Lebanon central bank bans interactions with Hezbollah financial group
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Arab News
an hour ago
- Arab News
Algeria to resume Lebanon flights in mid-August
BEIRUT: Air Algerie has announced the resumption of flights to Beirut, starting on Aug. 14. The announcement follows an Algerian-Lebanese summit between the countries' presidents, Joseph Aoun and Abdelmadjid Tebboune, held in Algiers on Tuesday. Algeria's Tebboune confirmed he had issued instructions for Air Algerie to resume flights to Beirut, with two weekly flights starting within the next two weeks. Tickets are already on sale through the airline's commercial offices and website. Tebboune also said discussions would be held on the establishment of a maritime line between Algeria and the port of Tripoli, in northern Lebanon. The link would aim to boost industry and commerce, especially during the country's reconstruction phase. He pledged 'unwavering support to Lebanon' in the area of renewable energy, including the construction of solar power plants. 'Agreements covering financial, economic and cultural cooperation will be signed in the near future,' Tebboune said during a joint press conference with Aoun following the summit. Aoun said: 'Lebanon aspires to enter every brotherly Arab country and every Arab home with love and brotherhood. We do not interfere in the affairs of our brothers, nor do they interfere in ours —except to support what is in the best interest of each of us and for all our nations, in a spirit of full respect and genuine cooperation.' On Tuesday, Tebboune awarded Aoun the Order of National Merit, Athir class, the highest honor Algeria can bestow upon heads of state. It was presented 'in recognition of the relations of brotherhood and mutual understanding, and the historically significant positions shared between Algeria and Lebanon.' The summit included bilateral talks which resulted in 'important decisions to activate cooperation and strengthen relations between the two countries in various fields.' A joint statement said discussions focused on reconstruction efforts following extensive damage caused by Israeli attacks on Lebanon, during which the Lebanese delegation presented a detailed memorandum outlining the country's reconstruction needs. During a press conference with Aoun, Tebboune reiterated Algeria's commitment to Lebanon's security and stability. He also highlighted efforts at Security Council level to stop Israeli violations of Lebanese sovereignty and to support the UN resolution to renew the mandate of UNIFIL. The summit also saw a decision to 'activate the political consultation mechanism between the two countries, which has been held once since 2002, and to announce assistance in the field of renewable energy, the construction of solar power plants, and other areas.' The Algerian president confirmed the need to expedite the convening of the first session of the Algerian-Lebanese Joint Committee as a new starting point and a driving framework for effective, sustainable cooperation. Aoun said Arab solidarity was essential for Lebanon's strength. 'I have great hopes of rescuing my country from imminent dangers and restoring a state with all its attributes, chief among them full, undiminished and exclusive sovereignty over its entire territory and all its people,' he said. Aoun praised Algeria's 'steadfast support for Lebanon,' adding it 'has consistently been present in Arab efforts to help Lebanon overcome its crises and resolve its internal and external conflicts.' As part of the summit, Lebanese Minister of Information Paul Morcos and Algerian Minister of Communication Mohamed Meziane signed a memorandum of understanding aimed at strengthening media cooperation between the two countries. On the second day of his visit, Aoun visited the Basilica of Our Lady of Africa in Bab El Oued district. The church, perched on a cliff overlooking the Mediterranean, was the first Catholic church in Africa in the name of the Virgin Mary. Designed by French architect Jean-Eugene Fromageau, it was completed in 1872. Aoun left a message in the church's guest book that said: 'It is no surprise that the Virgin Mary inspires a culture of coexistence, dialogue and mutual respect among civilizations and religions in Algeria. For Christians, she has always been a mother, an intercessor, and a symbol of love and devotion. Few things capture the nobility of this historic cathedral's message, standing for a century and a half as a witness to humanity's journey in Algeria, better than the words engraved upon it: 'Our Lady of Africa, pray for us and for the Muslims'.' Aoun also visited the Great Mosque of Algiers, locally known as Djamaa El-Djazair, where Sheikh Mamoun Al-Qasimi spoke to him about the religious values and true meanings of Islam, which he said included moderation and openness toward other religions. The Great Mosque of Algiers is the largest mosque in Africa. Its main prayer hall can accommodate 32,000 worshippers and the entire complex, including the courtyard and outdoor areas, can host up to 120,000 people. It is the world's third-largest mosque after the Two Holy Mosques in Makkah and Madinah. In 2021 it received the International Architecture Award from the Chicago Athenaeum Museum for Architecture and Design and the European Center for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies. Aoun also left a note in the mosque's guest book that said: 'The Great Mosque of Algiers undoubtedly fosters a spirit of coexistence, tolerance, and moderation. These values resonate throughout Algeria, in the heart of its people, and in the soul of all visitors.'
