🌳 Stitched together

TOP STORIES

Agriculture Ministry Teams with FAO to Combat Foot-and-Mouth Disease

• Agriculture Minister Nizar Hani signed an emergency support project with the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization to control foot-and-mouth disease spreading through Lebanon's livestock population, threatening agricultural productivity and food security nationwide.
• The initiative prioritizes the second phase of emergency vaccination for cattle and small ruminants while building breeders' capacity through awareness programs and technical support, alongside developing standard operating procedures for disease surveillance and rapid response mechanisms.
• Lebanon's vaccination campaign has already immunized approximately 44,000 cattle across 5,405 farms and 66,000 sheep and goats since December 20, with teams working to complete second doses while expanding coverage to protect rural livelihoods and national food security.

Why it matters: Protecting livestock isn't just economics—it's sovereignty, as Hani put it, directly linking agricultural stability to Lebanon's ability to feed itself and maintain rural communities.

Weather Alert: Heavy Rains and Snow Expected This Weekend

• Lebanon's meteorological service forecasts a dramatic weather shift starting Friday afternoon, with a fast-moving but limited-efficiency low-pressure system bringing scattered rains and active winds, particularly affecting northern regions of the country.
• Saturday will see cloudy conditions with temperatures dropping to seasonal averages, especially in mountainous and inland areas, where fog will form on heights and scattered rains intensify from noon, particularly in northern regions with possible lightning and thunder.
• Active winds reaching 75 km/hour will accompany the weather system, raising sea waves while snow falls at altitudes above 2,000 meters, with rain expected to subside during Saturday night as conditions gradually improve.
• Sunday brings partial clouds with temperatures rising above seasonal averages, though active winds reaching 65 km/hour will carry light dust layers, with scattered muddy rains expected during nighttime hours across various regions.

Zooming out: After weeks of unseasonably warm weather, this weekend's storm reminds everyone that winter isn't done with Lebanon yet—perfect timing for anyone planning outdoor activities.

Public Sector Workers Set February Deadline for Street Protests

• The Public Sector Workers Assembly (military and civilian) praised widespread participation in recent demonstrations by administrative staff, teachers, university professors, judicial assistants, contractors, retirees from military and diplomatic sectors, showing unified demands across all employment categories.
• The government pledged to raise military salaries and pensions to 50% of their 2019 dollar value, with remaining amounts distributed in five installments of 10% each paid every six months, extending similar corrections to contracted workers.
• Workers received a deadline through February 2026 for authorities to implement promised salary increases and pension adjustments, with leadership warning against backtracking on commitments made to military personnel and civilian staff during recent negotiations.
• The assembly called on permanent, contracted, and retired workers (both military and civilian) to prepare for street demonstrations, including sit-ins, protests, and potentially open strikes, declaring February a "month of anger" if demands aren't met.

What to watch: With the government's credibility already strained, February could see Lebanon's largest public sector mobilization in years if promises fall through again.

QUICK HITS

• Gas Safety Campaign: The Gas Workers and Distributors Union launched safety guidelines after recent accidents, emphasizing proper installation techniques, leak detection with soap bubbles (never flames), and immediate shut-off procedures when smelling gas—because nobody wants their kitchen turning into a fireworks display.
• Hezbollah-President Meeting: MP Mohammad Raad met President Joseph Aoun at Baabda Palace, discussing sovereignty protection and ending occupation while emphasizing unity and cooperation, though notably avoiding any mention of the disarmament elephant that's been sitting in every Lebanese political room.
• Taekwondo Bronze: Eli Hayek secured a bronze medal in the under-63kg category at the 13th Fujairah International Taekwondo Championship in the UAE, marking Lebanon's first medal at the tournament with several more Lebanese competitors still competing in various age categories.
• Armenian Donation: Maki Mughtesyan-Solomonyan donated $100,000 to Lebanese Armenian national schools in honor of Catholicos Aram I's 30th anniversary, providing crucial support to educational institutions serving the Armenian community across Lebanon.
• Church Delegation: Armenian Revolutionary Federation representatives Vahram Emmian and Sanahin Tovmasyan met with Bishop Grigor Badisheh to discuss the organization's activities and programs, addressing issues affecting the Armenian people and matters of common community interest.

