This is Beirut

Beirut Traders Index Points to Fragile Economic Rebound

This is Beirut, 16:55 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

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The latest index of the Beirut Traders Association-Fransabank (Q2 2025) shows the first signs of a recovery in local markets, a welcome development as the World Bank forecasts 4.7% GDP growth for Lebanon in 2025 and a sharp drop in inflation. The retail trade index rose to 33.13 points in Q2 2025, up from 30.01 the previous quarter (base 100 = Q4 ...

The Court of First Instance in Mount Lebanon Allows the Lifting of Seizures on Bank Assets

This is Beirut, 14/08 20:30 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

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The Court of First Instance in Mount Lebanon, through its Third Chamber handling real estate matters and composed of judges Yamen El-Hajjar (presiding), Elissia Abou Jaoudeh, and Fatima Bazzi, issued a key ruling in a case filed by Mrs. Sara Audi Attaya, represented by her attorney Riad Hallaj, challenging a decision by the Baabda Land Registry ...

Tehran’s Unease About the Zanguezur Corridor

Mario Chartouni, 12/08 18:45 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

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The peace agreement signed on August 8 between Armenia and Azerbaijan could mark a turning point for the South Caucasus. However, for Tehran, one of its most significant elements – the creation of the Zanguezur Corridor, linking Azerbaijan directly to its Nakhchivan exclave through southern Armenia – poses a serious strategic ...

Mossad’s Reach: How Israel Penetrated Iran’s Inner Sanctum

Soumia Benmerzoug, 11/08 13:00 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

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In June 2025, Iran was struck by a wave of operations of an unusual kind: targeted sabotage, “accidental” explosions, digital disruption, targeted assassinations… The whole affair bears the hallmarks of a hybrid offensive, silent yet devastatingly effective. But beyond technological prowess, the structural collapse of a paranoid regime ...

Beirut Port Scans 60 Containers per Hour with AI-Powered Technology

Liliane Mokbel, 02/08 15:00 - Reading : less than a minute

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The Ministry of Finance is accelerating its efforts to modernize Lebanon’s customs operations. With a clear goal of enhancing public revenue collection, a large-scale digital transformation is underway, impacting both the Directorate of Revenues and the Customs Directorate. Key initiatives include the gradual rollout of electronic payment ...

France Pledges €75 Million to Lebanon in Joint Statement with PM Nawaf Salam

This is Beirut, 25/07 09:15 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

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French President Emmanuel Macron hosted Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam on Thursday, July 24, at the Élysée Palace, marking Salam’s first official visit to France since his appointment in January. In a joint statement released at the conclusion of the visit, France and Lebanon reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening ...

Lebanon: A Cry for Help from Doctors, Nurses and Hospitals

Makram Haddad, 18/07 13:35 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

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“Have you ever thought about the suffering of hospitals?” That poignant question opened the press conference held on Thursday in Beirut by the Bikhazi Medical Group (BMG). In front of a crowd of journalists and healthcare professionals, hospital and union officials laid out, without sugarcoating, the suffering of a sector in crisis. A ...

BDL Takes Action: Ban on Transactions with Al-Qard Al-Hassan & co.

This is Beirut, 15/07 14:50 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Banks Banque du Liban Central Bank of Lebanon

The circular (No. 170) published by the Banque du Liban, accompanied by Basic Decision No. 13335, marks a decisive turning point in regulating the Lebanese financial sector. By formally banning banks and financial institutions from any relationship with unauthorized entities, particularly the association Al-Qard Al-Hassan, the Banque du Liban is ...

Parliamentary Subcommittee Advances Banking Reform Bill

This is Beirut, 14/07 17:30 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

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The parliamentary subcommittee tasked with drafting the long-awaited banking reform bill made significant headway on Monday, as lawmakers inched closer to adopting several key provisions aimed at revamping the financial sector. Chaired by MP Ibrahim Kanaan, the session was attended by Minister of Finance Yassine Jaber, a number of MPs and Central ...

President Aoun: Lebanon’s Territorial Unity and Sovereignty Are Sacred and Irrevocable

This is Beirut, 14/07 16:05 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

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President Joseph Aoun reiterated on Monday that the unity and sovereignty of Lebanese territory are constitutional and non-negotiable principles, protected by the Lebanese Army and the will of the people. His remarks, made during economic and diplomatic meetings at Baabda Palace, came in direct response to recent statements by US envoy Tom ...

Israeli, Palestinian Foreign Ministers to Attend EU Meeting

This is Beirut, 14/07 11:30 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

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Israeli and Palestinian foreign ministers were due at a meeting in Brussels between the EU and its southern neighbors on Monday, but the Palestinian Authority denied the two would meet. It would be the first time since the Gaza war began in October 2023 that Israeli and Palestinian ministers attended a high-level meeting in the same room. The ...

Bitcoin Rallies Past Record $120,000 as Asian Markets Rise

This is Beirut, 14/07 08:55 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

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Bitcoin surged past the $120,000 mark for the first time on Monday, setting a new record as optimism grows around potential regulatory breakthroughs for the cryptocurrency industry this week. The digital asset peaked at $122,571.19 before easing slightly, trading 2.4% higher at $121,952.61. Most Asian markets rose Monday as investors digested ...

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