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☆ Remembering Gary Strieker, who helped establish CNN's presence in Africa
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-03 | by ( Tricia Escobedo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

CNN —Gary Strieker had every reason to be a pessimist. Gary Strieker, who passed away in July 2022, helped establish CNN's presence in Africa. Courtesy Strieker family Born in the tiny Illinois farm town of Breese in 1944, Gary Gerard Strieker moved to San Diego, California at a young age. Courtesy Strieker family Strieker is remembered by his family and colleagues as a quiet, humble man who never lost his optimistic spirit or tireless energy for making the world a better place. Courtesy Strieker family Strieker was the network's only correspondent on the African continent for some time, covering the AIDs epidemic in the 1980s and other major moments in history, including the 1994 genocide in Rwanda.

☆ Arabs shun Israeli media at Qatar World Cup, cooling hopes of a thaw
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-21 | by ( Maya Gebeily | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Interview attempts with Arab fans, however, fell flat with reporters from public broadcaster Kan and top-rated Channel 12 TV telling Reuters they had been mostly snubbed. Footage circulating online showed two Saudi fans, a Qatari shopper and three Lebanese fans walking away from Israeli reporters. But it has allowed direct flights from Tel Aviv for the World Cup as well as a delegation of Israeli diplomats to handle logistics. The delegation spokesperson said there had been no reports of ill-treatment of the estimated 10,000 to 20,000 Israeli fans. "Sure, most countries in the Arab world are heading towards normalisation – but that's because most of them don't have rulers who listen to their people," he said.

☆ Lebanon central bank to use forex rate of 15,000 pounds per dollar as of Feb 1
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BEIRUT, Nov 21 (Reuters) - Lebanon's central bank will adopt an exchange rate of 15,000 Lebanese pounds per U.S. dollar as of Feb. 1 as part of a process to unify the country's multiple exchange-rate system, Lebanese central bank governor Riad Salameh said on Monday. The parallel market exchange rate was hovering at around 39,000 pounds per dollar on Monday. Salameh said the rate for withdrawals governed by central bank circulars would be brought up to 15,000 pounds as of Feb. 1. The central bank would then have just two rates, Salameh said: 15,000, and a rate set by the central bank's Sayrafa exchange platform, which sat at around 30,000 pounds per dollar on Monday. Depositors have paid a big price, and have been mostly unable to access dollar savings or forced to make withdrawals in pounds at unfavourable rates.

☆ Day before FIFA World Cup, Qatar faces overcrowding troubles
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-19 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

He and his friends had got a rare day off from Hamad Port to walk 6 kilometers (3.7 miles) to the fan zone before being turned away. “There’s nothing we can do.”Qatar’s Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy, which oversees the World Cup, said in a statement to The Associated Press it was “absolutely delighted” with the opening of the Fan Zone. People dance at the Souq Waqif marketplace ahead of the FIFA World Cup in Doha, Qatar on Nov. 19, 2022. Just after 8 p.m., however, crowds thronged the Fan Zone, hoping to attend a concert featuring Lebanese singer Myriam Fares and Colombian singer Maluma. But as hundreds squeezed inside a holding pen, thousands more waited outside the venue.

☆ Nicki Minaj, Maluma, Myriam Fares release World Cup anthem
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-18 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: 1 min

DOHA — Hip hop star Nicki Minaj has teamed up with Colombian singer-songwriter Maluma and Lebanese singer Myriam Fares for the latest addition to the official soundtrack of the World Cup in Qatar. The single “Tukoh Taka,” with lyrics in English, Spanish and Arabic, was released on Friday, two days ahead of the start of the tournament. It’s the latest in a series of songs by artists from around the world released as part of FIFA’s official soundtrack of the 2022 World Cup. Maluma and Myriam Fares will perform at the opening of the FIFA fan festival in Doha on Saturday. The new song release comes as FIFA faces backlash for Qatar’s human rights record, its oppression of the LGBTQ+ community and its poor treatment of migrant workers, who built the tournament venues.

