
Nebraska Board of Trustees Plans Further Increase in State Tax Revenue | National policy
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) – Nebraska lawmakers will have nearly $500 million in additional tax revenue available for spending or tax-cutting measures this year, plus a record $1.7 billion in the reserve fund. state cash flow, based on new projections approved on Monday. The Nebraska Economic Forecasting Advisory Board predicted a sharp increase in tax revenue …

Irish soldiers tread the Blue Line as they keep peace in South Lebanon
Queen Meadhbh of Connaught and Cú Chulainn, the famous Ulster warrior, decorate the walls of Camp Shamrock. The Celtic figures were painted by Captain Tommy Dillion while he was stationed at the UN base in southern Lebanon. Capt Dillion’s bright murals sit alongside a depiction of an Irish peacekeeper receiving a flower from a local …

Bassil launches the idea of electing the president by universal suffrage — Naharnet
by Naharnet Press Office February 26, 2022, 1:27 p.m. Free Patriotic Movement leader Jebran Bassil suggested on Saturday that the Lebanese elect their president in a popular vote as part of ideas he has proposed to reform the political system. “We are allowed here to think seriously about electing the president of the republic directly …

Lebanon sends congratulations on Saudi Arabia’s founding day
BEIRUT: Lebanese President Michel Aoun on Friday sent a telegram of congratulations to King Salman on the occasion of Saudi Arabia’s founding day. “This occasion marks many brilliant milestones in the history of the Kingdom, which, with its vision and efforts, has succeeded in securing a leading position among modern countries in search of broader …

NAHREP Appoints Monarch Title CEO as Emerging Latino Entrepreneur | News
The National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals (NAHREP) has named David Bravo, Jr., CEO of California-based Monarch Title Co., as a 2021 Emerging Latino Entrepreneur. “I am honored to be recognized by my peers of real estate professionals,” Bravo said in a statement. “The South Bay Chapter of NAHREP is the epitome of excellence, …

Pennsylvania lawmaker introduces property tax elimination plan that would raise retirement, sales and income taxes
February 25, 2022 | 7:59 Representative Frank Ryan introduced the 314-page bill on Thursday. Jan Murphy/PennLive I cover state government and basic and higher education policy. Contact me at [email protected] or 717-255-4106 or 717-255-4106. A state legislator has proposed a revised version of a …

In 2023, Nigeria does not need an outdated economic manager
ECONOMIST John Maynard Keynes once said that “in the long run, we are all dead”. The problem with the Nigerian economy is that it is run by people who will die far too soon. When a 79-year-old man leads a country with an average age of 18, a mismatch between the government’s approach and the …

The Russian-Ukrainian conflict poses great risks to the world economy
WASHINGTON (AP) — Just what a vulnerable global economy didn’t need — a conflict that’s accelerating inflation, rattling markets and portends trouble for everyone from European consumers to indebted Chinese developers and African families faced with soaring food prices. Russia’s attack on Ukraine and retaliatory sanctions from the West may not portend another global recession. …

Is Hezbollah distancing itself from Iran?
“IIf a war breaks out between Iran and Israel, Hezbollah might not get involved,” said Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah. He gave the very public assessment in an interview with an Iran-based news channel, according to Naharnet, a Lebanese online news source. Faced with increasing pressure from within and without, is it possible that Hezbollah …

Continuing hope after disasters and crises – United Republic of Tanzania
Convoy of Hope responds to disasters and crises of all kinds in places around the world. Some make headlines; Others don’t. Either way, Convoy is committed to bringing hope around the world in times of great need. Tanzania: Locust infestation Huge swarms of locusts have invaded East Africa, with devastating impacts on farmers and community …

EUROPE/ITALY – “Mediterranean border of peace”. Bishops and mayors gathered in Florence, in the name of Giorgio La Pira
EUROPE/ITALY – “Mediterranean border of peace”. Bishops and mayors gathered in Florence, in the name of Giorgio La Pira Florence (Fid Agency of prophetic intuitions cultivated during the Cold War years by the great Florentine mayor Giorgio La Pira. The meeting begins this afternoon with an introduction by Cardinal Gualtiero Bassetti and will end on …

A 10% drop in stocks is scary, but it’s not that rare | national
By STAN CHOE – AP Business Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Worries rocking Wall Street about interest rates, inflation and now Ukraine have sent the S&P 500 index — the most-watched measure of the U.S. stock market — plummeting by more than 10% compared to its record. It’s a big enough drop for Wall Street …

