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☆ Moscow to host Syria, Turkey, Iran, Russia meeting - official sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov speaks with journalists before a meeting of Russian President Vladimir Putin with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia February 27, 2019. The situation on the ground in Syria would be discussed at the April 3-4 in Moscow, a senior Turkish official said. A previously planned meeting of four countries' deputy foreign ministers scheduled in March was postponed. A senior Iranian foreign ministry official confirmed the meeting in Moscow in the first week of April. Citing Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov, Russian state-owned news agency RIA reported on Monday that the deputy foreign ministers of Russia, Turkey, Iran and Syria may hold consultations in Moscow in early April.

☆ Lebanon's cabinet reverses decision to delay daylight savings time
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Mohamed AzakirBEIRUT, March 27 (Reuters) - Lebanon's caretaker premier said the cabinet had voted to move clocks one hour ahead on Wednesday night, reversing his decision to postpone the move to daylight savings time by a month that had sparked uproar across the country. Mikati angered many Lebanese when he decided last Thursday not to start daylight savings time over the last weekend of March but instead to roll clocks forward an hour on April 20. Moving clocks forward means Muslims would have to fast an additional hour as sunset would be at a later time on the clock. But the move was defied by Lebanon's top Christian authority as well as some schools, media outlets and businesses, which rolled their clocks forward on Saturday night. Mikati even faced objections from within cabinet, including the justice minister who said Lebanon had more important challenges to focus on.

☆ Lebanon in confusion as daylight savings dispute deepens divisions
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-26 | by ( Timour Azhari | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

It said it would turn clocks forward on Saturday night and other Christian organisations, parties and schools announced similar plans. Businesses and media organizations, including two of Lebanon's main news channels LBCI and MTV, announced they too would enter daylight savings on Saturday night. But later that day, Mikati issued the decision to stay in winter time. Independent MP Waddah Sadek said on Twitter decisions were taken without "any consideration for the consequences or confusion that they cause". Some Twitter users shared an old recording of famed Lebanese composer and musician Ziad Rahbani speaking about daylight savings.

☆ Lebanon has two times of day amid daylight savings dispute
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-26 | by ( Timour Azhari | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

BEIRUT, March 26 (Reuters) - Lebanon woke up in two time zones on Sunday amid an escalating dispute between political and religious authorities over a decision to extend winter time for a month. Businesses and media organizations, including two of Lebanon's main news channels LBCI and MTV, announced they too would enter daylight savings on Saturday night as calls for disobedience gained steam. LBCI said in a statement that it would disobey Mikati's decision because it would have harmed its work, adding: "Lebanon is not an island". But later that day, Mikati issued the decision to stay in winter time. Some Twitter users shared an old recording of famed Lebanese composer and musician Ziad Rahbani speaking about daylight savings.

☆ Death toll in US strikes on pro-Iran targets in Syria rises to 19 -war monitor
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BEIRUT, March 25 (Reuters) - The death toll in U.S. air strikes on pro-Iran installations in eastern Syria has risen to 19 fighters, a Syrian war monitor said on Saturday, in one of the deadliest exchanges between the U.S. and Iran-aligned forces in years. The U.S. carried out strikes in eastern Syria in response to a drone attack on Thursday that left one American contractor dead, and another one wounded along with five U.S. troops. The war monitor said air raids killed three Syrian troops, 11 Syrian fighters in pro-government militias and five non-Syrian fighters who were aligned with the government. Another U.S. service member was wounded, according to officials, and local sources said suspected U.S. rocket fire hit more locations in eastern Syria. Tehran's growing entrenchment in Syria has drawn regular Israeli air strikes but American aerial raids are more rare.

☆ Pro-Iranian forces in Syria warn they can respond to further U.S. strikes
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

