UAE Central Bank Revokes License of Russia’s MTS Bank
Business
Asharq Al-Awsat
Central Bank of the UAE (WAM)
The Central Bank of the UAE announced that it has been decided to cancel MTS Bank’s Abu Dhabi licence, wind down its operations within six months from the date of the decision, under the supervision of the Central Bank, and close the branch. This decision comes after considering the available options regarding the new status of the MTS Bank and taking into account the sanctions risks associated with the bank after the designation. During the winding down, the branch will be prohibited from opening new accounts and conducting transactions, except for clearing prior obligations and the bank’s use of Central Bank’s payment systems will be restricted to this purpose only.
from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/4246711/uae-central-bank-revokes-license-russia%E2%80%99s-mts-bank
UN Experts Call For Repatriating Detained Syria Children
Arab World
Asharq Al-Awsat
Children seen at Al-Hol camp - AAWSAT
UN-appointed human rights experts on Friday demanded an urgent repatriation of children from northeast Syria. UN Committee on the Rights of the Child and Fionnuala Ní Aoláin, UN Special Rapporteur on the protection and promotion of human rights while countering terrorism, released a joint statement, as the detained children enter their fifth year of detention. “It is now time to bring them home,” they said. “Many children are now entering their fifth year of detention in northeast Syria, since they were detained by the de facto authorities following the fall of Baghouz in early 2019.” They called on all actors to ensure the immediate safety and protection of all children, regardless of their location in northeastern Syria to prevent them from suffering further harm. Al-Hol and Roj are the two largest locked camps for women, girls, and young boys, holding about 56,000 individuals, including 37,000 foreign nationals. Over half of the population in the camps are children, of which 80 per cent are under the age of 12 and 30 per cent under five. “These children are victims of terrorism and of very serious violations of international human rights and humanitarian law, and must be treated with dignity in all contexts, whether armed conflict or terrorism,” the experts said. “Safe return to their home countries, in accordance with the Convention on the Rights of the Child, is the only solution and must be prioritized.
from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/4246681/un-experts-call-repatriating-detained-syria-children
“This government just does not listen to us,” said Renald, a 50-year-old electrical mechanic at the Port of Marseille, as his co-workers assembled a barricade this week on the route leading to a fuel depot. “There’s a deep anger here.” That anger is unlikely to have been assuaged by President Emmanuel Macron’s televised interview on Wednesday. Breaking his near silence on the pension overhaul that has plunged France into strikes and protests, he defended the legislation as an economic necessity. A no-confidence vote that he narrowly survived in the National Assembly on Monday has clearly done little to instill penitence. Against the people — a majority of whom oppose the overhaul, which would raise the retirement age by two years, to 64 — the president is doubling down. Some still hope the bill might be stopped. After all, there is a precedent for the French government retracting an unpopular law in the face of mass protests, as occurred in 2006. And the overhaul still needs to survive examination from France’s Constitutional Council, the country’s highest court, which may ask questions about the dubious way it was carried out. Yet if the government gets its way, as seems probable, it will be a Pyrrhic victory. The damage of the past weeks can’t be undone. Mr. Macron has burned bridges with potential allies, poisoned relations with possible negotiating partners and rallied a majority of the French public against him. To judge from Thursday’s wave of strikes, which hit everything from oil refineries in Normandy to public buses in Nice, the discontent isn’t going anywhere. Quite simply, it’s now going to be harder for Mr. Macron to govern. Without a majority in the National Assembly, his Renaissance party has relied heavily on support from the right-wing Republicans since the legislative elections last summer. But 19 Republican deputies backed the motion of no confidence. After such an unmistakable act of defiance, it’s difficult to imagine the party teaming up with the Élysée Palace on major changes in the immediate future. More important, the president has lost the trust of the French public, exhausting whatever good will remained after his re-election by ignoring — once again — that millions voted for him out of a desire to prevent his far-right opponent from taking power. Thanks to his pension overhaul, Mr. Macron’s approval ratings have fallen below 30 percent. Calls to clean up trash on the streets of the capital may fire up the president’s wealthy urban base, but they’ve fallen on deaf ears for most of the country, which has little in common with moneyed Parisians. Today’s political moment feels very similar to the early phases of the Yellow Vest movement in 2018, when a proposed hike in the fuel tax unleashed weeks of demonstrations. Then, too, there was simmering anger from households struggling to make ends meet, widespread support for disruptive protest and a stunning aloofness from the people in charge. As in the early days of that conflict, Mr. Macron went weeks without publicly addressing the pension battle at length, forcing his prime minister to take the heat instead. His first major address on the topic since protests began was panned by critics as tone-deaf and condescending. “There’s a form of disconnect,” Laurent Berger, the general secretary of the country’s largest labor confederation, the C.F.D.T., which prides itself on its ability to negotiate and compromise, told me. “There needs to be an end to this verticality where only a precious few are right and everybody else is wrong.” That obstinacy has pushed France into a political crisis — one that raises questions over the very architecture of the Fifth Republic and the extensive power it hands the head of state. How is it possible for a president without a parliamentary majority to ram through such an unpopular policy? With Mr. Macron ignoring pleas to organize a referendum or hold new legislative elections, calls to reform France’s political institutions could grow louder. One remedy, as the historian and political scientist Patrick Weil has suggested, could be to increase the amount of time between the presidential and legislative elections. That would allow French voters — as they did before 2002 — to weigh in on the president’s tenure through de facto midterm elections. The demand from the left-populist party France Unbowed to create a Sixth Republic that would rein in the power of the presidency may begin to look more appealing. In the meantime, protests are becoming more disruptive: Activists have blocked highway traffic, descended on rail yards and led nightly marches. Mr. Macron’s camp has complained about the confrontational tactics, and the president has even drawn parallels to the Jan. 6 riot at the US Capitol. It’s a fanciful comparison. Demonstrators are responding to a government that has repeatedly ignored public opinion, pleas from moderate labor unions and large conventional street protests. And as the French know from their own history, from 1789 and 1968 to the Yellow Vests, direct action with a popular mandate often gets results — even if it’s loud and unruly. Renald, the mechanic, put it best. “This government doesn’t want to negotiate,” he told me outside the fuel depot. “Well, at a certain point, they’re going to find themselves up against people that don’t want to negotiate, either.” The New York Times
