Source: Reuters
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
Monday 19 August 2024 11:52:12
Oil Prices Fall on China Demand Fears, Focus on Mideast Talks
Oil prices eased in trading on Monday as fears of weaker demand in top oil importer China weighed on market sentiment while investors focused on the progress of ceasefire talks in the Middle East, which could reduce supply risks, according to Reuters.
Brent crude futures dropped 45 cents, or 0.56 percent, to $79.23 per barrel by 09:46 Saudi time. US West Texas Intermediate crude futures slid 58 cents, or 0.76 percent, to $76.07 a barrel.
Both benchmarks fell nearly 2 percent last Friday as investors tempered expectations of demand growth from China, but ended the week largely unchanged from a week earlier after a batch of US data last week showed inflation was moderating and retail spending was robust.
“Persistent concerns about slow demand in China led to a sell-off,” said Hiroyuki Kikukawa, president of NS Trading, a unit of Nissan Securities, adding another factor was the approaching end of the peak driving season in the US.
“Still, tensions in the Middle East and the escalation of the Russian-Ukraine war, which pose supply risks, are underpinning the market,” he said.
Customs data over the weekend showed that China’s diesel and gasoline exports fell sharply in July, reflecting lower crude processing levels in the month because of weak profit margins.
On Thursday, data also showed China’s economy lost momentum in July, with new home prices falling at the fastest pace in nine years, industrial output slowing and unemployment rising.
That has stoked worries among traders about a slump in demand from China, where refineries sharply cut crude processing rates last month on tepid fuel demand.
Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Tel Aviv on Sunday on another Middle East tour to push for a ceasefire in Gaza, but Hamas raised doubts about the mission by accusing Israel of undermining his efforts.
The mediating countries — Qatar, the US and Egypt — have so far failed to narrow enough differences to reach an agreement in months of on-off negotiations, and violence continued unabated in Gaza on Sunday.
