After Port Blast, Rudderless Lebanon Drifts towards the Rocks

Arab World

August 26th, 6:45pm

Asharq Al-Awsat

A general view shows the severely damaged grain silo following the explosion in Beirut's port area, Lebanon August 8, 2020. (Reuters)

Three weeks after the catastrophic explosion at Beirut port, Lebanon is drifting towards even more trouble as its politicians fail to agree a new government that can arrest a financial meltdown. As Lebanon grapples with the aftermath of the blast that killed 180 people, its politicians have been locked in fruitless talks to agree on a new prime minister who might be able to restart International Monetary Fund talks and enact reforms. Even before the Aug. 4 port explosion, caused by unsafely stored chemicals, the financial collapse had devastated lives across Lebanon, fueling hyperinflation and poverty and demolishing the value of savings in a now zombie banking system. An intervention by French President Emmanuel Macron, who is due to visit again Lebanon on Sept. 1, has been unable to break the impasse among the sectarian leaders responsible for steering Lebanon into crisis. All-too-familiar personal rivalries and factional interests are getting in the way. Now, barring a course correction, Lebanon is at risk of even deeper chaos, in the assessment of three senior sources from different parties. The central bank has warned it can only subsidize imports of basic goods for three more months, an official source said, raising concern that prices of fuel, wheat and medicine will spiral later this year. “It is very dangerous now. We were at a crossroads: either the right path or continuing going down the road to no IMF, no international aid, no money. This is pushing Lebanon towards chaos, complete collapse,” said one senior political source. A senior European diplomat said: “The speed of politics does not reflect the urgency of the situation. Does August 4 not show things need to change?” France’s foreign minister said on Tuesday Lebanon’s leaders should not use the explosion as an excuse to hide the reality that the country was on the edge of a precipice. “We hope that this moment will be the moment which allows the Lebanese authorities, the Lebanese officials, to take the necessary leap for a government with a mission to initiate the essential reforms that everyone knows (are needed),” Jean-Yves Le Drian said. The financial collapse is the biggest threat to Lebanon’s stability since the 1975-90 civil war. Donor states want to see reforms to curb waste and corruption that are the root causes of the collapse. But three cabinets have failed to make progress on reform since donors pledged more than $11 billion to Lebanon in 2018. The currency has sunk by as much as 80% since October. ‘We don’t know who is in charge’ Prime Minister Hassan Diab quit on Aug. 10 over the port blast. Nominated by the Iran-backed Hezbollah party and its allies in January using their parliamentary majority, Diab stays on as caretaker until a new government is formed. Hezbollah and its Shiite ally Amal are pressing for the return of Saad Hariri, seeing him as well placed to galvanize foreign support. But this has hit resistance from several parties, each for their own reasons. The opponents include Hezbollah’s ally President Michel Aoun and his son-in-law, Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Gebran Bassil, who have been at loggerheads with Hariri since last year. At the other end of the spectrum, neither the Lebanese Forces Party, nor Druze leader Walid Jumblatt want him back in the job for now. “If it isn’t Saad Hariri, we will remain with a caretaker government” until the end of Aoun’s term in 2022, said a senior politician familiar with the thinking of Hezbollah and Amal. “We are currently in a state of chaos,” the politician said. Without a deal on a new government, “we will go to even more chaos in the street”. Hariri announced on Tuesday he was not a candidate for the job. He has insisted he will only become prime minister of a cabinet of non-aligned experts with public sector experience able to drive through reform. The Saudi ambassador to Lebanon, Waleed Bukhari, told Reuters reforming Lebanon was more important than the identity of the next prime minister. “What matters to the international community is the next government’s program and its ... policies to meet the expectations of the Lebanese people and restore trust,” he said. Unless a compromise can be reached on Hariri, the choice now for Hezbollah, Aoun and Berri is whether to seek out another Sunni figure or leave Diab in a caretaker capacity. Hezbollah and Amal do not want anyone but Hariri, the politician familiar with their thinking said. “Now, after three weeks, there has been nothing; we don’t know who is in charge,” said a former government minister. “Not one of the current elite has moved one inch” in addressing demands for a government that implements political and economic reforms. “No one is asking ‘what is it that we have to do?’ No one is proposing anything.” The ruling majority in the political establishment could lean on the central bank to access the gold reserves to finance subsidies for a while longer to stave off chaos, said a senior opposition official familiar with the Lebanese Forces’ position, referring to reserves valued at $18 billion as of Aug. 15. But he added: “I can’t see any compromise government being able to conduct any reforms and I can’t see them agreeing on an independent government. This is pushing the country into further chaos either way.”

from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/2471346/after-port-blast-rudderless-lebanon-drifts-towards-rocks

Kanye West Qualifies for Tennessee Presidential Ballot

Entertainment

August 26th, 6:39pm

Asharq Al-Awsat

Rapper and producer Kanye West. (AP)

Rapper and producer Kanye West will be on Tennessee's presidential ballot in November, the state election’s office confirmed. The secretary of state’s office announced this week that West cleared the 275 verified signature threshold to qualify as an unaffiliated presidential candidate. He will appear on the ballot with running mate Michelle Tidball, a 57-year-old spiritual coach from Cody, Wyoming. West has qualified in a handful of states, including Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Oklahoma and Utah. West announced a presidential bid in July, saying he’s seeking the nation’s highest office on a ticket he calls the “Birthday Party.” West has since been gathering signatures to get on the ballot in several states. Democrats claim Republicans are pushing West’s candidacy in several swing states to siphon Black votes away from Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden. West, who once backed Republican President Donald Trump, announced last month that he had broken with Trump and would launch his own presidential bid. Trump won Tennessee’s presidential election in 2016 by 26 percentage points, carrying all but four of the state’s 95 counties. Perennial candidate Rocky de la Fuente along with Jo Jorgensen and Alyson Kennedy have also qualified as independent presidential candidates in Tennessee. Other candidates are still being reviewed by the secretary of state's office.

from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/2471341/kanye-west-qualifies-tennessee-presidential-ballot

New York Rejects 11th Parole Bid of John Lennon's Killer

Entertainment

August 26th, 6:35pm

Asharq Al-Awsat

Memorabilia lie on circle with word Imagine on it to honor deceased Lennon in Central Park's Strawberry Fields in New York. (Reuters)

