Russia’s FM Lavrov makes unannounced visit to Algeria

Russia’s FM Lavrov makes unannounced visit to Algeria
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Algerian Foreign Minister Ramtane Lamamra walk during their meeting in Algeria on Tuesday. (Reuters)
Short Url
Updated 10 May 2022

Russia’s FM Lavrov makes unannounced visit to Algeria

Russia’s FM Lavrov makes unannounced visit to Algeria
  • Russia’s Foreign Ministry tweeted that Lavrov held talks with Algeria's foreign minister, Ramtane Lamamra

ALGIERS: Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov made an unannounced visit to Algeria Tuesday to mark 60 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
Russia’s Foreign Ministry tweeted that Lavrov held talks with Algeria’s foreign minister, Ramtane Lamamra, and attended a wreath-laying ceremony at a monument to heroes of the 1954-1962 Algerian War of Independence against France.
It was unclear whether the war in Ukraine was discussed during the meeting.
Algerian media said that following the first round of talks with Lamamra, Lavrov was due to meet with Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune.


Killing of Kurds in northern Syria sparks protests, tensions

Killing of Kurds in northern Syria sparks protests, tensions
Updated 9 sec ago

Killing of Kurds in northern Syria sparks protests, tensions

Killing of Kurds in northern Syria sparks protests, tensions
JINDERIS, Syria: Thousands of Kurds took to the streets of the earthquake-ravaged Syrian town of Jinderis on Tuesday to protest the killing of four men as they lit a fire to celebrate the Kurdish new year the night before.
The attack on the Kurdish men rekindled tensions between Turkish-backed armed groups controlling the area and Kurdish residents. It fed into a power struggle between rival armed factions that control different parts of northwest Syria.
At the request of Kurdish residents, fighters from the armed opposition group Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham deployed en masse around Jinderis on Tuesday. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition war monitor, reported that the group had taken over the headquarters of the Ahrar Sharqiya group, a Turkish-backed armed opposition group, in the area.
A HTS spokesperson declined to comment on the matter, but there was a heavy presence of the group’s fighters in and around the city as crowds of Kurds attended the funerals of the victims. Meanwhile, Turkish forces deployed on the road linking the town of Atmeh, controlled by HTS, with Jinderis.
The assailants who shot the Kurdish men as they were lighting a fire in celebration of the Nowruz holiday allegedly belonged to Jaish Al-Sharqiya, a splinter group of Ahrar Sharqiya.
The Syrian National Army, an alliance of the various Turkish-backed factions in the area, issued a statement condemning the killing of the Kurdish men in “the strongest possible terms” and promising to bring the perpetrators to justice.
Tuesday evening, an official with the Harakat Al-Tahrir wa Al-Binaa, a faction within the Syrian National Army, announced that the suspects in the killing had been arrested and promised that local authorities will “deal firmly and forcefully with all perpetrators of crimes and violations against innocent people.”
Jinderis was controlled by Kurdish fighters until 2018 when it was taken by Turkiye-backed opposition fighters who still hold it. The capture of the town displaced many Kurds, while those who remained complain that they are often mistreated and subjected to discrimination.
““We call for an end to these violations and an end to the demographic change,” said Zakaria Ali, one of the Kurdish protesters. “All the Syrian people are our brothers, but criminals are not.”
In the hours after the shooting, some Kurds from Jinderis traveled in a convoy to the town of Atmeh, about 9 miles (15 kilometers) away, where they called on HTS to seize control of Jinderis from the Turkish-backed militias.
While Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham is designated as a terrorist group by the US and other Western countries due to its historical ties with Al-Qaeda, many Kurdish residents of the area said they see it as preferable to the Turkish-backed groups.
HTS leader Abu Mohammed Al-Golani met with a group of the victims’ families late Monday evening and promised revenge.
“The ones who harmed you will be killed, God willing,” Golani told the group.
Clashes between Turkiye-backed opposition gunmen and Kurdish fighters have left scores of people dead on both sides in Syria.
Since 2016, Turkiye has launched three major operations inside Syria, targeting Syria’s main Kurdish militia — the People’s Protection Units or YPG — which Turkiye considers a terrorist organization and an extension of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK. The PKK has for decades waged an insurgency within Turkiye against the government in Ankara.
The YPG, however, forms the backbone of US-led forces in the fight against Daesh militants and has been a top US ally in Syria.