☆ Seeking compromise candidate, Lebanese politician Bassil leaves door ajar for presidency bid
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( John Irish | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

I did not do this to have the vacancy and a bad person to fill the void," he said. "I will not accept to have a bad president and in that case of course I would run." France has spearheaded international efforts to rescue Lebanon from its deepest crisis since the civil war, but to no avail. "That's why the country can't take this and live with it so we need to succeed in finding a solution." Reporting by John Irish in Paris Editing by Matthew LewisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Middle East Airlines plane hit by stray bullet while landing in Beirut, no injuries
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/3] A bullet hole is seen in a Middle East Airlines (MEA) passenger plane, after it was hit by a stray bullet while landing in Beirut, with no injuries reported, according to MEA Chairman Mohamad El-Hout, Lebanon November 10, 2022. Middle East Airlines/Handout via ReutersBEIRUT, Nov 10 (Reuters) - A Middle East Airlines (MEA) passenger plane bound from Jordan to Beirut was hit by a stray bullet while landing in Beirut on Thursday, with no injuries reported, MEA Chairman Mohamad El-Hout said. Hout told Reuters that seven to eight stationary planes are hit by stray bullets shot from areas neighbouring Beirut airport each year, but Wednesday's incident was the first time this had occurred while a plane was moving. Lebanese lawmaker Paula Yacoubian was on the flight and shared images on her Twitter page appearing to show a hole in the fuselage of the plane. Reporting by Laila Bassam and Timour Azhari; Editing by Toby Chopra and Alison WilliamsOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Americans convicted in Japan on Carlos Ghosn’s escape return home
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-08 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +1 min

TOKYO — An American father and son convicted in Japan on charges of helping former Nissan chairman Carlos Ghosn escape to Lebanon by hiding in a box have been returned to the U.S., their lawyer said Tuesday. The U.S. and Japan have an extradition treaty, while Lebanon has no extradition treaty with Japan. Peter Taylor has already been released, and is back with his family in Massachusetts, said Kelly, whose office is based in Boston. During their trial in Tokyo, Michael and Peter Taylor apologized and acknowledged guilt, saying they had been misled by Ghosn. He says he fled because he could not expect a fair trial in Japan.

☆ This 22-year-old survives Lebanon with a bitcoin mining business that's been earning $20,000 a month
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-08 | by ( Mackenzie Sigalos | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +18 min

Against this backdrop, Abu Daher jumped into the crypto mining business a little over two years ago. Zoom In Icon Arrows pointing outwards Ahmad Abu Daher repairing mining equipment in the basement of a home in Zaarouriyeh. Ahmad Abu DaherIt has been 26 months since Abu Daher first set up shop, and he says that business is thriving. watch nowBuilding a bitcoin mining businessAbu Daher had a few black swan events on his side soon after he broke into crypto mining. In January, police raided a small crypto mining farm in the hydro-powered town of Jezzine, seizing and dismantling mining rigs in the process.

☆ Lebanese locals turn to bitcoin and tether to earn, save, and spend as hyperinflation takes over
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-07 | by ( Mackenzie Sigalos | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailLebanese locals turn to bitcoin and tether to earn, save, and spend as hyperinflation takes overAs Lebanon's economy spirals into hyperinflation, locals explain how cryptocurrency has replaced a financial system that no longer makes sense. CNBC's MacKenzie Sigalos reports.

☆ In bankrupt Lebanon, locals mine bitcoin and buy groceries with tether, as $1 is now worth 15 cents
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-05 | by ( Mackenzie Sigalos | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +32 min

Others arrange clandestine meetings via Telegram to swap the stablecoin tether for U.S. dollars in order to buy groceries. In Jan., police raided a small crypto mining farm in the hydro-powered town of Jezzine, seizing and dismantling mining rigs in the process. But mining crypto tokens to earn a living is not for everybody. Younes tells CNBC that he initially moved 15% of his money into bitcoin, and he kept the remaining balance in cash. Lebanon has six bitcoin ATMs — one in Aamchit and five in Beirut, according to metrics offered by coinatmradar.com.

☆ Argentina limit changes for Sunday's Twickenham test
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Nov 4 (Reuters) - Argentina will field two new front rowers and have made a switch on the wing in three changes for Sunday’s test against England at Twickenham. England and Argentina share the same World Cup pool next year but Cheika told a virtual news conference on Thursday that was not an immediate concern in their approach to Sunday's test. "For us it's about changing a little bit the style of our and our mental approach as well," he said. Cheika has split this week with coaching Lebanon at the Rugby League World Cup, where they play Australia in the quarter-finals at Huddersfield on Friday. Writing by Mark Gleeson in Cape Town; Editing by Christian RadnedgeOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Barrack was also acquitted of obstruction of justice and making false statements to FBI agents in 2019 about his interactions with Emirati officials and their representatives. Barrack raised money for Trump during the 2016 campaign and chaired Trump's 2017 inaugural committee. Also receiving a pardon was Paul Manafort, Trump's 2016 campaign chairman, who had been found guilty in 2018 of financial wrongdoing and sentenced to 7-1/2 years in prison. During his testimony, Barrack told jurors he never agreed to be a UAE agent or asked Trump for a pardon. Barrack's lawyers acknowledged that he sometimes sought feedback from Emirati officials, but that any impact on U.S. policy or public opinion was insignificant.