The man who cut short the life and music of rock superstar John Lennon with a burst of bullets nearly 40 years ago lost his 11th bid to be freed from a sentence that could keep him behind bars for the rest of his life, a New York prison system spokesperson said on Wednesday. A parole board denied a request for release from Mark David Chapman, who must wait two more years before he becomes eligible again, the state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision spokesperson said. The rationale behind the decision of the Board of Parole panel members who interviewed Chapman on Aug. 19 at the Wende Correctional Facility near Buffalo, was not immediately disclosed. Chapman, 65, who has previously said that he long ago stopped being the troubled young man who shot one of the most famous people in the world to gain notoriety, is serving 20 years to life after pleading guilty to second-degree murder. The assassination-style murder of Lennon, a founder of the Beatles who also had solo hits such as “Imagine” and “(Just Like) Starting Over”, stunned the music world, the British-born musician’s adopted home of New York City and a generation that grew up with “Beatlemania.” At 40, Lennon had just emerged from a musical hiatus with the release of his “Double Fantasy” album when he went to a nighttime recording session on Dec. 8, 1980. When he returned to his home on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, Chapman was waiting for him and shot him four times in front of his wife Yoko Ono. Since 2000, the first year Chapman was eligible for parole, Ono, 87, has steadfastly opposed his release. Her attorney, Jonas Herbsman, said she submitted comments to the parole board, which he would only say are “consistent with the prior letters.” At his previous parole interview in August 2018 Chapman said he was a changed man and a religious Christian who would welcome freedom even though he said he did not deserve it. A remorseful Chapman, whose 2018 prison photo shows a leaner man than the pudgy 25-year-old who pulled the trigger, remembered being in a “tug of war” with himself over what he was about to do before yielding to the idea of killing for fame. “I was too far in,” he said in a transcript of the hearing. Chapman has worked as a porter and wheelchair repairman at the prison hospital and has occasionally been visited by his wife whom he married about 18 months before the murder.

from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/2471331/new-york-rejects-11th-parole-bid-john-lennons-killer

Lebanese Forces Used Excessive Force in Blast Protests, Says HRW

Arab World

August 26th, 6:31pm

Asharq Al-Awsat

A Lebanese protester waves the national flag during clashes with security forces in downtown Beirut, Lebanon days after the port blast. (AFP)

Lebanese security forces used excessive force, including firing live ammunition, against anti-government protesters after the Beirut port explosion, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said on Wednesday. It called for an investigation into the abuses. The Aug. 4 detonation of highly explosive material stored unsafely for years killed at least 180 people, injured about 6,000 and damaged swathes of the city, and fueled outrage at a political class already blamed for an economic meltdown. In angry demonstrations four days after the blast, some protesters stormed government ministries and hurled stones at security forces. Reuters journalists heard shots fired. The Red Cross said some 170 people were injured, including policemen wounded by stones. US-based HRW said security forces had on Aug. 8 fired live ammunition, metal pellets, and projectiles such as rubber balls, including at health workers. It said police deployed excessive quantities of tear gas and security forces threw stones at protesters and beat them. “Such unlawful and excessive force against mostly peaceful protesters shows the callous disregard of the authorities for their own people,” HRW deputy Middle East director Michael Page said in a statement. An Interior Ministry official had no immediate comment. HRW called on the public prosecutor to open an independent investigation, and urged international donors to Lebanese security forces to “investigate whether their support is going to abusive units, and if so, halt it immediately”. The now-caretaker government, which resigned over the blast, declared a state of emergency in Beirut, which activists criticized as an attempt to suppress dissent. The Aug. 8 protests were the biggest since October when thousands of people took to the streets to demand an end to corruption and bad governance they blame for a deep financial crisis that has ravaged the currency, seen banks freeze depositors out of their savings and sent unemployment soaring.

from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/2471321/lebanese-forces-used-excessive-force-blast-protests-says-hrw

Could Injectable Microrobots One Day Run in your Veins?

Technology

August 26th, 6:18pm

Asharq Al-Awsat

The robots, seen here in a computer generated image, are around the width of a human hair. (AFP)

Scientists have created an army of microscopic four-legged robots too small to see with the naked eye that walk when stimulated by a laser and could be injected into the body through hypodermic needles, a study said Wednesday. Microscopic robotics are seen as having an array of potential uses, particularly in medicine, and US researchers said the new robots offer "the potential to explore biological environments". One of the main challenges in the development of these cell-sized robots has been combining control circuitry and moving parts in such a small structure. The robots described in the journal Nature are less than 0.1 millimeter wide -- around the width of a human hair -- and have four legs that are powered by on-board solar cells. By shooting laser light into these solar cells, researchers were able to trigger the legs to move, causing the robot to walk around. The study's co-author Marc Miskin, of the University of Pennsylvania, told AFP that a key innovation of the research was that the legs -- its actuators -- could be controlled using silicon electronics. "Fifty years of shrinking down electronics has led to some remarkably tiny technologies: you can build sensors, computers, memory, all in very small spaces," he said. "But, if you want a robot, you need actuators, parts that move." 'Figuring out what's possible' The researchers acknowledged that their creations are currently slower than other microbots that "swim", less easy to control than those guided by magnets, and do not sense their environment. The robots are prototypes that demonstrate the possibility of integrating electronics with the parts that help the device move around, Miskin said, adding they expect the technology to develop quickly. "The next step is to build sophisticated circuitry: can we build robots that sense their environment and respond? How about tiny programmable machines? Can we make them able to run without human intervention?" Miskin said he envisions biomedical uses for the robots, or applications in materials science, such as repairing materials at the microscale. "But this is a very new idea and we're still trying to figure out what's possible," he added. 'Swallow the surgeon' Researchers said that they were able to produce the components for the robots in parallel, meaning they could make more than one million of them in each four-inch wafer of silicon. The legs were made from nanometer-thick platinum that bends when stimulated by laser light, creating the walking motion. Their average speed was about one body length per minute, the study said, adding this was "comparable to crawling biological microorganisms". The robots can survive highly acidic environments and temperature variations of more than 200 degrees Kelvin (-73 degrees Celsius), the study said. In a commentary also published in Nature, Allan Brooks and Michael Strano of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology said the concept of robots small enough to travel through blood vessels had been around since Nobel laureate Richard Feynman talked about the potential to "swallow the surgeon" in 1959. They said the new study provides "a clear vision" for solving the challenge of creating a tiny robot that can both convert energy into motion and is able to be programmable. "The authors' robots, although not autonomous in their current form, can be seen as a platform to which 'brains' and a battery can be attached," they said, predicting the "hurdle of developing autonomous programmability for microrobots will soon be overcome".