from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/4246676/cole-stangler/france-furious
Asharq A-Awsat
Gwyneth Paltrow reacts to the verdict in the trial over her 2016 ski collision with 76-year-old Terry Sanderson on March 30, 2023, in Park City, Utah. Reuters
When two skiers collided on a beginner run at an upscale Utah ski resort in 2016, no one could foresee that seven years later, the crash would become the subject of a closely watched celebrity trial. But Gwyneth Paltrow’s live-streamed trial over her collision with Terry Sanderson, a 76-year-old retired optometrist, in Park City emerged as the biggest celebrity court case since actors Johnny Depp and Amber Heard faced off last year — spawning memes, sparking debate about the burden of fame, and making ski etiquette rules of who was uphill and who had the right of way relevant beyond those who can afford resort chairlift tickets. On Thursday, the eight-person jury sided with Paltrow, ruling that Sanderson was 100% at fault, and awarded Paltrow the $1 in symbolic damages that she had asked for in a countersuit. The "Shakespeare in Love" actor, also known for her Goop lifestyle brand, smiled as the verdict was read. Her attorney said in court that she would not comment on the decision. Paltrow had told jurors that she was skiing with her two children when "two skis came between my skis, forcing my legs apart, and then there was a body pressing against me and there was a very strange grunting noise." Both fell to the ground with Paltrow on top of Sanderson, in a heap of skis and limbs, she said. "I did not cause the accident, so I cannot be at fault for anything that subsequently happened to him," she said. The retired optometrist suffered a concussion and four broken ribs in the incident.
from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/4244876/gwyneth-paltrow-wins-ski-case
Netflix Restructures Film Group as it Scales Back Movie Output
Entertainment
Asharq Al-Awsat
A smartphone with Netflix logo is placed on a keyboard in this illustration taken April 19, 2022. (Reuters)
Video streaming service Netflix Inc is restructuring its film group, which will result in layoffs and the departure of two of its most experienced executives, Bloomberg reported on Thursday. As part of the restructuring, Netflix will combine small and midsize picture productions units, resulting in a few job cuts, and scale back the company's output to ensure high quality titles, the report said. It will also centralize decision making of different divisions. Lisa Nishimura, responsible for documentaries and smaller-budget films, and Ian Bricke, a vice president in the film group, will be leaving after more than a decade with the company, the report added. Netflix did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. The company added about 7.6 million subscribers in the fourth quarter of 2022, after bleeding subscribers in the first half as rivals such as Paramount+ and Disney+ raked in viewers. But average revenue per membership declined across regions in the last three months of 2022.
from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/4244766/netflix-restructures-film-group-it-scales-back-movie-output
US Sees Appeasing Impact of Saudi-Iran Agreement on Lebanon, Region
Arab World
Asharq Al-Awsat
US Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Barbara Leaf (Asharq Al-Awsat)
US Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Barbara Leaf said that the Saudi-Iran agreement showed to have an “appeasing effect” on the situation in Lebanon and the region in general. In telephone remarks made to Asharq al-Awsat on Thursday, Leaf said that Lebanon’s officials lack a sense of “seriousness” to address the deteriorating situation in their country and to steer it out of the economic and political crises. She stressed that extending a helping hand to the Lebanese people during times of crises has always been a priority for the United States. On the election of a new head of state, Leaf emphasized the need to elect a new president and to form a government capable of implementing the required reforms. “We urge Lebanese leaders to garner a sense of urgency and seriousness which they lack, and to take the necessary decisive decisions to steer the nation out of its unprecedented crisis,” said Leaf. The US officials had earlier pointed to new sanctions on Lebanese parties hampering the election of a new president. Leaf, who took part in the five-way meeting in Paris on Lebanon, did not identify any candidates for the position of president, but she voiced alarm about the “worrying situation” in the crisis-hit nation, amid evident signs of a “big collapse” looming on the horizon.
from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/4244741/us-sees-appeasing-impact-saudi-iran-agreement-lebanon-region
Greek Defense Minister to Visit Türkiye as Tension Wanes
World
Asharq Al-Awsat
Greece's Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias speaks with the media as he arrives for a meeting of EU foreign ministers at the European Council building in Brussels, Monday, December 12, 2022. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo)
Greece’s defense minister announced Thursday that he will travel to neighboring Türkiye next week as part of an effort to ease tension between the two NATO members, which have long-standing and often volatile disputes. Nikos Panagiotopoulos told reporters in Athens that he would visit areas devastated by earthquakes in early February with Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar, The Associated Press said. An outpouring of support from Greece to help its neighbor last month has led to a de-escalation in disputes centered around boundaries and drilling rights in the eastern Mediterranean. “My counterpart suggested that I visit the earthquake-affected areas ... The aim is to send a symbolic message,” Panagiotopoulos said in an interview with Greek private television station Mega. “A de-escalation of tension in the bilateral relations between Greece and Türkiye is now evident. It is our country’s wish for this de-escalation to acquire permanent characteristics.” In the wake of the earthquakes, Greece and Türkiye have resumed high-level meetings, including talks attended by senior diplomats on the so-called positive agenda initiative, aimed at boosting trade and other cooperation in areas unrelated to the disputes. The devastating Feb. 6 quake in southern Türkiye killed around 50,000 people in the country and neighboring Syria. Panagiotopoulos will visit Türkiye on Tuesday and travel to the southern Hatay province, one of the hardest areas hit by the earthquakes, Turkish officials said.
