11 billion in reconstruction.
Nahar Net
28-05-2025
- Politics
- Nahar Net
Israeli violations in south Lebanon: Latest developments
by Naharnet Newsdesk 28 May 2025, 12:31 Israeli forces on Wednesday fired an artillery shell at the al-Ain area in the southern border town of Kfarshouba and also fired machine guns at the town's outskirts, the National News Agency said. Al-Jadeed television said the shell was fired at shepherds in the area. Several citizens meanwhile escaped unharmed after Israeli forces opened fire at them near a chicken farm in the southern border town of Blida. A drone meanwhile dropped a stun grenade on the border town of Kfar Kila. The Israeli army also opened machine gun fire heavily on the Marjayoun plain. Israeli drones meanwhile overflew the al-Zahrani region at low altitudes.
Nahar Net
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Nahar Net
Palestinian official says Lebanon camps to keep light weapons
by Naharnet Newsdesk 20 May 2025, 16:40 The issue of Palestinian arms in Lebanon might be the 'last' topic on the agenda of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas during his visit to Lebanon this week, a Beirut-based Palestinian official said on Tuesday. 'This topic is new and is not the priority for the Lebanese and Palestinians,' Haitham Zuaiter, a member of the Palestinian central and national councils, told Al-Jadeed television. 'There is no proposal for removing Palestinian arms in Lebanon,' Zuaiter said, reminding that the national dialogue sessions chaired by Speaker Nabih Berri had called for 'removing Palestinian arms outside the camps and controlling them inside the camps' and that 'President Joseph Aoun has called for the removal of heavy-caliber arms.' 'We support bringing Palestinian arms under control inside the Palestinian camps within the framework of serious discussions and a drastic solution,' Zuaiter went on to say. He added: 'Honestly we cannot talk about the issue of Palestinian arms without resolving the Palestinian issue in the Lebanese arena in a comprehensive way.' Warning that Israel might target Palestinian camps in Lebanon the same it has targeted refugee camps in the Palestinian territories, Zuaiter said Abbas will tell Lebanese officials that 'the Lebanese Army should not enter the Palestinian camps by force.' 'Palestinian security forces are in charge of security inside the camps and would coordinate with Lebanese authorities,' the Palestinian officials added, noting that 'arms must be under the authority of the Lebanese state.' 'What's needed is to prevent a repetition of the (1982) Sabra and Shatila massacre and had there been light weapons (in the hands of the Palestinians at the time), this massacre would not have happened,' Zuaiter added.
L'Orient-Le Jour
09-05-2025
- Politics
- L'Orient-Le Jour
'Star' journalists quit Al-Jadeed over Nasrallah report
Mariam al-Bassam, head of news and political programs at Al-Jadeed TV, and several other journalists have resigned in protest after the channel aired last week a controversial report on the mausoleum of Hezbollah's former slain leader, Hassan Nasrallah. According to a channel employee who spoke to L'Orient Today this Friday under the condition of anonymity. The nine-minute segment, aired last Friday during a talk show hosted by Josephine Dib, was reportedly not produced by Al-Jadeed and "did not reflect the channel's editorial stance", according to a clarification cited by the independent news site al-Modon. The report alleged that "tens of millions of dollars" were spent on acquiring land and constructing the mausoleum, while many Hezbollah supporters whose homes were destroyed during the latest war with Israel have not received compensation. The segment also reportedly identified former and current owners of the land and claimed that the purchases were financed using 'non-transparent Iranian money' and 'bags filled with smuggled dollars,' bypassing official banking channels. As of now, the segment appears to have been removed from Al-Jadeed's official website and YouTube channel. Other journalists dismissed The source explains that "star journalists and reporters have also submitted their resignation following Bassam", but declined to give the names of the journalists in question. According to the same source, Al-Jadeed also dismissed journalists Rawand Bou Dargham and Kassem al-Bassam, Mariam al-Bassam's brother, after they signed a letter addressed to management and urged other colleagues to do the same. The letter, which has circulated on social media and was confirmed by an Al-Jadeed employee, called on the channel to take "decisive action" in response to editorial decisions that could "incite division in the country." Employees expressed concern that the channel's current editorial policies could lead to attacks on staff and their families, particularly