from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/2471316/could-injectable-microrobots-one-day-run-your-veins

Eiffel Tower of Debris Cleared from Beirut Port

Arab World

August 26th, 6:14pm

Asharq Al-Awsat

French and Lebanese soldiers have cleared 8,000 tons of steel and concrete equivalent to the weight of the Eiffel Tower from the Beirut port after it was devastated by a monster explosion. (AFP)

French and Lebanese soldiers cleared 8,000 tons of steel and concrete equivalent to the weight of the Eiffel Tower from Beirut port which was devastated by a monster blast, an officer said Wednesday. Efforts have focused recently on clearing the parts of the port worst affected by the massive August 4 explosion that ripped across swathes of Beirut and killed more than 180 people. "It took me four days to clear 8,000 tons of concrete and steel," said Lieutenant Paulin, a French officer coordinating clearing operations at the port. "8,000 tons since we got here five days ago, that's the equivalent of the weight of the Eiffel Tower," said Paulin, who belongs to a French civil engineering regiment. The Tonnerre, a huge French amphibious helicopter carrier, arrived in Beirut earlier in August with dozens of trucks and heavy machinery to clear the debris. The blast, one of the largest in recent history, levelled entire sectors of the port, created a 43-meter-deep crater that was covered by the sea, and sent a shockwave that damaged property and wounded people several miles away. Colonel Yusef Haidar of the Lebanese army said the port, on which the country usually relies for around 90 percent of its imports, was currently operating at almost half of its capacity. "Last week, it was 30 percent, today we're talking around 45 percent," he said during a news conference inside the port. Three weeks after the blast, which was widely blamed on negligence by the Lebanese state, the port was still a sea of wrecked cars, mangled containers and collapsed warehouses. French and Lebanese soldiers could be seen salvaging goods and sorting them in such a way that traders and insurance experts can visit and make loss assessments in the coming days.

from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/2471311/eiffel-tower-debris-cleared-beirut-port

Israeli Killed by Palestinian in Stabbing Attack

Arab World

August 26th, 5:57pm

Asharq Al-Awsat

A Palestinian stabbed an Israeli rabbi on a street in the central Israeli city of Petah Tikva. (AFP file photo)

A Palestinian from the occupied West Bank fatally stabbed an Israeli rabbi on a street in the central Israeli city of Petah Tikva on Wednesday, police said. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu conveyed on Twitter his condolences to the family of Rabbi Shai Ohayon, 39, and said Israel would move to demolish the assailant’s home after “the terrorist stabbing attack”. Police said in a statement that a 46-year-old Palestinian from the West Bank city of Nablus carried out the stabbing in Petah Tikva, a city adjacent to Tel Aviv, and that investigators suspected it stemmed from “nationalist” motives. YNet News website said the alleged attacker, who was arrested after passersby chased him down, had a history of mental health problems, held an Israeli work permit and was not affiliated with any Palestinian militant group. Israeli officials have said attacks by Palestinians allowed to work in Israel have been rare. In waves of Palestinian stabbings, shootings and car rammings in Israel and the West Bank in recent years, most assailants have been young men who were not among the tens of thousands of Palestinians who work in Israeli factories or building sites after being vetted by security authorities.

from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/2471306/israeli-killed-palestinian-stabbing-attack

Iran Relents on IAEA Inspections at Two Sites, Ending Standoff

Iran

August 26th, 5:54pm

Asharq Al-Awsat

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani meets with International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi in Tehran, Iran August 26, 2020. (Handout via Reuters)

Iran said on Wednesday it was ending a months-long standoff with the UN nuclear watchdog by granting it access to two sites suspected of once hosting secret activities, easing diplomatic pressure on Tehran as Washington seeks to reimpose sanctions. Wednesday’s breakthrough in the dispute over the sites was announced in a joint statement by Tehran and the International Atomic Energy Agency during IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi’s first visit to the country since he took over the role in December. “Iran is voluntarily providing the IAEA with access to the two locations specified by the IAEA,” Grossi and Iran’s nuclear agency chief, Ali Akbar Salehi, said in a joint statement, confirming an earlier report by Reuters. It said dates for IAEA inspectors to visit the sites - one near Karaj west of Tehran, the other near Isfahan in central Iran - had been agreed, without naming them, as well as the parameters of “verification activities” there. In March, Grossi informed his agency that Iran had denied IAEA inspectors access to the two sites, where uranium conversion and explosives testing are suspected of having been carried out in the early 2000s. Demolition and other work that might have removed traces of the past - “sanitization” in inspectors’ parlance - appear to have since occurred there. The IAEA had demanded access to the sites since January because they are suspected of having hosted nuclear material, which the agency must fully account for in order to verify that a country’s nuclear activities are entirely peaceful. Under a 2015 deal with major powers, Iran is implementing the so-called Additional Protocol, an agreement with individual member states that grants the IAEA the power to carry out snap inspections, even of places not declared to be nuclear sites. While the Vienna-based agency says it has the right to go to the sites without permission, Iran objected because at least some of the information pointing to the sites came from a trove of documents on its past activities that Israel says it seized in Iran. US intelligence services and the IAEA believe Iran had a clandestine nuclear weapons program that it halted in 2003. Tehran has long denied seeking to develop atomic bombs. Wednesday’s statement said that, at least for now, the IAEA does not want access to more undeclared sites. It is still, however, seeking answers on the origin and whereabouts of a uranium metal disc that may have been at a third site that it sees no point in going to because of “extensive sanitization and levelling” there in 2003 and 2004. “In this present context, based on analysis of available information to the IAEA, the IAEA does not have any further questions to Iran and further requests for access to locations other than those declared by Tehran,” the statement said. While Wednesday’s deal must still be followed through on and will begin a process of taking samples and checking the origin of any nuclear particles that are found, it marks an initial victory for Grossi and his agency, whose 35-nation Board of Governors passed a resolution in June raising pressure on Iran. It also comes as the United States, despite having pulled out of world powers’ deal with Iran in 2018, is seeking to use a mechanism available to parties to the deal to trigger the reimposition of global UN sanctions against Tehran that were lifted under the 2015 accord. Wednesday’s agreement “will end the case (of the two sites)”, Salehi told Iranian state TV, while reiterating that Iran will not accept any demands beyond its commitments under the 2015 accord.

from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/2471296/iran-relents-iaea-inspections-two-sites-ending-standoff

