Archives

What Lebanese authorities are doing to reverse the lira’s fall, and why it won’t work

BEIRUT — As protesters block roads across the country after the lira’s substantial drop in value, hitting a record low of LL10,800 on Saturday, Lebanon’s policymakers leaped into action in an...

Omar Tamo, 9 March 2021

Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri returned from the United Arab Emirates to Beirut this evening, the NNA reports

9 March 2021

Comedian Shaden Fakih said she was informed that her appointment for questioning at the Cybercrimes Bureau, which had been scheduled for Thursday, has now been postponed indefinitely, purportedly due to a scheduling conflict. Activists had been calling for protests to support her

9 March 2021

Delegations from Hezbollah and from Maronite Patriarch Bechara al-Rai met and discussed the need to speed up government formation and revive the economy, Hezbollah said in a statement. They agreed to continue talks about Rai’s calls for “positive neutrality” at future meetings

9 March 2021

After being forced to close over the weekend due to overcrowding, the Mzaar ski resort will reopen Friday, the municipality of Kfardebian announced, with police checking Impact platform permits. Today, Lebanon recorded its highest number of new COVID-19 cases since January

9 March 2021

Lebanon has registered 3,939 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, the highest count since Jan. 23. Forty-five more people have died, bringing the total death toll to 5,134

9 March 2021

Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov today in Abu Dhabi, where they discussed Lebanon’s government formation process and the need to “intensify the efforts of the international community to solve the Syrian crisis,” Hariri tweeted

9 March 2021

Roadblocks enter their second week as protesters vent anger at authorities

BEIRUT — Sporadic roadblocks across Lebanon entered their second week Tuesday as the local currency continued its downward spiral in the midst of a monthslong political deadlock. For the eighth...

Georgi Azar, 9 March 2021

The NGO Anera announced it has secured funding for 40,000 doses of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine to be distributed to Palestinian refugees in Lebanon, covering 20,000 people. This is in addition to 18,000 doses provided to Palestinians by the Lebanese state, the NGO said

9 March 2021

Standup comedian Shaden Fakih said in a video shared on her social media accounts that she has been summoned to appear before the ISF Cybercrimes Bureau for questioning Thursday for unknown reasons

9 March 2021

Firass Abiad, the director of Rafik Hariri University Hospital, wrote on Twitter that suppliers of oxygen have had difficulties in delivering due to roadblocks. Abiad wrote that his hospital and others are running “dangerously low” on oxygen needed for COVID-19 patients

9 March 2021

The Economy Ministry has ordered importers benefiting from subsidized dollars to submit more data to the ministry to monitor whether the subsidies are being used properly. Importers must submit customs data and other required documents within 15 days

9 March 2021

Speaker Nabih Berri has called for a Parliament session to be held this Friday at the UNESCO palace in Beirut, the NNA reports. Lebanon’s legislature last met in January

9 March 2021

A small number of protesters have attempted to block roads in various areas since early morning, denouncing the country’s deteriorating living conditions. Roads, including the Jal al-Dib and Khaldeh highways, have been repeatedly blocked and reopened, the NNA reports

9 March 2021

Crackdown on money changers, widespread demonstrations, pope to visit: Everything you need to know today

Want to get the Morning Brief by email? Click here to sign up . Officials announced a crackdown on exchange shops that “manipulate” the exchange rate and electronic platforms that report the...

9 March 2021