Lebanese woman who stormed bank given travel ban and fine


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A Lebanese woman was given a six-month travel ban and a fine by a judge on Thursday after she stormed a bank last month brandishing a fake pistol, demanding access to trapped family savings to pay for her sister's cancer treatment.

Sali Hafez was lauded as a hero by many in Lebanon after she broke into a BLOM Bank branch in Beirut and pressured bank employees to hand over $12,000 and the equivalent of about $1,000 in Lebanese pounds from her account.

She then went into hiding in the Bekka Valley, but handed herself into authorities on Wednesday night.

Leaving court on Thursday, she said she was planning to go to her bank to sign a document confirming the amount of money she withdrew during the incident last month and the amount still locked in her account.

“But how about you give me the rest of my money while things are calm, so we don’t have to go through that again?” she said, referring to her bank's management.

Ms Hafez's was one of many similar incidents to have occurred in recent months in Lebanon.

Banks imposed informal capital controls in 2019, severely restricting access to hard currency and compounding the severe economic difficulties faced by people in Lebanon.

Lebanon has been engulfed by an economic crisis since 2019, which has been described by the World Bank as one of the worst in modern history. Much of the country has been plunged into poverty and the local currency has plummeted in value by more than 95 per cent.

There are severe shortages of basic essentials including bread, electricity, medicine and water.

On Thursday to the south of Beirut in Khalde, a man tried but was unable to break into a Banque Libano-Francaise branch, depositors' groups reported.

Meanwhile, in the southern city of Nabatieh, Yahya Badr Al Din broke into his bank armed with a handgun.

In a video he took himself inside the bank, he threatened to kill himself if he did not receive his money. Depositors' protest groups said he has about $100,000 locked in his savings account and is reportedly struggling to cope with about $48,000 in debt.

On Wednesday, MP Cynthia Zarazir entered a bank near Beirut and peacefully demanded the release of her frozen savings to cover medical expenses.

What can victims do?

Always use only regulated platforms

Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion

Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)

Report to local authorities

Warn others to prevent further harm

Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence

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Name: Kumulus Water
 
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But the development of 732 villas and a shopping centre - which began in 2014 - is now in limbo as Sarot Group has sought bankruptcy protection.

It is one of hundreds of Turkish companies that have done so as they seek cover from creditors and to restructure their debts.

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The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE. 

Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on

Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins

Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative 

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Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday. 

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She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.

A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.

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Britain's travel restrictions
  • A negative test 2 days before flying
  • Complete passenger locator form
  • Book a post-arrival PCR test
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Sugary teas and iced coffees

The tax authority is yet to release a list of the taxed products, but it appears likely that sugary iced teas and cold coffees will be hit.

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Cold coffee brands are likely to be hit too. Drinks such as Starbucks Bottled Mocha Frappuccino contain 31g of sugar in 270ml, while Nescafe Mocha in a can contains 15.6g of sugar in a 240ml can.

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Director:Shakun Batra

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Updated: October 06, 2022, 6:18 PM`