Lebanon's Labor Day: The Unaddressed Crisis of Salaries and Benefits

Liliane Mokbel 29/04 17:30 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

economy Labor Day salaries Inflation CNSS

Labor Day, celebrated on May 1, offers little cause for celebration this year in Lebanon. How can workers rejoice when they’re trapped in a cycle of triple-digit inflation—despite some studies, curiously detached from reality, suggesting otherwise? The purchasing power of their end-of-service benefits, steadily eroded since 2019, is now ...

Stock Markets Edge up as Trump Softens Tariff Pain for Auto Firms

This is Beirut 29/04 16:00 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Donald Trump Banks US Treasury Stocks markets Economy

Stock markets advanced on Tuesday following news that Donald Trump plans to spare automakers from some of his wide-ranging tariffs, boosting hopes of a less combative approach to his trade war. Signs of easing trade tensions are also spurring sentiment, as governments line up to negotiate deals with Washington to avert the full force of sweeping ...

Farewell to Wads of Cash: Lebanon Unveils Banknotes of LBP 500,000 and 1 Million

Christiane Tager 28/04 22:05 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Banks Banque du Liban Central Bank of Lebanon

After nearly six years of economic and financial turmoil, Lebanon has taken a long-anticipated step by issuing higher-denomination banknotes. Last Thursday, the Lebanese Parliament approved a draft law presented by MP Ziad Hawat, after nearly two years of legislative wrangling, granting the Banque du Liban (BDL) permission to issue notes of LBP ...

Food Importers Reassure Consumers About Price Stability

This is Beirut 28/04 15:55 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

dollar Hani Bohsali Food Importers' Union Lebanon Imports prices

As global trade tensions between the United States and China continue to disrupt international markets, the president of the Lebanese Food Importers’ Union, Hani Bohsali, sought on Monday to reassure Lebanese consumers about the stability of food prices. In a statement, Bohsali confirmed that food import prices to Lebanon remain stable despite ...

Banks Association Calls for Balanced Restructuring Plan

This is Beirut 28/04 12:45 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

ABL Banks Central Bank of Lebanon Fadi Khalaf

Fadi Khalaf, Secretary General of the Association of Banks in Lebanon (ABL), is calling for a realistic restructuring plan that balances financial reform with the protection of depositors' rights amid an unprecedented systemic crisis. In the editorial of the ABL's monthly report, titled “A Realistic Vision for Restructuring: Between Reform and ...

Lebanon Launches National Drive to Revive Agriculture

This is Beirut 28/04 12:15 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

agriculture FAO Nizar Hani

In a bid to revitalize Lebanon’s agricultural sector, the Ministry of Agriculture held a large-scale volunteer day in Qana, south Lebanon, in collaboration with local associations, universities and scout groups. Under the patronage of Minister of Agriculture Nizar Hani, hundreds of volunteers gathered to plant dozens of olive trees around the ...

Stock Markets Mostly Rise as Investors Eye Trade Talks

This is Beirut 28/04 11:05 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

Donald Trump New York United States US Treasury USA

Stocks mostly rose on Monday as investors assess how the land lies on the trade war front with countries seeking to temper Donald Trump's eye-watering tariffs. Investors were also keeping tabs on China after President Xi Jinping and other top leaders last week discussed plans to boost consumption in the world's number two economy. Markets ...

Conflicts spur 'unprecedented' rise in military spending

This is Beirut 28/04 08:20 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

Europe Israel Middle East Palestine Ukraine

Worldwide military expenditure saw its steepest rise in 2024 since the end of the Cold War, reaching $2.7 trillion as wars and rising tensions drove up spending, researchers said Monday. Military spending rose worldwide with particularly large increases in Europe and the Middle East, according to a new report by the Stockholm International Peace ...

Lebanese Agriculture Between Challenges and Hope: The Central Role of Olive Oil and Partnerships for the Future

This is Beirut 27/04 12:55 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

agriculture Israel Lebanon

Amidst the many crises facing Lebanon, Minister of Agriculture Nizar Hani confirmed that Lebanese olive oil remains widely available on the market at affordable prices. He encouraged citizens to consume more of it to support local farmers and boost the national economy. Regarding soil quality in the south, the minister stated that ongoing tests ...

Figure of the week Pharmacists Secure Top Retirement Pension Among Liberal Professions

Liliane Mokbel 26/04 14:00 - Reading : less than a minute

Retired pharmacists in Lebanon now receive a monthly pension of $670 – the highest among all liberal professions in the country, according to Joe Salloum, the President of the Lebanese Order of Pharmacists. This milestone was achieved through a series of internal reforms, revised contribution structures, and the creation of a reserve fund in ...

China Insists No trade Talks With US, Despite Trump's Claim

This is Beirut 26/04 09:30 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Donald Trump USA United States Washington

China repeated Saturday that it had held no talks with the United States on trade issues, despite President Donald Trump's claim that he had taken a call from Xi Jinping. In an interview conducted on April 22 with Time magazine and published Friday, Trump did not say when the call with the Chinese leader took place or specify what was ...

LAU and Restaurants Syndicate Join Forces to Boost Hospitality Training

This is Beirut 25/04 17:15 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

LAU lebanon Horeca 2025 The Syndicate of Restaurant

At HORECA 2025, the Syndicate of Restaurant, Cafe, Nightclub, and Pastry Owners in Lebanon signed a strategic partnership with the Lebanese American University (LAU), paving the way for enhanced educational and professional opportunities in the hospitality sector. The memorandum of understanding, formalized during the industry event, signals the ...