Men play backgammon on the Corniche in Ain al-Mreisseh, Beirut, on April 3, 2026. (Credit: Matthieu Karam/L’Orient-Le Jour)
BEIRUT — When Elissa* pictured retirement, she always imagined herself resting after years of hard work, enjoying a slower pace of life and spending more time with her children and grandchildren. A doctor who worked on contract as a medical controller at the Public Health Ministry, she and her husband had spent years saving for that next chapter.But just weeks after turning 64 and retiring last September, Elissa is already considering looking for a new job. More from Stephanie Bank accounts of Riad Salameh, his brother, and 9 others frozen in Lebanon Her husband, who retired in 2019, began working as a consultant for a modest income, after “losing a lifetime’s savings” to Lebanon’s economic collapse in late 2019, Elissa lamented. Since then, their money, illegally trapped in banks, has been subject to Banque du Liban (BDL) circulars...
BEIRUT — When Elissa* pictured retirement, she always imagined herself resting after years of hard work, enjoying a slower pace of life and spending more time with her children and grandchildren. A doctor who worked on contract as a medical controller at the Public Health Ministry, she and her husband had spent years saving for that next chapter.But just weeks after turning 64 and retiring last September, Elissa is already considering looking for a new job. More from Stephanie Bank accounts of Riad Salameh, his brother, and 9 others frozen in Lebanon Her husband, who retired in 2019, began working as a consultant for a modest income, after “losing a lifetime’s savings” to Lebanon’s economic collapse in late 2019, Elissa lamented. Since then, their money, illegally trapped in banks, has been subject to Banque du Liban (BDL)...
7 p.m. recap: Saudi Arabia warns Houthis as Israeli strikes hit south Lebanon