by reuters – Lebanon’s cabinet has agreed to impose a fee on calls over WhatsApp and other similar applications, as part of efforts to raise revenues in the country’s 2020 draft budget, a minister said on Thursday. Information Minister Jamal al-Jarrah said on Thursday that the cabinet had agreed a charge of 20 cents per day for calls via voice over internet protocol (VoIP), used by applications that include FaceTime, Facebook calls, and Facebook-owned Whatsapp. The fee could potentially bring in up to $250m in annual revenues from the country’s estimated 3.5 million VoIP users. The country has only two service providers, both state-owned, and some of the most costly mobile rates in the region.

Lebanese TV channels cited Minister of Telecommunications Mohammad Choucair as saying the fee would “not be applied without something in return”, which he would announce next week. Finance Minister Ali Hassan Khalil said last month there were no new taxes or fees in the draft 2020 budget he sent to the cabinet. Lebanon is under pressure to approve the 2020 budget to unlock some $11bn pledged at a donor conference last year, conditional on fiscal and other reforms.

Prime Minister Saad Hariri has said the government would work to further reduce the 2020 budget deficit. Foreign allies are not yet fully convinced the Lebanese government is serious about reforms, and a French envoy last month criticised the pace of work. The government only approved the 2019 budget halfway through this year. Lebanon had until 2017 had gone 12 years without a budget. Ahead of a cabinet session on Thursday, Jarrah said ministers would discuss a proposal to raise value-added tax (VAT) by two percentage points in 2021 and then another two percentage points in 2022, until the VAT reaches 15 percent. After ministers agree on the 2020 draft budget, they must send it to parliament for approval. SOURCE: REUTERS NEWS AGENCY

BEIRUT (AP) — Lebanon erupted in protests Thursday over the government’s plans to impose new taxes amid a severe economic crisis, with people taking their anger out on politicians they accuse of corruption and decades of mismanagement. The protests started with few dozen people gathering in central Beirut and quickly escalated into some of the largest demonstrations since an uprising over a garbage crisis in 2015 with thousands holding scattered protests across the country.

Hundreds of people gathered near the government headquarters and parliament building in central Beirut where riot police were deployed. The protesters chanted: “Revolution!” and “Thieves!” — the latter a reference to widespread corruption in a country that has one of the highest debt loads in the world. Some protesters threw stones, shoes and water bottles at security forces and scuffled with police. The protests could plunge Lebanon into a political crisis with unpredictable repercussions on the economy which has been in steady decline. Some of the protesters said they would stay in the streets until the government resigns.

Protesters closed major intersections with burning tires and garbage containers, causing traffic jams. As the protests escalated, the minister of education declared that public and private schools and universities would close Friday. Years of regional turmoil — worsened by an influx of 1.5 million Syrian refugees since 2011 — are catching up with the small Arab country. Lebanon has the third-highest debt level in the world, currently standing at about $86 billion, or 150% of its gross domestic product. “We refuse what’s happening in Lebanon… The failure of our government to do at least the minimum … has given us no other choice than to take the streets,” said writer and director Lucien Bourjeily. “They are putting more and more taxes on us even though we cannot take any more taxes,” he said.

BEIRUT, Oct. 16 (Xinhua) — For the third consecutive day, Lebanon’s civil defense, in cooperation with the Lebanese army, worked hard to put out the huge fires that swept a big number of Lebanese villages. Fires continued on Wednesday to affect hundreds of square meters in Akkar, Yanouh, Daqoun, Bekfaya and other villages. Earlier in the day, Lebanese President Michel Aoun announced that the Higher Relief Commission had been instructed to compensate people affected by the fires. Prime Minister Saad Hariri said the government exerted huge efforts to put out the fires while the Higher Relief Commission will take care of all houses impacted by the fires. “We are working 24 hours a day and the most important thing for me is that there were no casualties,” he said. However, Lebanese citizens criticized the government through social media networks for not providing civil defense with the needed equipment to deal properly with such disastrous situations. They also blamed the government for not taking precautionary measures after the sudden rise of temperature to avoid the fires and the damage. Youssef Mallah, a member of the civil defense, told Xinhua that precautionary measures must be taken in such weather conditions. “For instance, we should not allow hunters to shoot from their weapons in such times,” he said, explaining that shots from hunters’ guns have a hot temperature and may cause fire when they fall on the ground. Camping must be also forbidden in such times, he added. Mallah emphasized the need to hire patrols to tour the place all night long while finding special routes for firefighters to reach fires in a fast way and not to use conventional roads.

