Lebanese President Michel Aoun today said that measures would be taken to hold accountable all those who contributed to the country’s financial crisis through illegal actions by transferring money abroad or manipulating bonds in foreign currencies. “There is information that we are still in need of with regards to the ... Read More »
Russia says ‘no’ to Syria ceasefire, top UN diplomats say
Russia opposed the UN Security Council’s declaration for a ceasefire in north-west Syria, top UN diplomats said, after a tense closed-door meeting in New York, AFP reported. “Basically, Russia said no, which is very painful,” Marc Pecsteen de Buytswerve, president of the United Nations Council for February, told reporters. “There ... Read More »
Doctors look to HIV and Ebola drugs for coronavirus cure
Early results of trials on Covid-19 patients expected in March Doctors are likely to know within two to three weeks whether drugs being used to treat patients infected with the new coronavirus are working, according to the World Health Organization. The timetable for early results from two trials taking ... Read More »
US intelligence warned House members Russia is working to get Trump re-elected
Briefing to members of Congress is said to have led to abrupt removal of acting director of national intelligence US intelligence officials are reported to have warned members of Congress last week that Russia was trying to interfere in the 2020 election campaign in favour of Donald Trump, in ... Read More »
Coronavirus claims first lives in Middle East as two die in Iran
Unconfirmed number of suspected sufferers also quarantined in Qom hospital The coronavirus has killed two Iranian citizens, state media reports, marking the first such deaths in the Middle East since the outbreak began. The elderly victims were first announced to be suffering with the virus, named Covid-19, on Wednesday ... Read More »
Diab, IFC Team Discuss Development of Transport Sector, Airport
A delegation from the World Bank’s private lending arm met Tuesday with Prime Minister Hassan Diab, as the debt-ridden country seeks assistance to rescue its moribund economy. The meeting tackled the possibility of “launching joint cooperation projects between the public and private sectors and the issue of developing the transportation ... Read More »
Fitch Ratings: Lebanon Finances Point to Debt Restructuring
Lebanon’s financial situation points to a likely restructuring of the country’s massive debt and financial sector to preserve declining foreign currency reserves, Fitch Ratings said Tuesday. The credit rating agency’s report comes as Lebanese officials are debating whether to pay back $1.2 billion worth of Eurobonds that mature on March ... Read More »
Information Minister tackles general situation with Frem
Minister of Information, Dr. Manal Abdel Samad Najd, welcomed on Tuesday in her office at the Ministry MP Neemat Frem, with whom she discussed the Country’s general situation. NNA Read More »
Factbox: Latest on coronavirus spreading in China and beyond
The death toll from the coronavirus in mainland China passed 2,000 on Wednesday, although new cases fell for a second straight day, as authorities tightened containment measures in the worst-hit city of Wuhan. ** China’s National Health Commission reported 1,749 new cases, the lowest daily rise since Jan. 29, bringing ... Read More »
Turkish lira weakest since last May, as tensions rise in Syria
Reuters reports that Turkey’s lira weakened against the dollar on Tuesday to its lowest point in regular trading since last May, as a central bank policy decision loomed and investors fretted over tensions in Syria’s Idlib, where Ankara is bulking up its military. Turkey’s central bank, which has slashed its ... Read More »