Overview of Beirut from Mansourieh (Metn), Feb. 5, 2025. (Credit: Philippe Hage Boutros/L'Orient-Le Jour)
The optimism sparked by Joseph Aoun’s election as president and the appointment of former International Court of Justice Judge Nawaf Salam to form a new government has begun to fade after nearly a month of stalled negotiations.Still, the developments have had two tangible effects: driving up eurobond prices, despite Lebanon remaining in default on its dollar-denominated debt, and pushing the Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) — which gauges private-sector sentiment — to its highest level since its launch in 2013.The PMI reached 50.6 in January, surpassing the 50-point expansion threshold for only the fourth time in its history, following August 2022 and June and July 2023. Read more Air transport: Most major airlines have returned to Beirut's international airport “These positive results — along with an increase in order books and...
The optimism sparked by Joseph Aoun’s election as president and the appointment of former International Court of Justice Judge Nawaf Salam to form a new government has begun to fade after nearly a month of stalled negotiations.Still, the developments have had two tangible effects: driving up eurobond prices, despite Lebanon remaining in default on its dollar-denominated debt, and pushing the Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) — which gauges private-sector sentiment — to its highest level since its launch in 2013.The PMI reached 50.6 in January, surpassing the 50-point expansion threshold for only the fourth time in its history, following August 2022 and June and July 2023. Read more Air transport: Most major airlines have returned to Beirut's international airport “These positive results — along with an increase in order...
Humanitarian convoy reaches Rmeish, Ain Ibl, Dibil despite obstacles