'Doing the Government's Job': Beirut Volunteers Steer Relief Effort

Features

August 26th, 5:49pm

Asharq Al-Awsat

Volunteers sort glass to be recycled, at a volunteer base camp that was set up to lead relief and rehabilitation in the aftermath of the Beirut port blast, Lebanon, August 17, 2020. (Reuters)

In one of the areas worst affected by the Beirut blast, volunteers loaded boxes containing food and sanitary items into cars ready to distribute to those in need. Near the port where the catastrophic blast had originated, other volunteers took measurements to replace windows shattered by the explosion. None of the groups organizing these volunteers is backed by the government. In fact, they say they are filling a void in reconstruction efforts that’s been left by Lebanese authorities. “The government should do the work we are doing but we are doing it because we have to,” said Hussein Kazoun, originally a vegetable farmer. He and several friends took over an abandoned petrol station that they named “Nation Station”, and turned it into a hub for distributing donations. “You can’t see that aid is required and people need help and just do nothing”. The needs are colossal. The blast killed around 180 people, injured thousands more and displaced 300,000. Survivors now face the mammoth task of rebuilding damaged homes and businesses amid an economic crisis that has left them unable to access their savings. Other volunteer groups, like those at the so-called “Basecamp” in Mar Mikhael neighborhood, have their roots in a wave of popular protests that began in October 2019 against state corruption and mishandling of the economy. Many residents blame years of government corruption and ineptitude for the blast and the months of economic decline that preceded it. They say their efforts send a message locally and abroad that they have no one to support them but themselves. “The government didn’t ask about us, but the young people all came running to us, all of them,” said Alexi Khoushdelian, a senior resident who was seeking aid from Nation Station. “We come here to get food, to get clothes, what they get they give to us, whatever we need they give to us.” Kazoun said that while the government had approached his group, they offered no concrete assistance but asked for data on who was being helped. The group declined to hand this over on concerns the information could be used to bribe residents in future elections. Despite the good intentions, the need in Lebanon is likely far greater than what the volunteers alone can offer. Basecamp volunteers walking down the streets with their boxes were accosted by half a dozen other residents seeking assistance. The volunteers urged them to call the Basecamp hotline but some residents were so impoverished that they didn’t have money to charge their phones. “It’s shocking because ... you think that there’s a certain number of people or families that need help, and then wherever you go, you find that there’s more and more and more and more,” said Sarya Sarkis, a volunteer with Basecamp. “And it’s just sad. It’s really sad.”

from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/2471286/doing-governments-job-beirut-volunteers-steer-relief-effort

Turkey Gave Hamas Members Passports, Israel Says

Arab World

August 26th, 5:44pm

Asharq Al-Awsat

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, right, shakes hands with Hamas movement chief Ismail Haniyeh, prior to their meeting in Istanbul, Feb. 1, 2020. (AP)

Turkey has given passports to a dozen Hamas members in Istanbul, a senior Israeli diplomat said on Wednesday, describing the move as “a very unfriendly step” which his government would raise with Turkish officials. Speaking days after Turkey’s president met visiting Hamas leaders, charge d’affaires Roey Gilad said Israel had already told Turkey last year that Hamas was carrying out “terror-related activity” in Istanbul, but Turkey had not taken action. The two countries have had a bitter falling out in recent years, despite strong commercial ties, expelling ambassadors in 2018. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has repeatedly condemned Israel’s West Bank occupation and treatment of Palestinians. Gilad said Israel had proof that Turkey was providing passports and identity cards to members of Hamas, which runs Gaza and is considered a terrorist organization by the United States, Israel and European Union. “Some are in the process, some already got (the documents), but we are talking about around a dozen,” he said. “We have already one document that we will present to the government in copy,” he said. “Judging by the last experience we had by presenting a well-based portfolio to the government... and getting no reply, I must say I don’t have high hopes that something will be done this time.” Turkey’s Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment. On Saturday, Erdogan hosted Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh and other officials in Istanbul for the second time this year, prompting objections from Washington, which linked one of the men to terrorist attacks, hijackings and kidnappings. Ankara said it rejected the US criticism. Gilad said the Hamas members who received Turkish documents were financing and organizing terrorism from Istanbul, which Turkey has previously denied. Many of them came to Turkey under a 2011 deal between Turkey and Israel to exchange a captured Israeli soldier for more than 1,000 prisoners, Gilad said. Hamas seized Gaza from forces loyal to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in 2007, and the group has fought three wars with Israel since then. Turkey says Hamas is a legitimate political movement that was elected democratically. Gilad said the current tensions ruled out any cooperation on exploiting gas reserves in the eastern Mediterranean, where Turkey is challenging maritime claims by Greece, Cyprus and their allies.

from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/2471271/turkey-gave-hamas-members-passports-israel-says

Face Masks Amid the Art: New York City's Museums to Reopen

Varieties

August 26th, 12:03pm

Asharq Al-Awsat

George Vealsquez, left, and Charles Lester install templates for "I Love NY" at the entrance to the Museum of Modern Art, Thursday, Aug. 20, 2020, in New York. The work by graphic designer Milton Glaser will be done in red for the heart and black for the lettering. MOMA reopens Aug. 27, 2020. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)

