DAILY NEWS

Judge Ghada Aoun orders a travel ban on Riad Salameh
Judge Ghada Aoun ordered the General Security to impose a travel ban on Central Bank Governor governor Riad Salameh today in connection with a lawsuit filed against him by activists. Salameh has recently dismissed the cases brought against him as unfounded and lacking in evidence, claiming they were opened based on complaints filed by politically motivated Lebanese citizens. [Naharnet]

Protesters block streets in reaction to gas prices and dollar exchange value
Protesters around the country burned tires today in a reaction to the increase in gas prices and the dollar exchange rate which reached 35,000 Lira. [MTV]

Parliamentary committee approves new law lifting banking secrecy, in anticipation of a forensic audit of BDL
Parliament’s Finance and Budget Committee headed by MP Ibrahim Kanaan approved a law that lifts banking secrecy from the central bank’s accounts, which would allow a financial audit of BDL to take place. MP Ibrahim Kanaan tweeted that this decision will be removed once the investigation is over. [L’Orient]

OPINION & ANALYSIS

Will Archeology Become Another Fatality Of Lebanon’s Dysfunction?
Jean AbiNader

AbiNader writes, ”Yes, Lebanon’s heritage is not limited to just Baalbek, Byblos, Sidon, and Tyre. Its heritage of historical riches is grounded in so much more and yet our knowledge of it has only gotten us a few layers deep. Without concerted efforts by the national and municipal governments, this trend of depriving Lebanon of its many roots will continue.”
Read More Here

National Interest 
Egypt and Lebanon Pursue More Than Energy Deals
Adnan Naser 

Nasser writes, ”Such assistance was originally proposed in September 2021 when Egypt’s Health Minister Hala Zayed spoke to Al-Halabi with a message from Egyptian officials that expressed interest in working to fix Lebanon’s bankrupt medical sector. The two also discussed ways for Cairo to ship necessary coronavirus vaccine doses to the Lebanese people. According to Zayed, Egypt’s notable capabilities in vaccination production and distribution made it an excellent partner regarding this latter point. Importantly, Zayed also identified Egypt’s capacity to send medical professionals to Lebanon—an important factor given Lebanon’s rapidly emigrating professional class.”
Read More Here

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.