Key Arab leaders, including the former Sultan of Qatar, held Cr…
(MENAFN-IANS) By Sanjeev Sharma New Delhi, Feb 22 (IANS) At least five senior Arab leaders, including heads of state or government, held accounts at Credit Suisse, according to leaked data. The former Sultan of Oman, Qaboos bin Said, had two accounts, including one opened in 1971 that was worth more than 177 million Swiss francs …

“Send a message”: the Lebanese express their pain in a play | arts and culture
Beirut, Lebanon – The audience burst into laughter – and nearly burst into tears – as 18 youth and young adults from across Lebanon shared their life stories and struggles against identity, bigotry, racism and social marginalization. It was the story of a young Druze man who was bullied for being poor, a Syrian-Lebanese woman …

Arab rulers and spy chiefs hid millions in a Swiss bank
BEIRUT, Lebanon — The King and Queen of Jordan had secret Swiss bank accounts worth hundreds of millions of dollars, according to a major data leak from one of Switzerland’s biggest banks. So have the sons of Hosni Mubarak, Egypt’s deposed president, and the business tycoons who prospered during his 30-year reign. Other accounts were …

Berri optimistic about the situation ahead after the elections: We will not give up a drop of our sea and our gas
Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri stressed on Sunday that “Cairo has never stopped helping us”, noting that “487 tonnes of Egyptian aid arrived in Lebanon a few days ago, including 265 tonnes of medicine”. . Berri hailed Egyptian President Abdel-Fatah Al-Sissi’s remarkable achievements in advancing his country, especially in construction and urban development. His words …

Farmers’ anger will test Modi as ‘grain bowl’ votes in India | National policy
By SHEIKH SAALIQ – Associated Press FATEHGARH SAHIB, India (AP) — Amandeep Kaur Dholewal stood up from a traditional Indian crib and began speaking to a small gathering of men and women sitting cross-legged in a park in front of a domed gurdwara white, a place of worship for Sikhs. The 37-year-old doctor was surrounded …

Saudi Arabia plans new round of talks with Iran: Foreign Minister
LONDON: The Lebanese health system is in a precarious state following successive waves of political and economic crisis. As the country reels from shortages of medical supplies, increases in COVID-19 cases and an exodus of skilled medical professionals, the urgency of the sector’s need for external assistance is no longer a subject of debate. In …

How political dysfunction precipitated the collapse of health care in Lebanon
LONDON: The Lebanese health system is in a precarious state following successive waves of political and economic crisis. As the country reels from shortages of medical supplies, increases in COVID-19 cases and an exodus of skilled medical professionals, the urgency of the sector’s need for external assistance is no longer a subject of debate. In …

Would restoring the JCPOA prevent poor Iranians from selling their body parts?
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn pinterest Reddit E-mail Impression Adverts posted on the streets of Iran for the sale of kidneys Iran is now suffering its worst economic crisis under the mullahs. State media acknowledges parts of the country’s crippling economic woes. People are struggling with poverty and heartbreaking reports from Iran point to a sharp increase …

Fed officials push back on rapid interest rate hikes | national
By STAN CHOE and CHRISTOPHER RUGABER – AP Business Writer NEW YORK (AP) — The Federal Reserve is expected to start raising interest rates next month to help contain too-high inflation, New York Federal Reserve Chairman John Williams said Friday. But he added that rate hikes may not need to start as strong as some …

‘Listen to our pleas’: Beirut blast victims call for global support | Beirut explosion
Beirut, Lebanon – A dozen teenagers gathered outside the French Embassy in the Lebanese capital holding portraits of their 15-year-old classmate Elias Khoury, who was killed in the Beirut port explosion in August 2020. They called last week for an international inquiry to help move forward a local investigation that senior Lebanese officials have obstructed …

Forty years of international impunity
Decades after the bloody Hama massacre, Syrian regime leader Bashar al-Assad has managed to cling to power, like his father, under the distracted gaze of world powers. The Syrian war was a calamity from every point of view. From a brutal crackdown that sparked an insurgency to the entry of two world powers, two regional …

Lebanese President Aoun reiterates his support for an impartial audit of the central bank
ANKARA: Iran has stepped up its long-running cyber campaign against Turkey through state-sponsored hackers, who have been targeting prominent government and private websites in the country since November 2021. Experts believe the enhanced cyberattack is a backlash against Turkey’s attempts to normalize relations with countries such as the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Israel. …

50 countries will participate in Aqsa Week 2022 to promote the love of the mosque and raise awareness
BEIRUT: Eighty-nine percent of respondents in a recent poll said they trusted the Lebanese Armed Forces to ensure the country’s stability, while 80% felt the same about religious leaders and 75% about the justice system. In contrast, only 19% of those polled – regardless of their religious beliefs – believed that political parties could be …