from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/4244591/greek-defense-minister-visit-t%C3%BCrkiye-tension-wanes
OPEC+ Unlikely to Tweak Oil Policy in Monday Talks
Business
London - Asharq Al-Awsat
Trucks wait outside the Guwahati Refinery operated by Indian Oil Corporation, in Guwahati on March 30, 2023. (Photo by Biju BORO / AFP)
OPEC+ is likely to stick to its existing deal to cut oil output at a meeting on Monday, five delegates from the producer group told Reuters, after oil prices recovered following a drop to 15-month lows. Oil has recovered towards $80 a barrel for Brent crude after falling to near $70 on March 20, as fears ease about a global banking crisis and as a halt in exports from Iraq's Kurdistan region curbs supplies. OPEC+, which comprises the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies led by Russia, is due to hold a virtual meeting of its ministerial monitoring panel, which includes Russia and Saudi Arabia, on Monday. "It is hard to expect any new development," one of the delegates said of Monday's talks. Another said the Kurdistan curbs and recent price drops were not sufficiently important to affect the overall OPEC+ policy path for 2023. Three other OPEC+ delegates also said any policy changes were unlikely on Monday. After those talks, the next full OPEC+ meeting is not until June. Falling oil prices are a problem for most OPEC+ members because their economies rely heavily on oil revenue. Even so, OPEC+ delegates did not raise any suggestion of further action to support the market after the recent price drop and predicted prices would stabilize - which they have since shown signs of doing. Last November, OPEC+ reduced its output target by 2 million barrels per day - the largest cut since the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. The same reduction applies for the whole of 2023.
from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/4244541/opec-unlikely-tweak-oil-policy-monday-talks
Lebanon Abruptly Nixes Plan for $122M Airport ‘Terminal 2’
Arab World
Asharq Al-Awsat
A double-decker Airbus A380 plane lands at the Rafik Hariri International Airport in Beirut, Lebanon, March 29, 2018. (AP)
A contract for a new terminal at cash-strapped Lebanon's main airport was cancelled following criticism that no public bidding was held for the $122 million project, Lebanon’s caretaker transportation minister said Thursday. Lebanon’s government last week announced the plan to construct terminal at Beirut’s Rafik Hariri International Airport and said it would be operated by daa International, a leading semi-state-owned airport company in Ireland, when it’s completed in four years. The long-awaited project was to be the first expansion of Lebanon's only international airport since 1998 come as the country faces its worst economic and financial crisis. “We will not go forward with the project and we will consider it nonexistent,” Transportation Minister Ali Hamie told reporters on Thursday. He added that the decision came from the Hezbollah group that he represents in the Cabinet. The announcement came a week after the project was announced and sparked a stream of criticism from media outlets over awarding the contract to an international company without holding a public tender. The airport has operated at full capacity, serving up to 8 million passengers a year. The would-be Terminal 2 was to handle 3.5 million passengers annually starting in 2027. It was to have added six docking stands as well as remote ones, Hamie said in a ceremony at government headquarters. The plans called for Terminal 2 to be built where the airport’s old cargo building used to stand. Lebanon is in the throes of its worst economic and financial crisis in its modern history, rooted in decades of corruption and mismanagement by the country’s political class. Experts and critics have blasted Lebanon’s rulers for lack of transparency and squandering public money by giving bloated development contracts to businessmen in their circles over recent decades. Lebanon’s economic crisis that began in October 2019 has left three-quarters of the country’s 6 million people, including 1 million Syrian refugees, in poverty.
from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/4244526/lebanon-abruptly-nixes-plan-122m-airport-%E2%80%98terminal-2%E2%80%99
Thousands of Prisoners in Lebanon at Risk of Starvation
World
Beirut - Youssef Diab
Caption: An archive photo of prisoners in the kitchen of Roumieh prison (AFP)
Prisoners in crisis-hit Lebanon are not only deprived of their freedom - due to the constant postponement of trials as a result of judicial strikes – but also face a shortage of medical supplies, lack of hygiene, and an increasing risk of starvation. In fact, the prisons’ food crisis is directly linked to the accelerating collapse within the Lebanese state. The latter has become unable to settle the dues of suppliers and contractors, who provide the security forces with foodstuffs to cater for prisons. Concern is mounting as the suppliers have recently announced that they would stop delivering food commodities, starting from the first of April. A well-informed security source admitted that this development was “worrying, mainly that the contracts concluded with the suppliers expire on April 4.” In remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat, the source noted that meetings were being held between the concerned security bodies and the Ministry of Finance, to address the problem and try to secure the necessary funds to settle part of the dues. “Some contributions by associations and non-governmenl organizations may alleviate the crisis temporarily, but no one can replace the state,” the security source stated. The sharp deterioration of the value of the Lebanese currency against the dollar caused great losses to the merchants, who supply prisons with foodstuffs, including meat, grains, vegetables, bread and fruits. One of the contractors told Asharq Al-Awsat that around 9,000 prisoners could not live at the expense of individual institutions and small merchants. The contractor, who spoke on condition of anonymity, announced that four commercial establishments would stop delivering the materials, due to the expiration of their contracts with the government and the unsettled payments. “Our losses are multiplying day by day, and our debts to the state have been accumulated for seven months and amount to about LBP 100 billion... We refuse to continue to commit suicide,” he said, stressing that the problem lied with the Ministry of Finance, which has been refraining from releasing the payments. This development raised the concern of the Restart Center for the Rehabilitation of Victims of Violence and Torture, which took the initiative to develop a program to alleviate the suffering of prisoners and contain the crisis. The executive director of Restart, Suzanne Jabbour, explained that the center “has a modest budget for the prisons’ food file, because this matter is not among the basics of our work.” She told Asharq Al-Awsat: “We have allocated a budget, in agreement with our financing partners, to fill part of the void resulting from the state’s deficit… It is not easy to convince foreign supportive institutions to earmark a budget for the prisoners’ food security, because this falls within the responsibilities of the Lebanese state.” However, the Restart center was able to engage in the matter based on a constant that says that violence against prisoners does not stop at the limits of physical torture, as depriving them of medicine and food is also part of torture. Jabbour emphasized the need to launch a loud cry to tell the world that behind bars in Lebanon were people who are deprived of their freedom and will, and an emergency plan must be found to address their crisis. She added that the Lebanese government must at the same time and despite its weak capabilities, bear its responsibility towards the prisoners.
