by Jon Gambrell   Associated Press — Saudi Arabia expelled the Canadian ambassador on Monday and froze “all new business” with Ottawa over its criticism of the ultraconservative kingdom’s arrest of women’s rights activists — yet another warning to the West reflecting Riyadh’s newly assertive foreign policy. The sudden and unexpected dispute bore the hallmarks of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Arabia’s 32-year-old future leader, whose recent foreign policy exploits include the war in Yemen, the boycott of Qatar and Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri’s surprise resignation broadcast during a visit to the kingdom. Hariri later rescinded the resignation, widely believed to be orchestrated by Riyadh, and returned to Beirut. Analysts say the dispute between Riyadh and Ottawa shows Saudi Arabia won’t accept any outside criticism and will continue flexing its muscles abroad, especially as the kingdom enjoys a closer relationship with President Donald Trump. “This message is obviously not just being sent to Ottawa,” said Giorgio Cafiero, the CEO of Gulf State Analytics, a Washington-based risk consultancy. “It’s a message to countries across Europe and across the rest of the world that criticism of Saudi Arabia . has consequences.”

The Saudi Foreign Ministry made the announcement early Monday, giving Ambassador Dennis Horak 24 hours to leave the kingdom. It wasn’t immediately clear if he was in the kingdom. Saudi Arabia said it would recall its ambassador to Canada as well. “Any further step from the Canadian side in that direction will be considered as acknowledgment of our right to interfere in Canadian domestic affairs,” the Foreign Ministry said. “Canada and all other nations need to know that they can’t claim to be more concerned than the kingdom over its own citizens.” Saudi state television later reported that the Education Ministry was coming up with an “urgent plan” to move thousands of Saudi scholarship students out of Canadian schools to take classes in other countries. Meanwhile, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates publicly backed Saudi Arabia in the dispute. Marie-Pier Baril, a spokeswoman for Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland, said Canada was “seriously concerned” by Saudi Arabia’s actions. “Canada will always stand up for the protection of human rights, very much including women’s rights, and freedom of expression around the world,” she said in a statement. “Our government will never hesitate to promote these values and believes that this dialogue is critical to international diplomacy.”

by dailystar.com.lb — Speaker Nabih Berri said in remarks published Monday that he had “no answer” as to why Cabinet formation was still being delayed. “When we ask, they tell us that there is a positive [atmosphere], but we don’t see a translation of this on the ground,” Berri was quoted as saying by Al […]

by Reuters — Lebanon’s pound is stable and the central bank has the means to defend its stability, central bank governor Riad Salameh said on Monday, urging fiscal reforms to reinforce monetary stability. Salameh, in an interview with Reuters, said the central bank was not concerned about the pound – pegged at its current level since 1997 […]

by theguardian.com — Richard Hall and Oliver Holmes In most places around the world, a shepherd’s work is a quiet and solitary business. But in the rolling borderlands of southern Lebanon, a wandering sheep can lead to a diplomatic incident or worse. In the years since Israel’s withdrawal from most of Lebanon in 2000, a […]

by AFP – Her trainers beating down on the pavement along Beirut’s seafront, Nour Safieddine, 24, cuts past strollers ambling in the evening sun. In her bright pink T-shirt, she is running to survive. “I run to carry on, so life can smile at me even if it made me cry – or in fact, […]

by arabnews.com — JEDDAH: Twenty-one-year old Lebanese-Canadian beauty Rita Houkayem, who speaks three languages and runs her own driveway business, is up against 47 contestants at this year’s Miss Universe Canada. The event will take place on Aug. 18, the winner of which will represent Canada in the Miss Universe 2018 finals in Bangkok at […]

by cnbc.com —Kate Kelly — Saudi Arabia’s best-known investor is back in the market. Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, a longtime investor in international businesses including Citigroup, Twitter, Lyft and the Four Seasons hotel chain, announced a $270 million transaction with the French music-streaming company Deezer on Thursday. The Deezer investment is the prince’s first big international […]

Reuters BEIRUT: Activity in Lebanon’s private sector shrank at its fastest rate since October 2016 in July, as efforts to form a new government three months after parliamentary elections made no headway, a survey of companies showed on Friday. The seasonally adjusted Blom Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI), compiled by IHS Markit, fell to 45.4 in […]

by english.alarabiya.net — Lebanon’s electricity company known as “Electricite du Liban” announced Thursday that it will take “disciplinary measures” against a staff member who was breeding chicken at the company’s Beirut headquarters, after the incident went viral on social media amid mounting criticism of the authority which is riddled with corruption. EDL said in a […]

by thenational.ae —The head of Lebanon’s Association of Banks said on Thursday that the country’s financial sector had returned to Iraqi authorities nearly all money hidden in Beirut banks by officials under former dictator Saddam Hussein. The announcement came the day after the head of Lebanon’s General Security branch, Maj Gen Abbas Ibrahim, said that […]