Latest news with #al-Modon
Nahar Net
23-07-2025
- Politics
- Nahar Net
Berri says 'optimistic' after 'excellent' meeting with Barrack
by Naharnet Newsdesk 23 July 2025, 17:46 Speaker Nabih Berri has stressed his optimism in the wake of his meeting with visiting U.S. envoy Tom Barrack. 'Barrack himself was optimistic and my optimism is due to his optimism,' Berri said in an interview with the al-Modon news portal, noting that this positive atmosphere had contributed to dispelling the anxious atmosphere that had prevailed over the past two days. Declining to reveal the reasons behind his optimism, the Speaker denied that a 'new agreement' has been reached with Barrack. 'There is no new agreement, but rather an existing agreement that we will work on implementing, and this can halt the (Israeli) aggression,' Berri said. Al-Modon meanwhile said that there is a 'hidden stitch' that materialized in the meeting between Barrack and President Joseph Aoun, which was characterized with 'positiveness,' especially in light of 'what Aoun and Berri agreed on and what Aoun sent to the Speaker at night.' 'In Ain el-Tineh, Barrack heard what was agreed upon by the two presidents. And according to reports, Aoun paved the way for Barrack's meeting with Berri, saying that it will be pivotal,' al-Modon said. 'The Speaker proposed, within the agreed Lebanese framework, that Israeli attacks stop for a period of six months and Israel begin gradual withdrawal, and accordingly Lebanon would start a serious dialogue with Hezbollah about disarmament,' the news portal added.
L'Orient-Le Jour
23-07-2025
- Politics
- L'Orient-Le Jour
Lebanese journalist Hajar Knio questioned over alleged 'collaboration with Israel,' accusation she denies
BEIRUT — Lebanese journalist and activist Hajar Knio was questioned Wednesday morning by the General Security Intelligence Branch under an order from Judge Fadi Akiki, assistant government commissioner to the military court, over allegations of 'collaborating with Israel,' a charge she denies, according to Jad Shahrour, communications officer for the Samir Kassir Foundation. Shahrour noted that 'it seems that her arrest is similar to previous arrests of journalists working for al-Arabiyah or Hadath.' Knio had previously worked for the Saudi Al-Hadath channel, based in the United Arab Emirates and is currently an independent freelance journalist, according to her social media platforms. Shahrour noted that although the 'Lebanese law forbids Lebanese nationals from interacting with Israel, sometimes journalists working for international or pan-Arab outlets might not have a choice to do so. Similarly, if a Lebanese journalist is attending a conference abroad and an Israeli journalist attends, and the Israeli journalist decides to greet the Lebanese journalist, how can one control such situations?' However, he noted that Knio 'said that she never contacted Israeli journalists or anyone from Israel and that all the information from her reports that she would get, she would be citing Israeli journalists from information she got from the press not by contacting them herself.' Lebanon and Israel are officially in a state of war, and Lebanese law strictly prohibits any contact with Israeli authorities. Such actions are considered crimes, punishable by imprisonment. Over the years, numerous individuals have been arrested for alleged collaboration with Israel, with sentences reaching up to 25 years in prison. 'I challenge anyone to prove even a single word accusing me of communicating with an Israeli ' In a Tuesday article, a judicial source told al-Modon that "a security-related arrest and investigation notice has been issued against her," noting that Lebanon's General Security detained Knio upon her arrival late Monday night from Dubai on a Middle East Airlines (MEA) flight to Beirut. Knio was not immediately available to respond to L'Orient Today's calls for further comment. In a statement to al-Modon on Tuesday, Knio said she was unaware of the reason for her detention, as no charges were communicated to her. She described her experience: 'I arrived at Beirut airport around midnight and waited for over an hour in line to get my passport stamped. When I reached the General Security officer and he scanned my passport, he asked me if I had any issues with anyone. I said no. Then they took me into a small room, waiting for the General Security's judicial bulletin results.' She continued: 'After a few minutes, they brought me my bags and told me that if someone was waiting for me outside, they should leave, because I was being detained based on an arrest warrant issued by Judge Fadi Akiki.' Knio said she asked the officer what crime she was accused of, but he replied that he did not know. 