Ex-Patriarch Sfeir in very critical health condition

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by DailyStar.com.lb -- Joseph Haboush -- BEIRUT: Former Maronite Patriarch Mar Nasrallah Boutros Sfeir was in critical condition late Wednesday, prompting current Patriarch Beshara Rai to cancel a trip to Africa to remain “close” to him, according to a source close to the religious leaders. Sfeir, who would turn 99 next week, was admitted to Hotel Dieu Hospital 10 days ago, having suffered from a chest infection, according to his doctor. Although reports had circulated on the internet and former MP Fares Souaid said Sfeir had passed away, the doctor told reporters outside the hospital late Wednesday that his condition was “delicate but stable,” and that his blood pressure was good and his heart and kidneys were both functioning.

After visiting Sfeir at the hospital in Beirut’s Ashrafieh area, Rai told reporters he regretted that some would hasten to spread the news that the 98-year-old religious leader had died, and called for people to pray for his recovery. Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea was among the many politicians who made the trip to Hotel Dieu to check on Sfeir. Several other public figures expressed their concern for his health on social media. Deputy Prime Minister Ghassan Hasbani tweeted, “May God heal his Beatified Patriarch Mar Nasrallah Boutros Sfeir. He is still receiving treatment, may God prolong him.”

Prime Minister Saad Hariri spoke with Rai on the phone to ask into Sfeir’s health, according to a tweet from the Grand Serail. The former Maronite patriarch was an ardent critic of the Syrian regime, refusing to visit Syria because he did not have the support of the Maronite community. In 2011, he spoke out against a possible visit of Rai to Damascus, describing it as tantamount to Bkirki accepting Syria’s presence in Lebanon. Sfeir has also criticized Hezbollah, saying on multiple occasions that the possibility of war with Israel remains as long as Hezbollah carries out operations that the state should undertake.

UAE to lift travel warning on Lebanon

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BEIRUT, (Xinhua) — The United Arab Emirates (UAE) will lift the travel warning on Lebanon soon, the National News Agency (NNA) reported Tuesday. “A team from the Department of Civil Aviation of the UAE is meeting with the Lebanese Civil Aviation team to study some technical matters,” said Hamad Bin Saeed Al Shamsi, UAE ambassador to Lebanon. Shamsi’s remarks came after his meeting with Lebanese Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil over bilateral ties. The UAE, along with other Gulf countries, issued a travel warning against Lebanon in February 2016, citing the instability of the country affected by the Syrian war. The travel warning came after Lebanon voted against an Arab League’s call to designate Hezbollah, a militant group in Lebanon, as a terrorist organization and the suspension of Syria’s membership in the Arab bloc. The warning was renewed in November 2017 amid a Lebanese-Saudi crisis sparked by a controversial resignation announcement by Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri during his visit to Riyadh, capital of Saudi Arabia. Hariri rescinded his resignation soon afterward. Saudi Arabia already lifted its travel warning on Lebanon more than two months ago.

Lebanese prepare for Ramadan amid worries about price increase

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BEIRUT, (Xinhua) -- Lebanese people flocked to supermarkets and shops on Sunday to prepare for the holy month of Ramadan amid worries about an increase in prices of goods during this period. "Every year, prices will surely increase during this month," a citizen told Xinhua. Lebanese Economy Minister Mansour Bteish called on all shops not to take advantage of the increase in demand for products during this month and not to increase their prices as a result. The ministry also called upon all syndicates and associations to be highly aware in a bid to control market activity, adding that it will take legal measures against those who increase their prices for excessive profits. Moreover, some cities, including Nabatieh, launched Ramadan festivals, offering citizens food products at reduced prices in a bid to help people who have limited income. The income generated from this festival will be used to provide people with their Ramadan meals during this month, Elnashra, an online independent newspaper, reported. Moreover, the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates in Lebanon launched a program to feed 1,440 fasting people during this Ramadan to help those who cannot afford to buy basic products to prepare decent meals at home.