Qatari Foreign Minister calls for political reform to resolve crises in Lebanon – Doha News
The Qatari official spoke about Iran’s ties to the GCC and the rights of Afghan women. Qatar’s Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani has called for the need to address Lebanon’s political divide to resolve its decades-long crises. It came during an interview with Newsweek’s podcast, The Diplomat, recorded when Sheikh Mohammed was in …

Economic Democracy – Executive Magazine
Taken in isolation, the situation of Lebanon at the dawn of 2022 is that of a country which is still in the depths of a bewildering crisis. The national crisis of everything is singularly all-encompassing and, to be grasped by the human mind, needs no historical denominator, geographic comparison, or even numerical quantification of contraction …

Taming Syria’s Rogue Man – Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
Western powers have realized that removing Syrian Bashar al-Assad from his throne is more costly than assumed when the peaceful uprising began in 2011. After half a million deaths, the vast majority is in the hands of forces loyal to the Assad Regime, tens of thousands of authentic photos documenting the industrial-scale torture in Assad’s …

San Francisco Residents Vote for New Member of Assembly | National Policy
PA SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Residents in parts of San Francisco are voting for a new member of the state Legislature in Tuesday’s special election, a seat that opened following a scandal in federal public corruption in the city. The main candidates to replace Democrat David Chiu, who left the state Legislature to become San …

How to make the most of Valentine’s Day with Uber – TechEconomy.ng
With Valentine’s Day here, Uber is providing some tips for navigating this special day, just a few clicks away. Here’s what Uber has for you this Valentine’s Day season: Say no more, with Uber Connect, users can now send parcels to loved ones. We’ve adapted our platform to meet the changing needs of the communities …

»A new generation of activists«
zenith: The escape attempt at al-Hasaka prison, where many ISIS prisoners are held, was the biggest attack since the end of the caliphate. What exact circumstances allowed this to happen? Fabrice Balanche: IS was able to infiltrate the Arab quarter of al-Hasaka – thanks to a kind of Omerta. ISIS could rent rooms and move …

Most Americans have emerged economically winners from the pandemic, despite inflation | national
public dissatisfaction with the pandemic-ridden US economy obscures the good news: even after inflation, most of the country comes out on top. The strong demand for labor means that low-income workers can demand wage increases that exceed the price increase. The same is true for middle-income workers who change jobs. Relief checks approved by lawmakers …

Iraqi court bars former Kurdish politician from becoming president | National Policy
By QASSIM ABDUL-ZAHRA – Associated Press BAGHDAD (AP) — Iraq’s top court banned a former Kurdish politician from the country’s presidency on Sunday, citing lingering corruption allegations. Hoshyar Zebari, a former foreign minister and longtime Iraqi diplomat, had been a favorite against incumbent President Barham Salih. In the Iraqi political system, parliament votes to choose …

How Saudi Arabia pushed Iraq into Iran’s arms
Editor’s note: The United States has long struggled to separate Baghdad from Tehran, trying to orient Iraq more towards moderate states in the Arab world. Katherine Harvey, the author of “A self-fulfilling prophecy: the Saudi struggle for Iraqasserts that US efforts have failed in part because of Saudi Arabia’s counterproductive policies. Riyadh, she argues, has …

Lawmakers expand budget plan to stem violence and boost economy | National policy
By MORGAN LEE – Associated Press SANTA FE, NM (AP) — Senate lawmakers on Saturday proposed additional spending of $150 million as part of revisions to an already-record annual spending proposal that includes increases for school and government employees in state, free tuition for in-state students, an expansion of Medicaid health care for the poor, …

Hundreds gather in rare protest in southern Syria
DUBAI: When the United Arab Emirates set to work planning Expo 2020 Dubai, organizers had one important goal in mind: to ensure that every country was represented, regardless of size, wealth or condition current social and political life. It is this commitment that allowed Lebanon in crisis to participate. It was only in May 2021, …

Lebanon bans Bahrain’s banned opposition from holding events in Beirut
On Thursday, Lebanese Interior Minister Bassam Mawlawi said he was banning “two events” organized by Bahraini opposition figures that were to take place next Friday and Monday. “If these two events were to take place, they would undermine official authorities in Bahrain and the Gulf Arab states, thereby blocking Lebanon’s efforts to strengthen ties with …
Legendary investor Bill Miller said more volatility is coming, backed Meta and revealed Peloton is on his radar in a new interview. Here are the 9 best quotes.
Investing legend Bill Miller says more volatility is coming for stocks, this Facebook parent Meta is now undervalued, and that Platoon is on his radar in a interview with CNBC Wednesday. Miller’s reputation was cemented by the performance of his fund Legg Mason Capital Management Value Trust, which beat the SP 500 for 15 consecutive …