☆ Jury weighs whether Trump ally Barrack was a foreign agent and lied about it
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-02 | by ( Luc Cohen | Thomson Reuters | Reports On The New York Federal Courts. Previously Worked As A Correspondent In Venezuela | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/3] Tom Barrack watches jury selection in a courtroom sketch in New York City, U.S. September 19, 2022. Tom Barrack, a private equity executive and onetime fundraiser for former President Donald Trump is charged with acting as a foreign agent without notifying the U.S. government as required. Barrack, 75, is also accused of obstruction of justice and making false statements to FBI agents in 2019 about his interactions with Emirati officials and their representatives. Barrack testified in his own defense during the trial, telling jurors he never agreed to be a UAE agent. Sam Nitze, a prosecutor, countered in a rebuttal that Emirati officials were "thrilled" at Barrack's comments about the country and its leaders during television interviews.

☆ Jury begins deliberating in Trump ally Barrack's 'foreign agent' trial
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-02 | by ( Luc Cohen | Thomson Reuters | Reports On The New York Federal Courts. Previously Worked As A Correspondent In Venezuela | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

He argues that even when his interests aligned with the UAE's, he was acting on his own accord and not subject to Abu Dhabi's direction. Barrack's lawyers did not dispute that he had been in touch with Emirati officials and occasionally sought their feedback, but they said any impact on U.S. policy or public opinion was insignificant. Sam Nitze, a prosecutor, countered in a rebuttal that Emirati officials were "thrilled" at Barrack's comments about the country and its leaders during television interviews. He said the law was designed to make sure the U.S. government knew when someone was acting as a "mouthpiece" for a foreign government. Reporting by Luc Cohen in New York, Editing by William MacleanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Battling cholera, Lebanon gets first vaccines, and sharp words, from France
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BEIRUT, Oct 31 (Reuters) - Lebanon took delivery on Monday of its first vaccines to combat a worsening cholera outbreak - together with sharply worded criticism of the crisis-hit country's crumbling public health infrastructure from donor nation France. Lebanon had been cholera-free since 1993, but its public services are suffering under a brutal economic crisis now in its fourth year, while infighting among the country's faction-riven elite has paralysed its political institutions. The vaccines would play "an essential role" in limiting the disease's spread, Health Minister Firass Abiad told reporters in the capital as he announced the first batch. "The origins of this epidemic, in which public health is at stake, must also be treated," Anne Grillo told reporters. The outbreak was "a new and worrying illustration of the critical decline in public provision of access to water and sanitary services in Lebanon."

☆ Gulf states use new oil riches to gain regional influence
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-31 | by ( Nadeen Ebrahim | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

“Money talks,” Michael Maduell, president of the Sovereign Wealth Fund Institute in Las Vegas, told CNN. Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, last week announced that the nation’s wealth fund, the Public Investment Fund (PIF), is establishing five regional companies worth $24 billion across the Middle East. One of the key regional investment destinations for both Abu Dhabi and Riyadh has been Egypt. Once a regional rival, Turkey is now an economic ally of Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Despite a political thaw, Gulf investments in Iran and Syria are unlikely for the time being, say analysts.

☆ QatarEnergy in talks for 30% stake in Lebanon offshore gas project, says CEO
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

DOHA, Oct 30 (Reuters) - State-owned QatarEnergy is in talks with the Lebanese government to take a 30% stake in an offshore exploration block and is also negotiating with TotalEnergies (TTEF.PA) and ENI (ENI.MI) on this matter, CEO Saad al-Kaabi confirmed on Sunday. "We are in the process of discussing that with the government of Lebanon and the partners, Total and ENI for a participation of around 30% ownership of that exploration block," Kaabi said. The initial exploration license was held by a three-part consortium of TotalEnergies, Italy's Eni and Novatek (NVTK.MM). The sources had said that the understanding between TotalEnergies and Lebanon was that the French group would enter negotiations with QatarEnergy over the former Novatek stake, and that Qatar was seeking a 30% stake, comprised of Novatek's former stake and a 5% stake from each of TotalEnergies and Eni. Offshore areas in the eastern Mediterranean and Levant have yielded major gas discoveries in the past decade.

