Lebanese media outlets deny accusations of instigation in Kahale incident

BEIRUT: In his first media appearance following the Kahale incident, Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah blamed the media for what happened, referring to the “incitement of a malicious TV channel,” being responsible for the bloodshed.

It is though Nasrallah was referring to MTV, a station backed by the Lebanese Forces party, which he described as “malicious.”



Egypt, Jordan, Iraq FMs discuss stronger economic ties at Cairo meeting

LONDON: Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry held a meeting in Cairo on Tuesday with his Jordanian counterpart Ayman Safadi and Iraqi counterpart Fuad Hussein to discuss the framework of a cooperation mechanism between the three countries.
Egyptian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ahmed Abu Zeid said that the tripartite mechanism is an important platform as part of joint efforts to strengthen economic cooperation between the three countries.


Hezbollah chief lashes back at Israel ‘stone age’ war threats

BEIRUT: The leader of Lebanon’s powerful Iran-backed Hezbollah movement said Monday his group could send Israel “back to the stone age,” in tit-for-tat threats following similar Israeli remarks as border tensions brew.
During a tour of the Lebanese-Israeli border last week, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant had threatened to send Lebanon “back to the stone age” should Hezbollah escalate tensions at the border.


Baghdad zoo animals suffer as mercury hits 50 degrees

BAGHDAD: A pair of Siberian tigers pant incessantly beside a pond at their zoo enclosure in the scorching summer heat of the Iraqi capital.
Temperatures on Monday breached 50 degrees Celsius (122 Fahrenheit) in Baghdad for the second day in a row — making life outdoors unbearable for both humans and animals.
The orange, striped felines from far-eastern Russia are more suited to living “where temperatures drop to as low as minus 20 degrees” than in one of the hottest cities in the world, said Wassim Sarih, the veterinarian at Baghdad’s only zoo.


Interior minister assures Lebanon that security services are ready to protect citizens

BEIRUT: Lebanon’s military and security services have increased their readiness to react and protect citizens amid a number of security developments, caretaker Interior Minister Bassam Mawlawi said on Monday.

The Central Security Council held a meeting on Monday attended by military, security and judicial officials after a truck belonging to Hezbollah overturned in Kahale last week.