INTERNATIONAL

Washington Post Eliminates Entire Middle East Team in Major Layoffs

• The Washington Post implemented sweeping newsroom cuts affecting approximately 30% of its workforce, completely gutting its foreign desk including elimination of the entire Middle East team, sports desk, books section, and all staff photographers as part of broader operational restructuring.
• Prominent regional correspondents including Cairo Bureau Chief Claire Parker, Jerusalem Bureau Chief Gerry Shih, and correspondents Yeganeh Torbati, Louisa Loveluck, and Miriam Berger were among those laid off, decimating coverage of ongoing conflicts and political developments across the region.
• The cuts coincided with the Post's financial struggles, losing $100 million in 2024 while maintaining only 2.5 million digital subscribers compared to the New York Times' 12.2 million, raising questions about sustainable journalism business models.
• Former executive editor Marty Baron called the layoffs among "the darkest days" in the paper's history, criticizing owner Jeff Bezos's "sickening efforts to curry favor with President Trump" after killing the planned Harris endorsement before the election.

The bigger picture: Gutting Middle East coverage just as the region faces multiple crises reflects broader challenges facing international journalism in an increasingly isolationist media landscape.

Iran-US Talks Framework Proposed by Regional Mediators

• Qatar, Turkey, and Egypt presented Iran and the United States with a proposed framework for crucial talks scheduled Friday, including Iranian commitments to significantly limit uranium enrichment and restrict ballistic missile use while reducing support for regional proxy groups.
• The framework calls for Iran to commit to zero uranium enrichment for three years, followed by limits below 1.5%, while transferring approximately 440kg of highly enriched uranium currently at 60% enrichment levels to a third country for safekeeping.
• Proposed restrictions include Iranian pledges not to transfer weapons and technologies to regional allies while avoiding initiating ballistic missile use, though falling short of US demands for comprehensive missile program limitations and proxy force reductions.
• The diplomatic window comes as US forces position in the Arabian Sea following Iran's violent protest crackdowns, while mediators propose a "nonaggression agreement" between Washington and Tehran to prevent broader regional conflict escalation.

What to watch: With Trump's military buildup creating pressure and Iran facing unprecedented internal and external challenges, Friday's talks could reshape Middle Eastern geopolitics or trigger wider conflict.

EU Agrees on €90 Billion Loan Framework for Ukraine

• European Union member states reached agreement on the framework for providing a €90 billion ($108 billion) loan to Ukraine, building on December's broad outline that required purchases using loan proceeds be made within the EU bloc unless equipment could only be sourced elsewhere.
• The massive financial package represents continued European commitment to Ukrainian defense and reconstruction efforts while ensuring EU economic benefits through procurement requirements that favor European manufacturers and suppliers over global competitors.
• The loan framework addresses ongoing Ukrainian financial needs amid continued conflict with Russia, providing crucial resources for military equipment, infrastructure rebuilding, and government operations while maintaining European industrial competitiveness in defense sectors.

Zooming out: Europe's willingness to provide such massive financial support reflects growing confidence in Ukraine's long-term viability and determination to maintain Western influence against Russian expansion.

GHER HEK

• Shakespeare in Shanghai: American actor Thomas Caron performed as Othello in a bilingual production reimagining the Shakespearean tragedy with racial dynamics flipped—a clueless American mercenary despised by a Chinese Iago on an island during the Taiping rebellion, proving creative flowers can still bloom between authoritarian concrete slabs.
• Cologne Carnival Roast: Germany's Rose Monday parade will feature satirical floats mocking Donald Trump with his bare bottom exposed and covered in kiss marks from global leaders, plus a blue cobra representing the far-right AfD party hypnotizing German youth, because sometimes satire hits harder than diplomacy.
• Olympic Skiing Legend: Jessie Diggins heads into her final Olympics as America's greatest cross-country skier, known for pushing her body to dangerous limits—once collapsing at Beijing 2022 after racing with food poisoning and cramping throughout, proving that endurance sports attract wonderfully stubborn athletes.
• Hong Kong Heritage Hotel: The Peninsula Hong Kong continues setting standards for luxury hospitality by moving gracefully with changing times while maintaining distinction without pretension, offering a masterclass in adapting heritage properties to modern expectations without losing their authentic character and charm.

Thanks for reading—stay warm this weekend when the weather decides to remember it's actually winter.