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A crane lifts the wreckage of a truck which was hit by the train a day after the deadly train derailment at a tunnel north of Hualien, Taiwan April 3, 2021. REUTERS/Ann Wang
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People watch as they drive through Easter themed tents after receiving kits to host their own Covid-19 pandemic safe celebrations during a drive-in Easter Eggstravaganza for children in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Patrick T. FALLON / AFP)
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In this photograph taken on April 2, 2021 an owl is pictured at Yala National Park in the southern district of Yala, some 250 kms southwest of Colombo. (Photo by ISHARA S. KODIKARA / AFP)
Saturday, 27 February, 2021 - 09:15
Lebanon s Central Bank facade is defaced by protesters. (Reuters file photo) Beirut - Rami al-Rayess
Lebanon has long enjoyed unique political, economic and social relations with its Arab environment. These ties often overcame political disputes related to Lebanon’s identity and role. These disputes date back to the time of its independence from French mandate in 1943 and persist to this day. Lebanon has managed to withstand all the turbulence of the past decades, even its 1975-90 civil war, but now finds itself confronted with its worst crisis since its inception.
The clash that had erupted between Lebanon’s Muslims and Christians over the country’s Arabism soon disappeared with the discovery of oil in the Gulf, which reshaped the politics and relations in the region. When Lebanon was caught in the dispute between Muslim demands that it merge with Syria and the Arab world a
Middle-East Arab News and Opinion - Asharq Al-Awsat is the world’s premier pan-Arab daily newspaper, printed simultaneously each day on four continents in 14 cities
Friday, 1 January, 2021 - 08:30
The ruler of Dubai receives the foreign minister of Kuwait. (WAM) Riyadh - Asharq Al-Awsat
Gulf capitals have during the final months of 2020 urged the need for unity, establishing a positive atmosphere as Saudi Arabia prepares to host the 41st Gulf Cooperation Council summit next week.
The positive atmosphere was sensed throughout the majority of the capitals as Saudi Arabia dispatched invitations to their leaders to attend Tuesday’s summit in AlUla.
On Thursday, Cairo highlighted the positive signs by underlining the importance of Arab and Gulf unity in order to bolster regional security and stability.
Voices of hope that the Gulf rift will be resolved first emerged in Kuwait in late 2020. It declared in early December that its efforts to resolve the dispute between Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt with Qatar have started to bear fruit.
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Bakery workers package freshly-produced bread coming off a production line at an automated bakery in Beirut, Lebanon, 24 March 2021. Bread prices increased for third time in nine months. EPA/WAEL HAMZEH
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A Tokyo 2020 staff member (L) transfers the Olympic flame from the torch of Tomioka resident Momomi Kodama (C) to a lantern (R) at Tomioka Daiichi Junior High School during the first day of Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games torch relay on March 25, 2021. AFP
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A smuggler retreats while pulling a raft with migrants across the Rio Grande river into the United States from Mexico as seen from Roma, Texas, US, March 24, 2021. REUTERS/Adrees Latif