Reports of Maritime Negotiations to Resume Soon According to Naharnet, “A major progress is expected in the negotiations over the sea border demarcation between Lebanon and Israel, according to media reports and to both Lebanese and Israelis . . . the U.S. will try to convince Israel to give Lebanon the Qana field, ‘without any compensation in return’.” [Naharnet]
Fire in Beirut Port Silos Extinguished After a fire broke out yesterday evening in the damaged grain silos at the Beirut port, firefighters extinguished the blaze that was reportedly caused by the fermentation of wheat that had remained in the silos. [L’Orient Today]
General Security Announces New Passport Procedure Amid Public Servant Strikes In an announcement today, the Management of General Security said, “Due to the civil servants’ strike and the impossibility of obtaining new individual civil status extracts, and to facilitate applications for obtaining biometric passports for those who have made an appointment on the platform and who meet the specific conditions, the management of the General Security announces that it accepts applications for the renewal of these passports without the need to present an extract from individual civil status.” [L’Orient Today]
OPINION & ANALYSIS
Reuters Soaring Food Prices Put Damper On Eid Al-Adha In Mideast Nidal Al-Mughrabi and Ahmed Rasheed
Al-Mughrabi and Rasheed write, “Eid al-Adha, one of Islam’s two main festivals, marks the climax of the annual haj pilgrimage, when Muslims slaughter animals to commemorate the willingness of Ibrahim, or Abraham, to sacrifice his son on God’s command, often distributing meat to the poor. But this year people in many Arab countries say higher prices mean they cannot afford the important tradition, reflecting the impact of the Ukraine war which has piled more pressure on already high global food prices . . . In Lebanon, where a three-year-long economic crisis has caused soaring poverty, butcher Makhaber Hassan said sheep prices were rising by the day, now standing at $250 – roughly 7.5 million Lebanese pounds.”
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in these articles are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position of the American Task Force on Lebanon, a non-profit, nonpartisan leadership organization of Lebanese-Americans.
