Seven Noteworthy Stories You Might Have Missed in Lebanon This Week

Didn’t catch everything going down in Lebanon this past week? Not to worry, here’s seven noteworthy news topics you should know about. Take a look.

1. Lebanon Ranks 7th Worst for Women’s Rights in Arab World

(Photo via the Daily Star)

According to a study by the Thomson Reuters Foundation, Lebanon is the seventh worst country for women’s rights in the Arab world.

Surveys from
(Photo via the Daily Star)

According to the Daily Star newspaper, the head of the Higher Relief Commission (HRC), Ibrahim Bashir, was arrested along with his wife on November 11 for allegedly embezzling public funds. He is accused of transferring $10 million from the committee’s account to his personal accounts abroad.

Bashir has denied the allegations, accusing the secretary-general of the caretaker cabinet of framing him. His case is set to be transferred to the Financial Prosecution office.

3. Lebanese Teen Who Microwaved Cat Apologizes

(Photo via Facebook)

Social media users in Lebanon were outraged after a video on Facebook went viral showing a Lebanese youth (later identified as Hassan Hammoud) putting a cat in a microwave and turning it on for several seconds. On Monday, Hammoud and the boy who taped the incident, Mohammad Jallad, both issued public video apologies. The teens later
(Photo via the Daily Star)

Activists expressed outrage over the week after word spread that the Massad stairs, better known as the Mar Mikhael stairs, were set to be demolished.

Later on Wednesday, Beirut mayor Bilal Hamad denied any intention or decision to demolish the stairs.

5. LBCI Won’t Apologize for Nasrallah Skit

(Photo via the Daily Star)

According to the Daily Star newspaper, Lebanese director Charbel Khalil said he’s not willing to apologize for a skit poking fun at Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah and Prophet Jonah in his latest episode of Bas Mat Watan.

In 2006, the same incident happened when Nasrallah was impersonated in Bas Mat Watan, protests ended when Khalil apologized for the sketch.

6. Syrian Refugees Reportedly Selling Organs in Lebanon

(Photo via Der Spiegel)

German paper Der Spiegel reported earlier this week that a growing number of refugees are surviving in Lebanon by illegally selling their own organs. The report shed light on Raid, a 19-year-old originally from Aleppo who was forced to sell his kidney for $7,000 just so his family could survive the winter.

7. New 50,000 LL Currency Design Revealed

(Photo via Twitter)

LBCI tweeted an image of the new 50,000 LL set to be released to the public on November 22. Social media users immediately responded with criticism of the design. The new Lira note was created in celebration of Lebanon’s 70th anniversary of independence.