BEIRUT, (Reuters) – Lebanon’s Cabinet on Wednesday approved a long-delayed draft capital control law that still requires final approval from parliament amid a worsening financial crisis now in its third year, Information Minister Ziad Makari said in televised remarks following the session. Formal capital controls are a policy recommendation of the International Monetary Fund, from which Lebanon hopes to secure an aid package after the country’s financial system imploded in 2019, paralysing the banking system and freezing depositors out of U.S. dollar accounts. Lebanon’s parliament had been set to discuss the bill at a Tuesday session but members of parliament asked that the government first officially endorse the law, noting it had been referred to them by an unspecified ministerial committee.

Deputy Prime Minister Saade Chami said after the session that the law was approved with minor amendments related to a committee that determines terms and conditions for withdrawals in pounds and foreign currency. He said the committee would now include two economic experts and a high-ranking judge as well as representatives of the central bank and finance ministry. MP Ali Hasan Khalil, a top aide to House Speaker Nabih Berri, said on Monday that Berri was ready to schedule another session to adopt the bill before parliamentary elections on May 15. No such session has yet been scheduled.

By NAJIA HOUSSARI — arabnews.com — BEIRUT: Lebanon’s wheat crisis is being exacerbated by bureaucracy, as the price of the grain continues to soar, according to a senior official. More than two weeks ago, the Cabinet granted the General Directorate of Grains and Sugar Beets an advance of 36 billion Lebanese pounds ($1.6 million) to buy 50,000 tons of wheat, which would have been sufficient to meet the country’s needs for a month. But the advance was never received as a decree was not issued. “Since no decree was issued to allow the directorate to ask the central bank to convert the 36 billion Lebanese pounds into dollars, the minister of economy resorted to requesting exceptional approval from the Cabinet, which convened on Wednesday to obtain an additional amount,” Georges Berbari, the general director of grains and sugar beets, said. “The administrative measures for the process of buying wheat take a long time. Meanwhile, international prices are rising. The amount allocated two weeks ago is no longer sufficient to purchase 50,000 tons of wheat,” he said. “The situation is very stressful amid the decreasing wheat stocks. The important thing is to get any amount quickly, even if it will only secure 30,000 or 40,000 tons of wheat.”

Ahmad Hoteit, the president of the Association of Mills in Lebanon, said: “The Ukrainian crisis has begun to have repercussions on Lebanon. Wheat shipments may arrive next week at higher prices, and given the high demand, the country that pays more gets the wheat. We asked Prime Minister Najib Mikati and the central bank not to delay securing the credits.” Lebanon consumes about 600,000 tons of wheat a year, of which 80 percent is imported from countries like Ukraine and Russia. But it is facing a severe financial crisis, prompting the state to gradually lift subsidies on dozens of vital materials, including fuel, medicine and flour. Despite the problems, Agriculture Minister Abbas Hajj Hassan dismisses claims the country is facing a wheat crisis. “The minister of economy has communicated with the U.S., Canada, Australia, India and other markets to import wheat from them,” he said. “We are waiting for the central bank to open credits, and the ministry’s agricultural research department has warehouses ready for storage.”

by Payton Bruni – AlBawaba.com — The UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) announced on March 28 that it has completed repairs on 280 educational institutions in Beirut. The 228 schools, 32 universities and 20 training centers were all damaged in the August 4, 2020, port explosion in Beirut that devastated the surrounding area […]

By AFP — THE HAGUE: France, Germany and Luxembourg have seized properties and frozen assets worth 120 million euros ($130 million) in a major operation linked to money laundering in Lebanon, the EU’s justice agency said Monday. The seizures are linked to a probe launched by French investigators last year into the personal wealth of Riad Salameh, the central bank chief in crisis-hit Lebanon. “Five properties in Germany and France were seized as well as several bank accounts” were frozen, Eurojust said in a statement. The Hague-based Eurojust said the operation on Friday was directed against five individuals who were suspected of embezzling public funds in Lebanon of more than $330 million and five million euros, respectively, between 2002 and 2021. The five suspects include Salameh, a former Merrill Lynch banker and members of his family, a source close to the probe told AFP.

Prosecutors are probing Salameh’s alleged links to criminal association and money laundering, judicial sources said, following a similar move by Switzerland. A Lebanese judge last week charged Salameh with “illicit enrichment” and money laundering after he failed to attend a court hearing for the fifth time. Legal proceedings opened against Salameh after complaints filed by anti-graft groups in April last year, supported by a group of Lebanese citizens who lost money since the crisis hit the country in 2019. Friday’s seizures also include three properties in Germany, valued at 28 million euros as well as other assets worth seven million euros.

By Lindsay Kusiak — cheatsheet.com — Recently named one of Time Magazine’s Women of the Year, Amal Clooney built a distinguished career for herself before she ever met George and entered the public eye. Now married to one of the biggest celebrities in the world, Clooney continues her work of making the world a better place, while balancing wifehood and motherhood as well.

What did Amal Clooney do before she met George?

