by Najia Houssari - arabnews.com -- BEIRUT: In less than 24 hours, Lebanon’s currency dropped in value by over 10,000 Lebanese pounds, with the exchange rate nearing 70,000 to the dollar — a plunge that comes at a time when Lebanese were dreading the exchange rate reaching 50,000 to the dollar. Economist Jassem Ajaka told Arab News: “We are following in the footsteps of Venezuela. The central bank’s intervention to stop the local currency from depreciating this fast will not work as long as there is no government action.” Ajaka said he believed that the problem lay in the Lebanese structure, lack of confidence in politics and judges, and the conflict with the international community over Lebanon’s failure to pay its debts. To avoid losses, commercial and service institutions priced their products based on a much higher exchange rate, in anticipation of further devaluation. Such action significantly decreased citizens’ purchasing power.

The price of a 20-liter canister of fuel jumped by 147,000 Lebanese pounds within 24 hours, reaching 1,147,000 LBP ($19 based on the exchange rate of 60,000 LBP/USD), which is equivalent to the salary of a public sector employee. The unstable exchange rate pushed the owners of grocery stores to either close for the day or stop selling certain products. More protesters took to the streets in rural Lebanese areas on Friday, blocking roads with burning tires. The Baalbek International Road was completely cut off in protest against the economic situation. Protesters also blocked Al-Minya International Road in northern Lebanon in both directions, in protest against the deteriorating living conditions. The Ministry of Economy issued a decision raising the price of a big bundle of Arab bread to 29,000 LBP (48 cents). With prices soaring, some taxi drivers opted to stay in one region to avoid wasting fuel in traffic jams, constantly changing their fares depending on the exchange rate.

By Story by lloydlee@insider.com (Lloyd Lee) -- Bryan Johnson is 45 years old but, according to a new report, his test results show he has the heart of a 37-year-old and the lungs of a young adult. Johnson is a biotech entrepreneur who hopes to game nature's course of aging and have the organs and health of an 18-year-old by going through an intense data-driven experimental program he's called Project Blueprint. According to a recent Bloomberg profile of the CEO, Johnson could spend up to $2 million on his body this year and there are early glimpses that show he may be on track to unlocking the secret to age reversal.

Test results from doctors suggest that Johnson has the heart of a 37-year-old, the skin of a 28-year-old, and the lung capacity of an 18-year-old, Bloomberg's Ashlee Vance reported. ) The program is led by Oliver Zolman, a 29-year-old physician who calls himself the "rejuvenation doctor," and is supported by a team of more than 30 health experts, according to the report. While it's still in its experimental stage and is constantly being tweaked, the health program consists of an intense daily regimen of carefully curated supplements, meals, exercise, and a slew of bodily tests.

BEIRUT (AP) KAREEM CHEHAYEB — The United States is rerouting $72 million of America’s assistance to Lebanon to help the country’s cash-strapped government boost wages of its soldiers and police officers, the U.S. ambassador said Wednesday. Washington is a key donor of the Lebanese Army and its 80,000 members, providing over $3 billion in military aid since 2006. The announcement Wednesday is the first time the U.S. is allocating funds for wages of security personnel in Lebanon. Lebanese leaders, deep in political deadlock, have failed at implementing economic reforms to make the country viable again. The economic meltdown has also impoverished Lebanese soldiers and members of the police — two forces that have been rare unifiers in a country deeply divided by sectarian politics. Their inability to pay viable wages and feed their personnel has threatened Lebanon’s overall security and stability.

Before the crisis, an enlisted soldier earned the equivalent of about $800 a month, but that has now dropped to just over $100 due to the devaluation of the pound. A higher-ranking officer’s monthly salary is now worth around $250. Many security personnel and troops have subsequently left the service or taken up second jobs while the Lebanese Army has resorted to unorthodox fundraising tactics to cover expenses such as offering paid helicopter rides and charging high fees for journalist permits. The U.S. State Department notified Congress last January of its intention to redirect the funds for military and police wages. Some Republicans in Congress have called for eliminating military aid to Lebanon altogether, citing the growing political power of Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah. Unlike some other U.S. programs that have covered full wages of allied troops, the assistance announced Wednesday by U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Dorothy Shea is a one-time action. It will provide every Lebanese soldier and police officer with an extra $100 a month on top of their wages for the next six months, to soften the blow of the economic crisis. The United Nations Development Program will disburse the funds.