from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/4242881/thousands-prisoners-lebanon-risk-starvation
Gemayel: Hezbollah Will Not be Able to Impose a President on the Lebanese
Arab World
Beirut - Asharq Al-Awsat
Kataeb Party President MP Sami Gemayel (Kataeb.org)
The head of the Lebanese Kataeb party, MP Sami Gemayel, announced turning the page on a disagreement between him and the political aide to Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, MP Ali Hassan Khalil, declaring his acceptance of the apology after a verbal dispute between the two earlier this week. On the other hand, he pointed to a “provocative” rhetoric, stressing that no party could impose its will on the Lebanese people and warning that such matters could lead to tension. In a press conference on Wednesday, Gemayel voiced his rejection of a president imposed by Hezbollah, saying: “Such a president would be the president of Hezbollah’s republic and not that of all the Lebanese.” His remarks came in the wake of a verbal dispute between him and Khalil, which involved accusations and sectarian expressions. The latter apologized on the same evening from the head of the Kataeb party, who also received a call from Berri. Gemayel went on to denounce the “provocative behavior and attempts to establish superiority over others, amid an unprecedented economic crisis.” He noted that Lebanon was “on the brink of collapse, and the people of all sects and regions were in a state of anger and despair,” warning that “sectarian tension and a sense of injustice and oppression” can drag Lebanon into the unknown. “There is only one road map that can save Lebanon, which is electing a president who is able to launch a rescue plan,” Gemayel told the news conference. Lebanon has been without a president since the term of former president Michel Aoun ended on October 31. Touching on Hezbollah’s weapons, the Kataeb party leader said: “The problem of weapons must be put on the table for discussion, and the upcoming President of the Republic is required to have the ability to negotiate in order to restore sovereignty and solve the problem… We don’t want to use the term defensive strategy, as the issue pertains to equality and law.”
from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/4242756/gemayel-hezbollah-will-not-be-able-impose-president-lebanese
Azerbaijan Opens Embassy in Israel amid Tension with Iran
Iran
Tel Aviv - Asharq Al-Awsat
Bayramov and Cohen during a press conference in Jerusalem on Wednesday. (Azerbaijani Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov inaugurated Wednesday his country’s embassy in Tel Aviv. Azerbaijan appointed its first ever ambassador to Israel on Wednesday, amid escalating tensions with its large southern neighbor Iran. The step could worsen the trust crisis between Baku and its southern neighbor Tehran. Bayramov arrived Wednesday morning in Tel Aviv and kicked off a series of meetings with politicians and economists. He intends to visit Ramallah to meet Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Bayramov commenced his meetings with Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen. Cohen said that they discussed fostering bilateral ties in economy, energy, education, academia, culture, sports, and more. The Israeli FM stated that he intends to come on an official visit to Baku in the coming weeks at the head of an economic delegation. "The opening of the Azeri embassy in Israel is further evidence of the strengthening of relations between our countries. Azerbaijan is a Muslim country, and its strategic location makes the relationship between us of great importance and great potential,” Cohen said. “I agreed with Foreign Minister Bayramov on forming a united front against Iran and strengthening our cooperation in the fields of economy, security, energy, and innovation. I will soon go on a political visit to Baku together with a large economic delegation, which will further deepen the commercial ties between Israel and Azerbaijan," he added. Bayramov stated that there is a joint purpose for both countries to cooperate to reach a strategic partnership that helps achieve regional peace and stability. The Azerbaijani FM noted that Israel provides his country with huge and major aid to maintain its territories' safety and security and to restore parts occupied by Armenia. Bayramov also pointed out an 85% growth in the trade turnover between the two countries in 2022. Bayramov added that 114 Israeli companies operate in Azerbaijan and Azerbaijani oil makes up about 30% of the oil consumed by Israel. Israel and Azerbaijan have had official ties for 30 years, and Israel first opened its embassy in Baku in 1993. Israel was one of the first countries to recognize the independence of Azerbaijan in 1991. Mukhtar Mammadov, the ambassador of Azerbaijan to Israel, presented on Monday his credentials to Israeli President Isaac Herzog. Herzog said that Azerbaijan is the first Shiite country to open an embassy in Israel.
