Latest news with #militaryPersonnel
LBCI
6 days ago
- Business
- LBCI
Price concerns and mixed reactions: Will Lebanon's fuel tax lead to a new wave of inflation?
Report by Theresia Rahme, English Adaptation by Yasmine Jaroudi After the Lebanese government decided to impose a new fuel tax to fund financial grants for active and retired military personnel, questions and confusion are mounting over the impact on consumer prices across the country. The Economy Ministry moved to reassure the public, announcing that supermarket prices would remain unchanged despite the tax increase. Industry leaders, syndicates, and business owners echoed the ministry's position, promising not to raise prices on consumer goods. However, while those pledges offer some relief, concerns remain. Fuel prices directly affect a wide range of sectors, from transportation to private generator electricity, raising the likelihood of indirect price hikes in essential services. Generator owners have already begun preparing for higher costs, while taxi and bus drivers have responded in an inconsistent manner. Some have increased fares, while others are holding steady, citing a lack of clarity on whether the new pricing structure will be permanent or adjusted. As the public debate intensifies, all eyes are now on the government's next session, where it will decide whether to reconsider the controversial fuel tax or proceed as planned.
News24
24-05-2025
- Politics
- News24
Russia and Ukraine swap 307 soldiers on second day of POW exchange
Russia and Ukraine exchanged 307 service personnel on Saturday, part of a larger three-day swap expected to release 1 000 prisoners from each side. Ukrainian President Zelenskiy vowed to bring everyone home, while emotional scenes of reunion and celebration unfolded on both sides of the release. The prisoner exchange coincides with ongoing Russian attacks on Kyiv and discussions of a potential peace agreement draft following the swap. Russia and Ukraine each exchanged 307 of their service personnel on Saturday on the second day of an extended prisoner swap set to be the largest in the three-year war. US President Donald Trump has suggested the swap - which should see 1 000 prisoners released on each side over three days - could herald a new phase in stop-start efforts to negotiate a peace deal between Moscow and Kyiv. Saturday's swap was announced by Russia's defence ministry, and separately by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in a post on social media platform Telegram. "Tomorrow we expect more," Zelenskiy wrote. "Our goal is to return each and every one of us from Russian captivity." Images released by Zelenskiy's office showed freed Ukrainian service personnel arriving in buses at a rendezvous point inside Ukraine, where they hugged each other and draped themselves in blue and yellow Ukrainian flags. At least one of the released servicemen was in tears and was being consoled by a woman in military uniform. People assigned to greet the soldiers handed them cellphones, so they could call relatives. "I can't believe I'm home," one man said. A short video released by the Russian defence ministry showed Russian service personnel disembarking from buses and posing with the Russian flag, as well as the flags of the Soviet Union and the Russian empire. The first part of the exchange took place on Friday when Russia and Ukraine each released 390 prisoners, including 120 civilians, and said they would free more in the coming days. On Friday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that Russia would be ready to hand Ukraine a draft document outlining conditions for a long-term peace agreement once the current prisoner exchange was completed. Saturday's release took place a few hours after the Ukrainian capital was rocked by an overnight Russian bombardment using long-range drones and ballistic missiles, in which 15 people were injured. The prisoner exchange was agreed at short-lived talks in Istanbul on 16 May between Russian and Ukrainian delegations, who had come together at the urging of Trump.
