A video circulating on social media has captured the Lebanese Army entering a Hezbollah site located in the town of Yohmor al-Shaqif, in southern Lebanon.
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The Lebanese government appears to be taking serious steps toward implementing United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701, which calls for the disarmament of non-state actors, including armed Palestinian factions, as part of broader efforts to reassert State authority over all Lebanese territory.
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Tuesday, April 15, 2025
On April 13, the Lebanese marked the 50th anniversary of the outbreak of the civil war — a conflict that profoundly reshaped the nation’s modern history. While the infamous Ain El-Remmaneh bus incident served as the spark that ignited the violence, like many civil wars, there were deeper and more complex causes rooted in a web of overlapping local, regional, and international dynamics and domestic economic, demographic, and sectarian imbalances. Though the incident resulted in a dozen deaths, it set off a 15-year war that brought immense destruction, loss of life, and mass displacement.
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Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid meet in their second derby of the season with the Liga lead on the line and the focus on refereeing. Real Madrid has spent the days ahead of Saturday’s match complaining of mistakes against the club.
Thursday, February 6, 2025
The first Chinese driver in Formula 1, Zhou Guanyu, is heading back to Ferrari as one of its reserve drivers for the 2025 season.
Wednesday, February 5, 2025
Monday 14 April 2025 15:53:58
Lebanon’s worsening economic crisis continues to take a heavy toll on its people. Soaring inflation and rising costs across every sector have only added to daily hardships, placing the country’s wage system under increasing pressure. As the cost of living climbs and purchasing power erodes, calls to adjust salaries have become impossible for the government to ignore.
The wage issue resurfaced recently after the Index Committee convened to review private sector pay. The meeting reignited debate over whether current salaries reflect the economic realities of Lebanon’s struggling industries.
Anis Bou Diab, President of the Economic, Social, and Environmental Council, described the atmosphere of the meetings as “very positive,” noting that the talks revolve around a negotiated agreement between the main stakeholders — with the government stepping in as a facilitator. On one side are Lebanon’s powerful and financially equipped economic bodies. On the other is the General Confederation of Lebanese Workers, which holds significantly less bargaining power.
“Everyone is alarmed by the skyrocketing cost of living,” Bou Diab told Kataeb.org. “The business community understands the difficulties people are facing — especially workers and vulnerable groups. They also recognize that boosting wages and purchasing power drives consumer spending, which ultimately benefits their own businesses.”
While employers are generally open to raising wages, Bou Diab emphasized that any adjustments must align with what businesses can realistically afford.
“It’s about balancing the General Confederation’s high and justified demands with the limited resources of the economic sector,” he said.
To strike that balance, the Council is overseeing a round of intensive negotiations aimed at reaching an agreement by April 28. The goal: to raise the national minimum wage and improve salary supplements, including family allowances, education grants, and healthcare benefits.
As for the scale of the proposed wage hike, Bou Diab said the figures are still under review.
“The basic consumption basket for a family of four is currently valued at around 50 million Lebanese pounds. That has to be the starting point,” he said. “But we also have to consider the financial capacity of businesses, especially in a post-war context.”
He stressed that any wage strategy must consider Lebanon’s full geographic and socioeconomic landscape.
“Lebanon isn’t just Mount Lebanon and Beirut,” he said. “We have nine governorates, including Baalbek-Hermel, the South, and the southern suburbs of Beirut — many of which have seen widespread devastation. In some of these areas, 40 to 50 percent of businesses are shut down. We need to help the private sector get back on its feet if we’re serious about improving wages.”
Employers, he added, are well aware of the toll the crisis has taken on workers.
