by Nada Homsi | Jamie Prentis -- thenationalnews.com -- Dozens of protesters angered by the rapid deterioration of living standards in Lebanon marched through the capital Beirut on Tuesday evening and attempted to break into the headquarters of MTC Touch, one of the two state-contracted telecoms companies. The demonstrations, in which a handful of protesters clashed with security forces, came days after a major jump in the cost of phone and internet services — the latest price rise in a country suffering from inflation of more than 200 per cent. To attend the protest, demonstrators Bassil Hatoum, Maan Moghrabi and Yaman Moghrabi had to split the petrol bill on their way from Kfar Silwan, a village more than an hour away from Beirut. Anger in Lebanon as struggling telecoms sector increases rates “We can't afford to get here without splitting it. And that’s just us,” said Mr Hatoum, a 27-year-old music manager. “Imagine all the people who can’t afford to come to these protests because they can’t afford the petrol to get here.”

Lebanon’s economic collapse, which began in 2019, has caused about 80 per cent of Lebanon’s population to slip below the poverty line. Dire shortages of basic goods and services have plagued the state in the years since. State electricity is nearly nonexistent, so the majority of Lebanon’s population relies on expensive private generator subscriptions for backup electricity. These are powered by diesel, itself often a scarce commodity in the troubled nation. Water, bread, fuel and medicine are also often in short supply and the local currency has plunged in value by more than 90 per cent. “They’ve brought us to below poverty and somehow they’re still in power,” Mr Hatoum said, referring to Lebanon’s political elite, many of whom transition from their roles as warlords during the country's civil war — which ended 30 years ago — to national leaders. Mr Hatoum described them as “mafia leaders”. “They’re experts at staying in power through clientelism,” 32-year-old Mr Moghrabi, another of the protesters, added. “No one is comfortable, except for those with money or people who benefit directly from having the political class in power.”

by aawsat.com — Lebanon’s top Christian cleric has reiterated demands for politicians to speed up the formation of an all-party government and …

By KAREEM CHEHAYEB Associated Press BEIRUT (AP) — Lebanon’s caretaker prime minister has criticized the militant group Hezbollah for sending three unmanned …

By Lisa Schlein -- voanews.com-- GENEVA — The United Nations is warning that Lebanon is in a state of crisis, with millions of people out of work, and suffering from shortages of food, medicine, fuel, and other essential needs. The United Nations says soaring food prices are forcing 90% of Lebanese families to consume less expensive food, skimp on meals, and reduce portion sizes. It warns spiking crude oil prices threaten to tip thousands of families over the edge, worsening food insecurity, malnutrition, and hunger. A recent survey finds almost a third of Lebanon’s labor force is unemployed, with youth unemployment at nearly 50%. U.N. resident coordinator for Lebanon Najat Rochdi said 2.2 million Lebanese, 86,000 migrants, and 200,000 Palestine refugees need emergency aid, an increase of 46% over last year.

She said the outlook for the country’s financial stability is not good. She notes the World Bank projects Lebanon’s gross domestic product will contract by a further 6.5% this year, with inflation expected to reach devastating new heights. “The socioeconomic meltdown in Lebanon has been further exacerbated by the impact of course of the Ukrainian crisis on the country, which is mainly reflected in the depletion of wheat reserves and the soaring prices of fuel items that are leading to drastic increases in bread prices and threatening food security in Lebanon," she said.