The recent sacking of a judge on charges of corruption by Lebanons Higher Disciplinary Council is a cause for celebration. But the action should be saluted for what it is: an isolated good deed which is nothing more than the

Britain is the last major world power mired in recession, official data showed Wednesday, but economists forecast a return to growth before the end of 2009 and ahead of next years election.The economy shrank by 0.3 percent in the third

Sales of new homes rose last month to the highest level in more than a year as strong activity in the south made up for weakness in the rest of the United States.The Commerce Department said Wednesday that sales rose

General Motors (GM) was grappling with the future of two European sections on Wednesday, seeking options for Saab after a sale collapsed and preparing to show unions its Opel restructuring plan.The US automaker, which emerged from bankruptcy in July after

Irans plan to cut costly fuel and food subsidies brings to a head a debate over economic inefficiency that has raged for years but has become urgent because of the threat of more UN sanctions, analysts say.The stakes are high

Chinas Sinopec has signed a tentative deal to provide financing of $6.5 billion for oil refinery projects in Iran, two Iranian news agencies reported on Wednesday.If such an agreement goes ahead, it would provide Iran, the worlds fifth-largest crude exporter,

Porsche said Wednesday that its revenues declined by 12 percent in the past financial year as the economic crisis hit the car market, but said it expects improving sales in the current year.The sports-car maker said revenues totaled 6.6 billion

Big Oil has led interest in Iraqs oil sector since it was thrown open to investment, but the country also promises to be lucrative for oil-service firms quietly fixing wells and pipelines in the background.Oilfield service companies ranging from big

The debate between March 14 Christian parties and the opposition over mention in the ministerial statement of Lebanon's right to resist in order to liberate occupied territories delayed the conclusion of Cabinet's policy statement, with the committee tasked with formulating

Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri's call to abolish political sectarianism continued to draw debate on Wednesday as the Future Movement tied the issue to the full implementation of the Taif Accord while March 14 officials stressed that such step would not

An aide to Lebanon's top Shiite cleric says the sheikh has successfully undergone a minor procedure to measure the flow of blood to the heart.Senior Shiite cleric Sayyed Mohammad Hussein Fadlallah was released from hospital Tuesday, a day after the

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon thanked British and Lebanese authorities Monday for helping uncover and identify the remains of a British journalist killed in Lebanon's Civil War.Alec Collett, a reporter working for the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), disappeared

Senior politicians are seeking to contact the UN in order to declare Security Council Resolution 1559 as fully implemented, according to reports on Monday.However, analysts told The Daily Star that any such attempt of communication with New York would prove

Newly elected Leba nese MPs facing election challenges will likely keep their posts in Parliament as the Constitutional Council is likely to turn down all vote complaints.As-Safir newspaper, citing well-informed sources from the Constitutional Council, said Tuesday decisions concerning contestations

A man and his wife were arrested in Zahle, Sunday, for robbing several stores in the region between Zahle and Bar Elias. Internal Security Forces (ISF) found various stolen items in their possession, including women's bags, wallets, mobile phones and

The king of Spain, Juan Carlos, congratulated Lebanon Tuesday on the occasion of its Independence Day. The king's wishes came in a letter he sent to President Michel Sleiman, saying the Spanish government and the Spanish people all expressed their

President Michel Sleiman hailed on Tuesday a decision by the Judiciary to sack a corrupt judge.Sleiman described the decision announced by the Judiciary's Higher Disciplinary Council "as the first step in the journey of the reform of the Judiciary and

Health Minister Mohammad Jawad Khalife said Wednesday that 80 percent of flu cases in Lebanon were diagnosed as being A (H1N1) positive, but urged citizens not to to apply for the swine-flu vaccine unless suffering from immune-system related illnesses.Kahlife reiterated

A retired General Security brigadier and his wife, along with a third suspect, were indicted Tuesday for collaborating with Israel. Adib al-Alam and his wife Hayat al-Saloumi were suspected of providing Israel with information and entering Israeli territories since 1994.

Denmark will send 140 troops to the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Lebanon. Lawmakers have overwhelmingly approved a request from the UN to send logistics staff to the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). Only a small left-wing group