Source: L'Orient Today
Security & Justice
State Action Signals Change in Tackling Longstanding Illegal Land Grabs in Jbeil District
For years, the serene villages of Jbeil's highlands have been far from peaceful. Ghabat, a Maronite village nestled between the predominantly Shiite towns of Afqa and Lassa, has become a focal point of growing tensions due to territorial disputes.
Friday, December 20, 2024
Mawlawi Ensures Strict Monitoring for Wanted Syrian Regime Figures at Beirut Airport
Caretaker Minister of Interior, Bassam Mawlawi, conducted an inspection tour of Rafic Hariri International Airport in Beirut to review the security arrangements and measures implemented by the Airport Security Apparatus ahead of the holiday season.
Thursday, December 19, 2024
Opinion
Lebanon After the Assads
The United States has important equities in Lebanon, including a desire for a generally friendly government’s economic and political stability; security cooperation; long-standing relations with the large Christian community in Lebanon and Lebanese diaspora in the United States; and ultimately peace between Israel and Lebanon within a broader regional settlement. Achieving these objectives will require navigating a tumultuous period in the country’s history following a war between Hezbollah and Israel that has devastated a large part of the country, exacerbating Lebanon’s already challenging economic conditions. But perhaps the most important dynamic will be how a likely Sunni-dominated state of uncertain composition in Syria will differ in its intentions toward Lebanon from the previous Alawite-led minoritarian Assad regime.
Thursday, December 19, 2024
Europe’s Syrian Dilemma
The news of the sudden and unexpected demise of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria has met a mixed response in Europe. The jubilation that a murderous dictator and close ally of Russia and Iran has fallen is not just good for the Syrian people but serves as a morale booster for Eastern Europeans wondering whether Russia can be defeated
Wednesday, December 18, 2024
Sports
Cristiano Ronaldo Unveils New Private Jet Worth $73 Million
Cristiano Ronaldo, one of the richest global athletes, has unveiled his upgraded private jet reportedly worth $73 million. With its top-notch design, exceptional speed and range of 7500 nautical miles, the Gulfstream G650 is among the fastest jets in the world.
Monday, December 16, 2024
Guardiola Accepts Man City May Need to Sign More Players to Cope with Schedule
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola believes he will need a bigger squad to handle soccer’s ever-expanding fixture schedule.
Saturday, December 14, 2024
Tuesday 29 November 2022 15:09:50
BDL Extends Circular 161 Until End of December
Banque du Liban on Tuesday again extended the validity of Circular 161, meaning it will remain in force until the end of December.
The circular was originally released on Dec. 16 last year. It allows banks to sell dollars to depositors at the Sayrafa rate, and has been repeatedly renewed by the central bank since.
The Sayrafa rate stood at LL30,300 to the dollar on Monday night, while the rate on the parallel market reached a new record low on Tuesday, trading around LL40,700 to the dollar.
The dollars exchanged under the implementation of Circular 161 are provided directly to banks by BDL at the Sayrafa rate and are drawn from the country's foreign exchange reserves, the exact level of which is not known.
This 11th extension of the circular comes as caretaker Finance Minister, Youssef Khalil, announced last Wednesday that he had sent a note to the central bank asking it to calculate, as of Dec. 1, the customs duties using an exchange rate of LL15,000 to the dollar, instead of the official exchange rate of LL1,507.5, which is still in force.