by linkedin.com — A Qantas jet is scheduled to take off from New York Friday on a flight to Sydney that, 20 hours later, would make it the longest in the world. The test flight is expected to include pilots, crew and passengers, along with researchers watching how everyone handles the ride. Success could pave […]

by gulftoday.ae – Maryam Al QasimiMassive fires took over Lebanon’s pine-tree covered mountains, forcing citizens in Al Shouf District to evacuate their homes on Monday night. Strong winds and unusual high temperatures intensified the blaze, as it made its way to residential villages, a refugee centre, and neighbouring areas. “Our forests burn and our hearts break just the same,” says a Lebanese citizen, Mansour. As Lebanon faces its first massive wildfire in years, reporter Halima Tabiaa cries in desperation, “The scene in Damour is dreadful. People are screaming, as the fire trapped them in their homes.”

Director-general of Civil Defence, Raymond Khattar, has said that the wildfire is the most drastic the country has seen for decades. Al-Khattar states that 104 fires have been recorded on Monday and Tuesday. Lebanon’s Interior Minister Raya Al Hassan confirms the assistance of neighbouring countries, Cyprus, Greece, and Jordan. “We have contacted several countries that could help us put out the fires and the Cypriot planes have been working to extinguish the fires since yesterday. We have activated a rapid response mechanism.” she tweets. “Greece has also answered our call and will send two planes to help. Jordan has also expressed its readiness to send us assistance.”

Lebanese political analysist David Issa states that the wildfire expanded due to the government’s lack of emergency response and ill-equipment of Sikorsky helicopters. Three Sikorsky S-70 firefighting helicopters were provided to the Lebanese government, but fell into poor condition due to a lack of maintenance. Frustrated citizens took to Twitter: “Houses have been destroyed, acres of trees have been razed. We don’t have the necessary equipment and tools to fight the raging wildfires. We need International help” (@romyjournalist). “We pray for our brave Civil Defence fighters and our military,” Issa states on social media.

by aawsat.com — Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri responded Sunday to Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil’s demand that Syria returns to the Arab League, saying the Lebanese government must distance itself from regional conflicts. “The position of the government on the recent military developments on the Turkish-Syrian border is expressed in the statement issued by the […]

by bbc.com — The US has sanctioned two Turkish ministries and three senior government officials in response to the country’s military offensive in northern Syria. President Donald Trump also phoned his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan to demand an immediate truce, Vice-President Mike Pence said. Mr Pence said he would travel to the region “as quickly as possible”. Syria’s army earlier entered areas in the north-east. This could result in a confrontation with Turkish-led forces. The Syrian army deployment followed a deal with Kurdish-led forces, who until last week were US allies. Turkey says its offensive aims to push Kurdish forces from the border region and establish what the government in Ankara describes as a “safe zone”. With a “safe zone” reaching about 30km (20 miles) into Syria, Turkey wants to resettle up to two million Syrian refugees currently on its territory. Many of them are not Kurds and critics warn this could lead to ethnic cleansing of the local Kurdish population.

What about the US sanctions?

Speaking to reporters in Washington DC on Monday evening, US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin described the sanctions as “very strong” which would have a severe impact on the Turkish economy. The US Treasury published a statement, which said that action was taken “against two [Turkish] ministries and three senior Turkish government officials in response to Turkey’s military operations in Syria”. “The Turkish government’s actions are endangering innocent civilians, and destabilizing the region, including undermining the campaign to defeat ISIS [Islamic State],” the statement added. Appearing alongside Mr Mnuchin, Vice-President Pence warned that the sanctions “will continue and will worsen unless and until Turkey embraces an immediate ceasefire, stops the violence and agrees to negotiate a long-term settlement of the issues along the border between Turkey and Syria”.

by linkedin.com — American brands may be falling out of fashion with China. For years, companies in the U.S. saw China as the “land of new opportunity,” says The Wall Street Journal, but today Chinese brands are getting stronger and Chinese consumers have grown increasingly turned off by foreign brands because of their conflicts with […]

ahvalnews.com —The Arab League following an emergency meeting on Saturday condemned Turkey’s military offensive in northeast Syria, calling the incursion an “invasion of an Arab state’s land and an aggression on its sovereignty.” The Arab League is considering taking diplomatic, economic, investment and tourism measures against Turkey, Al-Arabiya quoted the Arab League Secretary General Ahmed Aboul Gheit Aboul Gheit as saying during the meeting in Cairo. Tens of thousands have fled northeast Syria as Turkish forces advance in the region on day four of an offensive targeting Kurdish forces. Turkey plans to establish a safe zone stretching along its border inside Syria to remove the majority-Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which Turkey sees as a security threat due to its links to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), an armed group that has been at war in Turkey for over three decades.