Privatize public assets | Journalist
The imbalance between rich and poor is the oldest and most deadly evil of all republics. —Plutarch, ancient Greek philosopher In the current Covid-19 economic environment, the call of one of this country’s largest and most powerful corporations for the privatization of public assets brings to the fore the challenge of eradicating income inequality – …

US Congress to step up pressure on Lebanon
TEHRAN — A US congressman has drafted a Lebanon bill that aims to dramatically increase pressure on Lebanon’s leadership and political system. In its Monday edition, the Tehran Times revealed that Senator James Lankford is leading US Congress efforts to craft legislation on the situation in Lebanon that would compel the US administration to refrain …

Stocks recoup losses from the previous session; iPhone payment tool will be more merchant-friendly |
Stocks rise, bond yields at pre-pandemic high NEW YORK — Tech companies and banks helped push stocks higher on Feb. 8 as the market rebounded from an early plunge to more than offset its losses the day before. The S&P 500 rose 0.8% after falling 0.4%, and more than three-quarters of stocks in the benchmark …

Zionist military apartheid has lost all support in the world: researcher
TEHRAN — Ali Scott Vitkovic, a scholar and theologian, says Israel, as an apartheid regime, has lost all support in the world. “The genocidal Zionist military apartheid in Palestine has finally lost support in all parts of the world, including many Jewish communities in the United States,” Vitkovic told the Tehran Times. Vitkovic says, “Even …

Officials in Lebanon and Virginia offer $50,000 to someone who brings a restaurant to downtown
LEBANON, Va. (WJHL) — If you’ve ever wanted to open a restaurant but lacked the funds to do so, a city in southwest Virginia offers the perfect opportunity for area entrepreneurs. The city of Lebanon, Virginia is offering a $50,000 downtown restaurant incentive grant. The one-time grant will come from the city’s general fund and …

Tunisian leader seeks to dissolve the country’s highest judiciary | National policy
PA TUNIS, Tunisia (AP) — Tunisia’s president announced a plan to dissolve the national judiciary, citing suspicions of corruption and possible mishandling of politically charged cases, local media reported Sunday. Opposition members said the move was just the latest example of the president’s extreme power grab. President Kais Saied’s decision to dissolve the Superior Council …
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France and Luxembourg ask Lebanon for information on central bank chief’s finances – sources
BEIRUT, Feb 5 (Reuters) – Lebanon has received letters from French and Luxembourg authorities requesting information about the bank accounts and assets of the president of the Central Bank of Lebanon, Riad Salameh, two Lebanese judicial sources told Reuters. Sources did not elaborate. A Luxembourg justice spokesman confirmed to Reuters in November that he had …

Five things you need to know this week about planetary education (February 4, 2022) – World
Major funding will help educate girls in rural Afghanistan – along with the story of an eight-year-old schoolboy who wrote a book and became a library hit. Community classes for rural Afghan children Major funding will enable more than 260,000 Afghan children – 60% of them girls – to attend community education classes in rural …

How the UAE views national security
The United Arab Emirates, a small and ambitious country in the Persian Gulf, faces various security threats. Its geographical location places it at the center of instability, sectarianism and regional rivalries in the Middle East, which has led the country to pay particular attention to its security. In recent years, Arab countries in the Persian …

Buried under – Nowlebanon
“Where is the investigation?” I, like Monika, Lokman’s sister Rasha al Ameer and her mother Salma Merchak, get asked the same question over and over. “Where is the investigation?” I navigated my response both friendly and frankly, depending on which side of the bed I wake up on. Citizens cannot do justice. It is not …

Fed announces plan to fight rising inflation | Hartsville
The Federal Reserve signaled last week that it plans to start raising its benchmark interest rate as early as March, a key step to reversing its pandemic-era low rate policies that have fueled hiring and growth. , but also pushes up inflation. With high inflation weighing on consumers and businesses and unemployment steadily falling, the …

Israel fails to commit to US pressure over Palestinian death
An Israeli general said on Wednesday it would be foolish to speculate that soldiers might be prosecuted for the death of an elderly Palestinian-American they were holding, a case in which Washington called for “full accountability”. After reprimanding a battalion commander and sacking two officers involved in the January 12 death of Omar Abdalmajeed As’ad, …

