Latest news with #Lebanese
ABC News
20 minutes ago
- General
- ABC News
Easy pantry dinners for busy weeknights
Save yourself a trip to the shops with these simple meals built around pantry staples. They happen to be satisfying and delicious too. Tinned tomatoes, frozen peas and spaghetti are the pantry and freezer staples behind this comforting pasta. Designed for weeknights, the sauce is easily doubled and can be frozen for future meals before the peas are added. Ready in 30 minutes, this soup feels magical as it's made so few ingredients. Red lentils, tinned tomatoes and spices are the key ingredients, while a grated carrot and butter add substance and creaminess. Perfect for winter nights, this recipe couldn't be simpler. The potatoes roast in the oven and it doesn't take long to make a tomato filling, using tomato paste, anchovies and garlic. Serve with butter, sour cream and chives. With very few steps, this Lebanese recipe is nourishing and tasty. Serve warm or at room temperature with yoghurt and salad. Using a whole packet of pasta, this weeknight recipe will feed many and is packed with vegetables. Two heads of broccoli are diced and lightly fried, before they finish cooking with the pasta. Garlic, chilli flakes and feta amp up the flavour. Tinned beans, tomatoes and eggs become a quick and substantial meal in this vegetarian recipe. Add up to six eggs to the pan and serve with crusty buttered bread. This soup is more than the sum of its parts. It's made with vegetable stock, enhanced by lentils, spices, diced potatoes and a generous squeeze of lemon juice. Spinach leaves are added at the last minute and wilted before serving. If fried eggs are your go-to for busy nights, try adding crispy fried potatoes and spices for something more decadent.
RTÉ News
an hour ago
- Politics
- RTÉ News
Cabinet to hear of 'challenges' in UNIFIL mission renewal
Securing the renewal of the UN's peacekeeping mission in southern Lebanon for another year will be "challenging and complex", according to a briefing note which will be brought to Cabinet tomorrow by Tánaiste Simon Harris. Ministers will be told that the Government is fully supportive of Ireland's continued participation in the mission, but there are "particular challenges" in renewing the mandate on this occasion. Last month it emerged that there was mounting concern in Government that the United Nations peacekeeping operation in southern Lebanon may not have its mandate renewed by the Security Council in August. Ireland has participated in the UN Interim Force in Lebanon, or UNIFIL, since 1978. However, Israel has been highly critical of the force and there are worries that its ally, the United States, could withdraw financial backing for the operation. In a Cabinet briefing note, Mr Harris will re-confirm Ireland's support for UNIFIL but also acknowledge how a number of factors will present particular challenges when it comes to renewing UNIFIL's mandate. It is expected the Tánaiste will express his intention to liaise with the United States, France, Lebanon and the UK, with a view to ensuring that UNIFIL remains in situ - including the ongoing participation of more than 340 members of the Irish Defence Forces. On 28 August last year, the UN Security Council unanimously passed resolution 2749 extending UNIFIL's mission for 12 months. It is expected that the Lebanese government will strongly support the renewal of the mandate. However, the upcoming talks will be the first since the cessation of hostilities between Hezbollah, which has a strong base in southern Lebanon. The Cabinet backed the Irish Defence Forces' continued participation in UNIFIL last May. In New York, Israel is said to be lobbying at the UN headquarters for a downgrade of the role of UNIFIL. The Trump administration is viewed as being sympathetic to that argument, but it is currently unclear what position it will adopt in August. Two months ago, Irish soldiers who were serving as peacekeepers in southern Lebanon came under fire near what is termed the "blue line" between Israel and Lebanon, while on a joint patrol with the Lebanese Armed Forces. The UNIFIL Force Commander conveyed the Government's anger and concern at the shooting incident directly to the Israel Defence Forces (IDF). Mr Harris condemned the incident at the time and said it was an "utterly inappropriate, utterly unacceptable" attack on Irish peacekeeping troops in southern Lebanon. "This is the latest in a range of what I view as intimidatory behaviour by the IDF towards peacekeepers, or as we saw recently, Irish diplomats too. So this is not acceptable," Mr Harris said. The incident took place close to the village of Yaroun and the patrol withdrew from the area when it occurred. No injuries to personnel on the patrol were reported and no damage reported to the armoured vehicles they were operating from. The location was roughly 10km from the main Irish military base in Lebanon, known as 2-45 or Camp Shamrock. It was also 5km from an Irish base on the Blue Line, called 6-52. In May, UNIFIL also reported that direct fire from the Israeli army had hit the perimeter of one of its peacekeeping positions in south Lebanon.