Iraq fashionistas champion climate-friendly vintage wear

Iraq fashionistas champion climate-friendly vintage wear
Updated 3 min 16 sec ago

Iraq fashionistas champion climate-friendly vintage wear

Iraq fashionistas champion climate-friendly vintage wear

AL-HUSSAINIYA, Iraq: In a palm grove north of Baghdad, bemused Iraqi shepherds looked on as models paraded second-hand garments down an improvised catwalk, seeking to raise awareness of the fashion industry’s environmental impact.

Haute couture has given way to upcycled outfits, sourced entirely from used clothes, as the models strut, pause and pivot on the runway, a sign of the growing popularity of chic, environmentally friendly vintage wear among young Iraqis.

“We don’t want overproduction of clothes, we have to reuse them,” said Mohamed Qassem, 25, a hairdresser and organizer of the fashion show near Al-Hussainiya village.

The global fashion industry accounted for 2 percent of greenhouse gas emissions in 2019, according to the World Resources Institute.

Campaigners and a growing number of climate-conscious social media influencers have led a push toward sustainable fashion.

Many young people in climate-stressed Iraq, like Qassem, have become passionate about vintage clothing.

The palm grove event showcased fluorescent green puffer jackets, long black leather coats, ample double-breasted blazers, and modern takes on traditional costumes.

In many parts of Iraq, scarred by decades of conflict, peaceful rhythms are gradually returning to daily life and second-hand clothing offers aspiring fashionistas an affordable chance to express themselves.

As Baghdad’s streets see more “fast-fashion” and imported brands, the outfits at the Al-Hussainiya event predominantly feature green elements, a nod to the show’s environmental message.

Iraq, synonymous with date production, has seen its iconic date palms placed under stress by the effects of climate change and the years of conflict.

“The goal is not to focus only on clothes, but also abandoned orchards, palm trees that disappear every day,” Qassem said.

The United Nations says oil-rich Iraq is one of the five countries most exposed to the impacts of climate change, already witnessing extreme summer heat, frequent droughts, desertification and regular dust storms, which will exacerbate as the planet heats.

The designs at the fashion show will not be put on sale. Organizers mainly hope the symbolic parade will raise awareness.

Ahmed Taher, a 22-year-old stylist who put together the sets for the show, said “second-hand pieces are clothes of excellent quality.”

“When you wear them, you have the impression of wearing luxury clothes. It’s different from what you find in stores.”

A business student, Taher offers Baghdad’s hipsters vintage clothes on Instagram — where he has around 47,000 followers — selling pieces for around $20.

“We want to wear unique clothes and not all look like each other,” he said.

A student-turned-model for the day, Safaa Haidar, said she was attracted to vintage clothes as she could shop “according to my personality.”

But in Iraq, where the UN estimates nearly one-third of the 42 million inhabitants live in poverty, many wear used clothing out of necessity.

In the winding alleys of central Baghdad’s second-hand clothes market, stalls overflow every Friday with shirts, shoes and jeans, with shoppers checking sizes in front of the sellers.


US report on human rights in Palestinian territories reflects ‘positive change,’ activists say

US report on human rights in Palestinian territories reflects ‘positive change,’ activists say
Updated 33 min ago

US report on human rights in Palestinian territories reflects ‘positive change,’ activists say

US report on human rights in Palestinian territories reflects ‘positive change,’ activists say
  • The report detailed that in 2022, the “ISF killed 152 Palestinians in the West Bank, including 36 Palestinian children, compared with 17 in 2021”
  • Veteran Palestinian politician Nabil Amr told Arab News that Israel’s actions against Palestinians had crossed all lines

