by cnn.com — Lebanon’s banks are to remain closed indefinitely due to ongoing “risks” to employees and customers, the Association of Lebanese …

by AFP -- Ice cream is back on the shelves in the northern Lebanese village of Toula after two years of power cuts. Solar power has made its return possible. Lebanon's economy collapsed in 2019 after decades of corruption and mismanagement, leaving the state unable to provide electricity for more than an hour or two per day. Last winter, residents of Toula barely had three hours of daily generator-driven electricity. A large area of solar panels surrounded by vegetation.

Solar power now helps keep the lights on for 17 hours, an engineer working on the alternative energy project said. Mini-market owner Jacqueline Younes said she was waiting for the first order of ice cream to arrive. "For two years the kids have been asking for ice cream, now it's finally time," she said. While many Lebanese rely on costly generators for electricity, a growing number of homes, companies and state institutions are turning to solar. They are not doing it for environmental reasons but because it is their only option.

by AP — A U.S. court has ordered the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah to pay millions of dollars in damages to a …

By Najia Houssari -- arabnews.com -- BEIRUT: Lebanese banks began a three-day closure on Monday following a decision by the Association of Banks aimed at preventing break-ins and holdups by depositors. It comes after a series of high-profile incidents in bank branches, with depositors attempting to withdraw US dollar savings that have been frozen for three years. Caretaker Interior Minister Bassam Mawlawi described the bank break-ins in Beirut and other regions as “organized.”

The Association of Banks demanded that “necessary measures be taken” in order to ensure the safety of employees and customers, and to preserve depositors’ rights. Some bank central departments remained administratively functional on Monday, while the central bank’s Sayrafa platform was unaffected by the strike. The black market US dollar exchange rate failed to rise as significantly as expected as a result of the political and security turmoil in the country, with the rate standing at 38,350 Lebanese pounds. When branches reopen, a number of banks are planning strict self-protection measures by subjecting customers to inspections and only receiving those who have scheduled appointments.

President of the Lebanese Depositors Association Hassan Moghnieh warned that “the strike will not resolve the ongoing crisis. When work resumes next Thursday, banks might witness a new wave of holdups, which means that the solution resides elsewhere.” On Monday morning, a number of activists tried to break into the Justice Palace in Beirut in protest against the detention of activists who took part in bank holdups. The army prevented the families and activists from entering the palace. Screams were heard as protesters demanded the release of Mohammed Rustom and Abdul Rahman Zakaria, who were detained for breaking into Blom Bank to support depositor Sali Hafiz, who had earlier used a plastic gun to demand her deposit to treat her sick sister.