President Michel Suleiman chaired on Monday a national dialogue session that stressed the importance of an agreement on a defense strategy given a rise in terrorist threats and amid a boycott by the majority of March 8 camp’s representatives and Lebanese Forces chief Samir Geagea from the March 14 alliance.   Suleiman had invited […]

  Obamacare open enrollment is drawing to close, though that doesn’t mean the fervor over health care reform will subside anytime soon. Americans have until the end of Monday to sign up for health insurance on the Obamacare exchanges for 2014. However, those that start their applications but run into technical trouble that prevents them […]

RIYADH (Reuters) – Saudi Arabia’s appointment of Prince Muqrin as deputy crown prince is a first step towards addressing its biggest dynastic challenge for 50 years and forestalling a possible succession crisis in the world’s top oil exporter.

The ruling al-Saud family is fast approaching the moment when it must decide how to jump down a generation from a line of brothers born to the country’s founder King Abdulaziz to their sons and nephews, a process fraught with difficulty.

For a dynasty that now sees itself as governing a rare island of stability in a region aflame with conflict and political discord, and facing looming demographic challenges, that decision is growing increasingly urgent.

"There is no alternative. You have no choice. There should be clarity and there should be a correct approach to succession," said Khaled al-Maeena, editor at large of Saudi Gazette, an English-language daily.

Although any jostling for power among the 40-odd branches of King Abdulaziz’s descendents is kept carefully hidden behind the ornate doors of royal palaces, Saudis with royal connections say some members of the family worry about being sidelined.

  The Khazens and the Maronite Church The Khazen family have shown an unmatched affection like no other ever since they moved to Keserwan in the middle of the 16th century. They took charge of the spiritual, cultural and religious apostolic, and organizational affairs.   I- The Church Under The Patronage of the Khazens When […]

  BEIRUT: Maronite Patriarch Beshara Rai agreed with three rival Maronite political leaders Friday on the need to hold the presidential election on time.   Rai chaired a meeting at the patriarchate in Bkirki late Friday that brought together Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun, former President Amine Gemayel, head of the Kataeb Party, […]

  A Lebanese woman was brutally beaten up by her husband in al-Ouzai area in southern Beirut, which required transferring her immediately to a hospital for treatment. "However, the Rafik Hariri University Hospital refused to admit Hoda Ali Tay,” LBCI television said on Saturday evening. But later, a TV personality at LBCI contacted Health Minister Wael Abou […]

  A few days ago, the World Travel & Tourism Council published a report titled “Travel & Tourism, Economic Impact 2014, Lebanon.” The report’s contents were not surprising. It shows numbers indicating the importance of the tourism sector in Lebanon because tourism contributes to the national income, creates jobs, and accounts for a significant portion […]

  Thirty years ago, when Hilal Khashan was applying for jobs he found a position that perfectly matched his qualifications. But when he got to the interview, he realized there was an unwritten requirement that he couldn’t fulfill: his religion.   “They said they wanted someone from the ‘geographic area of Kesrouan,’” says Khashan, who […]

  The seat of the Maronite church in Bkirki witnessed Friday evening a meeting between top Maronite leaders, amid the absence of Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea for “security reasons.” “Bishop Samir Mazloum presided over a meeting attended by Kataeb party leader Amin Gemayel, head of Change and Reform bloc MP Michel Aoun and Marada Movement […]