Lebanese Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil said it was time for Syria to rejoin the Arab League, Al-Arabiya reported, with Aboul Gheit stating that Syria’s return to the league is subject to required measures that the authorities in Damascus will be required to take. Iraq’s Foreign Minister Mohamad Ali al-Hakim said that Baghdad is set to submit a formal request for Syria’s return to the Arab League. Saudi Arabia’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Adel al-Jubeir on Saturday echoed a previous condemnation by the kingdom, stating that Riyadh condemns the Turkish offensive in northeast Syria. Saudi Arabia demands an immediate halt to the military operations, al-Jubeir said, adding that the incursion is causing the Syrian people further suffering. The UAE’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash also condemned the Turkish incursion, calling on the international community to shoulder its responsibilities to stop the Turkish attacks on Syria. “We call for the exit of Turkey and its forces, as well as all foreign forces that have violated this Arab country – and to push for a successful political solution,” the minister said. Bahrain rejects any aggression by any party against Arab countries, the country’s Foreign Minister Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa said on Saturday, further calling on the countries’ to maintain and confront any threats to Arab national security.

by independent.co.uk — Robert Fisk @indyvoices — I sniffed something was wrong in Lebanon when the central bank governor Riad Salame announced to us all that there were plenty of dollars in the system. No shortages. No tightening of the purse strings. I still have the papers with his announcement on page one. Both before, during and after the 1975-1990 civil war, you’ve been able to pay for anything here in Lebanon in US dollars: dinner bills, rent, militias, guns (during the war), cars, airline tickets, groceries. The Lebanese pound fell amid the conflict but settled afterwards – courtesy of the country’s billionaire prime minister Rafiq Hariri – at 1,500 “lebs” to the dollar. And everyone was happy. You knew that the cheerful local currency, splashed with colourful cedar trees, Roman ruins and Phoenician figurines, was interchangeable with the greenback. General Grant’s face was equal to 75,000 lebs. We even combined them in our change.

Until I walked up the road to my local ATM last week, inserted my bank card, demanded $400, was given the usual warning that this would attract an extra $5 from the machine – and was then presented with a terse voice message: “Your transaction has been cancelled.” The accent was American, of course. I tried again, at $200. Same problem. I’ve always been enthralled by the linguistics of banking. A “transaction” has held a certain thrall for me. A transaction should surely be the purchase of a property, the buying of shares, the takeover of a mega company. But by the end of my miserable ATM trip, I put in for 400,000 Lebanese pounds ($266) and was treated to a wad of those beautiful Lebanese notes with their pictures of the Baalbek ruins, museum masterpieces and, indeed, illustrations of Salame’s Lebanese central bank. My “transaction” had been completed. In other words, there were not many dollars in the system. And this is where the Lebanese economic story starts to go downhill.

BEIRUT (Reuters) By Tom Perry, Jonathan Spicer — – Lebanese Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri said on Tuesday the United Arab Emirates has promised investments and financial aid to his deeply indebted country, though work remains to seal the deal, after two days of high-stakes talks in Abu Dhabi. Hariri, who led a Lebanese delegation to the allied Gulf state, was seeking funds to stem a sharp loss of investor and depositor confidence that has pressured Lebanon’s currency and strained its lenders and central bank. While the UAE had made no announcement about funding by Tuesday evening, any sort of relief could buy Beirut time as it looks to shore up dollar reserves and begin enacting fiscal reforms it has long promised with little progress. “The Emiratis promised investments and financial assistance,” he was quoted as saying in an official transcript of his comments to reporters in Abu Dhabi.

While the talks with the Emiratis were positive, Beirut “has to do some things to encourage them” to invest in Lebanon, Hariri added, without providing details. “We are negotiating with them the investments they want to make in various sectors, in addition to financial investments in some banks or in the central bank,” he was quoted as saying in the transcript published by his office. Faced with one of the world’s highest debt burdens, low growth and crumbling infrastructure, Beirut has vowed to implement long-delayed reforms to narrow its budget and current-account deficits, though little has so far been done. The country, which has a debt-to-GDP ratio around 150%, is also seeking to reverse a sharp loss of confidence in the Lebanese pound. Its central bank has been drawing down its foreign exchange reserves to repay the state’s maturing debt, and has promised to do more.