This is Beirut

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

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

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 ...

Government Finalizes Financial Appointments, Names Mazen Soueid as Head of the Banking Control Commission

Maurice Matta, 11/07 19:45 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

Lebanon Banks Banque du Liban Economy

At midnight between Monday and Tuesday, June 9, the terms of the four vice governors of the Central Bank of Lebanon (BDL) expired: Wassim Mansouri, Bachir Yaqzan, Salim Chahine, and Alexander Mouradian, along with the mandate of the president and members of the Banking Control Commission and three members appointed as experts to the Capital ...

Numbeo: Lebanon Among Arab Countries Most Affected by Food Prices

This is Beirut, 09/07 19:25 - Reading : 1 minute(s)

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Lebanon ranks among the Arab countries most affected by skyrocketing food prices, according to a new cost-of-living index published by global data platform Numbeo. In a nation still gripped by a severe and prolonged economic crisis, securing basic nutrition has become a daily struggle for much of the population. To meet the minimum nutritional ...

World Bank Appoints New Country Manager for Lebanon

This is Beirut, 02/07 17:55 - Reading : less than a minute

Banks World Bank lebanon Enrique Blanco Armas

The World Bank has named Enrique Blanco Armas as its new Country Manager for Lebanon, the institution announced on Wednesday. Based in Beirut, Blanco Armas will lead and unify the World Bank Group’s efforts across its various arms, IBRD, IDA, IFC and MIGA, aimed at supporting Lebanon’s recovery and development. Previously a manager at the ...

BDL Issues Circular to Regulate Foreign Transfers

This is Beirut, 01/07 18:15 - Reading : less than a minute

Banks Banque du Liban Central Bank of Lebanon lebanon

Banque du Liban (BDL) issued Circular No. 169 on Tuesday, introducing new restrictions on the transfer of deposits abroad in a bid to promote fairness among depositors amid Lebanon’s ongoing financial crisis. Under the new directive, banks are prohibited from transferring deposits outside Lebanon without prior approval from BDL. The measure is ...

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