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EU crisis management chief Hadja Lahbib announced a 235 million euro aid package for Syria and neighbouring countries on Friday during the first visit by a senior EU official since Bashar al-Assad’s ouster.The trip comes two weeks after foreign ministers from France and Germany visited, calling for a peaceful, inclusive transition, amid a flurry of diplomatic activity by countries seeking to engage with war-torn Syria’s new authorities.”I come here to announce a new package of humanitarian aid of 235 million euros ($242 million) in Syria and in neighbouring countries,” Lahbib told a press conference in Damascus after meeting Syria’s new leader Ahmed al-Sharaa.”Our funding will contribute to basic needs like shelter, food, clean water, sanitation, health care, education and emergencies among others,” she said.Neighbouring countries have taken in millions of Syrian refugees over the years.”We count on the authorities to ensure unrestricted and safe access for humanitarian actors to all regions of Syria including those in hard-to-reach and conflict-affected areas” in the east, Lahbib added.Sharaa’s Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) led the rebel offensive that ousted Assad on December 8. An interim government has been appointed to steer the country until March 1.HTS, which has roots in the Syrian branch of Al-Qaeda, has sought to reassure minorities that they will not be harmed and that the rule of law will be respected.”We are at a turning point and the decisions that will be taken in the coming days and months will be crucial,” Lahbib said.- Sanctions -Her meetings were also expected to focus on the future of the sweeping economic sanctions that the 27-nation bloc imposed on Syria during Assad’s rule.The transitional government has been lobbying to have the sanctions lifted, but some European governments have been hesitant, wanting time to see how the new authorities exercise their power.”We want to see a bright future for Syria and for that, we need to see the rule of law being respected, human rights, women’s rights,” Lahbib said.”What I’ve heard from the mouth of the current authorities (is) really encouraging… Now we need action.”Let’s help Syria but without being naive,” she said.EU foreign ministers are expected to discuss proposals to ease some measures at a meeting in Brussels on January 27 but Lahbib warned: “We will need unanimity to lift the sanctions”. burs-lg-ob/kir/jsa

France’s president said Friday that Paris will soon host an aid conference to help rebuild Lebanon after the Israel-Hezbollah war last year, as he visited Beirut in a show of support for Lebanon’s new leaders.After a vacancy of more than two years, Joseph Aoun was elected president on January 9 and named Nawaf Salam as prime minister-designate.”In the middle of winter, spring has sprung,” Macron said at a joint press conference with his Lebanese counterpart.”You are this hope,” he said, referring to Aoun and Salam.The new prime minister faces the monumental task of forming a government to oversee reconstruction after the Israel-Hezbollah conflict ended in November, and implement reforms demanded by international creditors in return for a desperately needed financial bailout.At the French embassy on Friday evening, Macron said he was convinced a government would emerge in “the coming days”.Salam, a former presiding judge at the International Court of Justice, separately said consultations with all political sides on potential cabinet line-ups this week had been “more than positive”.Earlier in the day, Macron had pledged to help drum up financial aid at an international reconstruction conference when Aoun comes to Paris “in a few weeks’ time”.”The international community must prepare for massive support to the reconstruction of infrastructure,” he said.Analysts say Hezbollah’s weakening in the war last year allowed Lebanon’s deeply divided parliament to elect Aoun and back his naming of Salam as premier.- ‘Long-lasting’ ceasefire -France administered Lebanon for two decades after World War I, and the two countries have maintained close relations.Earlier in the day, Macron strolled through the Gemmayzeh neighbourhood, near the port of Beirut, posing for photographs and selfies with eager members of the public, and downing small cups of coffee offered to him along the way.In August 2020, he was the first foreign leader to visit the neighbourhood days after it was devastated by a massive explosion at the port.Four years later, Lebanese pushed through the crowd to speak to him.”Please help us to form a new government able to bring my daughter back to Lebanon,” one woman said, explaining that her child had moved to France to study after being wounded in the huge blast.An elderly lady called the French president “adorable”.”Lebanon is dear to my heart,” Macron replied.Families of the more than 22 people killed in the explosion are hopeful after a long-stalled inquiry into the disaster resumed on Thursday.Macron said he would later meet UN chief Antonio Guterres, as a January 26 deadline to fully implement the Hezbollah-Israel ceasefire approaches.With just over a week to go, he called for accelerated implementation of the truce.”There have been results… but they must be accelerated and long-lasting. There needs to be complete withdrawal of Israeli forces, and the Lebanese army must hold a total monopoly of any weapons” in south Lebanon, he said.Under the terms of the deal, the Lebanese army is to deploy alongside UN peacekeepers in the south as the Israeli army withdraws.At the same time, Hezbollah is required to dismantle any remaining military infrastructure it has in the south and pull its forces back north of the Litani River, some 30 kilometres (20 miles) from the border.- ‘Continued occupation’ -Speaking to UN peacekeepers in south Lebanon, Guterres urged an end to Israel’s “continued occupation” and “military operations” in south Lebanon.He also said that UN peacekeepers “uncovered over 100 weapons caches belonging to Hezbollah or other armed groups” since the November 27 ceasefire.He added that the “presence of armed personnel, assets and weapons” other than those of the Lebanese army and UN peacekeepers violated the terms of the UN Security Council resolution that formed the basis for the deal.Hezbollah is the only group in Lebanon that did not surrender its weapons to the state following the 1975-1990 civil war.It has played a key role in politics for decades, flexing its power in governmental institutions while engaging in fighting with the Israeli military.