PM: Lebanon should learn from Egypt's economic development

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BEIRUT, (Xinhua) -- Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri signed Friday evening three agreements with his Egyptian counterpart Mostafa Madbouly in Beirut covering various areas, said a statement issued by Lebanese prime minister's office. The agreements cover the exchange of expertise in taxation rules between Egypt and Lebanon, Lebanon's import of construction materials from Egypt and the cooperation in telecom and information technology sectors, according to the statement. The agreements were signed during a ceremony held at the Grand Serail in Beirut in the presence of Lebanese and Egyptian officials. "We need to enable and encourage the private sectors in the two counties to establish partnerships in the coming period especially that there exist multiple investment opportunities in Egypt and Lebanon," Madbouly said. The Egyptian prime minister said that Egypt is ready to help Lebanon in electricity, oil and gas projects and other areas as well. Meanwhile, Hariri said that he discussed with Madbouly ways of removing all obstacles facing cooperation between the two sides, especially the complicated procedures of establishing businesses in Lebanon and Egypt. Hariri also agreed with Madbouly to open a direct dialogue between ministers of the two countries to solve any issues facing investments by businessmen in Egypt and Lebanon. Madbouly arrived in Lebanon on Wednesday evening in a three-day official visit, where he conducted negotiations with Lebanese officials tackling various issues. Madbouly also participated in the Arab Economic Forum which took place at Four Seasons in Beirut on Thursday.

Top Lebanese banker warns against raising interest income tax

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BEIRUT (Reuters) - A top Lebanese banker warned on Thursday that a proposed hike in the tax on interest income would affect capital flows to Lebanon, weaken banks’ ability to play their financing role in the economy, and obstruct growth. The Lebanese government is currently discussing a draft 2019 budget that would raise the tax paid on deposit interest income to 10 percent from 7 percent. Interest income had been tax free until the levy was introduced last year. Lebanon is saddled with one of the heaviest public debt burdens in the world and Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri’s government has vowed to enact long-delayed reforms to put state finances on a sustainable path.

Joseph Torbey, chairman of the Association of Banks in Lebanon, said Lebanese banks hope to see the government succeed in agreeing an austerity budget, calling for a “fundamental reduction” in spending. But, addressing a Beirut economic conference, Torbey warned against underestimating the impact of “subjecting the banking system and its deposits to seasonal taxes at every opportunity - as happened last year” - a reference to the new levy in 2018. This “may be repeated today through raising the tax rate on deposit interest to 10 percent, affecting capital flows to Lebanon, weakening the ability of the banking sector to play its its financing role, negatively affecting interest rates and the cost of financing the Lebanese economy, and obstructing growth”. Finance Minister Ali Hassan Khalil told Reuters the draft budget projects a deficit of less than 9 percent of GDP compared to 11.2 percent in 2019.

The budget, seen as a critical test of Lebanon’s will to reform, is based on an economic growth forecast of 1.5 percent in 2019, which could rise to around 2 percent as the economy picks up, Khalil said. Lebanon’s public debt issome 150 percent of GDP. State finances are strained by a bloated public sector, high debt servicing costs and hefty subsidies spent on the power sector. Serious steps toward reform could unlock $11 billion in financing pledged at a donor conference last year to help Lebanon build infrastructure to boost economic growth. (Reporting by Tom Perry, Ellen Francis and Laila Bassam Editing by Mark Heinrich) Our Standards:The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Lebanese gov’t cracks down on “fake degrees”

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by thepienews.com --Four universities in Lebanon are being investigated for selling fake degrees, which has led to more than 40 people being arrested, with the country’s director general of Higher Education being implicated. According to The National, Ahmed el-Jammal was the highest profile to have been taken into custody in a spate of arrests in a scandal surrounding fake-degrees. In 2018, the American University of Culture and Education and the Lebanese French University received warnings from the government and a fine said to have been around US$45,000.

Saida University College has reportedly closed, while the fourth university involved – the Arts, Sciences and Technology University in Lebanon – is still under investigation. “I’m not surprised by corruption in the public sector, but this goes beyond anything imaginable and really undermines the credibility and values of education,” one university professor, who asked to remain anonymous, told The National. “These things are always very worrying,” the chief executive of British Accreditation Council Paul Fear said, but it will be difficult to establish the facts. The organisation reaccredited the American University of Culture and Education in January 2017. “We often get more information coming from students talking to each other and then telling us and putting us in touch with the right source of information,” he added. “The biggest concern we have is degree mills – organisations who are printing degrees or awarding degrees without students having to do the work,” Fear told The PIE News. “British universities have a lot of relationships and degree sharing programs of different types with almost every single country in the world. “It’s a responsibility of everybody involved in higher education everywhere to make sure that the right controls and oversight are in place to stop this kind of thing happening,” he added.