Born in Beirut in 1978, Amal Alamuddin Clooney is the daughter of a professor and journalist. At just 2-years-old, Amal fled Beruit due to civil war, relocating with her family to London. She excelled in academics throughout high school and went on to study at England’s prestigious Oxford University, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in law. Amal then journeyed to the U.S. to attend NYU School of Law for her master’s degree and began working at the U.S. Court of Appeals. In 2005, Amal became part of the United Nations tribunal which prosecuted Lebanese Prime Minister Rafic Hariri’s assassins and in 2010, she returned to London to take a position as a barrister for civil liberties firm, Doughty Street Chambers, according to Biography. Amal continued her work with the United Nations in 2013 (the same year she met George Clooney) and has also worked with the Global Summit to End Sexual Violence in Conflict which recently represented Armenia in the European Court of Human Rights’ case against Turkey. Amal Clooney is one of Time Magazine’s Women of the Year

source NNA –– Maronite Patriarch indicated during his Sunday homily in Bkerke, “the right to express an opinion is born with the human being,” warning against violating it, and transferring the country to a police regime, and methods that do not resemble Lebanon. Rahi explained that “excessive repression establishes a popular uprising,” stressing that “in the face of the sad state of the judiciary, we wonder where the judges are to protect the judicial body.” He wondered about the goal of the strict measures in the judiciary, pointing out that “the parliamentary elections must be held on time, and the next president must pull the country out of the axes.”

Cardinal Mar Bchara Boutros Al Rahi, the Maronite Patriarch, addressed the political officials, asking, “What are you doing to save your population from the misery you put them in? Isn’t it past time to issue a judgment in the Beirut Port Blast?” In his Sunday sermon, he added, “How long do you politicians continue to oppress our people and blow up solutions to impose sanctions on Lebanon?”

by naharnet.com — In his Sunday Mass sermon, al-Rahi also criticized what he called “selective, vindictive, electoral, political and fabricated” judicial measures. He accordingly urged an end to “the fabrication of accusations and lawsuits” and to the “inaction” towards some “obvious” offenses, while criticizing those who have sought to obstruct the Beirut port blast probe. The patriarch also decried perceived attempts to “undermine the main institutions and banks” as well as “the seizure of depositors’ money and the harm against free economy.” Apparently referring to Judge Ghada Aoun’s latest lawsuit against prominent talk show host Marcel Ghanem and MTV, al-Rahi warned against encroaching on freedom of expression.

By Najia Houssari — arabnews.com — BEIRUT: “Lebanon always needs Arab sponsorship, and (I hope) all the Gulf countries, in particular, will restore ties with Lebanon, which needs its Arab environment to embrace it,” Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati said during his visit to the Doha Forum on Saturday. Mikati met Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani at the forum’s headquarters. His media office said he discussed ties between Lebanon and the Gulf Cooperation Council countries. Mikati also met his Qatari counterpart, Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz Al-Thani. In a press conference following the two meetings, Mikati said: “What is meant to be shall be, and Lebanon is meant to always have excellent relations with the Arab countries and the Gulf states. Lebanon is one of the founders of the Arab League and we strongly believe in such ties.” Lebanon is meant to always have excellent relations with the Arab countries and the Gulf states. Lebanon is one of the founders of the Arab League and we strongly believe in such ties.

Speaking about Lebanon’s diplomatic crisis with Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states, Mikati stressed: “It was a summer cloud that passed. God willing, it will entirely fade out with the visits that I will make to the Arab countries, and with the restoration of diplomatic ties between Lebanon and the Gulf states. We need these ties, especially with Saudi Arabia.” Mikati said that the Emir promised that the Qatari foreign minister would visit Beirut in the coming weeks to personally check Lebanon’s needs. He talked about the Lebanese government’s efforts to resolve the country’s economic crisis, saying: “The current economic situation is an accumulation of over 30 years’ worth of problems. It cannot be resolved overnight. The government is striving to achieve economic recovery. God willing, we’ll soon get there.” Mikati said: “The IMF delegation will arrive in Beirut next Tuesday to resume negotiations. The delegation is headed by the IMF chairperson and the next round of negotiations will run for two weeks, after which a preliminary agreement would be signed. “We have no choice but to cooperate with the IMF to put Lebanon on the path to recovery.”

arabnews.com — By Najia Houssari – BEIRUT: Lebanese media outlets expressed concern on Friday over creeping examples of “employing the judiciary for sectarian and electoral political goals.” It followed controversial Lebanese judge and Mount Lebanon state prosecutor Ghada Aoun’s fresh measures against the country’s embattled banking sector. Aoun issued a new decision on Thursday evening banning six banks from transferring funds abroad. The move coincided with the judiciary tightening the noose around the governor of the Banque du Liban, Riad Salameh. The first investigative judge in Mount Lebanon, Nicolas Mansour, summoned Salameh for a hearing next Thursday. The judge stressed that an arrest warrant would be issued against the central bank governor if he failed to attend the hearing.

Mansour also issued an adversarial arrest warrant against Salameh’s brother, Rajah Salameh, ordering he be kept in custody until next week based on charges of alleged illicit enrichment and money laundering. In response to Aoun’s recent decision, the Association of Banks in Lebanon said in a statement on Friday that such decisions showed a lack of knowledge of banking activity and its role in the national economy, and a complete disregard for the law. The statement said the judge’s decision could harm depositors who “will not obtain their rights once banks collapse and the country follows.” The association added: “The funds transferred by banks feed their accounts abroad, allowing them to fulfill their obligations, especially those resulting from opening credits for imports. “Preventing banks from transferring funds abroad leads to shutting down their accounts and preventing imports, directly affecting the banks’ local clients.”

By Sunniva Rose – thenationalnews.com — A Lebanese military court has charged Samir Geagea over the deadly violence in Beirut last October, a judicial source told Reuters, a move that could stoke political tension two months before an election. Mr Geagea’s Christian Lebanese Forces Party told The National that it rejected the charges, branding it […]

by lb.usembassy.gov — In response to growing food security needs in Lebanon, the United States, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is providing nearly $64 million in additional humanitarian assistance to help feed vulnerable people in Lebanon. Lebanon is facing increased food insecurity amid the country’s ongoing economic crisis, as well as prolonged […]