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Added on the 09/12/2022 16:20:31 - Copyright : Euronews EN
Lebanon has been drowning in a series of crises since 2019. The economic, banking and political systems are in tailspin and the national currency has lost 98 percent of its value. With inflation in three-figure percentages for the third year running, eight out of 10 inhabitants now live under the poverty line. Fleeing Lebanon, illegally or not, is becoming more and more common, with many residents no longer able to continue a life of poverty. Our France 2 colleagues report, with FRANCE 24's Jack Colmer Gale.
Following weeks of mass protests and a day of nationwide turmoil, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has yielded to pressure and agreed to postpone his controversial judicial reforms as of March 27th. This decision was a significant reversal for his government, which had fired the defense minister just a day earlier in response to his demands for a delay in the divisive law.
Mohamed ElBaradei was director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) from 1997 until 2009. In an interview with FRANCE 24, he reflected on the US-led invasion of Iraq 20 years ago this week, which he opposed. "If I now look in hindsight, it was not really about weapons of mass destruction. It was about regime change," he said. ElBaradei added: "They (the US) thought the best pretext was to say that Saddam Hussein was linked to al Qaeda and had WMDs (...) They didn't really have any evidence. It was all about belief. And they started a slew of deception and misinformation."
Twelve years ago, young people took to the streets calling for constitutional reforms in Jordan. But the March 24 youth movement fizzled out. Following the return to state of emergency legislation imposed during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, the authorities issued new laws that can be used to silence journalists and citizens who dare to criticise the monarchy, this in a country often perceived as being one of the most moderate in the Middle East. In Amman, some are raising their voices to fight for freedom of expression. Our regional correspondents Chloé Domat and Sophie Guignon report.
Against the backdrop of Israeli-Palestinian tensions, Ramadan has often been a period of heightened conflict.
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