'At 9 a.m., after they had brought in a patrol car to take me to the military court, they changed their minds and released me, but confiscated both my Lebanese and Emirati phones, as well as my laptop. They instructed me to report the next day, Wednesday at 10 a.m., to the General Security Investigation Branch at the National Museum.' Knio reaffirmed that she had no idea why she was detained: 'I'm a journalist. I worked for al-Arabiya for years, conducted investigations, and produced documentaries, some of which tackled drug networks and Captagon production. I now work independently on my own platforms.' She concluded: 'I challenge anyone to prove even a single word accusing me of communicating with an Israeli or any internal or external intelligence agency. I will attend the investigation with a team of lawyers to see the file, which appears to be fabricated against me, and I'm ready to face them.' Targeting of journalists 'no longer justifiable' In response, the organization Journalists for Freedom condemned Knio's detention in the strongest terms. In a statement, the group said: 'These practices, which have increasingly targeted journalists and activists, are no longer justifiable or tolerable. They carry a retaliatory and vindictive nature aimed at silencing and intimidating dissenting voices, all within a broader climate of repression and contempt for the law. For such actions to be initiated by a judicial authority, which is supposed to protect rights, not violate them — is a dangerous sign of the erosion of freedoms in Lebanon.' The group called on the President, Prime Minister and Minister of Justice to address the incident, warning that 'the image of the state is being damaged by these blatant violations, which erode public trust in the judiciary and state institutions.' In January, Lebanese journalist Layal Ikhtiyar was briefly detained upon arriving in Beirut, following a military court summons over her interview with Israeli army spokesperson Avichay Adraee on al-Arabiya, aired from Dubai after the war in Gaza began. She was questioned by Judge Fadi Sawwan and released the same day
Nahar Net
23-07-2025
- Politics
- Nahar Net
Barrack meets Rahi, says everybody doing their best
by Naharnet Newsdesk 23 July 2025, 12:15 U.S. envoy Tom Barrack met Thursday with Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi, after he met on Tuesday and Monday with President Joseph Aoun, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, Speaker Nabih Berri and a host of political, religious and financial figures. Barrack said in a statement from Bkerki that the situation in Lebanon is complicated but assured that "everyone is doing their best". He said that Speaker Berri is doing what he can despite the complexity of the situation. Berri for his part said his meeting with Barrack was "excellent" and that he is optimistic because he felt Barrack was. "This positive atmosphere helped relieve the fear that had prevailed over the past two days," Berri told al-Modon newspaper in remarks published Wednesday. Berri said there is no new agreement. "There is an existing (ceasefire) agreement that we are trying to implement to stop the (Israeli) aggression." Barrack's visit to Lebanon comes amid ongoing domestic and international pressure for Hezbollah to give up its remaining arsenal after a bruising war with Israel that ended with a U.S.-brokered ceasefire agreement in November.
Nahar Net
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Nahar Net
Berri says Amal-Hezbollah proved to be 'national duo' in Beirut municipal poll
by Naharnet Newsdesk 20 May 2025, 12:55 Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri seemed to be satisfied with the results of the municipal elections in the capital Beirut in an interview with local news portal al-Modon. "We have secured parity in a way that is no longer acceptable to call Amal and Hezbollah a Shiite Duo but a National Duo," Berri told al-Modon in remarks published Tuesday. A list backed by most political parties had won all 24 seats of Beirut's municipality on Sunday, maintaining Christian-Muslim parity on the capital's municipal council. "The picture will be different in the parliamentary elections," Berri said, stressing that municipal elections will be held in south Lebanon - despite everything. Israel has continued to launch strikes on south and east Lebanon despite a November 27 truce that sought to halt more than a year of hostilities with Hezbollah including two months of full-blown war. Nine people including children were injured Tuesday in an Israeli drone strike on a motorcycle in south Lebanon on the al-Mansouri-Majdal Zoun road in the Tyre district, three of them critically. The municipal elections in the south will take place on Saturday with dozens of municipal councils already elected by acclamation.
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.
