The American University of Beirut abandoned the official exchange rate, effectively more than doubling tuition. Starting next semester, most students will pay 2.6 times what they used to — if they can. The university, which has come under criticism for its already high tuition and the massive salaries paid to top administrators, said that tuition, priced in dollars, would now be paid in local currency at LL3,900 to the dollar rather than at the lira’s official peg of LL1,515. President Fadlo Khuri promised that financial aid programs would be bolstered.

Lebanon will receive 1.5 million COVID-19 vaccines, costing $12 each, from pharmaceutical giant Pfizer. MP Assem Araji, the head of Parliament’s health committee, said the state will distribute the vaccines for free in line with a plan identifying priority recipients, mainly health care workers and the elderly. The head of Rafik Hariri University Hospital, Firass Abiad, warned about the spike in ICU bed occupancy as the number of critical cases reached 385, filling four out of every five ICU beds in the country. Twenty-one more people died from the virus yesterday, bringing the death toll to 1,136.

For the second time this week, Saad Hariri is set to meet Michel Aoun this afternoon at the Presidential Palace. On Monday, the prime minister-designate reportedly did not present the president with a draft cabinet lineup, despite expectations to the contrary. Tomorrow marks seven weeks since MPs nominated Hariri to form a government after Mustapha Adib’s failed attempt. The delays have torpedoed French President Emmanuel Macron’s plans for speedy reforms in the wake of the Aug. 4 Beirut port explosion. The new wave of government formation activity comes just before Macron is expected to return to Lebanon this month for a third visit since the blast.

Ministers held meetings on subsidies for critical imports, namely wheat, fuel and medical supplies, as Banque du Liban’s dollar reserves continue to dwindle. The caretaker government, which has limited powers since it fell on Aug. 10, is counting on the arrival of a new cabinet to tackle the subsidies issue, a source told our sister publication L’Orient-Le Jour. However, if political deadlock persists, the central bank is likely to start applying measures regarding its dollar support, the source added. More talks are slated for today, with representatives of subsidized sectors set to meet with BDL officials.

As talks on subsidies continue, with no concrete reassurances of continued price support, public anger and concern has mounted. The General Syndicate of Lebanese Taxi Drivers demanded the issuance of fuel coupons at a subsidized price for public transportation drivers, otherwise they “will take to the streets in protest.” Meanwhile, activists staged a sit-in in front of BDL’s headquarters in Saida, protesting against the decision to “rationalize subsidies” on necessities before marching toward Elia square, one of the major sites of protests during the Oct. 17 uprising.

UN Habitat announced it will provide rent assistance to 800 vulnerable families who were forced out of their homes by the Aug. 4 Beirut port explosion. The assistance covers housing expenses of 4,000 residents for at least three months, prioritizing the most vulnerable, including the elderly and those with disabilities. Partial assistance has already come from the government, which started distributing LL100 billion through the army in October. That amount was estimated to cover just a sixth of required repairs.