Five Noteworthy Stories You Might Have Missed in Lebanon This Week (6/7)
You’re busy, we get it. No sweat. Here’s some of the most important news stories you might have missed from the past week.
1. US Secretary of State John Kerry Visits Lebanon (Photo via The Daily Star)
US Secretary of State John Kerry made a rare visit to Beirut on Wednesday. In a press conference held at the Grand Serail, Kerry pledged an additional $290 million in Syrian aid, $51 million of which is designated to Lebanon. He also denounced the Syrian elections as non-elections, claiming “nothing has changed.” Furthermore, Kerry asserted concerns over the political stalemate in Lebanon, which he called “deeply troubling.”
2. Father Kills Teen Daughter in Akkar (Photo via The Daily Star)
Mustafa Soufan, hailing from the town of Bibnine in Akkar, shot and killed his 18-year-old daughter, Walaa, on Wednesday after he discovered she was planning to elope with her fiancé Ali Burghol, the Daily Star reporter. The two were set to marry later this month, but Mustafa allegedly reportedly opposed the union after troubles between the two families arose. Reports claim that Mr. Soufan has fled to avoid criminal charges and the family is trying to pin the murder on an older brother in attempt to save him.
3. STL Confirms Trial to Resume June 18 (Photo via The Daily Star)
The Special Tribunal for Lebanon’s Appeals Chamber confirmed Thursday that the trial of five Hezbollah suspects accused in the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri will resume on June 18.
4. Lebanon Ranked 10th Unhappiest Country in the World (Photo via NOW Media)
International pollster Gallup released Tuesday its latest edition of the “Negative Emotion Index,” and ranked Lebanon as tenth in the world, reported NOW Lebanon. The Index measures the frequency of negative emotions in countries around the world by asking 1,000 adults in each country if they experienced any anger, sadness, stress, physical pain, or worry the previous day.
5. Education Minister Postpones Official Exams to June 12 (Photo via The Daily Star)
Minister of Education Elias Bou Saab announced Monday that official exams for students from Grade 9 to Grade 12 will be postponed by one week from June 7 to June 12 in order to allow Parliament time to discuss a modified salary scale draft law for civil servants and public sector teachers.
