Lebanese Prime Minister Hassan Diab announced on Saturday that Beirut will not repay a $1.2bn Eurobond due next week and will instead seek to restructure its massive debt as the country's dollar reserves dwindle amid an acute financial crisis.
In a televised address to the nation, Diab said the "difficult decision" to default for the first time in Lebanon's history had been made in order to "secure the basic needs for people".