RAMALLAH: Palestinian politicians and human rights activists believe that the US State Department’s 2022 report on the status of human rights in the Palestinian territories reflects a positive change, whether for the presence of terminology that was absent during the reign of former US President Donald Trump or for its clear facts about the scale of Israeli violations against Palestinians.
“There were reports that (Israeli Security Forces) members committed abuses. The Israeli military and civilian justice systems occasionally investigated such incidents and, in some cases, found ISF members to have committed abuses,” the report stated.
The Palestinian Authority’s Minister of Social Development Ahmed Majdalani told Arab News that the report reflects the “reality” of “crimes and violations committed by the Israeli government against Palestinians” as well as its “violation of international and humanitarian law.”
He added, however, that it cannot be “considered a fundamental change in the US position toward Israel without the US taking practical steps to condemn Israel and hold it accountable for these violations.”
The report detailed that in 2022, the “ISF killed 152 Palestinians in the West Bank, including 36 Palestinian children, compared with 17 in 2021.”
It also noted that “Israel prosecutes Palestinian residents of the West Bank under military law and Israeli settlers in the West Bank under criminal and civil law.”
Jibril Rajoub, Fatah Central Committee secretary-general, told Arab News that the scale and brutality of Israeli crimes committed against the Palestinians had embarrassed the US administration to such a degree that it could no longer ignore them.
“When the reports of three credible international organizations — Human Rights Watch, Amnesty, and B’Tselem — speak of unprecedented Israeli violations of human rights in the Palestinian territories, the US cannot ignore this, especially since the Israeli crimes have become more evident,” Rajoub told Arab News.
Veteran Palestinian politician Nabil Amr told Arab News that Israel’s actions against Palestinians had crossed all lines.
“The burning of Hawara cannot be attributed to a person but rather to a state, and the continuation of this occupation...embarrasses the US,” Amr told Arab News.
Israel has used military courts to prosecute Palestinians from the West Bank since 1967, and 95 percent of cases tried in military courts have ended in conviction.
Human rights organizations have stated that Palestinian “security prisoners” held in Israel were political prisoners whom Israel has detained for prolonged periods without charge under permissive administrative detention laws, the report also said.


Jordan deputy PM discusses efforts to solve Syria crisis with UN envoy

Jordan deputy PM discusses efforts to solve Syria crisis with UN envoy
Updated 55 min 3 sec ago

Jordan deputy PM discusses efforts to solve Syria crisis with UN envoy

Jordan deputy PM discusses efforts to solve Syria crisis with UN envoy
  • Ayman Safadi reaffirms Jordan’s full coordination with the UN on all details of the initiative

AMMAN: Jordan’s Deputy Prime Minister Ayman Safadi and UN Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen on Tuesday discussed an initiative to solve the Syrian crisis through direct Arab-Syrian government dialogue.
Safadi, who is also minister of foreign affairs and expatriates, reaffirmed his country’s full coordination with the UN on all details of the initiative, reported Jordan’s News Agency.
During their meeting in Amman, the deputy prime minister briefed the UN envoy on the kingdom’s aid to survivors of the earthquakes that struck Syria and Turkiye last month.
Coordination is continuing with Arab countries on a date to launch the Syria initiative, Safadi said, adding that Arab countries are entitled to lead the dialogue.
He reiterated Jordan’s support for Pedersen’s efforts to reach a political solution to the crisis in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution No. 2254.
The UN envoy highlighted the importance of cooperation between Jordan and the UN, and commended the kingdom’s humanitarian role in providing aid to Syrian earthquake survivors and refugees in Jordan.
 


Lebanese currency collapsing at record speed

Lebanese pound banknotes are seen at a currency exchange shop in Beirut, Lebanon. (REUTERS)
Lebanese pound banknotes are seen at a currency exchange shop in Beirut, Lebanon. (REUTERS)
Updated 21 March 2023

Lebanese currency collapsing at record speed

Lebanese pound banknotes are seen at a currency exchange shop in Beirut, Lebanon. (REUTERS)
  • Exchange rate has dropped around 300 percent since the beginning of the year

BEIRUT: The Lebanese pound depreciated at record speed, reaching 143,000 pounds to the US dollar on Tuesday afternoon, after dropping 20,000 pounds in under 24 hours.