☆ President Aoun leaves office as Lebanon's crisis worsens
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-30 | by ( Maya Gebeily | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] A billboard depicting Lebanon's President Michel Aoun, whose term is expected to end on October 31, is placed in Jdeideh, Lebanon October 27, 2022. In his final week in the palace, he signed onto a U.S.-mediated deal delineating Lebanon's southern maritime border with Israel. "Aoun's was the strongest era in all of Lebanon's history,” said Lama Nohra, a 32-year-old supporter and mother of three young children. "He was by far the worst president in Lebanon’s history" said Michel Meouchi, a lawyer and father. In 2006, his Free Patriotic Movement formed an alliance with Hezbollah, which lent important Christian backing to the armed group.

☆ Iran's plans for its drones may be much different than how Russia is using them in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-30 | by ( Shahryar Pasandideh | World Politics Review | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

Russia's use of Iranian drones in Ukraine has been framed as Iran trying to test out its hardware. But Russia has so far been using those drones in a manner different than Iran would likely use them. For all the attention given to Iran's ballistic missiles, the country has spent more than a decade diversifying its strike capabilities. Iranian drones were notably employed alongside cruise missiles in the attacks on Saudi oil facilities in September 2019. Second, the propeller-driven Iranian drones that Russia is now using are slow and, if detected while in transit, provide ample warning for defenders to activate defenses.

☆ U.S. Penalizes Iranian Group Behind Salman Rushdie Bounty
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-28 | by ( Ian Talley | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Salman Rushdie, pictured in 2019, was stabbed several times before a planned lecture in New York on Aug. 12. WASHINGTON—The Biden administration on Friday levied sanctions against an Iranian foundation that has sponsored a bounty on the writer Salman Rushdie, who was stabbed in August on a stage in New York. Mr. Rushdie, who spent years under police protection after Iranian leaders called for his execution over his 1988 book “The Satanic Verses,” was stabbed several times before a planned lecture in New York’s Chautauqua Institution on Aug. 12. Federal authorities are investigating what motivated the suspected attacker, Hadi Matar, a New Jersey man of Lebanese descent. Mr. Matar’s lawyer in New York, Nathaniel Barone, entered a plea of not guilty last month.

☆ Hezbollah chief says armed group's mobilization to end
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

CAIRO, Oct 27 (Reuters) - The leader of Lebanon's Iran-backed Hezbollah, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, announced the end of his armed group's mobilization on Thursday, after Lebanese and Israeli leaders finalised a U.S-brokered maritime demarcation deal. Nasrallah said in a televised speech that the signing of the deal is a "very big victory for Lebanon," adding that the Lebanese government was careful not to take any steps "that even smelled of normalization" in the indirect deal with Israel. Reporting by Maya Gebeily; Writing by Enas Alashray; editing by John StonestreetOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Lebanon signs maritime border deal, Israel expected to follow suit
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-27 | by ( Maya Gebeily | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BAABDA/JERUSALEM, Oct 27 (Reuters) - Lebanese President Michel Aoun on Thursday signed a letter approving a landmark U.S-brokered agreement laying out the country’s maritime boundary with Israel, Lebanon's top negotiator told reporters. Israel was set to follow suit in approving the deal, which marks a diplomatic departure from decades of hostility, later in the day. Hailed by all three parties as a historic achievement, the deal will be signed separately in Jerusalem by Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid following his cabinet's approval. "If one side violates the deal, both sides lose," Hochstein told reporters. An offshore energy discovery - while not enough on its own to resolve Lebanon's deep economic problems - would be a major boon, providing badly needed hard currency and possibly one day easing crippling blackouts.

☆ Israel, Lebanon finalise maritime demarcation deal without mutual recognition
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-27 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Israeli and Lebanese leaders finalised a U.S-brokered maritime demarcation on Thursday, bringing a measure of accommodation between the enemy states as they eye offshore energy exploration. Leaders from Lebanon, Israel and the United States have all hailed the deal as "historic" but the possibility of a wider diplomatic breakthrough remains slim. Prime Minister Yair Lapid signed separately in Jerusalem, saying the deal was a "tremendous achievement" that had produced Lebanon's de facto recognition of Israel. But Aoun later said the deal was purely "technical" and would have "no political dimensions or impacts that contradict Lebanon's foreign policy". Lower-level delegations from each country headed to the United Nations' peacekeeping base at Naqoura along their contested land border, which has yet to be delineated.

[1/2] Chief Financial Officer of HSBC Georges Elhedery poses for a photo in this undated handout picture. It’s also surprised investors and raised questions about HSBC’s direction. Known at HSBC (HSBA.L) for his strategic vision more than for his accounting skills, Elhedery has climbed the ranks of HSBC’s investment bank since joining in 2005. "It was a surprise to us,” said Hugh Young, Asia chairman of Aberdeen Standard Investments, one of HSBC's top 25 shareholders. CEO Noel Quinn has done a good job but investors are impatient for faster progress, Young said.

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