سجعان قزي

@AzziSejean

تَشعر فئاتٌ لبنانيّةٌ متعدِّدةُ الطوائفِ والطبقات بصعوبةِ الحياةِ في لبنان في ظلِّ النظامِ الحاليِّ بعدما باتت التحوّلاتُ الحضاريّةُ الداخليّةُ أكثرَ قساوةً من الهِجرةِ الاغترابيّة. يَشعرُ اللبنانيّون بوجودِ قرارٍ قَضى بنَفيهِم عن وطنهم من دون سفرٍ، فالوطنُ قيَمٌ قبلَ أن يكونَ مكانًا. نَشأَت في الأوساطِ اللبنانيّةِ "كانتونات" مُغلقةٌ تُمارس حياتَها الخاصّةَ والعامّةَ بمنأى عن المجتمعِ اللبنانيِّ الفسيح. إنها "كانتوناتٌ اجتماعيّةٌ" تتداولُ في كيفيةِ تسييسِ ذاتِها وإعطائِها حالةً شرعيّةً. لكنَّ الفرقَ شاسعٌ بين كانتونات النوادي المغلَقةِ وبين الكانتوناتِ الدستوريّة.

البعضُ يُريد أن يجعلَ لبنانَ مجموعةَ جُزرٍ تَتواصَلُ عبرَ القواربِ ووسائلِ النقل. ويَظنُّ أنَّ استحداثَ كانتوناتٍ دستوريّةٍ هو بسهولةِ ابتكارِ كانتوناتٍ اجتماعيّةِ. لقد أمسى لبنان بلدًا طبقيًّا من دونِ صراعٍ طبقيٍّ. فئاتُه الاجتماعيّةُ كَوَّنت طَبقاتٍ ذاتيّةً تُمارسُ نمطَ حياةٍ خاصًّا من دونِ أن تتصارعَ اجتماعيًّا وأمنيًّا، ولا حتّى سياسيًّا. وحين انتفضَ الشعبُ وتَظاهرَ وقَطعَ الطرقاتِ من أجلِ تحسينِ شروطِ حياتِه اليوميّةِ، إِنما انتفَضَ ضِدَّ لا أحدَ، وضِدَّ عناوينَ مغلوطة. وحين اختارَ في الانتخاباتِ مُمثلِّيه غالِبًا ما اختارَ الأسماءَ المغلوطةَ أيضًا.

إذا كانت هذه الأفكارُ تراودُ البعضَ فلأنَّ لبنان كان ـــ على شوائبِه ـــ بلدَ النهضةِ وباتَ بلدَ الانحطاط، وكان بلدَ البحبوحةِ وأصبحَ بلد البؤس، وكان بلدَ الحريّةِ وصارَ بلدَ الفوضى. من عَرفوا لبنانَ الماضي يَتبرّأُون من لبنان الحاضر، ومن يُبصِرون لبنانَ الحاضرَ يكتشفونَ أنه يَنتمي إلى جاهليّةٍ أُخرى. الغربةُ مشتركةٌ والحنينُ متبايِنٌ والحلُّ متناقضٌ.

لذلك، كثُرت في الآونِة الأخيرةِ طروحاتٌ دستوريّةٌ مختلفةٌ من أجلِ إيجادِ صيغٍ دستوريّةٍ تُعيد الأملَ إلى الحياةِ في لبنان من دون أن تقضيَ على كيانِ لبنان. تَعتقد هذه الفئاتُ أنّها صَبرت كثيرًا على الصيغةِ القائمةِ وأعْطَتها جميعَ حظوظِها، فيما فئاتٌ أخرى، من كلِّ الطوائفِ أيضًا، تَعتقدُ أنَّ المراحلَ الصعبةَ باتَت وراءَنا والصيغةَ الحاليّةَ ستَستعيدُ تألّقَها، ولا داعٍ بالتالي للبحثِ عن صيغٍ جديدة. لكن سَها عن بالِ هؤلاء أنَّ تألُّقَ الصيغةِ اللبنانيّةِ يَتعذّرُ بمنأى عن انتظامِ الاستقرارِ السياسيِّ والأمنيِّ والكيانيِّ في سائرِ دولِ الشرقِ الأوسط.