Israel promises to ease Gaza blockade

Former British PM Tony Blair announced today that Israel would agree to re-open crossings into Gaza for everyday goods within days, bringing to an end its strict three-year crackdown on supplies. (more…)

MP Fatfat resigns from his official duties at Future bloc

During a press conference on Monday , Future bloc MP Ahmad Fatfat told reporters that he submitted his resignation to Lebanon’s Prime Minister Saad Hariri from all his official duties.

Fatfat said he accepts full responsibility for the mistakes that took place in the Minieh-Donniyeh parliamentary by-elections.

Fatfat who represents Minieh-Donniyeh in the parliament also said that (more…)

Some Measures To Narrow The Lebanese Fiscal Deficit

By Ghassan Karam

The world has barely escaped falling into a deep economic depression a couple of years ago as a result of the excessive leveraging and lack of risk aversion that became spread all over the world.

March 14 candidiate wins Minieh-Donniyeh parliamentary by-elections

National News Agency (NNA) reported on Sunday that based on initial results Kazem al-Kheir won the Minieh-Donniyeh parliamentary by-elections with a total of 11,200 votes. His opponent, Kamal al-Kheir, received a total of 7,809 votes.

Kazem ( son of former MP Saleh Kheir) is the candidate of March 14 Future Movement which is headed by PM Saad Hariri, while Kamal is the candidate of March 8. (more…)

Siniora: Gas reserves is a very serious issue

Lebanon’s former PM and Al Mustaqbal MP Fouad Siniora urged the Lebanese government to take the issue of offshore gas reserves in the Lebanese territorial waters very seriously.

Siniora , who is attending the Dubai – Beirut Forum also said Saturday the issue was not new and that he had followed it up when he was finance minister and a premier.

Siniora cautioned that a lot of effort is required to reach the point of exploring the reserves. (more…)

Series of bombs near Iraq’s central bank kills 12

Cars packed with explosives and roadside bombs killed 12 people in Baghdad Sunday in what officials said appeared to be an attack targeting Iraq’s central bank by militants who wanted to rob it.

A series of six bombs detonated in a marketplace near the central bank within eight minutes, suggesting a coordinated attack, a Baghdad police officer and an Interior Ministry official said. The bombs sent black smoke into the air as ambulance sirens screamed on the way to the scene. (more…)

NTV: Hezbollah chief to visit Turkey soon

Hezbollah MP Hassan Huballah ( Tyre, south Lebanon) has reportedly confirmed on Sunday that Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has invited Hezbollah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah to Turkey, on the recommendation of Hamas political bureau chief Khaled Mash’al. (more…)

Geagea: The Lebanese government is the only legitimate authority

Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea who is in Egypt on an official visit met on Sunday with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak to discuss bilateral ties and the latest developments in the region.

Following his meeting with Mubarak that lasted 65 minutes , Geagea told reporters that the Middle East region is going through a phase of instability. (more…)

Arab League chief calls for lifting Gaza siege

The Secretary General of the Arab League Amr Moussa called on Sunday for an immediate lifting of Israel’s siege on the Gaza Strip.

‘The siege must be broken and lifted,’ Moussa told reporters in the first visit of a high ranking Arab official to the Gaza Strip.

Moussa said he came to Gaza to see ‘the steadfastness of people before the arbitrary siege’ and to see the situation 18 months after the end of Israel’s massive offensive on Gaza. (more…)

Lebanon: Growth of the economy at risk without reforms

Lebanon’s economy has surged despite global recession, but with one of the world’s highest levels of public debt, growth may not be sustainable without reforms