from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/4242536/azerbaijan-opens-embassy-israel-amid-tension-iran
Lavrov, Abdollahian Assert Need to Revive Nuclear Deal, Unite against Western Policies
Iran
Moscow - Raed Jaber
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir-Abdollahian at a press conference in Moscow (Reuters)
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov held talks on Wednesday with his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, during which they discussed bilateral, regional, and international issues. The talks focused on reviving the negotiations on the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), as well as the situation in Ukraine and the "strategic partnership" between the two countries. Lavrov welcomed the efforts to normalize relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran, adding that this path could improve the regional climate and settle outstanding issues. At the outset of the meeting, the Russian minister said that relations between the two countries have moved to a qualitatively new level, praising the increase in trade exchange and the joint work in the fields of energy and significant projects between the two countries. The two ministers also discussed the Palestinian issue and the situation in Afghanistan, Yemen, the South Caucasus, and the Caspian Sea. - Russia Lauds China's Role Lavrov highlighted the situation in Ukraine, praising Iran's interest in political initiatives to settle the conflict, and strongly criticized the ongoing US violations of international laws and norms. He also criticized the NATO, saying it has become a party to the conflict and practically "fights alongside Ukraine." "We've once again pointed to the destructive line taken by NATO countries, which have been involved in the conflict for a long time and are being drawn deeper and deeper into it – though I don't think it is hardly possible to get more involved," he said. For his part, Abdollahian asserted that Tehran understands Moscow's positions, saying the West is further complicating the situation in Ukraine by continuing to provide weapons to Kyiv. He reiterated Iran's belief that relying on a political settlement to the issue was necessary. During the joint press conference, Lavrov praised Beijing's peace initiative for Ukraine, asserting that it must be solved through political methods. He also lauded the Chinese mediation in resuming relations between Tehran and Riyadh. He believed that the step contributed to launching the path of a political settlement in Yemen and reaching settlements of outstanding issues. For his part, Abdollahian touched on the ties with Riyadh, noting that it requires some time to advance the relations, saying improving relations with neighbors is part of Tehran's faith, and that normalizing relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia is a step forward in this direction. He also welcomed the ongoing talks related to the crisis in Yemen, stressing the importance of pushing forward any efforts to " achieve peace." Abdollahian said he would soon meet with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud. - Stance against US sanctions Lavrov said that the meeting emphasized that the non-constructive policy of the West would not be accepted, stressing the need to complete Iran's membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, adding that the two sides agreed to strengthen the legal base of the bilateral relations. Russia and Iran are working to establish a new treaty instead of the previous one. The Russian also FM pointed out that trade relations should be further developed. Abdollahian praised the level of development of bilateral relations and said that the two countries are close to finalizing the new strategic partnership agreement, and revealed that he had invited his Russian counterpart to visit Tehran soon to sign the deal's final form. He revealed that Iran submitted 49 documents to the Shanghai Cooperation Organization during its upcoming summit. The talks were "fruitful," said the FM, reporting "positive progress" in the relations between Russia and Iran in establishing a partnership. Lavrov also addressed the nuclear agreement, demanding the "extension of the UN resolution on the Iran nuclear deal, and the world is waiting for the US to return to its obligations." Russia and Iran understand that there is no alternative to the JCPOA, and the agreement should be implemented as soon as possible. Lavrov announced that all illegal sanctions against Iran should be canceled. Upon his arrival in Moscow, Abdollahian told Iranian television that the window for nuclear negotiations is still open, indicating that Moscow played an influential role in the new round of talks, and Russian officials continue their efforts to ensure the parties return to their commitments. - Syria and the South Caucasus Addressing the Syrian issue, Abdollahian condemned Washington's accusations against Tehran of targeting US bases east of the Euphrates, saying they were baseless. The FM noted that if next week's meeting between Syrian, Iranian, Russian, and Turkish deputy foreign ministers resulted in an agreement, a similar meeting will be held at the level of foreign ministers. "Its main goal is to bring the views of Türkiye and Syria closer. Tehran and Moscow will do their best to see this happen. If a framework is determined in the talks, the next round of the meeting can be held at the level of foreign ministers," noted Amir-Abdollahian. The two ministers also addressed the situation in the South Caucasus region, indicating that tensions are not in the interest of any party. Lavrov hoped that friction between Iran and Azerbaijan would be temporary and settled soon. "We hope that the current friction between Baku and Tehran is temporary and will be overcome as soon as possible," he said.
from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/4242476/lavrov-abdollahian-assert-need-revive-nuclear-deal-unite-against-western
Syria Says 2 Soldiers Wounded in Israeli Strikes Near Damascus
Arab World
Asharq A-Awsat
A handout picture released by SANA reportedly shows Syrian air defense intercepting an Israeli missile over Damascus. AFP file photo
Israel launched airstrikes on the vicinity of Syria's capital Damascus that left two soldiers wounded and "some material damage," Syrian state media reported early on Thursday citing a military official. Loud explosions were heard over the Syrian capital around 1:30 a.m., and the SANA state news agency said Syrian air defenses were “confronting hostile targets.” SANA, quoting an unidentifed military official, said some missiles were shot down by the air defenses. For several years, Israel has been mounting attacks on what it has described as Iranian-linked targets in Syria, where Tehran-backed forces, including Lebanon's Hezbollah, have established a presence since deploying to help President Bashar al-Assad in the Syrian civil war that broke out in 2011. An Israeli airstrike last week targeting the airport at the northern city of Aleppo put it out of commission for two days. Along with airports, Israel has also targeted seaports in regime-held areas in an apparent attempt to prevent Iranian arms shipments to militant groups backed by Tehran, including Hezbollah.
from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/4242311/syria-says-2-soldiers-wounded-israeli-strikes-near-damascus
Syria Port Authority Shuts All Ports Due to Bad Weather
Arab World
Asharq Al-Awsat
Waves are pictured during high winds in the Syrian port city of Banias, Syria March 29, 2023. (SANA/Handout via Reuters)
Syria's port authority has shut down all the country's sea ports including Tartous due to poor weather and high winds, state media reported on Wednesday. The port of Tartous had initially been exempt from the closure but the country's ports authority later said it was shutting down as conditions worsened. "There are winds and high waves in bursts and we cannot risk opening the ports at this time," Brigadier General Samer Kobrosli, the director general of the authority, told Reuters. The war-ravaged country operates seven sea ports through which it brings in basic needs including food and petroleum products. Kobrosli said the port authority's decision did not include oil terminals. There was no immediate comment from Syria's oil ministry on whether the terminals were operational. The winds also caused a power blackout across the southern province of Sweida after a number of electrical towers collapsed, according to Syrian state TV.
