A man works on a machine filling wheat flour into sacks at a mill in Beirut. (Credit: Mohamed Azakir/Reuters)
A brawl erupted yesterday at the Beirut International and Arab Book Fair over a poster of Qassem Soleimani. An argument broke out between attendants at the fair and protesters after the latter group demanded that images of Soleimani be removed. A video obtained by Annahar shows a fight ensuing. Speaking to L’Orient Today, Fadi Tamim, a co-organizer of the fair, confirmed that this version of events was relayed to him, but noted that he was not present to witness them. The 63rd Beirut International and Arabic Book Fair opened to the public on Saturday after a three-year hiatus. The event was met with mixed reactions, as some said it was in poor taste to hold it amid the ongoing financial crises, the COVID-19 pandemic and the ballooning cost of books. The venue itself was destroyed in the August 2020 port blast, leading the exhibition space to be reduced to 4,000 square meters, just half its original size. However, the organizers insisted that holding the fair was important for Beirut’s cultural life. The Beirut Book Fair was the first of its kind in the Arab World.
The Internal Security Forces arrested two suspects in the murder of the Fattal distribution group CEO Hubert Fattal. A tweet posted by Interior Minister Bassam Mawlawi added that the intelligence unit of the ISF determined the circumstances of the crime within 24 hours of the murder. The tweet also noted that the alleged perpetrators were of Syrian nationality. Mawlawi also briefed Prime Minister Najib Mikati in a phone call on the operation that led to the arrests. Fattal’s company was closed for business yesterday for a day of mourning. Local media reported that Fattal was stabbed in the neck and the hip in the Metn town of Mansourieh. In the wake of his death, many have taken to social media in mourning, recounting his philanthropy and humility. Before taking the helm of his family’s company in 2016, the 52-year-old ran a perfume company and was a graduate of Parsons School of Design and Goldsmiths College of Fine Arts.
The Lebanese central bank opened lines of credit to import wheat yesterday, in an attempt to offset supply disruptions caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The news came from Industry Minister Georges Bouchikian, who was also quoted by local radio station VDL 93.3 as saying that an additional four shipments of wheat are currently destined for Lebanon, and that a strategic plan is in the works “to begin a period of rationing.” He added that the upcoming deliveries would only be used in bakeries until further quantities arrive. Flour mills had announced on Saturday that a joint ministerial directive instructed them to limit deliveries to flour for Arabic bread production only. Bouchikian added that there are attempts being made to try to import wheat from Canada, Australia and the United States, while there are options to ban the export of goods used in the production of vegetable oils. Lebanon imports most of its wheat from the black sea region, with Russia and Ukraine topping the list of importing countries. However, since the start of the war in Ukraine, most of the country’s ports have shut down.
In case you missed it, here’s our must-read story from yesterday: “Cryptocurrency gives rise to new ‘mining’ towns in Lebanon”