A French firm aims to turn tons of rotting grain at Beirut's devastated port into compost, the company said Tuesday, nearly a year after Lebanon's worst peacetime disaster ravaged its silos.

The Banque du Liban – Lebanon’s central bank -- assured Monday that “Lebanon’s gold is safe,” in response to MP Jamil al-Sayyed’s remarks that BDL Governor Riad Salameh “had partially or totally disposed of the gold owned by the Central Bank.”

The Central Bank said that Lebanon’s gold reserves “have not been touched,” and will not be touched nor used “as a mortgage” against the country’s interests “as some people wish.”

The Covid pandemic caused an estimated 18 percent increase in the number of people facing hunger, a UN report released on Monday found, dealing a massive setback to efforts to ensure everyone has access to food. 

The world was already off track to achieve its goal of eradicating hunger by 2030, but the report warned that Covid had now sent it back in the wrong direction.

Former Nissan and Renault boss Carlos Ghosn denied any responsibility in Renault's alleged cheating on emission tests for diesel vehicles during more than six hours of questioning in Beirut in May, according to documents seen by AFP.

A startling public row between Saudi Arabia and brash neighbor the UAE has exposed the steadily diverging paths of once inseparable allies who are competing to profit from what may be the world's last oil boom.

Israel said Monday it had expanded the fishing zone off Gaza and would allow additional imports into the blockaded Palestinian territory following "recent security calm."

European stock markets struggled to find direction on Monday, with investors waiting for corporate results and economic data later in the week.

London's FTSE 100 index remained in the red, while Frankfurt and Paris climbed back into the black in midday trading.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said Sunday she was "very concerned" about the risk that new variants of coronavirus could pose to the global economic recovery from the pandemic.

For the seventh time in a year, Lebanon's economy ministry has announced new prices for bread, slowly removing subsidies as the country sinks deeper into a dire economic and political crisis.

The ministry said raising the price was necessary as the national currency continues to slide against the dollar, making imports of basic supplies including fuel and wheat more expensive. The currency, pegged to the dollar for nearly 30 years at 1,500 to the dollar, has lost over 90% of its value. It is now trading at nearly 20,000 Lebanese pounds to the dollar.

A major power station in Lebanon is to resume operations on Sunday, two days after it ground to a halt due to a lack of fuel at a time of constant power cuts and economic collapse.