from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/4241031/syria-port-authority-shuts-all-ports-due-bad-weather
Lavrov, Abdollahian Discuss Opportunities to Revive Nuclear Pact
Iran
London, Tehran - Asharq Al-Awsat
Lavrov and Abdollahian held talks in Moscow in August. (Russian Foreign Ministry)
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian will visit Moscow on Wednesday to hold talks with his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, on several issues, including faltering efforts to revive the nuclear agreement. Iranian media quoted the Iranian ambassador to Moscow, Kazem Jalali, as saying that Abdollahian will follow up on the implementation of bilateral agreements, and will review regional developments, and the latest situation in the International North-South Transport Corridor. The Iranian foreign minister had announced his visit to Moscow, saying in a Tweet on Monday: “Balanced foreign policy and active diplomacy are on the right track.” Last week, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told reporters at her weekly press briefing that Lavrov will hold consultations with his Iranian counterpart on Wednesday on current international issues, including the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). The two ministers are also expected to discuss the regional situation in light of the agreement between Riyadh and Tehran to resume diplomatic relations, according to the Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman. Abdollahian is currently facing increasing pressure, whether from critics of the current government’s approach to the nuclear negotiations or those questioning his ability to lead the Iranian diplomatic apparatus. In fact, the Secretary-General of the Iranian National Security Council, Ali Shamkhani, stole the limelight in the wake of the Iranian-Saudi agreement, and his visit to both Abu Dhabi and Baghdad, which preceded the meetings held by the head of the Strategic Relations Committee, Kamal Kharazi, in Damascus and Beirut. Abdollahian, Shamkhani, and Kharazi have all tried to deny the presence of any divisions among the Iranian bodies, stressing coordination on foreign policy. On the eve of his visit to Moscow, the Iranian foreign minister sent several messages in press statements that were reported by the official media on Tuesday. He warned that the doors of nuclear negotiations “will not remain open,” speaking of a plan that the Iranian parliament intends to discuss to set a ceiling for nuclear talks. Nonetheless, Abdollahian said that Tehran was “committed” to cooperating with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), in reference to the recent agreement reached by the director of the UN agency, Rafael Grossi, regarding the investigation of uranium particles recently found at the Fordo facility, with a purity of 83.7 percent, or the thorny investigation of traces of uranium in three undeclared sites. Meanwhile, the Russian envoy to international organizations in Vienna, Mikhail Ulyanov, said on Monday that the negotiations to revive the nuclear agreement remained at a dead end, adding that the Western parties were “refraining from announcing their death.” In remarks to the Russian Novosti agency, Ulyanov noted that the chances of completing the negotiation process “still exist today, although they seem to be very limited.” “The United States opposes the resumption of the negotiation process in the first place, as well as the three European countries (Germany, France and Britain), which seem to have almost lost interest in restoring the nuclear deal,” he added.
from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/4240741/lavrov-abdollahian-discuss-opportunities-revive-nuclear-pact
Syria’s President Appoints New Oil Minister in Reshuffle
Arab World
Asharq Al-Awsat
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad attends a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, March 15, 2023. (Reuters)
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has appointed a new oil minister and changed four other ministers in a cabinet reshuffle, state media said on Wednesday. Hassan Kaddour, who was the general director of the Syrian Petroleum Company for the last two years, replaces Bassam Touma as oil minister, the report said. Assad named Mohsen Abdelkarim Ali as internal trade minister, Abdelqader Jokhdar as industry minister, Louay al-Munajjed as social affairs minister and Ahmed Bostachi as a state minister. It was the biggest reshuffling of Assad's cabinet since he was elected for another seven-year term in 2021, when he only changed a few posts in the government. Assad switched out his defense minister in April 2022. The conflict raging in Syria since 2011 has cost the country much of its domestic oil production, especially with the northeastern oil producing fields outside government control. As a result, Syria has grown more dependent on Iranian oil shipments, but tightening sanctions on Iran, Syria and their allies and a foreign currency crunch have made it more difficult to get enough supplies in the past year, industry experts say.
from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/4240556/syria%E2%80%99s-president-appoints-new-oil-minister-reshuffle
GCC Condemns Israeli Settlers’ Storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque
Gulf
Asharq Al-Awsat
A view of the Dome of Rock at the Al-Aqsa Mosque Compound during the first Friday prayers of the holy month of Ramadan in Jerusalem's old city, 24 March 2023. (EPA)
Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi strongly condemned Israeli settlers’ storming of Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque under the protection of Israeli forces. He slammed Israeli violations during the holy month of Ramadan, saying they were a dangerous escalation, flagrant violation of international law and relevant resolutions and the historical and legal status quo in Jerusalem and its holy sites, and a provocation of sentiments of Muslims across the globe. He called on the international community to immediately intervene to stop the violations and intensify efforts to push the peace process forward. He underscored the GCC’s firm position that prioritizes resolving the Palestinian-Israeli conflict through the establishment of an independent Palestinian state according to the June 4, 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/4240391/gcc-condemns-israeli-settlers%E2%80%99-storming-al-aqsa-mosque
Saudi Arabia Condemns Israeli Settlers’ Storming of Al-Aqsa Courtyard
Gulf
Asharq Al-Awsat
Israeli forces stand outside al-Aqsa compound as they evict Palestinians during the holy month of Ramadan in Jerusalem's Old City, March 26, 2023. (Reuters)
Saudi Arabia condemned on Tuesday the storming of the al-Aqsa mosque compound in Jerusalem by extremist Israeli settlers. The settlers stormed the area while being protected by Israeli forces. The Saudi Foreign Ministry said such practices undermine peace efforts and violate international principles and norms on respecting religious sanctities. It reiterated Riyadh’s firm stance on ending the Israeli occupation and reaching a fair and comprehensive solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict that would allow Palestinians to form their own independent state according to the 1967 borders and with East Jerusalem as its capital. The Organization of Islamic Cooperation also strongly condemned the storming of the al-Aqsa courtyard, saying it was an extension of the settlers’ daily violations against Palestinian citizens. It warned that the latest incident was a dangerous escalation and violation of the sanctity of holy places, freedom of worship and of international law, Geneva conventions and relevant United Nations resolutions. It stressed that the al-Aqsa compound, in its entirety, was strictly a place for Islamic worship. It called on the influential parties in the international community to assume their responsibilities in pressuring Israel to cease its flagrant violations, respect the sanctity of religious places and preserve the historic and legal status of al-Aqsa.