BEIRUT, March 24 (Reuters) - Pro-Iranian forces in Syria said in an online statement late Friday that they have a "long arm" to respond to further U.S. strikes on their positions, after tit-for-tat strikes in Syria over the last 24 hours. The statement, signed by the Iranian Advisory Committee in Syria, said U.S. strikes had left several fighters dead and wounded, without specifying their nationality. "We have the capability to respond if our centers and forces in Syria are targeted," the statement said. Reporting by Maya Gebeily; Editing by Leslie AdlerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Missile attack targets U.S. base in east Syria - security source, media
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BEIRUT, March 24 (Reuters) - A U.S. base at the Al-Omar oil field in Syria's northeast was targeted with a missile attack on Friday morning, according to Lebanese pro-Iranian TV channel Al Mayadeen and a security source. The source told Reuters the attack took place at around 11 a.m. (0900 GMT) and it was unclear whether it had caused casualties. Thursday's attack took place at a coalition base near Hasakah in northeast Syria, the Pentagon said in a statement. The U.S. intelligence community assessed that the one-way attack drone was Iranian in origin, the Pentagon said, a conclusion that could further aggravate already strained relations between Washington and Tehran. Reporting by Orhan Qereman Writing by Timour Azhari Editing by Andrew Cawthorne and Frances KerryOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ IMF: Lebanon in 'very dangerous situation' with reforms stalled
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

BEIRUT, March 23 (Reuters) - The International Monetary Fund warned on Thursday that Lebanon was in a very dangerous situation a year after it committed to reforms it has failed to implement, and the IMF urged the government to halt borrowing from the central bank. "One would have expected more in terms of implementation and approval of legislation" related to reforms, he said, noting "very slow" progress. "Lebanon is in a very dangerous situation," he added, in unusually frank remarks. Still, Rigo said that the IMF would "never walk away" from helping a member country and there was no deadline for Lebanon to implement the reforms. Rigo said that Lebanon should move towards a market-determined exchange rate, rather than maintaining multiple rates including the central bank's Sayrafa exchange rate, which is not set by market forces.

Summary Saudi Arabia, Syria cut ties more than a decade agoAgreement on reopening embassies follows Saudi-Iran dealBEIRUT/RIYADH, March 23 (Reuters) - Syria and Saudi Arabia have agreed to reopen their embassies after cutting diplomatic ties more than a decade ago, three sources with knowledge of the matter said, a step that would mark a leap forward in Damascus's return to the Arab fold. Contacts between Riyadh and Damascus had gathered momentum following a landmark agreement to re-establish ties between Saudi Arabia and Iran, a key ally of President Bashar al-Assad, a regional source aligned with Damascus said. The decision was the result of talks in Saudi Arabia with a senior Syrian intelligence official, according to one of the regional sources and a diplomat in the Gulf. The United States and several of its regional allies, including Sunni-led Saudi Arabia and Qatar, had backed some of the Syrian rebels. But Saudi Arabia has been moving far more cautiously.

March 22 (Reuters) - A federal judge in New York ordered Iran's central bank and a European intermediary on Wednesday to pay out $1.68 billion to family members of troops killed in the 1983 car bombing of the U.S. Marine Corps barracks in Lebanon. Victims and their families won a $2.65 billion judgment against Iran in federal court in 2007 over the attack. Six years later, they sought to seize bond proceeds allegedly owned by Bank Markazi and processed by Clearstream to partially satisfy the court judgment. Bank Markazi has argued that the lawsuit was not allowed under the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act (FSIA), which generally shields foreign governments from liability in U.S. courts. A Luxembourg court in 2021 ordered Clearstream not to move the funds until a court in that country recognizes the U.S. ruling.

☆ Lebanese security forces fire tear gas at crowds protesting pound devaluation
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Mohamed AzakirBEIRUT, March 22 (Reuters) - Lebanese security forces on Wednesday fired tear gas at hundreds of protesters, mostly retired members of the security forces, who had gathered near government buildings in Beirut in anger at deteriorating economic conditions. Crowds gathered in the streets of downtown Beirut between parliament and the government serail, carrying Lebanon's tricolour or flags bearing the logos of security forces. They were outraged at the deteriorating value of state pensions paid in the local currency. One soldier was seen treating a young boy who was affected by the tear gas. "He's suffering just like me," he told Reuters, clutching two of the tear gas canisters fired just moments earlier.

☆ Lebanon to sell unlimited US dollars to prop up collapsing pound
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BEIRUT, March 21 (Reuters) - Lebanon's central bank will begin selling unlimited amounts of U.S. dollars in a bid to halt the spiralling devaluation of the Lebanese pound, Governor Riad Salameh said on Tuesday. Salameh set a new rate for Sayrafa, the central bank's exchange platform, at 90,000 Lebanese pounds per dollar on Tuesday. The pound has lost more than 98% of its value since the economy began unravelling in 2019. Tuesday's move came with the approval of the caretaker premier and caretaker finance minister and aimed to "limit the devaluation of the Lebanese pound in the parallel market," Salameh said. The pound began rising in value on the parallel market immediately after the decision was announced.

