Author: Steven Sahiounie

Lufthansa Group has halted night flights to and from Beirut until July 31 due to the situation in the Middle East, a spokesperson said on Monday.

Kiev could default on its enormous debts as early as next month if it fails to negotiate a restructuring deal with its creditors, The Economist reported on Sunday.

The World Bank’s annual national income rankings, released on Monday, showed that Russia has advanced from “upper middle” to “high” category on the strength of its economic growth.

UniCredit has appealed to the EU’s top court to clarify an order issued by the European Central Bank (ECB) for the Italian institution to reduce its presence in Russia.

Greece is trying to tackle shrinking productivity amid an exodus of skilled workers  The Greek government has allowed more businesses to impose a six-day working week on their employees in a bid to bolster the country’s struggling economy. Greece is the first member of the European Union to introduce the measure. Under the legislation, which entered into effect on July 1, the six-day scheme will be limited to private businesses providing services within 24 hours, as well as those experiencing an exceptional workload. Workers engaged in the food service and tourism sectors are exempt. Under the extended workweeks, employees in certain…

Syria strongly condemned the expansion settlements plan by the Israeli occupation in the West Bank. “Syria condemns, in the strongest terms, the approval of the so-called Israeli government to legalize the establishment of five settlements in the West Bank and give the green light to establish thousands of settlement units in existing settlements, in addition to other punitive measures imposed on the Palestinians,,”Foreign and Expatriates Ministry said in a statement Tuesday. The ministry added that the occupation entity proves day after day that it does not attach importance to the International law, disregards the relevant Security council resolutions and continues…

Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Guler met on Tuesday his Saudi counterpart Khalid bin Salman Al Saud, who is in Ankara on an official visit, the National Defense Ministry said. Guler welcomed Al Saud with an official ceremony at the ministry. The defense chiefs held an inter-delegation meeting, the ministry said, adding that Turkish Chief of General Staff Metin Gurak and Deputy Defense Minister Bilal Durdali were also present. The Saudi minister was earlier received by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the Presidential Complex. Source: Anadolu Agency

Presidential Spokesperson Nabil Abu Rudeineh today met former Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad. During the meeting, Abu Rudeineh conveyed President Mahmoud Abbas’ greetings to al-Maliki, as well as Abbas’ appreciation to Iraq for its positions on the Palestinian cause, while commending the depth of bilateral Palestinian-Iraqi relations. Al-Maliki reaffirmed Iraq’s unwavering positions on the Palestinian cause and expressed strong condemnation of the ongoing Israeli occupation crimes against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. He stressed the need for the immediate cessation of all systematic killings by Israel’s war machine of Palestinians, while…

A 50-truck humanitarian aid convoy crossed from Jordan Tuesday heading to the Gaza Strip, the Jordan Hashemite Charity Organization (JHCO) said. The new relief aid was dispatched by the Jordan Armed Forces – Arab Army and JHCO in partnership with the World Food Program (WFP), and with support from the Contractors Syndicate, Bayus and Anera organizations, the Bulgarian embassy, ??Rawabi Farah and other donors, according to a JHCO statement. The trucks carried food parcels, flour, mattresses, blankets, health parcels and blood units, to be distributed to the people in Gaza through societies, partner organizations and hospitals operating in the Strip,…

Presidential Spokesperson Nabil Abu Rudeineh today met Sayyid Ammar al-Hakim in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad. During the meeting, Abu Rudeineh conveyed President Mahmoud Abbas’ greetings to al-Hakim, who serves as the head of al-Hakim National Wisdom Movement, as well as Abbas’ appreciation to Iraq for its positions on the Palestinian cause, while highlighting the depth of bilateral Palestinian-Iraqi relations. Al-Hakim reaffirmed Iraq’s unwavering positions on the Palestinian cause and expressed strong condemnation of the ongoing Israeli occupation crimes against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. He stressed the need for the immediate cessation of all systematic killings…