When the iconic T. Rex at the American Museum of Natural History again welcomes visitors, it will gaze down at humans acting a bit differently. They will still gape up at its massive skeleton, but there will less of them. They´ll stand farther apart, and will now wear masks. Other pandemic precautions will be on display, from hand sanitizer stations to the one-way signs guiding guests through exhibits. The museum is like many cultural institutions in the city gingerly reopening their doors, weighing the safety of visitors and staff with the need to educate, inspire, and support New York's recovery. "We have to re-imagine and re-engineer the museum visit," says museum President Ellen Futter. "We want to fulfill our civic mission. And we think that our mission has never been more important." New York City was by far the hardest-hit US city by the pandemic, but it´s also home to world-class cultural institutions that has for decades - city leaders hope will once again - draw millions. The Museum of Modern Art opens Thursday and The Metropolitan Museum of Art reopens its Upper East Side home on Saturday. The American Museum of Natural History plans to reopen to the public Sept. 9. City museums will institute a range of precautions, including reduced hours, reserved tickets, mandating masks, limiting attendance to a quarter of capacity and closing movie theaters, coat rooms and food courts. Some of the new rules may make future trips to a museum less spontaneous and escapist, but there are some benefits. "It´s true that it will be less crowded. It also will be more intimate and it may give people a different view of things. I don´t think that will diminish in the least the sense of the visit," said Futter. Other institutions need a bit more time. The Guggenheim will reopen on Oct. 3, while the 9/11 Memorial Museum will reopen on the anniversary of the terrorist attacks. Whether anyone will come is the big question. "There are a lot of unknowns out there. We don´t know whether people will feel comfortable coming back. We don´t know whether they´ll feel comfortable being with several hundred people indoors, even if we´re a very large space," said Glenn Lowry, MoMA's director. "We ardently believe that people will want to come back to museums and to see the things that are both familiar and unfamiliar - see the things that animate their mind, that make them feel alive." Welcoming back visitors is also a chance to end months of lost ticket sales. Each facility has different financial models but for those that rely heavily on attendance, the pandemic has been crippling. The Natural History Museum alone has lost as much as $120 million. While MoMA is looking at "significant losses" for up to three years, it will not charge visitors for the first month. "It just felt like the right gesture," said Lowry. "I think once you´ve lost a lot of money, losing a little bit more isn´t really the big issue." To add to the financial burden, most museums have been forced to pay for safety upgrades, like more staff, creating touchless bathrooms and costly air filtration systems. "Every institution is having to look long and hard at their financial model and scale back, postponing and canceling programs and events while simultaneously pushing forward on all fundraising cylinders," said Regan Grusy, vice president of strategic partnerships at the New Museum. The Metropolitan Museum of Art was one of the first in the city to close and, with no federal guidance, stepped up to help lead a working group of about 25 museums in the city sharing info and creating protocols. "The question we all face is `How long will we have to limit the numbers of visitors?´ If the answer is `Five years,´ it would be devastating," said Met President and CEO Daniel Weiss. The Corona neighborhood in Queens was one the hardest-hit sections of the hardest-hit city. Yet it is home to a museum not built for pandemics - the hands-on, highly interactive New York Hall of Science. The Hall prides itself on being a place where children engage with the exhibits and it is not willing to change its goals and go touchless or remove exhibitions. It hopes to reopen next spring. "We´re not going to back off of our core approach and core methodology," said Margaret Honey, president and CEO. "We believe that the world will return to doing those kinds of activities when it´s safe to do so." Over in Manhattan, the silent T. Rex at the Natural History museum may actually put the pandemic into perspective. It reminds visitors they are part of a churning evolution. "We´ve seen great challenges and really deeply disturbing times before, but we´ll get through this," said Futter. "And the museum reopening is part of that for us, for our visitors and for the city. And we´re very excited about it."

from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/2470846/face-masks-amid-art-new-york-citys-museums-reopen

Art by the Sea... Egyptian Symposium Rebels against Traditional Sculpting

Varieties

August 26th, 12:00pm

Cairo - Rasha Ahmed

Ali Mustafa's sculpture emphasizing interdependence.

In the open air, and in front of the audience, they rolled up their sleeves, and each of them used their tools to work on brilliant works of art as part of the Art by the Sea symposium, held in Almaza Bay in Northern Egypt. Seven young sculptors participated in the event that was organized by Art d’Egypte. The symposium, which will run until mid-September, creates an alternative environment for artists, providing them with an open and inspiring space, while also adhering to preventive measures against the coronavirus. Ali Mustafa, a plastic artist, said he was excited by the prospect of participating in this symposium because of its innovative concept, as artists work in front of an actual audience, which is radically from the traditional process of working in a studio or workshop. He told Asharq Al-Awsat: “This is a unique experience that I haven’t had before. It is enormously challenging, and releases an unexpected burst of energy from the artists.” He said he uses iron in his art, “which I love passionately. It totally captivates me, with its extraordinary expressive capability and its ability to spread in the void, particularly in relation to the sense of interdependence that emerges between players in certain sports, such as rugby, which I used to play.” On the piece he is exhibiting, Mustafa said: “At first glance, the work seems simple, with a young man and a woman chatting harmoniously and calmly, but I wanted to express a deeper idea of dialogue between the sexes and their completion of one another, as well as cooperation between people to establish a common narrative and overcome points of contention in general.” “I used an unconventional method to create the sculpture, using circular forms in order to problematize the empty space and change visitors’ perceptions according to the angle from which they view the sculpture.” Artist Mustafa Khader emphasized the importance of team spirit the sculptors shared as an exceptional experience, explaining that he has benefited immensely from his participation He added to Asharq Al-Awsat: “The works exhibited in this event were inspired by the sea and night atmospheres. This is evident in several pieces and was reinforced by the escape we were granted from the city’s noise.” Hani El-Sayed, who has taken part in international sculptural workshops, exhibits and initiatives, such as the China Symposium, the China-Arab Friendship Garden and the Youth Biennial in Italy, seemed very confident and comfortable as he practiced his craft. He chose to exhibit a Khufu boat idea out of admiration for the Pharaonic civilization that taught the world the art of sculpture and to adopt a theme that is harmonious with the idea of painting by the sea. Nadine Abdel Ghaffar, founder of Art D’Egypte, told Asharq Al-Awsat: “The idea emerged in conjunction with the summer season, especially since Egypt is full of innovative plastic artists, and they need multiple spaces to demonstrate their capabilities, particularly among the young.” “We are establishing a kind of partnership with the youth to promote their work domestically and internationally with the help of the experiences and expertise we have amassed in this domain.”

from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/2470826/art-sea-egyptian-symposium-rebels-against-traditional-sculpting