US State Department calls for IDF ‘full responsibility’ for death of elderly Palestinian-American
LONDON: Israel’s treatment of the Palestinian people is a study of the mechanisms and policies through which apartheid systems operate and reproduce oppression, according to a new report by Amnesty International.In its report, released on Tuesday, the human rights watchdog says there is a growing body of evidence to suggest that these legal, technical and …

Saving Lebanon can help prevent the spread of Iranian terror in the region – Eurasia Review
Lebanon will be “another failed state dominated by Iran and riddled with corruption” if critical steps are not taken soon to end government corruption in the country, address the economic challenges it faces and resolve the “crippling” problem of Hezbollah violence. That’s the conclusion of a report released Tuesday by two leading Washington-based Middle East …

Victims after the Turkish air raids against the PKK: Iraqi Kurds
Arbil, Iraq: Turkey carried out airstrikes in northern Iraq on Tuesday against Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) rebel positions, causing casualties, authorities in the autonomous region of Iraqi Kurdistan said. “Turkish fighter planes targeted several positions of Kurdistan Workers’ Party fighters”, particularly in the Makhmur and Sinjar regions, the Kurdish anti-terrorist services said in a statement. …

For Lebanese vineyards, exports become a lifeline
1/5 Lebanese winery Chateau Kefraya exports to around 40 countries and plans to expand to more. Photo courtesy of Sabine Bustros/Château Kefraya BEIRUT, Lebanon, February 1 (UPI) — For the Lebanese wine industry, exports have become a means of survival amid the country’s worst financial crisis and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The general recession, the …

Saving Lebanon can help prevent the spread of Iranian terror in the region, say activists
Lebanese officials hold talks over border dispute amid anger over port blast BEIRUT: Lebanese officials began internal talks on Thursday in preparation for a response to US envoy Amos Hochstein, who urged them to settle a maritime border dispute with Israel. Hochstein passed on ideas to move forward the negotiations, which have been stalled for …

US officials say negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program are at a crossroads
US State Department officials warned in a briefing with reporters on Monday that restoring the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action may be “impossible” due to Iran’s nuclear advances. The senior State Department official also said it was “difficult to imagine” restoring the JCPOA agreement without Iran also releasing four Americans held hostage by Iranian forces. …

Gulf Arab states discuss next steps to end rift with Lebanon
Lebanon presented on Sunday its response to the initiative led by Kuwait and the Arab states of the Gulf to end the rift between them. Relations between Lebanon and the Gulf Arab states are at their lowest in years, further impacting the Lebanese economic crisis. The rift was sparked by earlier public comments ex-information minister …

Growth slows at the end of 2021 in 19 countries using the euro | Health, Medicine and Fitness
By DAVID McHUGH – Associated Press FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — The European economy slowed noticeably late last year as rising COVID-19 cases due to the omicron variant added to supply shortages and rising energy prices which has reduced the purchasing power of consumers. The result: an economic winter of discontent that may not lift until …

Lebanon’s Hezbollah movement says it expects legislative elections on time
Lebanon’s Hezbollah resistance movement said it expected the Mediterranean country’s parliamentary elections to be held on time in May, days after former Lebanese Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri said he would would not stand for election. “Everything indicates that the legislative elections will take place on time,” Sheikh Naim Qassem, deputy secretary general of Hezbollah, said …
Lebanese Hezbollah says it expects parliamentary elections on time | world news
BEIRUT (Reuters) – Lebanon’s Iran-backed Hezbollah group said on Sunday it saw no reason to delay May’s legislative elections, days after politics were upended by the withdrawal of Saad al -Hariri of public life. Hariri, Lebanon’s leading Sunni Muslim politician and three-time former prime minister, said on Monday he would boycott the vote https://www.Reuters.com/world/middle-east/lebanons-hariri-expected-announce- election-boycott-party-members-say-2022-01-24, …

Romania: Boosting productivity and human capital will promote economic growth
The scale and scope of Lebanon’s deliberate depression leads to the disintegration of the main pillars of Lebanon’s political economy after the civil war. This manifests itself in a collapse of the most basic public services; persistent and debilitating internal political discord; and massive brain drain. Meanwhile, the poor and middle class, who were never …

All bets off for Lebanon after Hariri’s withdrawal
All bets off for Lebanon after Hariri’s withdrawal Lebanese Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib, on his way to the meeting of Arab foreign ministers in Kuwait, said: “I am not going there to hand over the weapons of Hezbollah. If he was going to deliver only flowery language and empty words, it was better that …