from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/4240131/saudi-arabia-condemns-israeli-settlers%E2%80%99-storming-al-aqsa-courtyard
‘Iranian Militias' Build up Reinforcements in Eastern Syria
Arab World
London - Asharq Al-Awsat
A view of the al-Tanf base in Syria. (Reuters file photo)
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights has reported that Iranian-backed militias poured in military reinforcements to their headquarters in Al-Mayadeen, Al-Bokamal, and Ain Ali in areas controlled by regime forces in the eastern countryside of Deir Ezzor. The move come days following US airstrikes on several military bases of these militias in Deir Ezzor. Washington carried out the strikes in eastern Syria after the Pentagon said a US contractor died – and another contractor and five military personnel were wounded – by a drone “of Iranian origin” that struck a US-led coalition base near Hasakah on Thursday. According to the UK-based war monitor, the reinforcements include 250 Syrian members coming from Hatlah and areas in east Euphrates. The Iranian-backed militias have intelligence information that the US forces intend to move fighters who oppose the Iranian presence in the region to target their positions, it added. In a related context, SOHR reported that Iranian militias have installed short-range surface-to-surface advanced missile platforms in the Ain Ali area near Al-Mayadeen city and other posts. Moreover, the militias’ members received orders to target the base of the Al-Omar oil field if the positions of Iranian militias in Deir Ezzor city and countryside were targeted. Iran also condemned Saturday the US strikes on IRGC-affiliated groups in the war-torn country, labeling them as “terrorist aggression”. The attack reportedly killed 19 people, the majority of which were Syrians. Following the US strikes, President Joe Biden said Washington “does not seek conflict with Iran, but is prepared to act forcefully to protect our people”.
from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/4238111/%E2%80%98iranian-militias-build-reinforcements-eastern-syria
Saudi Crown Prince, China’s President Stress Importance of Ties Between 2 Countries
Gulf
Asharq A-Awsat
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. SPA
Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, made a phone call on Tuesday to Chinese President Xi Jinping, the Saudi Press Agency reported. During the phone conversation, they stressed the importance of the strategic relations between the Kingdom and China, SPA said. The Crown Prince expressed Saudi Arabia's appreciation for the Chinese initiative to support the development of good neighborly relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran. For his part, the Chinese President praised Saudi Arabia's role in promoting the development of his country's relations with the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and the Middle East. Aspects of the partnership between Saudi Arabia and China and joint coordination efforts to enhance cooperation between the two countries in various fields were also reviewed, SPA added.
from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/4238001/saudi-crown-prince-china%E2%80%99s-president-stress-importance-ties-between-2-countries
Ukraine Says it Downs Drones Over Kyiv, Debris Sets Shop Ablaze
World
Asharq Al-Awsat
Investigators inspect the damage after a missile strike in Sloviansk, Donetsk region, Ukraine, 27 March 2023. (EPA)
Ukrainian authorities said air defenses shot down Russian drones near Kyiv on Monday and falling debris set a non-residential site ablaze, but no casualties were found. Serhiy Popko, head of the Kyiv city military administration, said Russia had launched 12 drones towards Kyiv but Ukraine's air defense forces had identified and destroyed "all enemy targets" in the airspace around the capital. The General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces said in its daily morning update that Russia launched a total of 15 Iranian-made Shahed drones overnight on Ukraine, with Ukrainian forces destroying 14 of them. Drone wreckage fell in the western Kyiv district of Sviatoshyno, sparking a fire across a 200-square-meter (2100 sq foot) area in a non-residential building, he added. "According to preliminary data there are no casualties at this time," Popko said in a Telegram post, though he added the information was being clarified. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said on Telegram that a shop was set ablaze in Sviatoshyno but no casualties were found and the fire was contained. Air raid alerts were declared across half the country's regions but the all clear was given for Kyiv after explosions rang out in the city.
