February 2nd, 2016 | 0 commentsThe Kataeb Party on Monday accused some parties of seeking to impose a “sole presidential candidate” on the country. Kataeb “condemns some parties' attempt to practice subjugation and confine the presidential elections to voting to a sole candidate out of the others,” said the party in a statement issued after its political bureau's weekl...
February 2nd, 2016 | 0 commentsChange and Reform bloc MP Ibrahim Kanaan said the rapprochement between the Free Patriotic Movement and the Lebanese Forces is intended to transcend sectarian and political divisions. “We need a strong presidency that transcends sectarian divisions and the alignments of March 8 and 14 alliances,” Kanaan said following talks with Maronite...
February 1st, 2016 | 0 commentsPrime Minister Tammam Salam revealed Monday that Lebanon will ask from the international community for an additional 11 billion dollars in aid to help it confront the burden of the Syrian refugees. Salam told al-Liwaa newspaper on the eve of the Syria Donors Conference that will be held in London Feb. 4-5 that if the 11 billion dollars we...
February 1st, 2016 | 0 commentsThe latest differences between Lebanese Forces chief Samir Geagea and al-Mustaqbal Movement leader ex-PM Saad Hariri on the presidential elections drew the allies in the March 14 alliance further apart. Al-Akhbar daily on Monday quoted sources as saying that the differences between the two politicians have become “personal.” “Hariri belie...
January 31st, 2016 | 0 commentsClashes had erupted between the extremist al-Nusra Front and Islamic State groups on the outskirts of the northeastern border town of Arsal over the past two days, but a military source downplayed their threat on Lebanon, reported the daily al-Mustaqbal on Saturday. He told the daily that the unrest “is an armed clash over positions in th...
January 31st, 2016 | 0 commentsThe army announced on Saturday the arrested a Lebanese national in the northern area of Zgharta on terror charges. It said that Ahmed Ali al-Ghourani was detained in Miryata in Zgharta on suspicion of contacting terrorist groups. In the northern city of Tripoli, Syrian Abdullah Jamal Darwish was arrested for his connections to the Islamic...
January 29th, 2016 | 0 commentsIn the current market, traditional asset allocation has become a zero-sum game,” said John Hailer, chief executive officer of Natixis Global Asset Management in the Americas and Asia. “An investment approach that’s fit for modern markets is needed. Institutional investors are increasingly moving to a broader mix of non-correlated assets a...
January 29th, 2016 | 0 commentsThe cabinet on Thursday approved long-awaited appointments for the army's Military Council, a day after the rival parties struck a deal around the national dialogue table. The appointed officers were identified as Mohsen Fneish, George Shreim and Samir al-Hajj. The item was endorsed around two hours into a cabinet session at the Grand Ser...
January 29th, 2016 | 0 commentsLebanese leaders held their 14th national dialogue session on Wednesday and agreed on a tentative accord to appoint three officers to the sensitive Military Council although last minute roadblocks were not ruled out. The gathering, which highlighted a looming danger to the Prime Minister because participants accepted that executive branch...
January 15th, 2016 | 0 commentsMiddle East bourses fell sharply on Thursday as investors cashed out after Brent crude oil slipped below $30 a barrel and global markets resumed selling off. The Saudi index tumbled 3.3 per cent to close at 5,838 points, its lowest finish since March 2011, after a heavy wave of sales in the final hour of trade. Traders said margin calls a...