Obama told me so

Monday, 7 July 2014

Prostitution network arrested in Zikrit, n.Metn

Police arrest five women operating a prostitution network in Zikrit, north Metn, the National News Agency reports.

Grenade attack shakes Tripoli cafe

A grenade explodes near Abou Elie’s cafe in a Tripoli neighborhood, burning one car without causing any casualties.

Judge charges 28 with ISIS affiliation, terrorism

Judge seeks death penalty for Syrian terror suspects

Military Investigative Judge Fadi Sowan demands the death penalty for two Syrian brothers charged with forming a gang...

AUB launches committee to find Dorman's successor

BEIRUT: The Board of Trustees at the American University of Beirut announced the formation of a search committee to find a replacement for outgoing AUB President Peter Dorman.

The committee, which is co-chaired by Philip S. Khoury, chairman of the AUB Board of Trustees, and Dr. Huda Zoghbi, chairman of the Academic Affairs Committee, is comprised of eight trustees and a member of the AUB faculty and will "spearhead the international search for a successor."

Dorman’s resignation was announced by AUB's Executive Office at the start of June in a statement which said that the resignation would take effect after a suitable placement was found.

According to AUB spokeswoman Maha al-Azar, Dorman had “expressed his desire to return to academia,” clarifying that the outgoing president would return to Beirut as a professor of history and archaeology after a year’s sabbatical in the U.S.

The Board of Trustees also announced Monday that the search committee had hired Russell Reynolds Associates to lead the search. According to the statement, Russell Reynolds “has a strong track record of working with educational institutions to find leaders who are respected scholars and administrators.”

The firm will begin by meeting with the committee, it will then visit AUB’s campus and “meet with AUB trustees, faculty, staff, students and alumni” to develop a position profile and seek nominations for candidates.

“This is a pivotal moment for AUB. We are deeply grateful to President Dorman for all he has done for our institution and know that he will ensure the smoothest of transitions to new presidential leadership," Khoury said. "We look forward to meeting a number of extraordinary candidates and selecting a new president at a time when AUB is poised for significant new achievements as the leading university in the Arab World.”

Judge seeks death penalty for Syrian terror suspects

Syrian troops advance in Aleppo

Syrian troops advance inside Aleppo in what appears to be an attempt to lay siege to rebel-held parts of the country's...

Qobeisi withdraws Bassil lawsuit

Amal MP Hani Qobeisi announces that he has withdrawn his defamation and slander lawsuit against the head of the Banks...

China's premier says country's economy improving

BEIJING -- China's premier says the country's economy improved in the latest quarter but faces "downward pressure."

Premier Li Keqiang, China's top economic official, said Monday that the government will avoid "strong stimulus" but increase the strength of targeted measures to shore up growth.

Speaking at a news conference with visiting German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Li promised to push ahead with market-opening reforms.

China's economic growth slowed to 7.4 percent in the first quarter over a year earlier. Li gave no indication how much stronger growth in the three months that ended in June might have been. Those data are due out next week.

Li said, "China's economic performance in the second quarter has been improved from that in the first quarter. However, we cannot lower our guard against downward pressure."