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      Aya Iskandarani

      Aya Iskandarani

      Correspondent
      Location
      Beirut
      Aya Iskandarani is a correspondent for The National in Beirut, previously based in Abu Dhabi and Paris.
      Follow on X

      Articles

      Since the Syrian civil war began in 2011, the production and smuggling of Captagon has flourished on both sides of the Lebanese-Syrian border. AFP
      Lebanon intercepts 250,000 Captagon pills hidden in water pumps bound for Saudi Arabia

      The kingdom had banned produce imports from Lebanon over concerns of increased smuggling

      MENAJune 16, 2021
      A driver fills his tank at a petrol station in the Lebanese capital Beirut. The country's shrunk by 20.3 per cent last year, after a 6.7 per cent contraction the year before, according to the World Bank.. AFP
      Play17:04:42
      Petrol stations in south Lebanon close as shortages fuel violence

      Owners say they are being made scapegoats as motorists fight for scarce fuel

      LebanonJune 13, 2021
      A man speaks to a pharmacist through closed shutters in Beirut as pharmacies in Lebanon began a two-day strike on June 11, 2021 to protest against medicine shortages. AP Photo
      Play17:04:42
      Shortages, strikes and queues as crisis in Lebanon intensifies

      Pharmacies on Friday shut up shop for two days over lack of medicines

      LebanonJune 13, 2021
      The damaged grain silos at Beirut port have become emblematic of the deadly explosion there on August 4, 2020. AFP
      Camera10
      Lebanese PM declares day of mourning on anniversary of Beirut port blast

      Hassan Diab's draft decree will need President Michel Aoun's approval

      LebanonJune 11, 2021
      Lebanese caretaker health minister Hamad Hassan visits a Covid-19 vaccination centre at St George's hospital in Beirut. Elizabeth Fitt
      Lebanon imposes quarantine on travellers from UK and Brazil

      Measures were announced as coronavirus variants continue to fuel rising case numbers

      LebanonMay 30, 2021
      Men receive the Covid-19 vaccine at American University Medical Center-Rizk Hospital in Beirut. Lebanon held a 'vaccination marathon' on May 29, 2021 to encourage more people to get vaccinated. Reuters
      Play23:34:02
      Thousands take part in Lebanon's 'vaccination marathon'

      Young people queue to receive the AstraZeneca shot after authorities lowered the age of eligibility to 30

      LebanonMay 29, 2021
      Pharmacist Siham Itani, right, inside her pharmacy in Beirut. Reuters
      Severe drug shortages in Lebanon threaten intensive care operations

      In a rampant black market for medicine, intensive care units are low on vital drugs

      LebanonMay 26, 2021
      The American aid will go towards reinforcing 'shared priorities in counter-terrorism, border security and defence-institution building'. EPA
      US to grant $120m to the Lebanese Army

      Represents a $15m increase from last year for Lebanon’s cash-strapped military

      LebanonMay 21, 2021
      Caretaker Lebanese Foreign Minister Zeina Akar. Handout
      Who is Zeina Akar, Lebanon’s new caretaker foreign minister?

      Mrs Akar replaces Charbel Wehbe, who resigned after making derogatory comments about Saudi Arabia on a television show

      LebanonMay 21, 2021
      Al Melhem measures the diameter of a wooden block used for printing.
      Play46:41:46
      Beirut workshop to revive Syrian craft of woodblock printing

      The art form is endangered because of neglect and a decade of war

      ArtMay 13, 2021
      Ricardo looks out over the Beirut port from his office, before the explosion that took place in August 2020, destroying his office and large parts of Lebanon's capital. Courtesy Ricardo Karam
      Play44:49:04
      Ricardo Karam on resilience and optimism in Beirut: 'This is the strength of the Lebanese'

      'Everything I do today focuses on positive change, inspiring the youth and conveying a better image about who we are,' says the popular presenter in this exclusive interview

      TelevisionMay 10, 2021
      Sweet maker Mohammed Al Daouk cuts up a batch of Daoukiye, the Beirut Ramadan treat named after him. Mahmoud Rida / The National
      Pistachio delight: meet the man behind Daoukiye, Beirut's famous Ramadan dessert

      A dish created by accident is now a cherished household name, but Lebanon's inflation crisis has made it unaffordable for many

      MENAMay 09, 2021
      French Foreign Affairs Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian is due to visit Beirut on Thursday, Reuters
      French foreign minister to meet Lebanese politicians in Beirut

      Jean-Yves Le Drian’s visit comes one week after he announced a travel ban on those blocking formation of a government in Lebanon

      LebanonMay 04, 2021
      The explosion at Beirut Port on August 4 killed over 200 people. Karim Sokhn
      Camera6
      Port officials fear years in detention without trial as Beirut blast investigation flounders

      Former ministers attack investigative judge to evade judicial inquiry

      LebanonMay 04, 2021
      Saudi customs officers discovered millions of amphetamine pills in a shipment of pomegranates arriving from Lebanon. Saudi Press Agency via AP
      Lebanon arrests two suspected of smuggling Captagon into Saudi Arabia

      Riyadh banned produce from Lebanon after finding amphetamine pills inside pomegranate shipment

      LebanonMay 03, 2021
      More Articles

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