If you look, it's in Lebanese pounds, so is this the price? To solve the exchange rate confusion, the government needs to implement one unified rate. Shop owner Mahmoud Chaar told Reuters the exchange rate was changing so fast that his business was losing money overnight. Like many business owners, Chaar has to pay in U.S. dollars to import goods but sells in Lebanese pounds. "Basically, we lost in the exchange rate difference what we had made in profit," Chaar told Reuters.

Egypt desperately needs the proceeds from privatisation after a series of economic shocks. STAKE SALE DRIVEEgypt set a target in 2022 of raising $10 billion annually over four years through private investment in state assets. Egypt has established its own sovereign fund to bring in private investors to develop state assets, but the move appears designed to attract capital without relinquishing control, said Sayigh. "They want others to help the state with its financial burden, but it's still the state that determines priorities and investments," he said. MILITARY TAX BREAKSFuture asset sales will be complicated by an expansion under Sisi of the military's often opaque economic role, analysts say.

For Saudi Arabia, a deal could mean improved security. Saudi Arabia, Washington's most important Arab ally, began exploring ways to open a dialogue with the Islamic Republic two years ago in Iraq and Oman, said a Saudi official. In a bilateral meeting with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the president expressed his desire to broker dialogue between Saudi Arabia and Iran. CHINESE MEDIATION 'BEST OPTION'An Iranian official said the deal covered a range of issues, from security concerns to economic and political issues. "China was the best option considering Iran's lack of trust towards Washington and Beijing's friendly ties with Saudi Arabia and Iran.

☆ Factbox: Middle East flashpoints that could be affected by Saudi-Iran deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

China also provided cover for Syria at the United Nations and kept up economic and political ties with Damascus. But as Iran's support helped Assad turn the tide, Saudi backing for the armed and political opposition has waned. Syria's foreign ministry welcomed the deal as an "important step" that could boost regional stability. In 2021, Saudi and other Arab Gulf states withdrew their ambassadors over what they said was Hezbollah's hold over the state. Seeking to de-escalate, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi began engaging directly with Iran.

☆ Activists rally, some governments seek change as world marks Women's Day
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/4] Demonstrators take part in a march to call for gender equality and protest against gender discrimination, marking the International Women's Day in Tokyo, Japan March 8, 2021. REUTERS/Issei KatoMarch 8 (Reuters) - Activists planned rallies and marches to celebrate International Women's Day on Wednesday while governments in several countries promised action to help improve the lot of half the world's population. International Women's Day has its roots in the U.S. socialist and labour movements of the early 20th century when many women were fighting for better working conditions and the right to vote. In Russia, where International Women's Day is one of the most celebrated public holidays, the head of its upper house of parliament used the occasion to launch a vehement attack on sexual minorities and liberal values promoted by the West. Reporting by Reuters bureaus; Writing by Raju Gopalakrishnan; Editing by Robert BirselOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Lebanon banks 'have no liquidity,' says banking association's secretary general
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

BEIRUT, March 8 (Reuters) - Lebanon's commercial banks do not have enough liquidity to pay back depositors, the secretary general of the country's banking association said on Wednesday in a letter that laid out the banks' positions. The letter was signed by the Association of the Banks of Lebanon (ABL)'s Fadi Khalaf and served as the introduction to the ABL's monthly report. The letter said commercial banks had approximately $86.6 billion deposited at Lebanon's Central Bank as of mid-February, and a net negative position with correspondent banks of $204 million as of Jan. 31, 2023. "These numbers show without a doubt that the banks have no liquidity," Khalaf wrote. Reporting by Maya Gebeily Editing by Peter GraffOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Lebanon says it regains UN voting rights after paying dues
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BEIRUT, March 7 (Reuters) - Lebanon has regained U.N. voting rights after paying dues for 2022 and 2023, the foreign ministry said on Tuesday, after the country, which is in deep financial crisis, lost its rights at the world body for the second time in three years. Guterres said Lebanon needed to pay a minimum of some $1.8 million to regain its vote. A foreign ministry statement did not say how much Lebanon had paid. "Lebanon has returned to play its natural role ... in the work and discussions of the United Nations and its specialised committees", it said. Lebanon has been in deep crisis since 2019 when its financial system collapsed as a result of decades of profligate spending, mismanagement and corruption by ruling elites.