Major attempt to break the deadlock in Lebanon
The first-ever peace attempt launched by the Gulf neighbors for Lebanon, which is plagued by economic collapse, social unrest and remains determined to establish a viable government bent on rooting out corruption while withdrawing from the old Prime Minister. Gulf Arab states are seeking to mend a stalemate with Lebanon, Kuwait’s foreign minister said during …

Iran’s corruption of justice cannot go unpunished
Human rights activist Narges Mohammadi was sentenced to an additional eight years in prison and seventy-four additional lashes after a cursory five-minute trial in Tehran in late January. This is yet another shameful chapter in the shameful history of Iran’s theocratic regime. Mohammadi is vice president of the Defenders of Human Rights Center, led by …

Retail electronic payments exceed Saudi Vision target in 2021, says Central Bank
Rising inflation and post-pandemic economic uncertainty have driven demand for gold to its highest level in two years, according to the World Gold Council. The organization’s latest report shows appetite for the metal hit 1,147 tonnes in the last three months of 2021, its highest level since the second quarter of 2019 and an increase …

Asian stocks mixed after Wall Street sinks for third day | Technology
By JOE McDONALD – AP Business Writer BEIJING (AP) — Asian stock markets were mixed on Friday as traders eagerly awaited U.S. employment cost data that could influence the Federal Reserve’s decisions on planned interest rate hikes. . Tokyo and Seoul advanced while Shanghai and Hong Kong declined. Wall Street fell for a third day …

Lebanese cafe owner hailed for robbing bank to make his own money
A Lebanese man who robbed a bank to withdraw his own money has been hailed as a hero in Lebanon, where citizens are furious at capital controls that prevent them from accessing their savings amid a financial meltdown. Abdallah Assaii, a 37-year-old cafe owner, is accused of holding seven employees of a BBAC bank hostage …

Lebanon excited about the jobs Ice Cream Factory brings
LEBANON, Mo. – New job opportunities are coming soon to the Lebanese community. A central Missouri-based company called Ice Cream Factory is expanding its manufacturing facility to the city. The company owners said they plan to produce 100 million pints of ice cream a year. It also means, they said, a total of 130 new …

German government cuts economic growth forecast for 2022 to 3.6% | Health, Medicine and Fitness
BERLIN (AP) — The German government on Wednesday lowered its growth forecast for this year, but said Europe’s largest economy remains “robust” and will return to pre-pandemic size in 2022. The Economy Ministry predicted that gross domestic product will grow by 3.6%, down from the 4.1% forecast by the German government at the end of …

The record of sectarian politics
This does not mean that the Church has always followed the same line when it comes to Lebanese politics. He sometimes opposed Lebanese Maronite presidents who threatened his agenda. When President Chamoun sought to extend his term in 1958, the Church did not support him. Yet the Church has been consistent on one thing: it …

Troops on Ukrainian alert, BoJo’s new party scandal, NFT Beatles
👋 Balm* Welcome Tuesday, where NATO and US troops are on high alert amid tensions in Ukraine, there is a new Boris Johnson party scandal and Beatles memorabilia will be sold as NFT. Worldcrunch telecommuter Carl-Johan Karlsson is also touring countries thinking about a real legal right to work from home. [*Latin] ✅ SIGN UP …

World Bank: Lebanon’s collapse threatens social peace
The collapse began in October 2019 and plunged more than 75% of the country’s population into poverty. The same political class blamed for decades of corruption and mismanagement that led to the crisis has done next to nothing to help Lebanon out of the crisis. The Lebanese pound has lost more than 90% of its …
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World Bank reprimands Lebanese elite for ‘zombie’ economy
A participant stands near a World Bank logo at the International Monetary Fund – World Bank Annual Meeting 2018 in Nusa Dua, Bali, Indonesia, October 12, 2018. REUTERS/Johannes P. Christo Join now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register Rulers ‘captured’ state for economic gain, bank says Lebanon’s economic implosion is one of the worst …

CPI 2021 for the Middle East and North Africa: Systemic…
the United Arab Emirates (WATER) (69) and Qatar (63) are perhaps the best performing countries in the region, but both have weathered major transnational scandals. The Pandora Papers investigations revealed the use of offshore accounts by the Emir of Qatar and the country’s former prime minister, alongside the vice president and prime minister of the …

Stocks drop sharply as market eyes Fed-Ukraine tensions | Technology
By DAMIAN J. TROISE and ALEX VEIGA – AP Business Writers NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks fell sharply on Monday as investors anticipated it Federal Reserve inflation-fighting measures and worry about the possibility of conflict between Russia and Ukraine. The stock exchange extended its three week drop and put the benchmark S&P 500 on track …