Iranians and Israelis have been banned from flying to Syria, which is under new leadership since last month’s overthrow of longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad, an airport source said.International flights resumed at Syria’s main airport in Damascus on January 7, almost a month after Islamist-led rebels ousted Assad after a lightning offensive.Just a few airlines have since resumed or announced they will resume flights to Syria.A Damascus airport source said the facility’s authorities told airlines operating in Syria not to allow Israelis and Iranians to board flights to the country.The source, not being authorised to brief the media, spoke on condition of anonymity on Thursday.Syria and Israel are technically at war and do not have diplomatic ties, and Israeli nationals have long been unable to enter the country.Iran was a major backer of Assad’s government, but Damascus-Tehran relations have been on ice since Assad’s overthrow.Two airlines appeared to be complying with the measures, which Syria’s interim authorities have not announced publicly.A travel company source in Damascus said the firm “received instructions from Qatar Airlines indicating it is currently not possible to book flights for Iranians wishing to travel to Damascus”.”However, we have not received any related official instructions from the transport ministry,” the source added, also requesting anonymity.Qatar Airways was the first international carrier to announce it would resume flying to Damascus.Turkish Airlines said Wednesday it would resume flights to Damascus from January 23 after more than a decade.A statement on the Turkish Airlines website said that “in accordance with recent decisions taken by the Syrian Arab Republic authorities, certain rules have been established for passengers entering Syria”.”Citizens of all countries except Israel can enter the country,” it said.However, it also said that Iranians “can only enter the country with prior authorisation”, rather than indicating they had been banned.

Thousands of Yemenis crowded the capital Sanaa Friday to express their support for the Iran-backed Huthi rebels, who say they will maintain pressure on Israel despite the imminent Gaza ceasefire.Every week for the past 15 months, people have filled the centre of the rebel-held city on the Muslim day of prayer and rest to chant their backing for the Palestinians.This week, with the ceasefire awaiting final Israeli cabinet approval before coming into effect on Sunday, was no different.The agreement brokered between Israel and Hamas would see hostages held in war-devastated Gaza being exchanged for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.”We’re here to celebrate the victory (of the Palestinians) and of our missiles and drones which forced Israel to halt its aggression in Gaza,” said one demonstrator, Zeid al-Astout.A Huthi rebel, Khaled al-Matri, told AFP he supported the ceasefire deal for Gaza.But he added: “We will not give in until the disappearance of the Zionist state, God willing”, before breaking into chants of “Death to America, death to Israel!”Since the war in the Gaza Strip began after Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, the Huthis have fired dozens of missiles and attack drones at Israel.They have also targeted shipping in the key Red Sea and Gulf of Aden waterways that are vital to world trade.The Huthis, who say their action is in solidarity with the Palestinians, have themselves seen their positions in Yemen hit by US, Israeli and sometimes British air strikes.On Thursday, rebel leader Abdulmalik al-Huthi in a televised address threatened to keep up their attacks if Israel does not respect the ceasefire with Hamas.”We will watch the implementation of the agreement, and if there are any Israeli breaches, massacres or attacks, we will be ready to provide military support to the Palestinian people,” he said.It was a speech “full of defiance”, said Mohammed Albasha, founder of the US-based risk consultancy Basha Report.- ‘Axis of Resistance’ -He said the Huthi leader’s speech suggested “the potential mobilisation of up to one million fighters and a readiness to expand operations if challenged”.Basha said the Huthis “stand ready for future rounds of confrontation”.The Huthis, originally from northern Yemen, form part of the Iran-backed “Axis of Resistance”, which also includes Hamas and the Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon.The Huthis ousted the Sanaa government in 2014 and later went on to seize large swathes of the impoverished Arabian Peninsula country.Unlike Hezbollah, which was severely weakened in fighting with Israel before a November 27 ceasefire, the Huthis “are now an indispensable member of the Axis of Resistance”, according to Thomas Juneau of the University of Ottawa.The specialist on Yemen said the Huthis have “become much more important for Iran”.Their defiance in attacking Israel and its ally the United States over the Gaza war has boosted their popularity in Yemen, a poor nation of 30 million people who are strongly pro-Palestinian.But backing for Yemen’s rebels is not universal.”The Huthis have never done anything positive. Their support for Gaza is the only thing enabling them to polish up their image,” said 36-year-old Assem Mohammed from the Huthi-controlled Red Sea port city of Hodeida.Hanaa Abdel Rahman, a teacher who is also from Hodeida, spoke of “this emotional boost (for the Huthis) because of their support for Palestine”.She thought Huthi attacks on Israel would continue, despite the Gaza ceasefire.”I expect they will continue to threaten or to retaliate,” she said, adding that she fears a conflagration in Yemen which has suffered a decade of civil war.Thomas Juneau believes the Huthi attacks may cease in the short term, but he doubts this will be permanent.”Given their regional objectives and their ideology, it is likely that they will, at some point in the future, again use the threat of attacks in the Red Sea to pressure Israel”, the United States or Saudi Arabia, he said.

