Lebanon

BEIRUT (AP) — Lebanese army retirees scuffled with parliamentary guard troops as they briefly broke through a cordon leading to Parliament in downtown Beirut during a rally Monday. They were protesting their decimated monthly pay amid the country’s economic meltdown.

The troops managed to push the crowd back and fired teargas, forcing the elderly retirees to turn away from the street. After a short while, they gathered nearby to continue their protest and demand higher pay. They later dispersed.

NAHR EL-BARED, Lebanon (AP) — Thousands of Palestinians held prayers on a small soccer field in a refugee camp in northern Lebanon on Saturday, to mourn one of the scores of migrants who died after their boat sank off Syria’s coast this week, even as others vowed to undertake the same perilous voyage.

BEIRUT (AP) — The International Monetary Fund on Wednesday said the Lebanese government’s slowness to implement desperately-needed reforms was exacerbating the country’s economic meltdown, even as officials met to discuss an urgent and long-delayed bailout.

The IMF statement followed a three-day visit to Beirut of the fund’s representatives to discuss with Lebanese officials the implementation of reforms drawn up under a staff-level agreement between the two sides in April.

21 Sep 2022; MEMO: The head of the Lebanese Forces Party, Samir Geagea, said Saudi Arabia is ready to support Lebanon on the condition that there is a trustworthy president and government.

Geagea, who met with the Saudi Ambassador to Beirut, Walid Al-Bukhari, wrote on Twitter that they had discussed the upcoming presidential elections, adding that the only salvation for Lebanon is its "Arab depth", and "adhering to the constitution".

BEIRUT, Sept 20 (NNN-NNA) – The Lebanese pound, yesterday, sank to a new historic low against the U.S. dollar, on the parallel market, as the country continues to suffer from a steep financial crisis and political deadlock.

The exchange rate of the Lebanese pound declined to 39,000 against the dollar, down from the previous record low of 36,600 on Sept 13, Elnashra news website reported.

BEIRUT (AP) — Protesters scuffled with Lebanese security forces Monday outside the Justice Ministry in Beirut, demanding the release of two people arrested last week during a bank heist.

The clash came as a delegation from the International Monetary Fund held meetings in Beirut with officials over the country’s economic meltdown and the limited steps taken by the government to pull Lebanon out of the worst economic crisis in its modern history. The crisis is rooted in decades of corruption and mismanagement.

19 Sep 2022; MEMO: Israel has raised the state of alert and ordered its troops to prepare for any scenario following Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah's threats to target the offshore Karish gas drilling rig, Hebrew Walla news site said.

On Saturday, Nasrallah said Israel's extraction of gas from the Karish gas field before Lebanon obtained its rights is a "red line."

BEIRUT, Sept 17 (NNN-NNA) – Lebanese banks will close for three days starting Monday amid mounting security concerns, local media reported.

The Association of Banks in Lebanon announced the closures, after angry depositors across the country stormed banks yesterday, demanding their savings, according to a TV channel.

More than five banks, yesterday, were broken into and raided by depositors, some of whom wielded pistols and brought fuel jerricans, threatening to commit arson.

BEIRUT (AP) — Lebanese depositors, including one armed with a hunting rifle, broke into at least four banks Friday to demand their trapped savings, a sign of growing chaos in the small Mediterranean nation amid a historic economic meltdown.

Friday’s raids were the most in a single day, and raised the possibility that more desperate depositors would try to extract their money by force. The break-ins reflect public anger at the banks’ strict informal controls on cash withdrawals, a byproduct of the financial crisis.

15 Sep 2022; MEMO: The International Monetary Fund said on Thursday that a staff mission will visit Lebanon next week to discuss ways to "speed up" implementation of agreed reforms required for an IMF loan program amid deteriorating living conditions in the country, Reuters reports.