Qatar Tribune
7 hours ago
- Health
- Qatar Tribune
QFFD explores support to Lebanon humanitarian, development efforts
QNA Beirut A delegation from the Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD) held meetings with government officials and ministers of Lebanon to discuss development priorities and ways to enhance coordination as part of Qatar's firm commitment to supporting humanitarian and development efforts. The high-level meetings took place during an official visit led by Director-General of QFFD Fahad bin Hamad Al Sulaiti, alongside Ambassador of Qatar to Lebanon HE Sheikh Saud bin Abdulrahman Al Thani. The visit included meetings with senior representatives from the Ministries of Energy, Public Health, and Social Affairs. This visit reaffirmed QFFD's enduring commitment to supporting the brotherly people of Lebanon and its dedication to enhancing cooperation with national and international partners to ensure the provision of effective and sustainable humanitarian and development services. It reflects Qatar's mission to foster humanitarian cooperation and promote sustainable global development for prosperity and stability. The delegation met with officials from the International Organization for Migration (IOM), in line with efforts to support regional stability and address the needs of displaced populations. The meeting was followed by a field visit to the Masnaa border crossing on the Lebanese side, with the aim of enhancing coordination for the safe, voluntary, and dignified return of Syrian refugees, and reviewing the operational procedures in place. The delegation also reviewed the progress of the Emergency Response Project implemented by QFFD in partnership with Qatar Red Crescent Society (QRCS), which aims to provide vital support to host communities, internally displaced persons, and Syrian refugees across Beirut, Nabatieh, South Lebanon, Beqaa, and Baalbek-Hermel. By distributing 10,400 food baskets and 10,400 hygiene kits, the project seeks to alleviate the burden on overstretched local services and enhance the health and living conditions of more than 10,000 vulnerable individuals. The visit also included a field tour of Karantina Governmental Hospital to review the ongoing reconstruction efforts supported by QFFD to rehabilitate key sections of the hospital and assess wider needs within the healthcare sector. The visit underscored the importance of sustaining essential medical services for the local population.
Rudaw Net
9 hours ago
- Politics
- Rudaw Net
Syrian, Israeli officials meet in Baku: Sources
Also in Syria Rojava administration reiterates call for 'decentralized' Syria, constitutional overhaul Rojava ruling party rejects Damascus 'integration' as bid to 'dismantle' institutions Rojava official says concerned about hate speech, treason accusations after US envoy remarks Washington prioritizing unified Syria, not Kurdish autonomy: Former US diplomat A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - A Syrian and an Israeli official met in Baku on Saturday on the sidelines of interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa's visit to Azerbaijan, a Damascus diplomatic source said. 'A meeting took place between a Syrian official and an Israeli official on the sidelines of Sharaa's visit to Baku,' the source told AFP, on the condition of anonymity. The meeting discussed 'the recent Israeli military presence in Syria,' according to the source, who added that Sharaa did not take part. It also came as Washington is trying to mend ties between the two countries. On May 14, President Donald Trump called on Sharaa to normalize ties with Israel during a meeting in Riyadh hosted by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and attended remotely by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. In a statement following the meeting, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said at the time that Trump urged Sharaa to 'sign onto the Abraham Accords with Israel.' The Abraham Accords are a series of normalization agreements between Israel and several Arab countries - beginning with the UAE and Bahrain in 2020 - brokered by the US during Trump's first term in office. These accords established formal ties in areas like diplomacy, security, and trade. Since the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime in December, Israel has carried out hundreds of airstrikes on Syria in an effort to destroy Damascus's military stockpiles and prevent munitions and projectiles from falling into the hands of the new authorities, which Israeli authorities have described as 'extremists.' Israel has also sent troops across the border into a buffer zone east of the annexed Golan Heights, justifying the move as a precaution amid political instability in Syria. In late June, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar said that Israel was interested in making peace and normalizing relations with Syria and Lebanon. But Damascus responded to the initiative and said that peace with Israel was 'premature,' and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on Friday stressed that normalization with Israel 'is not currently part of Lebanese foreign policy.'
Qatar Tribune
11 hours ago
- Health
- Qatar Tribune
QFFD explores ways to support humanitarian, development efforts in Lebanon
Beirut A delegation from the Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD) held meetings with government officials and ministers in the Republic of Lebanon to discuss development priorities and ways to enhance coordination as part of the State of Qatar's firm commitment to supporting humanitarian and development efforts. The high-level meetings took place during an official visit led by the Director General of QFFD Fahad bin Hamad Al Sulaiti, alongside Ambassador of the State of Qatar to Lebanon HE Sheikh Saud bin Abdulrahman Al Thani. The visit included meetings with senior representatives from the Ministries of Energy, Public Health, and Social Affairs. This visit reaffirmed QFFD's enduring commitment to supporting the brotherly people of Lebanon and its dedication to enhancing cooperation with national and international partners to ensure the provision of effective and sustainable humanitarian and development services. It reflects the State of Qatar's mission to foster humanitarian cooperation and promote sustainable global development for prosperity and stability. The delegation met with officials from the International Organization for Migration (IOM), in line with efforts to support regional stability and address the needs of displaced populations. The meeting was followed by a field visit to the Masnaa border crossing on the Lebanese side, with the aim of enhancing coordination for the safe, voluntary, and dignified return of Syrian refugees, and reviewing the operational procedures in place. The delegation also reviewed the progress of the Emergency Response Project implemented by QFFD in partnership with Qatar Red Crescent (QRC), which aims to provide vital support to host communities, internally displaced persons, and Syrian refugees across Beirut, Nabatieh, South Lebanon, Beqaa, and Baalbek-Hermel. By distributing 10,400 food baskets and 10,400 hygiene kits, the project seeks to alleviate the burden on overstretched local services and enhance the health and living conditions of more than 10,000 vulnerable individuals. The visit also included a field tour of Karantina Governmental Hospital to review the ongoing reconstruction efforts supported by QFFD to rehabilitate key sections of the hospital and assess wider needs within the healthcare sector. The visit underscored the importance of sustaining essential medical services for the local population.
