Economy

BDL’s 62-Year Journey: From Philippe Takla to Karim Souhaid
SpotlightBDL’s 62-Year Journey: From Philippe Takla to Karim Souhaid

During a session held at Baabda Presidential Palace, chaired by President Joseph Aoun, the Cabinet appointed Karim Souhaid as Governor of the Lebanese Central Bank (BDL). The decision followed a ministerial vote, with Souhaid securing 17 votes out of 24 from the Lebanese government ministers. Despite strong opposition from Prime Minister Nawaf ...

Trump’s Customs Tariffs: Aperitivo in Peril!
Trump’s Customs Tariffs: Aperitivo in Peril!

Donald Trump’s economic formula is now well known: an explosive cocktail of customs tariffs! A threat that makes European winemakers and liquor producers shudder – with up to 200% in taxes on wine and spirits. As they might say in Scotland, “That’s a bit more sour than a good whisky without ice!” US President Donald Trump, who never ...

Bill Proposes Increase in End-of-Service Indemnities: A Necessary Revision
Bill Proposes Increase in End-of-Service Indemnities: A Necessary Revision

A bill proposing an increase in end-of-service indemnities for public and private employees has been introduced. Under this proposal, indemnities would be multiplied by 30. Applicable to amounts received or owed after October 17, 2019, until the minimum wage increase to 18 million Lebanese pounds takes effect, the bill excludes public sector ...

Telecommunications Regulatory Authority Opens Recruitment
Telecommunications Regulatory Authority Opens Recruitment

The Minister of Telecommunications, Charles Hajj, has officially submitted a description of the positions within the Board of Directors of the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority to the Minister of Administrative Development, Fadi Makki. In a statement issued by his press office, Hajj announced that job openings will be posted on the OMSAR ...

Hundreds of Fungi Species Threatened with Extinction
Hundreds of Fungi Species Threatened with Extinction

Deforestation, farming and climate-fuelled fires are driving increasing threats to fungi, the lifeblood of most plants on Earth, warned the International Union for Conservation of Nature on Thursday. At least 411 fungi face extinction out of the 1,300 varieties whose conservation status is well understood, according to the latest update of the ...

Alice Walton: The New Queen of Billions
Alice Walton: The New Queen of Billions

With an estimated net worth of $107.5 billion as of March — up from $95.8 billion in September 2024 — Alice Walton has overtaken France’s Françoise Bettencourt Meyers, daughter of the legendary L’Oréal heiress Liliane Bettencourt. At 74, Alice Walton is not a media darling—at least not in the way that her billionaire peers like Elon ...

Air Algérie Set to Resume Flights to Lebanon
Air Algérie Set to Resume Flights to Lebanon

Air Algérie is preparing to resume flights to Lebanon after suspending operations last August due to the military conflict between Hezbollah and Israel. According to An-Nahar, the Algerian government plans to send a delegation to assess security conditions at Beirut-Rafic Hariri International Airport before resuming services. Notably, ...

Lebanon in the Top 80 of Numbeo Safety Index: A Pleasantly Surprising Ranking
Lebanon in the Top 80 of Numbeo Safety Index: A Pleasantly Surprising Ranking

Lebanon may not be the world champion of Olympic calm, but it certainly has a surprise in store for you! With its 78th place (out of 147) in the Numbeo Safety Index ranking, it ranks ahead of major countries like the United States, France and England. Yes, you read that correctly – it’s quite an achievement! Who would have thought that, in a ...

Lebanon’s Digital Transformation: A Key to Economic Revival, Says Shehadeh
Lebanon’s Digital Transformation: A Key to Economic Revival, Says Shehadeh

Lebanon’s Minister of the Displaced and State Minister for Technology and Artificial Intelligence, Kamal Shehadeh, has underscored the critical role of digital transformation in driving the country’s economic development. In an interview with CNBC Arabia, Shehadeh described digital transformation as “a key step to strengthening economic ...

Moody's Warns of Geopolitical and Internal Risks Threatening Israeli Economy
Moody's Warns of Geopolitical and Internal Risks Threatening Israeli Economy

Rating agency Moody's warned that internal and geopolitical tensions could weaken the Israeli economy, particularly the key high-tech sector. According to Moody's, uncertainty about long-term security and the economic outlook are higher than usual, which could have serious consequences for the country's public finances and institutional ...

These Banknotes Aren’t So Green After All
These Banknotes Aren’t So Green After All

The local market is flooded with US dollar bills of all denominations – $5, $10, $20, $50 and $100 – showing various signs of wear: stained, damaged, torn, creased, faded, and sometimes even patched with tape. But are these bills still valid? In a country where the economy is almost entirely dollarized, the high demand and intense ...