Source: Agence France Presse
Security & Justice
State Action Signals Change in Tackling Longstanding Illegal Land Grabs in Jbeil District
For years, the serene villages of Jbeil's highlands have been far from peaceful. Ghabat, a Maronite village nestled between the predominantly Shiite towns of Afqa and Lassa, has become a focal point of growing tensions due to territorial disputes.
Friday, December 20, 2024
Mawlawi Ensures Strict Monitoring for Wanted Syrian Regime Figures at Beirut Airport
Caretaker Minister of Interior, Bassam Mawlawi, conducted an inspection tour of Rafic Hariri International Airport in Beirut to review the security arrangements and measures implemented by the Airport Security Apparatus ahead of the holiday season.
Thursday, December 19, 2024
Opinion
Lebanon After the Assads
The United States has important equities in Lebanon, including a desire for a generally friendly government’s economic and political stability; security cooperation; long-standing relations with the large Christian community in Lebanon and Lebanese diaspora in the United States; and ultimately peace between Israel and Lebanon within a broader regional settlement. Achieving these objectives will require navigating a tumultuous period in the country’s history following a war between Hezbollah and Israel that has devastated a large part of the country, exacerbating Lebanon’s already challenging economic conditions. But perhaps the most important dynamic will be how a likely Sunni-dominated state of uncertain composition in Syria will differ in its intentions toward Lebanon from the previous Alawite-led minoritarian Assad regime.
Thursday, December 19, 2024
Europe’s Syrian Dilemma
The news of the sudden and unexpected demise of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria has met a mixed response in Europe. The jubilation that a murderous dictator and close ally of Russia and Iran has fallen is not just good for the Syrian people but serves as a morale booster for Eastern Europeans wondering whether Russia can be defeated
Wednesday, December 18, 2024
Sports
Cristiano Ronaldo Unveils New Private Jet Worth $73 Million
Cristiano Ronaldo, one of the richest global athletes, has unveiled his upgraded private jet reportedly worth $73 million. With its top-notch design, exceptional speed and range of 7500 nautical miles, the Gulfstream G650 is among the fastest jets in the world.
Monday, December 16, 2024
Guardiola Accepts Man City May Need to Sign More Players to Cope with Schedule
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola believes he will need a bigger squad to handle soccer’s ever-expanding fixture schedule.
Saturday, December 14, 2024
Friday 6 September 2024 10:07:57
Eight OPEC+ Members Extend Oil Supply Cuts Until End Of November
Eight members of the OPEC+ group of oil-producing nations agreed Thursday to extend their voluntary supply cuts until the end of November, postponing a planned output increase amid falling crude prices.
Concerns about slowing demand in China and the United States have weighed on oil prices recently, with benchmark West Texas Intermediate plunging below $70 a barrel for the first time in 13 months.
The eight OPEC+ nations are Saudi Arabia, Russia, Iraq, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Kazakhstan, Algeria and Oman.
Their voluntary supply cuts of 2.2 million barrels per day (bpd) will be extended "for two months until the end of November 2024", the alliance said in a statement.
The cuts will be "gradually phased out on a monthly basis starting December 1, 2024", the statement said, adding that the agreement provided for "the flexibility to pause or reverse the adjustments as necessary".
At the alliance's last ministerial meeting in June, OPEC and its allies announced that they would gradually start to increase production from October.
"Even if OPEC+ plays it safe, their decision to extend the production cuts to the year end may not suffice" to buttress prices, said Ipek Ozkardeskaya, analyst at Swissquote, as investors are "worried about waning demand prospects on deteriorating global macro setup".
