Gas prices in Lebanon have increased by 33 percent since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and Beirut has just one month of wheat reserves left due to a lack of shipments from its main supplier of wheat and cooking oil, Kyiv (Al Jazeera)
Lebanon Thwarts Three Planned Suicide Attacks
Lebanon’s interior ministry announced it thwarted three suicide attacks planned by Islamic State-linked militants in Beirut’s southern suburbs (Reuters)
Lebanese Parliament Votes to Allow Central Bank Audit
Lebanon’s parliament voted to extend a law that lifts banking secrecy regulations, facilitating a forensic audit of the central bank that is a condition for foreign aid (Reuters)
Lebanese Government Approves $18 Million for Parliamentary Elections
Lebanon’s government approved $18 million in funding to carry out parliamentary elections in May 2022, alleviating concerns that the elections would be postponed over financial constraints (Reuters)
U.S. Ambassador Says Lebanon Must Hold May Elections as Scheduled
U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Dorothy Shea said Lebanon must hold free and fair elections as scheduled in May 2022 (Reuters)
International Monetary Fund Will Only Support Comprehensive Bailout for Lebanon
International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said the lender would only support a comprehensive program that tackles all of the country’s challenges, including corruption (Agence France Presse)
Speaker of the Lebanese Parliament Refuses Postponement of Election
Nabih Berri, the speaker of Lebanon’s Parliament, announced he will not accept the postponement of Lebanon’s general election, which was delayed from March 2022 to May 2022 in December (Reuters)
United States Resumes Mediation Efforts in Israel-Lebanon Maritime Dispute
The United States resumed its role as mediator in a maritime dispute between Israel and Lebanon, which both claim a potentially gas-rich area in the Mediterranean Sea (Axios)
Lebanon Projects 93 Percent Currency Devaluation
In order to secure a bailout from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the Lebanese government is expected to adopt a financial plan that projects a 93 percent devaluation of the Lebanese pound and converts most hard currency deposits to local currency (Reuters)
Jordanian, Syrian, and Lebanese Officials Agree to Deal Addressing Lebanon’s Economic Crisis
Officials from Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon signed a deal that will supply electricity from Jordan to Lebanon via Syria, but experts voiced skepticism that the deal will be sufficient to solve Lebanon’s severe power crisis (Al Jazeera)
Former Lebanese Prime Minister Announces Withdrawal From Politics
Former Prime Minister Saad Hariri and his Future Movement party have withdrawn from politics ahead of March’s parliamentary elections (Al Jazeera)
Lebanese Transportation Unions Block Roads in Nationwide Strike
Bus and truck drivers called for subsidized fuel prices and financial aid to deal with rising fuel costs (Al Jazeera)
UN Calls on Lebanon to Investigate Attack on Peacekeepers
The United Nations urged Lebanese authorities to investigate an attack on its peacekeepers in southern Lebanon after they were robbed and their vehicles were vandalized (UN News)
Lebanon Moves to Arrest Former Finance Minister Over Port Explosion
The country’s public prosecutor ordered that former Finance Minister Ali Hassan Khalil be arrested on January 1 as part of investigations into last year’s Beirut port explosion. In October, a similar arrest warrant against Khalil prompted protests that turned violent (Reuters)
Lebanon Agrees to Roadmap to Mend Ties With Saudi Arabia
The Lebanese presidency tweeted that Prime Minister Najib Mikati agreed to a roadmap for resolving a diplomatic crisis with Saudi Arabia (Reuters)
Lebanon’s Oldest English-Language Newspaper Shuts Down
The country’s oldest English-language newspaper, the Daily Star, will shut down due to financial difficulties, marking the latest blow to the country’s once-flourishing press (Agence France Presse)
Saudi Arabia Expels Lebanese Ambassador, Bans Lebanese Imports
Saudi Arabia expelled Lebanon’s ambassador and banned Lebanese imports following comments made by a Lebanese official criticizing the Saudi-led war in Yemen (Al Jazeera)
Bahrain, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates also took diplomatic measures against Lebanon in support of Saudi Arabia (New York Times)
Lawsuits Threaten to Stall Probe of Beirut Port Blast
Former government officials filed a series of lawsuits that could stall an investigation into last year’s deadly blasts at Beirut’s port (Reuters)
Lebanese Politician Summoned to Testify on Deadly Beirut Clashes
Lebanese Forces party leader and Hezbollah political adversary Samir Geagea has been summoned to testify about unidentified gunman who shot at Hezbollah and Amal supporters at a protest in Beirut earlier this month (Al Jazeera)
Lebanon to Hold Elections in March 2022
The country’s legislature voted to hold elections on March 27, giving Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati only a few months to secure a recovery package from the International Monetary Fund (Reuters)
Six Killed During Protests Over Beirut Port Blast Probe
Six people were killed and at least thirty people were wounded in clashes at a protest organized by Hezbollah and Amal calling for the removal of the judge investigating last year’s explosions in Beirut (Al-Jazeera)
Power Outages Continue in Lebanon Due to Fuel Shortages
The Zahrani and the Deir Ammar power plants, which are responsible for 40 percent of Lebanon’s power supply, shut down over the weekend and caused blackouts across the country (National Public Radio)
Iran and Lebanon Meet to Discuss Lebanon’s Economic Collapse
Iran’s foreign minister met with senior Lebanese officials today to discuss supporting the country amid its economic collapse, with Iranian officials offering to rebuild Beirut’s destroyed port and construct two electric power plants (Al Jazeera)
Lebanon and IMF Resume Negotiations
After halting discussions with IMF creditors for over a year following the Beirut port explosion, Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati has resumed negotiations with the IMF to establish a new recovery program (Financial Times)
Beirut Blast Probe Faces Potential Derailment
A senior Lebanese politician wanted for questioning concerning last year’s Beirut port explosion filed a complaint against the lead investigator, stalling the probe into the blast (Reuters)