BEIRUT, Jan 11 (Reuters) – A Lebanese judge said on Tuesday she had imposed a travel ban on central bank governor Riad Salameh, who is at the centre of investigations into alleged fraud and other misconduct launched after Lebanon was plunged into a deep financial crisis. Salameh, who said he had no knowledge of the ban and denied any wrongdoing, is being probed by the authorities in Lebanon and at least four European countries, including a Swiss inquiry over alleged money laundering. Salameh, who has been governor for almost three decades, has stayed in his post even as the economy has been crushed by a mountain of debt, the currency has collapsed and swathes of the nation have been driven into poverty. read more

Judge Ghada Aoun told Reuters she had imposed the ban as part of a Lebanese investigation she was leading into Salameh’s conduct and said the next step would be to seek to question him. When asked about allegations ranging from fraud to abuse of public funds being investigated in the Lebanese probe, Salameh said: “These cases raised against me personally are part of the campaign to fool the public opinion.” “All the actions of the central bank are executed according to the law of money and credit and thus are not the actions of one person that takes decisions by himself,” he told Reuters.

CAIRO – Lebanon’s Prime Minster Najib Mikati arrived Monday morning in in Sharm El-Sheikh city to participate in opening ceremony of Egypt’s 4th edition of the World Youth Forum [WYF]. Mikati accompanied President Sisi, Palestinian President Mahamoud Abbas and Crown Prince of Jordan Hussein bin Abdullah II. At the ceremony, President Sisi said that WYF became a platform for dialogue and exchange visions between youth and countries all over the world. He announced officially launching the 4th edition of WYF activities. The forum is held under the slogan of ‘Back Together’, with the participation of young people from 196 countries in Sharm El-Sheikh. WYF activities are expected to take place until January 13. 2021’s WYF agenda includes number of vital topics, which reflect the features of the new reality after Coronavirus pandemic, that affected the lives of millions all over the world.

Participants at the 4th edition of WYF had the choice to participate in the opening session either physically or remotely via the virtual system due to COVID-19. The main session of WYF is supposed to Kick off shortly after the opening ceremony, to be entitled ‘Corona Pandemic: Alarm for Humanity and New Hope’. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas arrived in Egypt on Sunday to participate in the he fourth edition of Egypt’s World Youth Forum. President Abbas’ two day-visit comes at President Abdel Fattah El Sisi’s invitation to attend the forum activities, the Palestinian embassy in Egypt said.

by Dana Halawi BEIRUT, (Xinhua) — Lebanon’s merchants took a hit in 2021 by the country’s unprecedented economic and financial crisis with 35 percent of them shutting down their stores or some branches, according to the Beirut Traders Association. Adnan Rammal, representative of the trade sector in the Economic and Social Council, told Xinhua that a large number of merchants had to close their stores last year as they were unable to cover the expenses in light of the drop in sales from 50 to 90 percent, varying among different sectors. According to Rammal, the sectors that were mostly impacted include furniture, household appliances, electronics and carpets, and the demand for food has also dropped by 40 percent.

Over the past two years, Lebanon has witnessed an unprecedented financial crisis amid the shortage of U.S. dollar, which prompted a steep depreciation of the Lebanese pound. As a result of the collapse of the local currency, citizens saw an obvious devaluation of their salaries. Most of them are employed by the public sector and get paid in local currency, while only an approximate of 20 percent of the Lebanese receiving their salaries in U.S. dollars. Moreover, the financial crisis forced banks to impose heavy restrictions on withdrawals from deposits, which has deteriorated people’s purchasing power. Mohamad Rayes, owner of a men’s clothes shop in Hamra, told Xinhua that sales at his shop dropped by over 80 percent compared to the pre-crisis years of 2017 and 2018, as people have been focusing their consumption on necessities. “If we do not see any improvement in demand during the coming summer season, we will have to close doors and lay off employees,” he said.

NNA – Maronite Patriarch, Cardinal Mar Bechara Boutros al-Rahi, presided over Sunday Mass at “Our Lady’s Church” in the patriarchal edifice in Bkirki. In his sermon, Patriarch Rahi urged the Lebanese state to restore legitimacy to its free decision and the unity of its military authority, and to withdraw from the game of destructive axes […]

by arabnews.com — LONDON: In late 2019, over 50 women came forward and shared their painful testimonies of encounters with Lebanese serial assaulter Marwan Habib. “He followed me into the showers after my boxing lessons and tried to corner me in one of the shower stalls. I pushed him out and filed a complaint,” read one. “I saw him during the thawra (protests) and he tried to convince me to go with him for lunch and stuff when I told him I’m ONLY 15,” another revealed. “I’m a minor. He said he likes young girls. I ran away from him and he kept following me until I threatened to call the police. When I did call them, they did absolutely nothing.” Despite the growing number of allegations, Habib remained free and continued to harass women across the capital.

Last Friday, Habib was jailed without bond after he was arrested for sexually assaulting a woman at a hotel in Miami. Habib met his victim at a club, but later followed her to her hotel and then convinced the clerk to give him a key to her room. Police told reporters that Habib had entered the victim’s room at Hotel Victor in South Beach on Friday night and then sexually assaulted her. The arrest report stated: “Criminal Investigations Division has received various complaints about different females reporting the defendant’s odd and concerning behavior. The defendant is known to pursue females in order to have sex or date them even after they advised them to stop doing so on multiple occasions.” While the Lebanese rejoiced at the news of his arrest, it was long overdue as multiple lawsuits filed against him had fallen on deaf ears.