Cabinet approves military transport aid, to be met successively in the budget — Naharnet
The Cabinet on Monday approved the granting of transport allowances to members of the armed forces, set at a monthly sum of 1.2 million Lebanese pounds for each soldier. The Council also appointed the members of the National Anti-Corruption Commission and decided to double the hourly salary of contract public teachers. Regarding the state budget, …

Saad Hariri: Lebanon’s Hariri withdraws from politics, leaving sectarian vacuum behind
In a televised address on Monday afternoon, Hariri, three-time prime minister and the country’s most prominent Sunni politician, announced that he was retiring from political life. He called on all members of his Future Movement party, which is the largest Sunni parliamentary bloc in the country, to do the same. Hariri said neither he nor …

Hariri walks away from politics and upsets the electoral landscape
Lebanese leader Saad al-Hariri said yesterday he was retiring from political life and would not stand in parliamentary elections, reversing Lebanon’s sectarian politics as the country grapples with a financial crisis.Three-time prime minister Hariri also called on his party not to field any candidates in the May vote, saying several factors were behind his decision, …

Why are domestic workers in Lebanon still subject to abuse? | TV shows
Monday, January 24 at 7:30 p.m. GMT:There are around 250,000 domestic workers in Lebanon, and around 99% of them are immigrants with work permits. The majority are women from Ethiopia, the Philippines, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, earning meager wages. They work under the kafala – or sponsorship – system, which has been likened to modern …
Lebanon to start virtual talks with IMF next week | The mighty 790 KFGO
(Reuters) – Lebanese officials will start talks with the International Monetary Fund on Monday, an official government source told Reuters. An IMF spokesman also told Reuters on Saturday that a team would begin virtual talks with Lebanese authorities next week. The Lebanese government has said it hopes to reach an initial agreement with the fund …

Oman issues new COVID-19 measures due to spike in infections
Gulf Arab adherence to Jewish minority reflected in Bahrain cemetery restoration project DUBAI: For more than a century, a small cemetery in the heart of Manama served as the final resting place for members of Bahrain’s tiny Jewish community, which is the most established of its kind in the Gulf Cooperation Council region. Located a …

Mediterranean gas and regional peace
In recent years, the Eastern Mediterranean has become one of the main crossroads of global geopolitics. Turkey is one of the main Mediterranean countries: from the Syrian border in the east to Greece in the west, the northeastern part of the Mediterranean is made up of Turkish territorial waters and borders. Eastern Mediterranean countries such …

Looking at Christ the Redeemer and the mystery of the Eucharist
In the Armenian-Catholic Cathedral of St. Elijah and St. Gregory the Illuminator in the Lebanese capital, the Cilicia Patriarch of Armenian Catholics, Raphael Bedros xxi Minassian, invites everyone to overcome differences by turning to Christ the Redeemer and the mystery of the Eucharist. Opening the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity in Beirut, Lebanon, Cilician …

Retired Israeli general criticizes settlers
Retired General Yair Golan spent a significant part of his military career serving in the occupied West Bank, protecting Jewish settlements. Today, he is one of their most vocal critics. Golan, a former deputy military chief, is now a lawmaker in the accommodating Meretz party, where he has repeatedly spoken out against settler violence against …

Christians in Lebanon place their hopes in the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity
THE Lebanese hope that in 2022 there will be a change in the fortunes of the country after several years of worsening economic, social and political chaos. So far, however, there is no sign of the turnaround the country is yearning for. Lebanese Christians are counting on the support in the form of prayers from …

US climate tech startups to benefit from $200 million investment fund
RIYADH: Bitcoin, the leading cryptocurrency internationally, traded higher on Thursday, rising 1.80% to $41,935 as of 11:34 a.m. Riyadh time. Ether, the second most traded cryptocurrency, was priced at $3,128, up 2.55%, according to data from Coindesk. Other news: The UK and Spain are introducing crackdowns on cryptocurrency advertising this week. UK Finance Minister Rishi …

Learning Disorders – Nowlebanon
So why is this the case? Although there are probably myriad reasons, it is very important to focus on the separation of economic development and political dysfunction in Northern Ireland as well as the role of foreign powers in its politics. Peace and stability in Northern Ireland did not necessarily come from the political settlement …

