Suspects in UNIFIL Fatality Identified
According to L’Orient Today, “Lebanese security services have identified suspects in an attack on UN soldiers that left one peacekeeper dead, a judicial source told AFP on Thursday, adding that the soldiers were chased by gunmen.” [L’Orient Today]

Arab League Secretary General Urges Election of President
According to Naharnet, “Arab League chief Ahmed Abul Gheit said Thursday that Lebanon can not bear a presidential vacuum and that the league is willing to play its role in a Lebanese dialogue. During the Arab Economic Forum in Beirut, Abul Gheit considered that the way to recovery is by electing a new president and making reforms, urging parties to rise above the divisions and to prioritize Lebanon’s interests.” [Naharnet]

Analysis on Remittances During the Holiday Season
According to AP News, “Lebanon will receive roughly $6.8 billion in remittances this year, up from almost $6.4 billion in 2021, as they continue to be a core component of the country’s shrinking and battered economy. The World Bank estimates they are worth almost 38% of the country’s gross domestic product. Apart from the remittances sent from abroad, many of the diaspora return during the holiday season, bringing with them much-needed cash dollars.” [AP News]

AbiNader writes, “We all have our stories of Lebanon during the holiday season – at least of the end of year celebrations. My first visit was in 1974 as I was returning to Lebanon from North Yemen (at the time), having served as Peace Corps Training Director in Sanaa. And I thought New York knew how to show off during the holidays! Lights, music, comradery, and a waning feeling of better days to come – despite the growing presence of refugees in the country – were the hallmarks of the season, regardless of affiliation.” 

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Hamadi writes, “In the span of a decade, Lebanon’s median household income is now roughly a quarter of what it once was. The report, based on a survey of 1,209 households conducted between November 2021 and January 2022, underlines the depths to which Lebanon has sunk amid a three-year economic crisis that the World Bank has called one of the worst globally since the mid-19th century. What does it mean to live with a decimated income? How are people getting by? L’Orient Today interviewed three different people to understand how their lives have changed since the beginning of the crisis.”

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