Princess Basmah has been released after spending three years in detention by dw.com — AFP and Reuters — Saudi authorities have released a princess and her daughter who had been detained without charge for nearly three years, her legal adviser said on Saturday. Princess Basmah Bint Saud bin Abdulaziz al Saud, 57, is a businesswoman, […]

By Najia Houssari — arabnews.com — BEIRUT: The dispute between Lebanese President Michel Aoun and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri has disappointed those who hoped their row would subside and that Cabinet would convene, as sources close to the prime minister said that this year’s budget was ready and the government should take action. Hezbollah and its ally the Amal Movement have been refusing to allow the Cabinet to meet since Oct. 12, demanding the removal of a judge who is investigating 2020’s devastating explosion at Beirut Port. With Parliament expected to convene in an extraordinary session starting Monday, politicians appeared to mourn the Aoun-Berri settlement, which they felt was “stillborn.” MP Ali Darwish said that Prime Minister Najib Mikati was counting “on the sense of patriotism of those boycotting Cabinet sessions to attend.” Darwish is a member of the Independent Center bloc headed by Mikati. “The discussion of the budget is a constitutional right that cannot be avoided,” Darwish told Arab News. When Mikati received the budget from the Ministry of Finance, he would call for a Cabinet session to study it and refer it to Parliament, the lawmaker said. “I think that attending the Cabinet session is necessary. Discussing the budget is a crucial constitutional duty to meet people’s needs and approve spending policy,” he added.

Sources close to Mikati said that the budget was ready and the government should take action, which necessitates a Cabinet session and opening an extraordinary session of Parliament since legislation is required to keep pace with the work of the government. The country’s election law has entered into force, and the Ministry of Interior has decided that elections will be held mid-May. The Lebanese people and the international community are counting on these elections to bring about change in the ruling authority. That Aoun requested to include an item related to the election law on the agenda of parliament’s extraordinary session has raised questions about the possibility of disrupting these elections under the pretext of making new amendments. “The election law is now in effect and any amendment cannot be related to the date of holding the elections,” said Darwish.

NNA – Former Prime Minister, Saad Hariri, contacted by phone President of the Republic, General Michel Aoun, after the call received by the Center House from the presidential palace regarding President Aoun’s invitation to a national dialogue conference. In this connection, Hariri apologized for not partaking in the national dialogue session, “because any dialogue at […]

by dw.com — Jennifer Holleis, Razan Salman — Crises-hit Lebanon has started this year with a tough first week. This Tuesday, the exchange rate hit another all-time low with 30,000 Lebanese pounds worth just $1 on the black market. Officially, the pound is pegged to the dollar, but the fixed rate has effectively become meaningless in the country’s protracted economic crisis. Also, a heated spat between Hezbollah’s Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah and Saudi King Salman bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud Salman has once more ignited diplomatic tensions between Lebanon and its ally Saudi Arabia. On Monday, Nasrallah had called King Salman a terrorist in a televised speech marking the occasion of the second anniversary of the assassination of the Iranian Commander Qassem Suleimani. Prior to this, King Salman had called on the Lebanese to “to end the terrorist Hezbollah control” of Lebanon. Lebanon’s Prime Minister Najib Mikati was quick to issue a statement, which not only sought to limit the diplomatic damage, but also showed the growing impatience with the Iran-backed militia and political heavyweight Hezbollah.

War in Yemen divides

“Nasrallah’s comments do neither represent the Lebanese government nor the majority of Lebanese,” Mikati said. He added that “while we call for Hezbollah to be part of Lebanon’s diverse affiliation, its leadership is in opposition to this trend with positions that first harm the Lebanese and secondly Lebanon’s relations with its brother. For God’s sake, have mercy on Lebanon and the Lebanese, and stop the hateful sectarian and political rhetoric.” Mikati is not the only one who has started to increase pressure on the powerful Shiite Hezbollah. Also, President Michel Aoun has become more open in his discomfort. Last week, he criticized Hezbollah for harming relations with Gulf countries by “interfering in matters that do not concern us,” referring to Saudi and Hezbollah being on opposite sides in the war in Yemen — a constant bone of contention between the two sides. Aoun’s warning is all the more significant as his Maronite Christian Party, the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM), is part of the “March 8 Alliance” with Hezbollah. Furthermore, the Lebanese are increasingly worried about Hezbollah’s rhetoric regarding the Gulf states.

By NAJIA HOUSSARI — arabnews.com — BEIRUT: General Labor Union President Bechara Al-Asmar has warned against “a certain catastrophe, since hospitalization is now accessible to the wealthy only.” At a press conference on Friday, he commented on the multitude of crises facing the Lebanese, including “the ongoing madness in the dollar exchange rate, insane increases in fuel prices, electricity bill, the removal of medicine subsidies and the loss of the depositors’ savings as a result of bank circulations — viewed as organized robbery.” He warned that “the draft budget included a provision for raising the customs dollar, which would raise the prices of goods by 30 percent, and raise all taxes and duties.” He added: “This is unacceptable because it entails the removal of subsidies on everything in exchange for nothing, which is surrendering to the IMF conditions without any supervision.”

The fresh warning came as the ruling elite attempted to resolve its many conflicts that are blocking political and administrative progress. President Michel Aoun has signed a decree calling on parliament to hold an extraordinary session starting from Monday and ending on March 21. This will restore the parliamentary immunity of the ministers charged for the crime of the Beirut port blast, including current MPs, one of whom had an arrest warrant issued for him in absentia and that has not yet been executed. The parliamentary session sets the stage for the transfer of power from a judicial investigator to a parliamentary body for the prosecution of ministers and deputies allegedly to blame for the explosion. Lawyer and activist Hassan Bazzi said that “the key parties to the settlements are Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, Prime Minister Najib Mikati and President Michel Aoun.” This follows the intense political discord between Aoun and Berri that reached its peak last week.