Lebanon
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In Crisis-Struck Lebanon, School Year Is Gripped by Chaos

This fall, the academic year in Lebanon is gripped by the same chaos that has overwhelmed everything else in the country in its financial and economic meltdown.

Thousands of teachers are on strike, demanding salary adjustments to cope with hyperinflation and the currency's free-fall. A month's pay is now barely enough to fill a vehicle's gas tank twice.

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EU Ambassador Discusses Govt. Plans with Lebanese FM

European Union Ambassador to Lebanon Ralph Tarraf on Wednesday held a meeting with Lebanon's Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib.

"Tour d'horizon with Foreign Minister Bou Habib on areas of joint concern: addressing the economic crisis, delivering basic services to LB citizens, governance reforms, elections, refugees," Tarraf tweeted after the talks.

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Paris Urges No 'Political Interference' in Beirut Port Blast Probe

A French foreign ministry spokesperson on Wednesday said Paris "regrets the suspension" of the probe into the Beirut port blast, urging the Lebanese judiciary to work "in total transparency, and without any political interference" so that investigations could proceed.

"It is up to the Lebanese authorities to allow the probe to continue with all the necessary financial and human resources so it can shed light on what happened on Aug. 4 and meet the legitimate expectations of the Lebanese people," French Foreign Ministry spokesperson Anne-Claire Legendre told reporters in Paris.

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Cabinet Forms Ministerial Panel that Will Negotiate with IMF

The new government held its first meeting Wednesday since it won a vote of confidence last week.

The president and prime minister authorized a committee to resume bailout talks with the International Monetary Fund over Lebanon's worst economic and financial crisis in its modern history. Talks with the IMF were suspended last year.

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U.S., Qatar Launch Joint Action on Hizbullah 'Financing'

The United States said Wednesday it was imposing sanctions on Hizbullah financiers in coordination with Qatar, a U.S. ally that has kept cordial relations with Iran.

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Aoun Says Probe into Beirut Port Blast Must Continue

President Michel Aoun on Wednesday said that the investigation into the catastrophic 2020 explosion at the Port of Beirut must continue, three days after it was suspended due to a challenge filed by ex-minister Nouhad al-Mashnouq.

“Any judicial investigation is not the (entire) judiciary. If it errs, there are three degrees for correction: the Court of First Instance, the Court of Appeals and the Court of Cassation,” Aoun tweeted.

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Families Protest Suspension of Port Blast Probe

Hundreds of outraged Lebanese, mostly relatives of people killed in last year's Beirut port explosion, protested Wednesday against the suspension of an investigation into the blast hampered by political interference.

Tarek Bitar, the judge leading the probe into Lebanon's deadliest peacetime disaster, had to suspend his work on Monday after what the families and human rights groups said was another blatant case of political obstruction.

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Key Dates in the Carlos Ghosn Saga

From his shock detention to an audacious escape from Japan, the rollercoaster saga of former Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn has grabbed headlines around the world.

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Miqati, Salameh Work on Securing $200-300 Million Loan for EDL

Contacts have begun between Prime Minister Najib Miqati and Central Bank Governor Riad Salameh to secure a new loan for Elecricite du Liban, al-Akhbar newspaper said.

Informed sources told the newspaper, in remarks published Wednesday, that Salameh is “showing readiness to finance a $200-300 million loan -- to be secured from the funds that were being used to import diesel and not from the obligatory reserves.”

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Syria-Lebanon Gas Pipeline to be Fixed in a Week

A Syrian technical team has finished examining the 36-kilometer gas pipeline extending from the al-Dabbousiyeh border crossing to Lebanon’s Deir Amar power plant and the inspection showed that there is no major damage that might delay gas supply, media reports said on Wednesday.

“The maintenance process requires a few days and will be carried out by Syrian technical teams free of charge,” al-Akhbar newspaper reported.

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