A local municipality order commanded that a blue lane painted for bikers along the seaside Corniche sidewalk be removed. This after a local NGO, identified by the Daily Star as the G Association began painting the bike on Tuesday with the intention of “building to first bike lane to reduce pollution, and for bikers to enjoy riding without annoying pedestrians or getting run over by cars,” the Daily Star reported. All work on the lane was ordered to end after Beirut Mayor Bilal Hamad claimed that the lane was not authorized by the necessary parties.
3. Al-Jadeed Editor Pleads “Not Guilty” to STL Charges
The first hearing for the controversial case against Al-Jadeed and Al-Akhbar at the Special Tribunal for Lebanon was held on Wednesday. Al-Jadeed TV and senior editor Karma al-Khayyat, pleaded “not guilty” to charges of obstructing justice after it disclosed details of alleged court witnesses last year. Al-Akhbar editor in chief Ibrahim al-Amin refused to attend the hearing.
Lebanon will begin to set limits on the number of Syrian refugees entering Lebanon and will institute formal refugee camps for the now almost 1.5 million displaced Syrians in Lebanon. This comes after an announcement made last week by the United Nations that claimed they were considering formal camps for Syrians.
Lebanon tourism minister Michel Pharaon told AFP Thursday that Saudi Arabia and other Gulf nations have revoked an unofficial travel ban to Lebanon. This bodes well for Lebanon which has suffered a dramatic decrease in tourism since the ban was enacted after a spew kidnappings and conflict spillover from Syria. “I would say I’m optimistic, if I have to say what’s in my heart. But in Lebanon, we always have to be cautious, so I’ll say I’m cautiously optimistic for this season,” said Pharaon.
Sakker al-Dekkene, a new nonprofit organization, launched an initiative to combat corruption through the opening of a new store, Dekkenet al-Balad, in Gemmayzeh on Thursday. “Everything is for sale, even your rights” reads the sign on the archway leading into a store. For more information about this project, head to the Sakker al-Dekkene website.