☆ Syria says Israeli strike puts Aleppo airport out of service
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

BEIRUT, March 7 (Reuters) - An Israeli air strike knocked Aleppo airport out of service on Tuesday and forced the Syrian authorities to reroute flights carrying aid for those affected by last month's earthquake, Syrian state media reported. The attack caused "material damage" to the airport, SANA cited the source as saying, without mentioning any casualties. Foreign donors including the United Arab Emirates, Iran, Saudi Arabia and Algeria have flown aid into Aleppo airport since the Feb. 6 earthquake, Syrian state media has reported. The attack overnight was Israel's third air strike in Syria this year, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. In January, the Syrian army said an Israeli missile attack briefly put Damascus airport out of service.

☆ Lebanon judge sets March 15 hearing for central bank chief in graft probe
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BEIRUT, March 6 (Reuters) - A Lebanese investigative judge has scheduled a March 15 hearing for Lebanese central bank governor Riad Salameh as part of a cross-border corruption probe into Salameh and close associates, a judicial source said. Judge Charbel Abu Samra took over the case late last month after another judge charged Salameh with embezzlement, illicit enrichment and money laundering. The charges against Salameh are the product of an 18-month probe into whether Salameh and his brother, Raja, embezzled more than $300 million from the Central Bank between 2002 and 2015. Salameh, central bank governor since 1993, still enjoys backing from powerful Lebanese leaders. He was charged last year over illicit enrichment in a case related to the purchase and rental of Paris apartments, including some to Lebanon's central bank.

Summary Egyptian FM says 'goal of visit primarily humanitarian'And to 'pass on our solidarity' from people of EgyptArab League suspended Syria in 2011DAMASCUS, Feb 27 (Reuters) - Egypt's foreign minister met Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu on Monday in the first visits to Syria and Turkey by a top Egyptian diplomat in a decade. "The goal of the visit is primarily humanitarian, and to pass on our solidarity – from the leadership, the government and the people of Egypt to the people of Syria," Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry told reporters in Damascus. "When the foreign minister of Egypt comes to Damascus, he comes to his home, his people, and his country," Mekdad said. Shoukry also visited Turkey, pointing to another shift in Egypt's foreign ties. "Foreign minister offers condolences for the victims of earthquake, affirms solidarity of Egyptian leadership, government and people with Turkey, and asserting continuity of aid for supporting Turkey and its brotherly people," Ahmed Abu Zeid, spokesperson for Egypt's Foreign Ministry, said.

The charges come in the waning months of Salameh's latest term as governor, a position he has held for three decades and for which he was often celebrated - until 2019, when Lebanon's economy began to unravel. In comments to Reuters on Thursday, Salameh said the charges were "not an indictment" and pledged to abide by the judicial procedures. The governor has dismissed accusations of illicit enrichment as part of an effort to scapegoat him for Lebanon's financial collapse. TWO INTERPRETATIONSSalameh was charged last year over illicit enrichment in a case related to the purchase and rental of Paris apartments, including some to Lebanon's central bank. Oueidat referred the case - which included Salameh and a number of unidentified associates - to a Beirut prosecutor to file charges including illicit enrichment, embezzlement, money laundering and tax evasion.

☆ Explainer: The probes into Lebanese central bank chief Salameh
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

BEIRUT, Feb 23 (Reuters) - Lebanese authorities charged longtime central bank governor Riad Salameh, his brother Raja and one of his assistants on Thursday with money laundering, embezzlement and illicit enrichment after months of delay in the high-profile case. Top prosecutor Ghassan Oueidat stopped Tannous from attending a Paris meeting last year with European prosecutors investigating Salameh, Reuters reported. In June 2022, Oueidat ordered a prosecutor to formally charge Salameh with crimes including money laundering, illicit enrichment, forgery and tax evasion. On Thursday, a newly appointed prosecutor, judge Raja Hamoush, charged Salameh with money laundering, embezzlement and illicit enrichment. The finance minister said this month replacing him would be difficult, citing Lebanon's political complexities.

The senior source familiar with Syrian government thinking said that the UAE role in persuading Assad should not be underestimated. A Syrian source close to the Gulf said the UAE had used its "soft power" on Assad and a Turkish official also said the UAE had played a part in persuading him. Moscow has tussled with Western states repeatedly at the Security Council over cross-border aid into Syria, arguing it violates Syria's sovereignty. Other Arab states, including U.S. allies, have also moved to normalise ties with Assad. The UAE official said there was an "urgent need to strengthen the Arab role in Syria".

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