Syrian authorities are not likely to hand over several bodies of Lebanese men slain in Tall Kalakh to Lebanon’s General Security on Saturday after Prime Minister Najib Miqati urged Maj. Gen. Abbas Ibrahim to receive them in a single round. Informed sources told al-Joumhouria newspaper that Syria froze its decision to hand over the bodies […]

  BEIRUT: On the second day of his visit to Athens, President Michel Sleiman made a plea for the establishment of a sovereign Palestinian state, calling it the only way to cement democracy in the Arab world. “Democracy in the Arab world can take root and become stable when Palestinians are given the right to self-determination […]

  The cost of taxing the rich has become the central debate in the "fiscal cliff" talks. But the costs of not getting a deal might be even worse for the country – including the wealthy, according to a new study. The population of millionaires in the United States would fall by 315,000, or 6 […]

  BEIRUT: Prospects of substantial gas and oil reserves offshore, onshore and near the coast in Lebanon are quite high, said experts speaking at the Lebanon International Oil and Gas Summit 2012 as ongoing seismic surveys reveal even more promising geological structures. Neil Hodgson, new ventures manager at Spectrum, a British company which in October completed […]

  Patriarch Ignatius IV Hazim of Antioch and all the East is in a stable condition and currently undergoing treatment at the Intensive Care Unit after suffering a stroke, Saint George Hospital announced on Tuesday. "A team of medical experts at Saint George are taking care of the Patriarch’s condition ,” the hospital’s administration said, adding […]

    Rome, Italy, Dec 1, 2012 / 04:03 pm (CNA).- During a recent book launch in Rome, a noted theologian said that China will be home to the majority of the world’s Christians within the next two decades. “Interfaith dialogue is something that China, which will have the world’s largest Christian population in 20 […]

  Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi called on Sunday for the formation of a new government that resolves the country’s economic and social problems and holds parliamentary elections on time. During his sermon, al-Rahi called for “dialogue and national reconciliation” to end the “divisions” among the country’s politicians. He said the politicians should first start with drafting a […]

    President Michel Suleiman repeated on Saturday his call on political powers to return to the national dialogue. He also demanded the adoption of a “modern parliamentary electoral law that reflects the spirit of the constitution.” He made his remarks during a ceremony marking the launch of a youth political document.   “We will not allow […]

  (Reuters) – The Vatican hailed the United Nations’ implicit recognition of a Palestinian state on Thursday and called for an internationally guaranteed special status for Jerusalem, something bound to irritate Israel. The 193-nation U.N. General Assembly overwhelmingly approved a resolution to upgrade the Palestinian Authority’s observer status at the United Nations from "entity" to "non-member […]

  Prime Minister Najib Miqati stressed on Friday that the 2013 parliamentary elections will be held on time, refuting all rumors and statements suggesting the contrary. After meeting Maronite Patriarch Cardinal Bechara al-Rahi in Bkerki, Miqati rejected any isolation or boycotting of communication between the rival parties, saying that all “sides should stand united especially given […]