by thenational.ae — An evening dress for milk formula, children’s clothes for cooking oil – as they watch prices soar in crisis-hit Lebanon, parents are taking to bartering online to survive. Tens of thousands of people across the social spectrum have lost their job or part of their income due to Lebanon’s worst economic crisis in decades. As the Lebanese pound has plunged to historic lows, many have reverted to non-cash transactions to get hold of vital goods now prohibitively expensive in the supermarket. On Facebook, a group called “Lebanon barters” has attracted 12,000 users in just two weeks. Among them, Zeinab, 25, is looking to swap a black evening dress for milk formula and two packets of nappies for her 11-month-old baby boy. “I’ve never asked for anything from anyone, so I thought bartering would be better,” she told Agence France Presse. “I’d feel more comfortable if I swapped something I didn’t need for what I really do.”

Until very recently, her family lived a “good” life, said the make-up artist from the northern city of Tripoli. But then the financial crisis hit, turning their lives upside-down. Her husband’s employer closed shop and the novel coronavirus pandemic prevented her from seeing clients. As the economy nose-dived, diapers suddenly cost nearly three times as much, and the price tag on milk formula almost doubled. “We’re now spending the small amount we managed to save, but I don’t know what we’ll do when it runs out,” Zeinab said.

by politicallore.com — In September, the United Nations will hold its 75th General assembly, and one of its VPs will be a female diplomat from Lebanon. According to Monday vote’s results, the Middle East country’s representative at the UN won the vote for the position. Amal Mudallali who is the Lebanese ambassador to the UN noted she is ‘looking forward’ to work as one of 21 assistant heads of the global forum in September. Meanwhile, current president of the UNGA extended his my sincere congratulations to all vice presidents of the 75th GA. He also addressed the current crisis, saying he avails of this opportunity to express the solidarity with the UN member states who are fighting the novel pathogen. Mrs Mudallali said she looks forward to the task while writing on Twitter.Alongside Lebanon, Jordan and Libya from the region also won the vote.

BEIRUT (AP) — The Lebanese judge who issued a ruling banning foreign and local media from interviewing the U.S. ambassador in Beirut resigned Tuesday, according to state media. Judge Mohammad Mazeh was referred to questioning by the Judicial Inspection Board for the ban, which caused an uproar in Lebanon. Mazeh issued the ban Saturday, a day after Ambassador Dorothoy Shea told Saudi-owned TV station Al-Hadath that Washington has “great concerns” over the role Hezbollah, the Iran-backed militant group, has in the embattled Lebanese government. Critics viewed Shea’s comments as foreign interference in Lebanese affairs, but the judge’s ruling was met with a swift backlash in the country, where the media is often divided along sectarian politics but enjoys more freedom than other countries in the region. Many described Mazeh’s ruling as partisan, and said it undermined press freedoms. Minister of Information Manal Abdel-Samad said no one has the right to curtail the press and matters related to the media should be handled relevant authorities, not the courts.

Lebanon is in the throes of a critical economic and financial crisis. In her interview, Shea said successive governments have mismanaged the economy and accused Hezbollah of siphoning off public funds for its own purposes. She accused the group, which backs the current government and has strong representation in Parliament, of blocking needed reforms. Mazeh was referred to Lebanon’s Judicial Inspection Board to be questioned on his controversial ban. He threatened to resign if questioned, suggesting the measure was undermining judicial independence. Shea had called the ruling “unfortunate and a distraction” from the country’s economic woes and vowed she would not be silenced. After meeting with Foreign Minister Nasser Hitti on Monday, she said a page has been turned. She had earlier said the government had apologized to her for the ruling. The court ruling remains in effect but appears unlikely to be enforced.

by reuters — Lebanese security forces are investigating an explosion 11 days ago that took place near the convoy of former Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri, Hariri’s office said on Sunday. Hariri’s office said the incident, in which nobody was hurt, took place during a tour of the eastern Beqaa Valley and was not made public […]

By Osama Habib — The Daily Star — BEIRUT: The director-general of the Finance Ministry Alain Bifani said Monday the procrastination of the authorities to implement reforms and the smear campaign against him have prompted him to resign. Bifani, who was one of the top Lebanese government negotiators with the International Monetary Fund and one of the drafters of the Cabinet’s economic reform plan, made it clear in his news conference that his resignation should be taken as an alarm bell for officials to take matters seriously. United Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon Jan Kubis expressed his regret for the resignation of Bifani, adding that it is a loss for Lebanon. He added that Bifani’s resignation came at a critical time for Lebanon as the country is currently engaged in direct negotiations with the IMF.

