Economy

Hospital Fees: When Healthcare Becomes a Privilege
Hospital Fees: When Healthcare Becomes a Privilege

The 2019 economic crisis has had a profound impact on Lebanon’s healthcare system, driving costs to alarming levels. Health insurance companies have been forced to adjust premiums in response to the devaluation of the Lebanese pound, making access to adequate healthcare coverage increasingly difficult, especially for the middle and lower ...

Hamiye Signs Agreement with THALES to Strengthen Lebanon’s Border Security
Hamiye Signs Agreement with THALES to Strengthen Lebanon’s Border Security

Caretaker Minister of Public Works and Transport Ali Hamiye signed an agreement in Paris with THALES, a leading French company specializing in aerospace, defense and security, which is also responsible for the Secure Boarding Management System (SBMS). Under the agreement, THALES will oversee the implementation of the SBMS, an advanced solution ...

FAO Assesses Damage to Lebanon’s Agricultural Sector
FAO Assesses Damage to Lebanon’s Agricultural Sector

Lebanon’s Caretaker Agriculture Minister Abbas Hajj Hassan met on Monday with a delegation from the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), led by Ambassador Veronica Quattrola. The meeting focused on key issues concerning Lebanon’s agricultural sector, especially assessing the damage caused by Israeli bombings on agricultural ...

Fayad Says Sanctions on Petroleum and Energy Derivatives Will Be Lifted
Fayad Says Sanctions on Petroleum and Energy Derivatives Will Be Lifted

Caretaker Minister of Energy Walid Fayad said on Monday that “sanctions on the trade of petroleum and energy derivatives will be lifted.” Fayad made this statement following a meeting with the US Ambassador to Lebanon, Lisa Johnson. The minister reiterated that “the funds allocated for fuel purchases were limited,” but were secured ...

Cyprus tourist arrivals topped four million in 2024
Cyprus tourist arrivals topped four million in 2024

Cyprus tourist arrivals exceeded four million for the first time last year despite devastating wars in the nearby Middle East, official figures showed on Friday. Tourism Minister Costas Koumis called the figures a "historic achievement" with income expected to exceed three billion euros for the first time. But he warned that the island, which ...

Markets extend global rally as Trump-Xi talks boost sentiment
Markets extend global rally as Trump-Xi talks boost sentiment

Most Asian markets rose Monday following a rally on Wall Street and a record-breaking day in Europe, with sentiment boosted by positive talks between Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping that soothed worries about the incoming US leader's second term. A sense of caution has permeated trading floors ahead of the tycoon's inauguration ...

Bitcoin hits record above $109,000 awaiting Trump
Bitcoin hits record above $109,000 awaiting Trump

Bitcoin hit a record high above $109,000 on Monday as Donald Trump, who has signalled plans to deregulate the cryptocurrency sector, prepares to be sworn in as US president. Bitcoin surged to an all-time peak of $109,241 ahead of Trump's inauguration ceremony, before falling back to around $107,500. The world's biggest cryptocurrency has soared ...

ECB Senior Official Deems Trade War With US Very Probable
ECB Senior Official Deems Trade War With US Very Probable

A trade war with the United States “is very likely” under the presidency of Donald Trump, with negative consequences for activity and prices, warned a senior official of the European Central Bank (ECB) on Sunday. Tariffs have played “a central role in the communication of Donald Trump," who will be inaugurated president on ...

NSSF Allocates 27 Billion Lebanese Pounds Advance to Hospitals
NSSF Allocates 27 Billion Lebanese Pounds Advance to Hospitals

The National Social Security Fund (NSSF) disclosed on Friday its provision of a 27 billion Lebanese pound advance to hospitals, bringing the total amount disbursed since the start of the year to approximately 52 billion pounds. These transfers reflect the NSSF's steadfast commitment to making monthly payments to hospitals, ensuring they can ...

USAID Unveils Strategy to Strengthen Local Agriculture
USAID Unveils Strategy to Strengthen Local Agriculture

The US Agency for International Development (USAID) announced in a statement issued by the US Embassy in Beirut that it has initiated a new five-year project named "Strengthening Local Agricultural Systems in Lebanon (ELSA)" with a budget of $10 million, commencing on October 1, 2024. The primary goal of this endeavor is to cultivate agricultural ...

World Bank Sees Slow and Steady Global Growth
World Bank Sees Slow and Steady Global Growth

Global growth should remain stable this year and next, but at recent historic lows, the World Bank said Thursday, expressing particular concern about growth in developing countries. Growth should hit 2.7 percent in 2025 and 2026, in line with the level reached last year, the World Bank announced in a new report, adding that inflation and interest ...

London's FTSE 100 stocks index hits record high
London's FTSE 100 stocks index hits record high

London's benchmark FTSE 100 index reached an all-time high in early trading Friday, lifted by renewed optimism over the global economy. The index jumped 1.0 percent to 8,475.35 points, slightly surpassing a record achieved in May last year. Around 0900 GMT, it stood at 8,472.67 points. British stocks have been boosted in recent days by a drop ...