Lebanese minister resigns in bid to ease crisis with Saudis

By ZEINA KARAM and SARAH EL DEEB
Associated Press

BEIRUT (AP) — Lebanon’s information minister has resigned in a bid to ease an unprecedented, weekslong diplomatic crisis with Saudi Arabia and other Gulf Arab countries. The minister made the announcement at a press conference on Friday. The crisis erupted in early October, after he made televised comments critical of the kingdom’s war in Yemen. In response, Saudi Arabia recalled its ambassador to Beirut and banned all Lebanese imports, which used to bring in about $240 million a year. That has added to immense economic troubles facing Lebanon, already mired in its worst ever financial crisis.