London’s benchmark FTSE 100 and Frankfurt’s DAX 40 index reached all-time highs Friday as global equities rallied and the dollar climbed on renewed optimism for the global economy.The UK’s index of blue-chip companies jumped to 8,533.43 points, surpassing an intra-day record achieved in May last year of 8,474.41. “After years of trying, and failing, to play …

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Russia and Iran signed a new treaty on Friday underpinning their economic and military cooperation, in what both sides cast as a major milestone in their relations.Moscow has looked to the Islamic republic as a strategic ally since sending troops into Ukraine in February 2022, worrying Western officials who see both as malign actors on the world stage.The two sides agreed to help each other counter common “security threats”, according to a copy of the text published by the Kremlin. But they stopped short of a mutual defence pact like the one signed between Russia and North Korea last year.They also agreed that if either side was subjected to aggression, the other would not provide “assistance to the aggressor”.Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Iranian counterpart Masoud Pezeshkian, who signed the agreement together at a ceremony in the Kremlin, both hailed the accord as a new chapter in their ties.”This truly breakthrough document is aimed at creating the necessary conditions for the stable and sustainable development of Russia and Iran and our entire Eurasian region,” Putin said.Pezeshkian said the pact would “open a new chapter in relations between Iran and Russia in all fields, especially in the field of economic cooperation.”- ‘All areas’ -The two sides agreed to “support trade and economic cooperation in all areas”, a key point as both sides ramp up trade in the face of heavy Western sanctions on their energy industry.They also agreed to cooperate on training military personnel, as well as to formalise the docking of warships and vessels at each others’ ports.The agreement did not explicitly reference the exchange of weapons, an area of cooperation that the West has slapped with sanctions.Iran has already supplied Russia with self-detonating “Shahed” drones that Moscow fires on Ukraine in nightly barrages, according to Ukrainian and Western officials.Sitting next to Putin in the Kremlin after signing the treaty, Pezeshkian called for a political settlement to end the nearly three-year conflict.”I would like to remind that war is not a suitable solution to solve problems and we welcome negotiations and achieving peace between the two countries of Russia and Ukraine,” he said.Moscow and Tehran had been working on a new treaty for years. Their previous relationship was governed by a 2001 document they have renewed periodically.They share a complicated history. Iran and Russia fought wars in the 18th and 19th centuries over land in the Caucasus, and the Soviet Union and Britain launched a joint invasion of Persia during World War II.- ‘Global hegemony’ -Russian President Vladimir Putin has made building ties with Iran, China and North Korea a cornerstone of his foreign policy as he seeks to challenge what he calls as a US-led “global hegemony” and amid his Ukraine offensive.Tehran has also sought closer ties with Moscow, after suffering a series of foreign policy setbacks last year.A rebel offensive overthrew Russian and Iranian-backed Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad last month, and a war between Israel and Tehran-ally Hezbollah substantially weakened the Islamist militant group.Speaking ahead of a fragile truce between Israel and the Iran-backed Hamas that was due to come into force, Pezeshkian said he hoped a “permanent ceasefire will be established in Gaza and the aggressions on this land will end”.Putin also expressed hope for a “long-term stabilisation” in Gaza and called for the world not to “weaken efforts for a comprehensive settlement of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict on the basis of international law”.Pezeshkian’s visit to Russia also comes just days before Iran-hawk Donald Trump returns to the White House.The US President-elect, who is seeking a rapid end to the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, has made repeated military threats against the Islamic republic.During his first term, the Republican pulled out of a multinational deal that provided Iran sanctions relief in exchange for restrictions on its nuclear programme.In 2020, Iranian Revolutionary Guards commander Qasem Soleimani was assassinated in a US drone strike in Iraq on Trump’s orders, prompting a wave of fury in Iran.Trump last year warned the US would “wipe (Iran) off the face of the Earth” if a recent alleged Iranian plot to kill him had been succesful.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Friday condemned what he called “the poison of antisemitism rising around the world” after a visit to Auschwitz-Birkenau, the former German Nazi concentration camp.His visit came as many international delegations are expected to attend the January 27 ceremony commemorating 80 years since the Soviet Red Army liberated the death camp built in occupied Poland.King Charles III will be among those attending the ceremony, Buckingham Palace said Monday, in his first visit to the former camp.”Time and again we condemn this hatred, and we boldly say ‘never again’,” Starmer said in a statement following his visit.”But where is never again, when we see the poison of antisemitism rising around the world” in the aftermath of October 7th, he added.The Gaza war began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas staged the deadliest attack in Israeli history.The attack resulted in the deaths of 1,210 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of official Israeli figures.Israel’s retaliatory campaign has left 46,876 people dead, the majority civilians, according to the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza, figures the UN has described as reliable.Last week, the Polish government said it would grant free access to Israeli officials wanting to attend the commemoration, despite a warrant issued in November by the International Criminal Court for the arrest of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said he had information from the Israeli embassy that the country would be represented by its education minister.The International Criminal Court (ICC) issued the warrant in November over the Gaza war, prompting outrage from Israel and its allies.Auschwitz has become a symbol of Nazi Germany’s genocide of six million European Jews, one million of whom died at the site between 1940 and 1945, along with more than 100,000 non-Jews.