Asharq Al-Awsat
2 days ago
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Trump Sets New Deadline of 10 or 12 Days for Russia to Act on Ukraine
US President Donald Trump set a new deadline on Monday of 10 or 12 days for Russia to make progress toward ending the war in Ukraine or face consequences, underscoring frustration with Russian President Vladimir Putin for the 3-1/2-year-old conflict. Trump has threatened both sanctions on Russia and buyers of its exports unless progress is made. The fresh deadline suggests the US president is prepared to move forward on those threats after previous hesitation to do so. Speaking in Scotland, where he is holding meetings with European leaders and playing golf, Trump said he was disappointed in Putin and shortening a 50-day deadline he had set on the issue earlier this month. "I'm going to make a new deadline of about ... 10 or 12 days from today," Trump told reporters during a meeting with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. "There's no reason in waiting... We just don't see any progress being made." There was no immediate comment from the Kremlin. Ukraine welcomed the statement. Andriy Yermak, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's chief of staff, thanked Trump in a social media post for "standing firm and delivering a clear message of peace through strength." Trump, who has expressed annoyance also with Zelenskiy, has not always followed tough talk about Putin with action, citing what he deems a good relationship that the two men have had previously. On Monday, Trump indicated he was not interested in more talks with Putin. He said sanctions and tariffs would be used as penalties for Moscow if it did not meet Trump's demands. "There's no reason to wait. If you know what the answer is going to be, why wait? And it would be sanctions and maybe tariffs, secondary tariffs," Trump said. "I don't want to do that to Russia. I love the Russian people." Ukraine had proposed a summit between Putin and Zelenskiy before the end of August, but the Kremlin has said that timeline was unlikely and that a meeting could only happen as a final step to clinch peace. Russia's foreign ministry said on Saturday that if the West wanted real peace with Ukraine, it would stop supplying Kyiv with weapons. Trump has repeatedly voiced exasperation with Putin for pursuing attacks on Ukraine despite US efforts to end the war. Trump has played up successes in other parts of the world where the United States has helped to broker peace agreements and has been flattered by some leaders who suggest he should be given the Nobel Peace Prize. "I'm disappointed in President Putin," Trump said on Monday. "I'm going to reduce that 50 days that I gave him to a lesser number because I think I already know the answer what's going to happen." Trump, who is also struggling to achieve a peace deal in Gaza, has touted his role in ending conflicts between India and Pakistan as well as Rwanda and Congo. Before returning to the White House in January, Trump campaigned on a promise to end Russia's conflict with Ukraine in a day. "We thought we had that settled numerous times, and then President Putin goes out and starts launching rockets into some city like Kyiv and kills a lot of people in a nursing home or whatever," Trump said. "And I say that's not the way to do it."
Arab News
4 days ago
- Arab News
Indian firm says it shipped non-military explosives to Russia
NEW DELHI: An Indian firm that shipped $1.4 million worth of an explosive compound with military uses to Russia in December said on Saturday it complies with Indian rules and the substance it had shipped was for civilian industrial purposes. Reuters reported on July 24 that Ideal Detonators Private Limited shipped the compound, known as HMX or octogen, to two Russian explosives manufacturers despite US threats to impose sanctions on any entity supporting Russia's Ukraine war effort. One of the Russian companies listed in Indian customs data as receiving the compound is the explosives manufacturer Promsintez. An official at Ukraine's SBU security service has said the Russian company has ties to the military and that Ukraine launched a drone attack in April against a Promsintez-owned factory. Promsintez did not respond to a request for comment. Ideal Detonators said in an emailed response to Reuters that the material it shipped was not military grade. 'The shipment ... is for industrial activity and it's a civil explosive,' the company said. The US government has identified HMX as 'critical for Russia's war effort' and has warned financial institutions against facilitating any sales of the substance to Moscow. The US Treasury Department has the authority to sanction those who sell HMX and similar substances to Russia, sanctions lawyers have said. HMX is widely used in missile and torpedo warheads, rocket motors, exploding projectiles and plastic-bonded explosives for advanced military systems, according to the Pentagon's Defense Technical Information Center and related defense research programs. The compound also has some limited civilian applications in mining and other industrial activities.