Hundreds of people took to the streets to protest in Beirut, Tripoli and the Bekaa Valley, blocking roads and burning tires.

Several gas stations, supermarkets, and pharmacies suspended their services for the day while protesters forcibly shut down shops in the capital’s popular Mazraa Corniche area.

One protester near the Jamal Abdel Nasser Mosque in Beirut spoke out against the country’s politicians and people manipulating the exchange rate on the black market, asking “is this how they want us to welcome the month of Ramadan? Where are the MPs? What are they doing about this? What did we do to deserve their corruption?”

The angry protests came a day after Lebanon was ranked the second-least happy country in the world behind Afghanistan,in the World Happiness Report 2023.

The report, issued annually under the supervision of the UN, includes six main factors: GDP per capita, social support, healthy life expectancy, freedom, generosity, and low corruption.

The Lebanese pound’s exchange rate to the dollar has so far dropped by about 300 percent since the beginning of this year.

The latest drop resulted in unprecedented chaos in the markets, in a country where all products are priced in dollars, purchasing power is degrading and the average public sector monthly wage now equates to around $150 a month.

Economic analyst Mounir Younes said: “The exchange rate dropped 30 percent in just 10 days. There is no way to curb this collapse without curbing imports since the gap between the money allocated for imports and the quantities available in the local market has become deep in light of the Central Bank’s reluctance to back it up using its depleting reserves.”

As the local currency continued to drop on the black markets, while banks resumed their strike and political stalemate prevailed, citizens have been randomly taking to the streets to protest anything and everything.

A security source feared that the situation could implode at any moment.

Fuel distributors decided to give the state until Wednesday morning to make a decision to dollarize fuel prices. Their representative, Fadi Abu Shakra, told Arab News: “The distributor or station owner cannot bear the difference between the price list set by the Ministry of Energy — even though it is adjusted over three times a day — and the ever-changing exchange rate. If no decision is taken, we will dollarize our prices by ourselves.”

On Tuesday, the price of a 20-liter canister of gasoline reached 2,390,000 Lebanese pounds, an increase of 168,000 pounds over Monday’s price.

The Lebanese Pharmacists Syndicate decided to close pharmacies since pharmaceutical companies and warehouses stopped delivering medicines to them more than two weeks ago.

“We are in a comprehensive collapse. The health sector is affected the most, which directly affects patients,” said the head of the Pharmacists Syndicate, Joe Salloum.

MP Michel Daher accused the Banque du Liban of intervening in the market whenever it wants to cover the state’s expenses. “The people are hungry and are no longer able to bear the disastrous results of financing your patchwork approach.”

MP Ashraf Rifi said: “We are quickly slipping into more dangerous stages, while the mafia, the alliance of arms and corruption, is reassured of the illusion that the Lebanese have been domesticated. The volcano will eventually erupt. We can no longer afford to keep corrupt in charge; statemen must be chosen to bear the responsibility of the rescue plan.”

The head of the General Labor Union, Beshara Al-Asmar, stated: “We need to organize a comprehensive strike since officials have shown no intention to address the insane drop in the exchange rate and the resulting price hikes of commodities, foodstuffs, fuel, etc.”

Al-Asmar added: “The situation is unbearable. Officials must open up to each other. The entire region, including Tukiye and Iran, has turned into a region of dialogue, openness, and political solutions.”

Later on Tuesday, the BdL announced that it will be conducting an “open and continuous process to buy Lebanese banknotes and sell dollars for cash based on Sayrafa’s exchange rate,” which was set at 90,000 pounds to the dollar as of Tuesday.

Following the central bank’s announcement, the local currency regained some value on the black market as the exchange rate rose back to 100,000 pounds to the dollar, settling at 116,000 pounds to the dollar as of 5:30 p.m. local time.