The former official at the Finance Ministry came under harsh verbal attacks from many banking circles as well as politicians who did not approve the government’s approach in tackling the financial crisis with the IMF. Some of these circles tried to dispute the losses mentioned in the government’s economic plan but IMF officials repeatedly said that the figures reported by the Lebanese authorities were close to their numbers. They even tried to give the impression that the government’s economic plan would seize all the deposits of the Lebanese and non-Lebanese. But Bifani assured that the government had no intention to touch the bulk of the deposits. “The approach adopted by the government plan was unanimously approved and received a welcome from the financial institutions for the Lebanese seriousness in approaching matters,” Bifani explained. He added that the plan addressed the necessity of recovering the looted funds and the necessity of a comprehensive reform of the system. “It appears that the system used various methods to strike the government plan, and they tried to portray us as corrupt, but the judiciary will have the final say on these cheap accusations,” Bifani said.

by NAJIA HOUSSARI — arabnews.com —BEIRUT: The summoning of US Ambassador to Lebanon Dorothy Shea by Lebanese Foreign Minister Nassif Hitti on Monday turned into a protocol meeting. The foreign minister, who summoned Shea after she criticized Hezbollah, noted “the freedom of the media and the right of expression, which are sacred rights.” A statement issued by the two parties said: “We have openly discussed the current developments on the local scene. We touched on the bilateral relations that bring together the two countries and the Lebanese and American people, and we stressed the importance of cooperation between the two governments in all fields, in support of Lebanon to get out of the economic crisis that it is suffering from.” After the meeting, Ambassador Shea said: “My meeting with the (foreign) minister was positive, and I agreed with him to turn the page after the unfortunate judicial decision that came to deflect attention from the economic crisis. The United States is ready and will continue to assist Lebanon as long as the government takes the necessary steps to address the causes of the crisis.” She noted that her country “appreciates cooperation to advance our many common interests and our mutual goals in these particularly difficult times. I affirm that our bilateral relationship is strong and we will continue to provide everything that benefits the people of our two countries.”

Ambassador Shea said during an interview with Al-Hadath TV on Friday that “Hezbollah built a state within the state that drained Lebanon, and cost the Lebanese state billions of dollars that went to Hezbollah’s mini-state instead of the government treasury.” The meeting between Hitti and Shea was accompanied by a small group protesting against American interference in Lebanese affairs. The US envoy entered through a back door amid tight security measures taken by the Internal Security Forces in the vicinity of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Beirut.

BEIRUT (Reuters) – Lebanese media broadcast interviews with the U.S. ambassador on Sunday, ignoring a ruling by a judge who banned the diplomat from television for a year over remarks that criticised the powerful Shi’ite movement Hezbollah. Hezbollah is the main political force behind the Lebanese government. Washington considers the heavily armed pro-Iran movement to […]

by arabnews.com — NAJIA HOUSSARI — BEIRUT: The head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has issued a doom-laden forecast over the outcome of crucial talks aimed at solving Lebanon’s financial woes. Kristalina Georgieva, the IMF’s managing director, said she did not “expect progress in the negotiations with the Lebanese officials” over helping the country out of its economic crisis. Former Lebanese Interior Minister Ziyad Baroud told Arab News: “What Georgieva said has already been stated for years by the International Support Group for Lebanon (ISG), but her declaration comes at a time when Lebanon is negotiating with the IMF.” Speaking on Friday, the IMF chief said: “IMF officials are still working with Lebanon, but it is not clear whether it is possible for the country’s leaders, active parties, and society to agree on implementing the reforms needed to stabilize the economy and boost economic growth.”