Technical Support Unit Tops Agenda of Saudi WTO Candidate

Gulf

August 26th, 11:54am

Riyadh- Mohammed Hamidi

Technical Support Unit Tops Agenda of Saudi WTO Candidate

Mohammad Al-Tuwaijri, the Saudi candidate for the presidency of the World Trade Organization (WTO), revealed his intention to establish a technical support unit to enhance communication and develop solutions to the problems facing countries, pointing out that the e-commerce file must be redefined in order to cope with the emerging developments, within the framework of the organization. Saudi Arabia has taken the organization’s reform into consideration since it assumed the presidency of the G20 in 2019, especially in light of the weak international confidence in the WTO and its slow response to radical political, economic, and social changes in the world. Last July, 8 candidates (three Africans, two Asians, two Europeans, and a Latin American) put forward their electoral programs to assume the international position. The candidates will have until September 7 to persuade the capitals, before the next president is chosen during a special meeting in Geneva. In recent media statements, Tuwaijri said that the world was experiencing an exceptional and unprecedented crisis, with the outbreak of COVID-19, which imposed a comprehensive change in all parts of the world. “We are going through a very sensitive phase, and therefore the global trade system must have an effective, real, and fundamental role,” he stated. Tuwaijri said he believed that the main role of the WTO should focus on converging viewpoints and introducing a system for measuring performance at work through devising clear mechanisms. The Saudi candidate for the leadership of the WTO stated that there was a great convergence in the goals of the Saudi Vision 2030 and the organization’s objectives. Those include economic growth, the better use of resources, economic diversification to serve the private sector, the creation of jobs in a sustainable manner, and the 17 development goals under the umbrella of the United Nations. On the trade war between China and the United States, Tuwaijri said that this file was among the priorities of the organization, asserting that the two countries were influential and accounted for a large percentage of global trade. He added that the Saudi candidate enjoyed the acceptance of both sides and all other parties. He said that work within the WTO would be based on a definite plan and the efficiency of communication and cooperation between the members on the basis of the organization’s policy. There are urgent issues that need to be brought up immediately on the organization’s table, as it is imperative to move to emerging issues such as e-commerce through a clear and effective effort, he emphasized.

from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/2470801/technical-support-unit-tops-agenda-saudi-wto-candidate

Trump Will Give Kadhimi Some Time

Opinion

August 26th, 11:50am

Robert Ford

Robert Ford - Robert Ford is a former US ambassador to Syria and Algeria and a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute for Near East Policy in Washington

By one measure, the visit of Iraqi Prime Minister Kadhimi to Washington was a success because he made a favorable impression on the American officials he met. President Trump called Kadhimi a friend and twice emphasized his respect for Kadhimi during their joint press conference on August 20 at the White House. Leaders in Congress, both Republicans and Democrats, praised Kadhimi’s efforts to achieve reforms in Iraq and promised strong cooperation from America. Notably, David Ignatius, who has many excellent sources in the American security establishment, wrote on August 21 that the United States should support Kadhimi. The only unhappy comment came from the Foreign Affairs Committee in the House of Representatives which criticized violence against peaceful protesters on Iraqi streets, but the committee also urged strong bilateral relations. As expected, energy agreements received big attention. President Trump loves the world of business and he praised the preliminary agreements which maybe could lead to eight billion dollars in contracts. We heard the names of big American companies like Chevron, General Electric and Honeywell. If you read the details, however, there was a lot of ceremony and protocol, but not big, binding contracts. For example, the Chevron deal requires the oil company to spend several hundred million dollars on exploration in a southern Iraq field. This is small amount for the giant American firm. And in the past Chevron signed preliminary deals to work in Iraq that ended without any important commercial result. Chevron said it was too difficult to work with the Iraqi bureaucracy. The Honeywell agreement to develop a natural gas complex in southern Iraq started with a memorandum of understanding signed in Baghdad a year ago. The announcement last week in Washington is simply to continue the planning, but there is a problem of financing the project. The American company is trying to secure some of the financing from the United States with loan security guarantees from the American government. The Americans also hope that Saudi Arabia will help with this project, including investment from the two companies Aramco and ACWA Power. This deal aims at using natural gas for the Iraqi energy grid and is also related to the goal of connecting the Iraq power grid to the grids in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. The American goal, which ought to be shared by Saudi Arabia, is to reduce Iraqi imports of Iranian energy. Iraqi Economy Minister Ali Allawi told the media last week that he could imagine that those Iraqi imports could diminish next year. Energy deals that aim to reduce Iran’s exports to Iraq are one part of the American campaign for maximum pressure against Tehran. Minister Allawi himself said at a forum on August 21 that he was not sure if the Americans really value Iraq by itself as a partner or if they still see Iraq only a tool in their maximum pressure campaign against Iran. Allawi didn’t sound like a man celebrating a completely new beginning with the Americans. The security discussions appear to be similar. Iraq’s Prime Minister told the Iraqi news agency on August 21 that President Trump emphasized that American troops will withdraw within three years. The PM also said that Iraq doesn’t need American forces for combat operations. On Sunday, the Americans left the eighth Iraqi base where their forces were present. However, the American official statements in Washington did not to fix any timetable for withdrawal. Trump at their August 20 press conference simply said that the American forces would leave “eventually” and “in a short time.” Secretary of State Pompeo said the American troops would leave Iraq “when we finish the mission.” What exactly is the mission? The total eradication of ISIS ? Strengthening Iraqi security forces that can defend against whom? ISIS or Iranian-backed militias inside Iraq ? It was not clear. Trump also said that if militias attack American forces the Americans could respond in a very severe manner, in other words in combat missions. Perhaps the technical committee the two governments are forming that will meet to work on these questions will find agreed answers. In the meantime, we can expect strong criticism from Iran’s allies in Baghdad against Kadhimi and probably more small attacks on the bases where those forces are located. In sum, the Prime Minister’s trip improved the climate of the bilateral relations but we haven’t seen concrete results yet. What is clear is that Washington will give Kadhimi time to assert central authority over the militias and enact reforms, a defeat for those who wanted an immediate, sharp position against Iranian influence in Iraq.

from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/2470781/robert-ford/trump-will-give-kadhimi-some-time

Abbas Meets with Raab: We are Ready for Negotiations Sponsored by Quartet

Arab World

August 26th, 11:43am

Ramallah - Kifah Zboun

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas (L) receives British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab in Ramallah on Tuesday. (AFP)

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said that the Palestinians were ready to go to negotiations under the auspices of the Quartet and with the participation of other countries, on the basis of peace in exchange for land. During his meeting with British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab in Ramallah, Abbas said: “We are ready to return to negotiations and are committed to achieving peace in accordance with international legitimacy resolutions. We are also firmly committed to fighting global terrorism, and we continue our endeavors for Palestinian reconciliation that would lead to general elections.” He continued: “We reiterate that there will be no peace, security and stability in our region without ending the Israeli occupation of our land, and the Palestinian people obtaining their freedom and independence in their sovereign state based on the 1967 borders.” Raab arrived in Ramallah from Israel as part of British efforts to advance peace between the two sides. “We appreciate all the aid Britain provides to support building our institutions and advancing our national economy. We say that it is time for Britain to recognize the state of Palestine. This will help achieve justice and work to consolidate the two-state solution on the basis of the 1967 borders, so that Palestine and Israel may live in security, peace and good neighborliness,” Abbas said. The Palestinians suggested returning to negotiations under the international quartet (the European Union, the United Nations, Russia and the United States) and considering the 2002 Arab peace initiative as a reference for this process.