“Building bridges”: Annahar opens an office in Dubai
Online controversy: Viral satirical video of Israeli comedian mocking UAE normalization divides viewers LONDON: A satirical Arabic-language Israeli song criticizing normalization between Israel and the United Arab Emirates has gone viral in the Middle East this week, causing a stir online. The song “Dubai, Dubai” was performed by Israeli comedian and activist Noam Shuster-Eliassi and …
In democratic Iraq, fears of a civil war
In the past month, there has again been an upsurge in political violence in Iraq. But, instead of the American bases or convoys that are often attacked, there were less usual targets. Last week, grenades were thrown at offices belonging to Sunni Muslim and Iraqi Kurdish political parties in Baghdad. On January 16, grenades were …

UAE calls for UN Security Council session on Houthi attack on Abu Dhabi
LONDON: The large-scale export of Captagon from Syria and Lebanon is the legacy of a decade of conflict combined with widespread corruption, and reliance on drug revenues is turning both countries into narco -States, according to a new report from Britain’s Channel 4 News. In Lebanon, militias and gangs operating in Hezbollah-controlled areas such as …

Former Ukrainian president lands in Kyiv to face treason case
Former Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko landed in Kyiv on Monday to face treason charges in a case he says was trumped up by allies of his successor, Volodymyr Zelenskiy. During a brief standoff at border control after arriving on a flight from Warsaw, Poroshenko accused border guards of confiscating his passport. He then emerged in …

Raphaël Bedros XXI opens the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity in Beirut
In the Armenian-Catholic Cathedral of Saint Elijah and Saint Gregory the Illuminator in the Lebanese capital, the Patriarch of Cilicia of Armenian Catholics, Raphael Bedros XXI Minassian, invites everyone to overcome differences by turning to Christ the Redeemer and the mystery of the Eucharist. By Tiziana Campisi Opening the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity …

Lebanon/MENA: Port of Beirut Explosion, Operation Update (August 2020 – July 2021), Call Number: MDRLB009 – Lebanon
STATUS UPDATE Humanitarian conditions The humanitarian impact of the August 2020 explosion at the port of Beirut was immense, and the broader context of the complex crisis in which it unfolded made the path to recovery and resilience difficult. The double explosion, caused by the detonation of hundreds of tons of highly explosive fertilizer stored …
IMF official calls for ‘deep reforms’ of Tunisian economy
Tunisia’s stricken economy needs “deep reforms” such as cutting its wage bill, the country’s outgoing International Monetary Fund chief has said as the government seeks a new bailout. Jerome Vacher, speaking in an interview at the end of his three-year term as the global lender’s envoy to the North African country, said the coronavirus pandemic …

Loud explosions heard in western Iran, cause unknown – reports
The experience of northeast Syria presents a challenge to end the use of children in conflict DUBAI: Rawan Al-Aleku was visiting a friend in Debrassiye, northeast Syria, in the summer of 2020 when she was drafted into the Syrian Democratic Forces, an alliance of Kurdish and Arab militias formed in 2014 to fight Daesh. She …

Reshaping the Geopolitics of the Middle East
The dominant discourse in the United States becomes dominated by the belief that the Middle East has lost its central position in the superpower’s strategic calculations. US dependence on Middle Eastern oil has diminished significantly since the beginning of an era of unipolarity; in fact, the United States is now one of the largest oil …

Concern as mental health patients in Lebanon struggle to get medicine
BEIRUT: As the Lebanese people continue to grapple with the effects of the financial crisis in the country, political unrest and the consequences of the devastating explosion at the port of Beirut, concern is growing about the health consequences of these crises mental. Although no exact statistics are available on how many people are taking …

December Retail Sales Slump After Record Holiday Season | national
By ANNE D’INNOCENZIO – AP Retail Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Americans shrugged off shortages, soaring prices and uncertainty surrounding the omicron variant to break spending records during the critical holiday shopping season. But figures released on Friday show that after spending vigorously at the start of the holiday season, consumers slowed down their purchases …

Hyperinflation devastates Lebanon, Turkey, affiliate owners determined to keep their gyms alive
Photo credit: Lauren Smith Do you like Morning Chalk Up? Access additional exclusive interviews, analysis and stories with an Rx subscription. Five years ago, Ramzi Kamareddine opened 9616 CrossFit in Lebanon, and within three years he had a thriving gym with over 200 members. But in the past two years, the country has been hit …

Iran nuclear deal: Why the Gulf Arab states are offering a sweetener
Six years after denouncing the Iran nuclear deal, Arab Gulf states are encouraging their regional rival to return to the deal and are embarking on a separate diplomatic campaign to pressure Tehran to drop both its nuclear pursuit and its interference in the Arab States. Indeed, the Gulf states believe they have the most to …