Chief prosecutor at the International Criminal Court Karim Khan met Syria’s new leader Ahmed al-Sharaa on Friday, state media reported, as last month’s ouster of Bashar al-Assad sparks hopes for justice.Sharaa and Syria’s Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani met “a delegation from the International Criminal Court, headed” by Khan, state news agency SANA reported, also publishing images of the meeting.A statement from Khan’s office said he “travelled to Damascus at the invitation of the Syrian Transitional Government”.It said the visit aimed to discuss how the office “can offer its partnership in support of the efforts of Syrian authorities towards accountability for alleged crimes committed in the country”.Sharaa’s Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham led the rebel alliance that toppled Assad on December 8, more than 13 years after the brutal repression of anti-government protests triggered a war that would kill more than 500,000 people.Tens of thousands of people were detained and tortured in the country’s jails, while Assad has been accused of using chemical weapons, including the banned sarin gas, against his own people.”The Prosecutor was grateful for the open and constructive discussions during his visit, during which follow-up actions were put in place,” the statement from Khan’s office said.- ‘Transitional justice’ -The new authorities have pledged justice for victims of atrocities committed under Assad’s rule, vowing that officials involved in torturing detainees will not be pardoned and urging countries to “hand over any of those criminals who may have fled so they can be brought to justice”.The Hague-based ICC, which investigates war crimes, had been unable to investigate Syria because Damascus never ratified the Rome Statute, the tribunal’s founding treaty.With Assad gone, there could now be a national accountability process in Syria and steps could be taken to finally grant the ICC jurisdiction to prosecute crimes committed in the country.During a visit to Damascus on Wednesday, UN rights chief Volker Turk said transitional justice was “crucial” for Syria after Assad’s fall, during the first-ever visit by someone in his post to the country.Last month, Turk said he would “strongly encourage” the new Syrian authorities to ratify the ICC statute, stressing the need to “build up a domestic legal system that allows for fair trials”.Also in December, the visiting head of a UN investigative body for Syria said it was possible to find “more than enough” evidence to convict people of violating international law.- Evidence -But preserving evidence would “need a lot of coordination between all the different actors”, said Robert Petit, who heads the International Impartial and Independent Mechanism (IIIM) set up by the UN in 2016 to prepare prosecutions for major international crimes in Syria.With families rushing to former prisons, detention centres and alleged mass graves to find any trace of disappeared relatives, many have expressed concern about safeguarding documents and other evidence.A UN investigator this month expressed hope of a “good relationship” with Syria’s new rulers as he wrapped up a first visit by his inquiry team, which was barred by Assad.Hanny Megally, of the UN Syria Commission of Inquiry, expressed optimism that “we have an interlocutor we can work with”.The commission has been gathering evidence of crimes committed in Syria since the early days of the conflict.Repeated calls over the years for the situation in war-torn Syria to be referred to the ICC fell on deaf ears as the UN Security Council remained deadlocked.In 2014, Damascus allies Beijing and Moscow blocked a draft Security Council resolution on referring Syria to the ICC.

Donald Trump’s economic plans risk reigniting US inflation, International Monetary Fund (IMF) chief economist Pierre-Olivier Gourinchas told AFP, a few days before the president-elect returns to the White House. Trump’s proposals to hike tariffs and curtail immigration would likely constrain the supply side of the economy and push up prices, Gourinchas said in an interview.Other proposals …

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