from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/2470771/abbas-meets-raab-we-are-ready-negotiations-sponsored-quartet

Distance Learning Can Fit Into Your Back-To-School Budget

World

August 26th, 11:37am

Asharq Al-Awsat

Photo: REUTERS

For many students, "going back to school" this fall could be just a figure of speech. As the pandemic persists, the decision about whether to allow in-person learning or keep classrooms closed is coming down to the wire. The possibilities of distance learning are influencing how much families anticipate spending on back-to-school purchases. Parents with children in elementary school through high school plan to spend a record $789.49 on average this year, according to an annual survey conducted in early July by the National Retail Federation. This is up from last year´s $696.70. "As consumers get more information on how their specific school is operating and how classes will take place, they might adjust those budgets a little bit," says Katherine Cullen, senior director of industry and consumer insights at the NRF. Here´s how to tailor your spending for distance learning amid the uncertainty. EXPECT EXTRA PURCHASES This year´s back-to-school list may feature items you haven´t had to shop for in the past. Students attending school virtually - whether part-time or full-time - will likely need laptops, tablets, or desktops, plus headphones and other tech accessories to access and engage with their classes. If multiple people will be learning and working simultaneously in your household, you may have to shell out to get everyone their own device. Consider whether you´ll also need to buy any furniture or materials, like a dry-erase board, to create a functional workspace. Working parents who need support might also incorporate child care costs, tutoring, or other arrangements in their budgets. Students starting school at home could return to the classroom. Your budget should still include staples like school supplies and clothes to cover different scenarios. "Kids grow regardless of whether or not they´re in school," Cullen says. HOLD OFF ON OTHERS To offset the cost of new supplies, find out which purchases you can skip while remote learning takes place. Pens and pencils will come in handy at home, but a new backpack or lunchbox probably won´t get much use. "Once you get that list from your teacher, ask them, `What are the necessary items and what are those nice-to-haves?´" says consumer savings expert Andrea Woroch. Before you shop for necessities, take inventory of what you already have, Woroch says. You could save money by scrounging up leftover office supplies from last school year. "Things like half-filled notebooks can still be used. Pull out the pages that have already been written on and save the rest," Woroch says. "See what you can make do with, even if you´re just making do for the next two to three months." TAP INTO RESOURCES Next, research ways to get help acquiring the items you don´t have. This can reduce or eliminate additional expenses from your budget. Some schools will lend devices like laptops and mobile hotspots to students without adequate internet access. If that isn´t the case at your school, Woroch recommends checking out organizations that connect people to low-cost internet and computers. Examples include EveryoneOn and PCs for People. Many local libraries provide free education resources such as books, tutoring services, and test-prep materials. You can also use social media groups or other online forums to find free or affordable clothing and supplies from families in your community. SHOP SMART Ultimately, you´ll likely have to purchase several items this back-to-school season. Strategic shopping can stretch your dollars further. Establishing a digital relationship with retailers can help you navigate the process, especially if you´re unable to physically shop in stores or aren´t comfortable doing so. Follow retailers on social media or subscribe to their emails to receive news and sale information. "Many brands and retailers are trying to be very upfront with what´s in stock, what to expect if you do decide to go to the store, and what you can order online," Cullen says. Make sure to compare prices from different sellers. Do a quick internet search and use a price-comparison tool, such as the browser extension InvisibleHand, to track down the best deals. "Retailers are constantly fluctuating prices, and with so many people shopping online right now, they´re really trying to maximize their profits," Woroch says. Another savings tip? Look for open-box or refurbished tech (ideally with a warranty) instead of buying new. Give standard shopping advice a try, too: Ask about retailer price matching and price adjustment policies, seek out coupons and loyalty program discounts, and maximize your credit card rewards.

from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/2470751/distance-learning-can-fit-your-back-school-budget

French President’s Office Confirms Macron to Visit Beirut Sept. 1

Arab World

August 26th, 11:32am

Asharq Al-Awsat

FILE PHOTO: French President Emmanuel Macron waves as he visits a devastated street of Beirut, Lebanon August 6, 2020. Thibault Camus/Pool via REUTERS

French President Emmanuel Macron will travel to Beirut on Sept. 1, his office said on Wednesday. Macron was the first foreign leader to visit Beirut after a massive blast destroyed parts of the Lebanese capital in early August. Macron has taken the lead role in coordinating the international response and has chaired a virtual aid conference that drummed up more than 250 million euros ($295 million) in pledges. The devastating explosion that was likely caused by a huge stockpile of ammonium nitrate stored at a warehouse at Beirut Port has killed and injured thousands of people and left an estimated 300,000 homeless. Many questions have been raised as to how such a huge cargo of highly explosive material could have been left unsecured for years. During his Beirut visit, the French president took a tough tone on the reforms he said were the only thing holding back a massive aid package that could put the ailing country back in the saddle. Speaking of Lebanon's political leaders, Macron said: "Their responsibility is huge, that of a revamped pact with the Lebanese people in the coming weeks, that of deep change."

from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/2470731/french-president%E2%80%99s-office-confirms-macron-visit-beirut-sept-1

Greece Sends 28 More Ailing Migrant Children to Germany

World

August 26th, 11:23am

Asharq Al-Awsat

A general view of the Hellenic Petroleum refineries at Aspropyrgos town, west of Athens, February 24, 2012. REUTERS/John Kolesidis/File Photo

Another group of children with medical needs who have been living in migrant camps in Greece arrived in Germany on Wednesday with their close relatives, a transfer that was delayed by coronavirus cases in two families, the German government said. In all, 121 people were on board the flight that landed in Hannover, the interior ministry said, including 28 children. The flight was originally planned for Aug. 13, but had to be delayed because of positive tests for COVID-19. It went ahead after the people infected completed their quarantines and tested negative. The transfer was part of a wider European effort to get hundreds of vulnerable children out of camps on the Greek islands. Two previous transfers of ailing children to Germany took place in July. Germany has agreed to take in a total of 243 children "who need medical treatment" from Greece, as well their closest relatives, 928 people in all. So far, 68 of the children have arrived. It also has taken in 53 unaccompanied children evacuated from the overcrowded Greek camps. Children also have been transferred to Luxembourg, Ireland, Portugal, Finland, Belgium, and France, according to the German interior ministry.