from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/4237996/ukraine-says-it-downs-drones-over-kyiv-debris-sets-shop-ablaze
For the first time in American history, a hotly anticipated indictment of a former American president may actually be handed up. Manhattan’s district attorney, Alvin L. Bragg, seems set to bring charges related to Donald Trump’s allegedly paying off a porn star named Stormy Daniels to cover up their affair. There are, however, significant problems with the case. Proving that Trump paid hush money to Daniels and unlawfully falsified records of the payments shouldn’t be difficult. In 2018, Michael Cohen, Trump’s former attorney and fixer, pleaded guilty to criminal campaign finance violations and admitted to paying a woman identifiable as Daniels $130,000 in exchange for her silence about her relationship with Trump. According to the Department of Justice, Cohen wasn’t merely reimbursed for this payment. He also received substantial additional sums to cover any tax liabilities connected with the reimbursement. These payments were allegedly falsely claimed as legal expenses by the company paying Cohen. This basic narrative is the strongest part of the prosecution’s case. But not only is the underlying crime of falsifying business records a mere misdemeanor; the two-year statute of limitations expired long ago. So how can Trump be prosecuted? If Bragg can prove that, contrary to New York State law, Trump falsified records when the “intent to defraud includes an intent to commit another crime or to aid or conceal the commission thereof,” he can prove that Trump committed a felony, and a felony not only carries stiffer penalties; it has a five-year statute of limitations. Still following? Good, because there’s more: New York law states that the limitation period, whether two or five years, does not include “any period following the commission of the offense” when “the defendant was continuously outside this state.” A 1999 New York Court of Appeals case held that the law meant that “all periods of a day or more that a nonresident defendant is out of state should be totaled and toll the statute of limitations.” Under that reading, that statute of limitations clock stopped ticking when Trump was away. But what is the other crime that can convert a charge of records falsification to a felony? Most likely prosecutors will rely on an allegation of violating federal campaign finance law, specifically the claim that the hush money payments to Daniels were illegal campaign contributions. But this is also not a simple case to make: The prosecution may claim that state campaign finance laws apply to Trump, and his payments thus violated New York law, but remember we’re talking about a presidential election. A federal statute expressly states that the relevant campaign finance laws “supersede and pre-empt any provision of state law with respect to election to federal office.” This law represents a formidable barrier to prosecuting Trump under state campaign finance laws, and there is no obvious path around it. Setting that aside, the claim that Trump violated federal law isn’t frivolous. The core question is whether the payments constituted campaign expenditures or mere personal expenditures, defined by Federal Election Commission rules as funds used “to fulfill a commitment, obligation or expense of any person that would exist irrespective of the candidate’s campaign.” Trump’s likely defense to any federal charge is simple, that the hush-money payments had nothing to do with his campaign and everything to do with trying to spare his family the embarrassment of Daniels’s allegations. He’d make that payment anytime, regardless of whether he was running for president. That’s a facially compelling argument, but in a 2018 National Review piece I argued that the weight of evidence indicates that it’s wrong. Daniels claims her affair with Trump started in 2006 and continued sporadically thereafter, yet the payments weren’t made until the heat of the final moments of a closely contested presidential campaign. Even though I believe Cohen committed a campaign finance violation (and even though the Department of Justice mounted an unsuccessful prosecution of the 2004 Democratic vice-presidential nominee John Edwards on a similar legal theory), I’m still skeptical of Bragg’s Manhattan case. Ryan Goodman and Andrew Weissmann recently argued in these pages that “it would be anathema to the rule of law not to prosecute the principal for the crime when a lower-level conspirator”— meaning Cohen — “has been prosecuted.” Yet that’s exactly the choice the Department of Justice made. Neither the Trump nor the Biden Justice Department brought federal charges against Trump. In addition, Cyrus Vance Jr., a previous Manhattan district attorney, investigated the same case and did not bring charges. Add these factors, and Bragg’s case against Trump starts to look, well, unique. We’re talking about the first-ever indictment of a former president brought by a state district attorney — one that his predecessor didn’t choose to seek and that relies on federal criminal claims that the Department of Justice declined to prosecute. It’s no wonder that even Bragg’s aggressive former prosecutor Mark Pomerantz was concerned that the Daniels case was, as The New York Times reported, “too risky under New York law.” A Reuters article described the legal theories supporting a prosecution for the Daniels payments as “untested.” A January New York Times story also accurately called the theories “largely untested.” None of this justifies Trumpist attacks on the rule of law. Incitements to violence or Senator Rand Paul’s inflammatory declaration that Bragg should be “put in jail” demonstrate the extent to which the Trump movement thinks its leader should be exempt from conventional legal process. Trump — like any American defendant — has an opportunity to oppose criminal charges, in court, before a judge and a jury. I believe very strongly that the president is not above the law. I also believe, as I wrote in a previous piece, that the rule of lenity should apply to all criminal defendants, including Trump. The rule of lenity, according to Cornell Law School’s Legal Information Institute, is a principle of statutory construction that states “when a law is unclear or ambiguous, the court should apply it in the way that is most favorable to the defendant.” The government simply shouldn’t stretch the law to mount a criminal prosecution. The best place to bring a Trump case related to the Daniels payoffs was in federal court, in the Southern District of New York. That’s where Cohen was prosecuted. That’s where Cohen pleaded guilty. That’s where criminal complaints about the relevant federal campaign violations should have been heard. But should state officials bring a state claim that depends on an accusation of having violated federal law when federal charges were never filed? My conclusion is no and not because I believe that the Manhattan district attorney should grant a former president any degree of special deference. Nor is it because I necessarily think Trump’s conduct was legal. Trump is a citizen of the United States and should enjoy no more — and no less — legal protection than any of us. But no one should face the potential loss of liberty on a case that requires so much acrobatics to make. The New York Times
from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/4237841/david-french/potential-trump-indictment-unwise
Saudi Crown Prince, Iraq’s PM Discuss Ways to Enhance Strategic Partnership
Gulf
Asharq A-Awsat
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. SPA
Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, made a phone call to Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani, the Saudi Press Agency reported Monday. During the telephone conversation, the Crown Prince and the PM discussed relations between the two countries and ways to enhance them, SPA said. They also discussed ways of cooperation to enhance the strategic partnership within the framework of the Saudi-Iraqi Coordination Council, it added.
from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/4237811/saudi-crown-prince-iraq%E2%80%99s-pm-discuss-ways-enhance-strategic-partnership