amid coverage of ongoing municipal and electoral elections across Lebanon. The letter, signed by a large number of reporters, photographers, and editors, urged the channel to implement measures to ensure the safety of its employees. According to the source, no staff member has been personally threatened or attacked since the report aired." It emphasized that employees are not seeking "solidarity from the channel after an attack takes place," but rather aim to "prevent such incidents altogether". In response to the broadcast, some Al-Jadeed employees posted pictures of the mausoleum with heart emojis on social media, as a symbolic protest against the aired segment. Hezbollah's media outlet Al-Manar responded on Monday, describing the report as 'nine minutes of polite incitement' disguised as investigative journalism. It criticized the piece for lacking basic journalistic standards and accused Al-Jadeed of attempting to stir domestic unrest, claiming that official records contradicted the report's assertions. On Saturday, Hezbollah MP Ibrahim Moussawi described the investigation as a 'qualified crime' and called on the judiciary to take immediate action. Who is Mariam al-Bassam? Mariam al-Bassam is widely known for writing the editorial introductions to Al-Jadeed's 7:30 p.m. news bulletin. She joined the channel in the early 2000s and became a prominent figure in its newsroom. Before her tenure at Al-Jadeed, al-Bassam worked at Sawt al-Shaab radio and later with Reuters and the BBC. Al-Jadeed is owned by Lebanese businessman Tahseen al-Khayyat, who is also the founder and chairman of the Tahseen Khayat Group, a conglomerate with operations in publishing, printing, media, energy, and pharmaceuticals. His daughter, Karma al-Khayyat, currently serves as Deputy General Manager of the channel. Al-Jadeed's headquarters in Cola neighborhood in Beirut have been attacked several times in the past years by unknown assaillants, as the TV station regularly criticizes political parties from different sides in Lebanon.
L'Orient-Le Jour
06-05-2025
- Politics
- L'Orient-Le Jour
Al-Jadeed employees 'fear for safety' after report on Nasrallah mausoleum
Thirty-four employees of the Lebanese television channel Al-Jadeed said they feared for their safety in a letter to management Monday, following the airing of a report that criticized the cost of a mausoleum for former Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah. Nasrallah was killed in an Israeli airstrike on Beirut's southern suburbs on Sept. 27, 2024 during the latest war between Hezbollah and Israel (October 2023-November 2024). The controversial nine-minute segment, aired Friday during a talk show hosted by Josephine Dib, allegedly was not produced by Al-Jadeed and did not reflect the channel's editorial position, according to a clarification cited by the independent news site al-Modon. The report alleged that tens of millions of dollars were spent on acquiring land and building the mausoleum, while many Hezbollah supporters whose homes were destroyed in the war have not been compensated. The segment reportedly identified former and current owners of the properties and claimed the purchases were funded by 'non-transparent Iranian money' and "bags filled with smuggled dollars" — bypassing official banking channels. The investigation estimated that both land acquisition and construction costs reached $50 million each. It further claimed the transactions did not go through Lebanon's Finance Ministry but were approved only by the Bourj al-Barajneh municipality, a Hezbollah stronghold in Beirut's southern suburbs. The report triggered a backlash on social media, with some Hezbollah supporters accusing the channel of spreading Israeli propaganda and inciting public opinion against the party. In their letter to management, Al-Jadeed staff said they felt 'in danger' and that their families and relatives had also received threats. They urged management to 'act as quickly as possible to resolve these issues and ensure the safety of all employees.' The letter emphasized that employees do not influence the station's editorial direction, but their safety is at risk due to 'practices and trends adopted by the channel that could provoke internal conflict.' L'Orient-Le Jour contacted Al-Jadeed's administration and one of its journalists for comment, but both were unavailable. Hezbollah's media outlet al-Manar responded Monday, describing the report as 'nine minutes of polite incitement' disguised as investigative journalism. It said the segment lacked basic professional standards and accused Al-Jadeed of attempting to stir domestic unrest. The channel claimed that official records disproved the report's assertions. On Saturday, Hezbollah MP Ibrahim Moussawi called the investigation a 'qualified crime' and urged the judiciary to take immediate action.
