Lebanese pound hits new record low

Lebanon’s currency has traded at more than 35,000 to the dollar as the country faces an economic meltdown. [Forward to a friend]( | [Subscribe]( | [View in your browser]( [Top of The World]( --------------------------------------------------------------- What The World is following Lebanese pound hits new record low [A nurse holds an Arabic placard that reads: "Monetary policy that stifles hospitals is a failure," as he protests, with other medical workers and doctors, the deteriorating economic conditions, outside the Central Bank, in Beirut, Lebanon, May 26, 2022.] Credit: Hussein Malla/AP Lebanon The Lebanese pound has hit a new record low, trading at more than 35,000 to the dollar on Thursday. The country is facing one of its [worst economic meltdowns]( in history. It comes amid concerns over political paralysis as deep divisions are forming within the newly elected parliament. The country held elections on May 15, which produced no clear majority for any group. Meanwhile, doctors, nurses and personnel from two medical professionals’ unions have rallied outside the Central Bank in Beirut after declaring a [two-day general strike]( over the deteriorating economic conditions. Russia Russia’s foreign ministry spokeswoman has said that Moscow is preparing [measures against English-language media](. Maria Zakharova said that the move is in response to “unfriendly actions” toward Russian media by foreign governments. On Thursday, she added that Western reporters would be [expelled from the country]( if YouTube blocks access to Zakharova’s briefings. Russia and Western nations have been fighting an information battle over the war in Ukraine. Japan Cancer patients are in court to [seek damages]( over radiation from the Fukushima nuclear plant. Six people between the ages of 17 and 27 — who were children living in the area at the time of the 2011 nuclear disaster — are now suffering from thyroid cancer. And they’re demanding that the Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings pay a total of $5.4 million in compensation for their illnesses. One woman says she’s had to prioritize her health over her career and has [witnessed discrimination]( against thyroid cancer patients. --------------------------------------------------------------- From The World [Europe’s new liquified gas infrastructure puts climate targets in question]( [Port cranes load a climate friendly LNG, liquefied natural gas, powered container ship at the import and export harbor in Hamburg, Germany, March 19, 2022.]( Credit: Martin Meissner/AP/File photo In a race to stop buying Russian natural gas, European countries are building new infrastructure that many fear could lead to a[fossil-fuel “lock-in.”]( Germany houses six of the nearly dozen liquified natural gas import facilities across Europe. [Immigrant students settle with govt over fake university]( [A US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer watches during an operation in Escondido, California, July 8, 2019.]( Credit: Gregory Bull/AP Six years after ICE revealed a university was a sting operation, the students caught in the middle say they still haven’t fully recovered. But recently, hundreds of former students reached a settlement agreement in their [class-action lawsuit]( against the government in a federal court in New Jersey. --------------------------------------------------------------- Double take Author Margaret Atwood has announced the release of an “unburnable” edition of her famous novel, "The Handmaid’s Tale." 📕 In an announcement, publisher Penguin Random House [said](: “Across the United States and around the world, books are being challenged, banned and even burned. … Printed and bound using fireproof materials, this edition … was made to be completely un-burnable. It is designed to … stand as a powerful symbol against censorship.” [Screenshot of Margaret E. Atwood tweet]( Credit: Twitter In case you missed it on The World --------------------------------------------------------------- Don't forget to subscribe to The World's Latest Edition podcast using your favorite podcast player: [RadioPublic](, [Apple Podcasts](, [Stitcher](, [Soundcloud](, [RSS]( [The World logo]( [The World on Facebook]( [The World's Twitter account]( [Donate]( | [Forward to a friend]( | [Subscribe]( | [Edit your subscription]( | [Unsubscribe]( | [View in your browser]( Top of the World is written weekday mornings by the team at [The World](. [The World]( is produced by [PRX]( and [GBH](.