from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/2470716/greece-sends-28-more-ailing-migrant-children-germany

Lebanon: Importers of Basic Commodities Warn Against Ending Subsidies

Arab World

August 26th, 11:17am

Beirut - Enass Sherry

People shop at a supermarket in Beirut, Lebanon August 28, 2017. REUTERS/ Mohamed Azakir

Since the beginning of 2020, the Lebanese have been suffering from a continuous and sharp rise in commodity prices, mainly due to the devaluation of the local currency against the US dollar in the parallel market. The Central Bank (BDL) has been subsidizing basic commodities, including wheat, medicine and fuel. However, reports have emerged over the BDL’s inability to continue to subsidize the basic commodities, which would put them at the mercy of the fluctuating exchange rate. Lifting subsidies on medicine would be a “humanitarian catastrophe”, as described by the head of the Drug Importers Syndicate, Karim Gebara. “Citizens pay 35 percent of the medicine bill and they can barely afford it; so what if the subsidy is lifted and the value of the bill is doubled?” he asked. In remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat, Gebara said it was difficult to define the increase in prices. “There will be no fixed price or threshold; the prices of medicine will be directly linked to the dollar exchange rate on the black market,” he noted. If we consider that the exchange rate remains at its current value of LBP 7,500, then this means the price of any drug will be multiplied by five. Gebara stressed that so far, the Syndicate has not been officially informed of BDL’s ending of subsidies, hoping that such a move, if taken, would not affect the medical sector. The Syndicate of Gas Station Owners has not been officially informed either, but warned of a real crisis facing the sector and citizens if BDL goes ahead with such a plan. The head of the syndicate, Sami Braks, stressed that lifting the subsidies would automatically mean an adjustment of fuel prices. Economic Expert Elie Yashouei said that ending the subsidies has become inevitable, adding: “We will reach it sooner or later.” “In light of the drastic decline in BDL’s foreign reserves … it no longer has enough funds to support basic commodities or even the 300 commodities in the approved food basket,” he said. In the event that the prices of goods were determined by the current rate of the US dollar on the black market (USD1= LBP7,500), the price of a pack of bread will exceed LBP5,000, a kilo of chicken will be sold for LBP50,000, a kilo of meat for LBP80,000, and a box of Panadol medicine for LBP15,000.

from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/2470706/lebanon-importers-basic-commodities-warn-against-ending-subsidies

Rwanda Issues Arrest Warrant for Genocide Suspect in France: Prosecutor

World

August 26th, 11:09am

Asharq Al-Awsat

Skulls of victims at Rwanda's genocide memorial in Kigali. Around 800,000 people were murdered over three months in 1994 | AFP

Rwanda has issued an international arrest warrant for a top former Rwandan military official, Aloys Ntiwiragabo, who is under investigation in France over his role in the country's 1994 genocide which claimed 800,000 lives. "We have issued an international arrest warrant against Aloys Ntiwiragabo, the genocide suspect. We have investigated his case and we are working with the French unit in charge of combating war crimes and crimes against humanity," prosecutor-general Aimable Havugiyaremye told a press conference on Tuesday. France opened a probe into alleged crimes against humanity by Ntiwiragabo after he was found in the suburbs of the city of Orleans, about 100 kilometers south-west of Paris. French investigative news site Mediapart tracked down the former Rwandan spy chief, who had been identified by the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) as one of the architects of the genocide. Neither the ICTR, Interpol, France nor Rwanda were actively seeking him now and had dropped arrest warrants years ago. The revelation of his whereabouts came barely two months after another suspected genocide architect, Felicien Kabuga, was arrested on the fringes of Paris. Kabuga, who evaded police in several countries for 25 years, is accused of financing the genocide. Kabuga had asked for a trial in France, citing frail health and claiming the UN court in Africa would be biased against him, and possibly hand him over to Rwandan authorities. A team of prosecutors and investigators from the international tribunal handling Rwanda genocide matters arrived in Kigali Tuesday for a two-week visit to investigate and gather evidence on Kabuga and other genocide suspects at large. France has long been known as a hiding place for wanted genocide suspects and French investigators currently have dozens of cases underway. A plane carrying President Juvenal Habyarimana, from Rwanda's Hutu majority, was shot down in Kigali on April 6, 1994, unleashing the killing spree that would leave mainly Tutsis but also moderate Hutus dead.

from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/2470691/rwanda-issues-arrest-warrant-genocide-suspect-france-prosecutor

Egyptian Pound One of Best Emerging Currencies Against US Dollar

Business

August 25th, 10:14am

Cairo- Asharq Al-Awsat

The Egyptian pound responds to the recovery of Egypt’s foreign exchange revenues (Reuters)

The Egyptian pound (EGP) is one of the best-emerging market currencies against the US dollar, a report by the cabinet’s media center has indicated. According to the report, the pound’s value is driven by the improvement of foreign exchange sources, pushing forward its strong performance in 2019 before the coronavirus crisis. Over the past few years, the implemented structural and economic reforms have given the EGP a degree of flexibility and resistance to be able to face shocks, adapt to crises, and recover from their negative effects, the report explained. The reforms had a positive impact on international institutions’ forecast of the EGP’s performance against the dollar and its ability to improve, following the recovery in the country’s foreign exchange revenues. The Economist magazine has announced an expected improvement in the EGP’s performance against the dollar in the next five years, the report read, in comparison to pre-coronavirus levels, in which the dollar exchange rate reached EGP16.82. The local currency’s performance is expected to improve by 4.5 percent, bringing the US dollar to EGP16.06 in 2020, and 4.3 percent to amount to EGP16.10 in 2021. It is also expected to improve by 5.1 percent to reach EGP15.97 in 2022, 5.8 percent to EGP15.85 in 2023, before reaching 6.4 percent to EGP15.74 in 2024. The magazine praised the stability of net international reserves in June, affirming that it led to an improvement in the EGP performance against the dollar. It further expected the tourism, export, and service sectors to begin to recover gradually after 2021, indicating that confidence in the availability of hard currency will contribute to attracting foreign investors, especially by early 2022. The report highlighted Fitch Ratings’ indication that the EGP is among the best performing emerging market currencies until August. The agency said the pound has been stable against the dollar and is expected to remain relatively stable until the end of 2020 despite the sharp decline in emerging market currencies.

from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/2468441/egyptian-pound-one-best-emerging-currencies-against-us-dollar