The financial meltdown in the country has seen the Lebanese pound lose 75 percent of its value over the past eight months. Georgieva pointed out that “the core challenge is to implement a set of very difficult but necessary reforms.” She said that the situation in Lebanon was “breaking her heart,” adding that it was a “country which has a strong culture of entrepreneurship, and is hosting refugees from Palestine and Syria to help alleviate a major humanitarian crisis.” Reaching an agreement with the IMF would require a strong commitment from the Lebanese government to implement a set of structural reforms in public institutions. The ISG has called for a prompt resolution to problems in the electricity sector, the issuance of a law that guarantees the independence of the judiciary, and new rules controlling public-sector purchasing and tendering by ministries, public institutions, councils, and municipalities. One of the most urgent issues for Lebanon is to restore the confidence of its citizens, the international community, and international financial institutions.

BEIRUT (AP) SARAH EL DEEB — A Lebanese judge Saturday banned local and foreign media outlets in the country from interviewing the U.S. ambassador to Beirut for a year, calling a recent interview in which she criticized the powerful Hezbollah group seditious and a threat to social peace. The court decision reflected the rising tension between the U.S. and Hezbollah. It also revealed a widening rift among groups in Lebanon, which is facing the worst economic crisis in its modern history. Judge Mohamad Mazeh in the southern city of Tyre said he acted after receiving a complaint from a citizen who considered Ambassador Dorothy Shea’s comments to a Saudi-owned station “insulting to the Lebanese people.” Mazeh said Shea’s comments incited sectarian strife and threatened social peace. The judge said while he can’t ban the ambassador from speaking, he can bar the media from interviewing her for a year. Mazeh made the decision on Saturday, the start of the weekend, saying the matter was urgent. The backlash was swift.

The private LBC TV station said it would appeal the ruling and called it a violation of media freedom. Critics of Hezbollah called it politicized. But others hailed the ban as “brave” on social media, saying Shea had crossed a line, interfering in Lebanon’s internal affairs. Information Minister Manal Abdel-Samad wrote on Twitter the judiciary may be reacting to the interference of some diplomats in the country’s affairs. However, “no one has the right to prevent the media from covering news or undermine press freedoms,” she wrote. The judge’s ruling came a day after Shea told Saudi-owned TV station Al-Hadath that Washington has “great concerns” over Hezbollah’s role in the government. In her first response to the ruling, Shea called it “unfortunate” in a telephone interview with the local MTV station. “I think it is a distraction. I wish people would spend their time and attention trying to solve the problems facing the country,” she said, adding that the Lebanese government had already apologized to her for the ruling. “So, no. The U.S. Embassy will not be silenced.”

Samir Salama, Associate Editor – gulfnews.com — Abu Dhabi: Anwar Gargash, the UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, has said that the UAE has repeatedly warned Lebanon against deteriorating relations with Gulf countries. “We have seen the accumulation of problems in Lebanon, and we have also seen a dictation of political discourse by Hezbollah, which already has an army inside the country,” the minister said. “If you burn your bridges, it will be very difficult for you to use the huge balance of goodwill and the huge balance of financial support that Lebanon needs.” In statements to CNBC, he added that the economic collapse that Lebanon is witnessing is very worrying, but Lebanon is responsible for the deterioration of its Arab relations and its Gulf relations over the past ten years, and it pays partially the price of that. He stressed that the UAE will not provide financial support, except in coordination with other countries. He explained, “If we see some of our friends and major powers interested in Lebanon working on a plan, we will think about it.”

The deterioration of the Lebanese economy has continued over the past months at dangerous rates, without showing any indications of obtaining regional or international support. The countries of the region and the world have distanced from it because of Hezbollah’s domination of the country’s capabilities, and its regional and international policies. Lebanon is suffering from the worst economic collapse in decades. Tens of thousands have lost their livelihood or part of their income due to the crisis that drove hundreds of thousands to take to the streets on October 17, disgruntled at the political class. As the Lebanese economy continues to deteriorate, there are no indications that it has obtained any regional or international support.