English LCCC Newsbulletin For Lebanese, Lebanese Related, Global News & Editorials
For June 10/2023
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
#elias_bejjani_news

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15 آذار/2023

Bible Quotations For today
An hour is coming when those who kill you will think that by doing so they are offering worship to God
John 16/01-04: “‘I have said these things to you to keep you from stumbling. They will put you out of the synagogues. Indeed, an hour is coming when those who kill you will think that by doing so they are offering worship to God. And they will do this because they have not known the Father or me. But I have said these things to you so that when their hour comes you may remember that I told you about them. ‘I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you.”

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on June 09-10/2023
Israeli troops fire tear gas at Lebanese protesting against border digging
UNIFIL appeals for restraint near Blue Line to decrease tension
After meeting Jumblat, Bkerki delegation meets Berri in Ain el-Tineh
Productive meeting of Bishops: Patience urged amid presidential nomination controversy
Democratic Gathering nominates Azour for presidency
Berri: No candidate will get 65 votes in first round
Presidential nominee Azour temporarily steps away from IMF role
Upcoming visit of new French envoy Jean-Yves Le Drian to Beirut: Date yet to be confirmed
Report: Aoun told Assad he doesn't believe Azour will be president
Geagea: MPs who won't vote for Azour or Franjieh would be choosing vacuum
Hope despite pain: Retrospective exhibition by Majd Kurdieh starts in Beirut
Lebanon's displacement crisis in focus at Brussels conference on Syrian refugees
Prime Minister Mikati's stance on military and security promotions
Road-map for prosperity: Lebanon's participation in Iraq's "Road to Development" project
Beirut Governor orders sealing and closure of unauthorized public parking lots

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on June 09-10/2023
Iran and US explore temporary nuclear agreement
Fighting rages in southern Ukraine as offensive expectations build
Russia has received hundreds of Iranian drones to attack Ukraine: White House
Thousands face the deluge after dam collapse in Russian-occupied Ukraine
3 wounded as drone hits residential building in southwestern Russia
After Saudi visit, Blinken raises Palestinian state with Israel PM
Saudi FM says kingdom seeks US nuclear aid but 'others' also bidding
US-Saudi ties strong despite differing views on OPEC+ oil production cut: Blinken
Warring parties in Sudan agree to 24-hour ceasefire – Saudi Arabia, US statement
Former British prime minister Boris Johnson resigns as MP
Palestinian killed by Israeli forces in West Bank
Erdogan appoints Hafize Gaye Erkan as governor of Turkiye’s central
Egypt 'national dialogue' kicks off with wave of arrests
Child victims of stabbing attack in France still in critical condition

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on June 09-10/2023
Taqiyya: Iran Actually Boasts About Deceiving the West in Nuclear Talks/Raymond Ibrahim/Gatestone Institute./June 09/2023
Five Reasons Why the ‘Christian’ Child Stabber in France May Really Be ‘Muslim’/Raymond Ibrahim/PJ Media/June 09/2023
A little white pill, Captagon, gives Syria’s Assad a strong tool in winning over Arab states/AP/June 09/2023
Whoever blew up that dam, this summer will be tough in Ukraine/Luke Coffey/Arab News/June 09, 2023
Ankara adopts a trio approach in foreign policy/Sinem Cengiz/Arab News/June 09, 2023

Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on June 09-10/2023
Israeli troops fire tear gas at Lebanese protesting against border digging
Najia Houssari/Arab News/June 09, 2023
rmed Friday prayers in Kfarchouba to protest against the Israeli operation
BEIRUT: Lebanon’s southern border area near the town of Kfarchouba was tense on Friday as residents protested against Israeli bulldozers operating close to the so-called “Blue Line” that separates liberated and occupied areas. It prompted the Lebanese army to send patrols to the area in coordination with the UN peacekeeping force known as UNIFIL. Residents of Kfarchouba, Chebaa, Kfarhamam and villages around the mostly Sunni town of Aarqoub performed Friday prayers in Kfarchouba to protest against the Israeli operation. MP Kassem Hachem and Sheikh Hassan Dallah, the mufti of Hasbayya and Marjaayoun, criticized the bulldozing by the “enemy” and called on UNIFIL troops “to put an end to the Israeli violations of Lebanese sovereignty.” Many citizens tried to cross the border line marked by UNIFIL to remove the biggest part of a separating fence, but were met by volleys of tear gas from the Israeli troops. Mohammed Mortada, Lebanon’s caretaker culture minister, said: “Are the Israelis as stupid as to think that tear gas canisters will stop landowners and right holders from responding to their violations?”
The Israeli army said that it was responding to “riots” and claimed that two Lebanese soldiers “pointed two RPG weapons toward an Israeli patrol” in the Chebaa farms area. There was however no direct confrontation between the two sides.
Ismail Nasser, a 58-year-old retired soldier from Kfarchouba, defied Israeli tear gas to stand in front of a bulldozer and prevent it from digging further. A video showed Nasser’s actions, with the bulldozer driver trying to move forward and throw dirt at him, before he was pulled away by bystanders.
Nasser said that the land being bulldozed by Israel belonged to him and his ancestors. A Lebanese security source told Arab News that Israel had been “unusually active” for more than a week in Aarqoub, especially in the hills of Kfarchouba. “They are trying to change the features of the region by digging trenches and removing rocks in order to extend a new two-kilometer iron fence between the Al-Sammaqah site and Bawabat Hassan adjacent to the Baathael pond in Kfarchouba,” the source said. The non-demarcated area belonging to the residents of Kfarchouba is about 8 km. Israeli forces occupied the Syrian portion of the Kfarchouba heights and the surrounding agricultural land in 1973 but withdrew after signing the Agreement on Disengagement with Syria in 1974. Kfarchouba witnessed a fierce battle in 1976 when Palestinian commandos expelled occupying Israeli forces from the town. Two years later, Israel invaded the Lebanese border area as part of Operation Litani and occupied several regions including Kfarchouba. In 2000, the Israeli army withdrew from the majority of the Lebanese southern towns and a withdrawal line — known as the Blue Line — was created.
The Kfarchouba hills and the Chebaa farms were not among the freed regions, as the UN considered their status to be part of a future solution for the Israeli-Syrian conflict. However, the Lebanese government and Hezbollah declared this region occupied Lebanese territory. UNIFIL’s spokesperson Andrea Tenenti said: “UNIFIL peacekeepers have been on the ground from the very beginning to ensure that cessation of hostilities is maintained, restore stability and help decrease tension. “We urge the parties to use our coordination mechanisms effectively to prevent misunderstandings, and violations, and contribute to the preservation of stability in the area. “UNIFIL is in contact with the parties, and is actively seeking solutions. We call upon both sides to exercise restraint and avoid actions along the Blue Line that may escalate tensions.”
UNIFIL’s yearly mandate is set to be renewed next September. The last renewal included a mandate from the UN Security Council granting greater freedom to operate independently, and without coordinating with the Lebanese army.

UNIFIL appeals for restraint near Blue Line to decrease tension
Naharnet/June 09, 2023
UNIFIL Head of Mission and Force Commander Major General Aroldo Lázaro has chaired a regular Tripartite meeting with senior officers of the Lebanese Armed Forces and the Israeli army at a U.N. position in Ras al-Naqoura. “During the last couple of months, there have been a number of concerning developments along the Blue Line” he said. “Despite these events, active engagement has contributed to the prevention of potential escalation and helped maintain stability.” The UNIFIL head highlighted the breach in the cessation of hostilities, which occurred on 6 April 2023, noting increased tension along the Blue Line. “I strongly encourage the parties to continue to avail of our liaison and coordination mechanisms while avoiding unilateral actions,” Lázaro added. During the meeting, the UNIFIL chief acknowledged the efforts made by the parties to de-escalate situations calling on them to refrain from taking measures close to the Blue Line that can lead to misunderstandings, violations and increased tension. “I continue to appeal for engagement in Blue Line talks to address outstanding issues,” he noted. “Our efforts need to be forward looking and focused on solutions – getting beyond the immediate incidents and looking to how we resolve them. This is a vital chance to remove sources of friction from the Blue Line. It is an opportunity that should not be squandered.”Discussions during the meeting also focused on the situation along the Blue Line, air and ground violations, and other issues within the scope of UNIFIL’s mandate under U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701 (2006) and subsequent resolutions. Since the end of the 2006 war in south Lebanon, regular Tripartite meetings have been held under UNIFIL’s auspices as an essential conflict-management and confidence-building mechanism. Thursday’s meeting was the 161st such meeting. UNIFIL is the only forum through which the Lebanese and Israeli armies officially meet.

After meeting Jumblat, Bkerki delegation meets Berri in Ain el-Tineh
Naharnet/June 09, 2023
Bishop Paul Abdel Sater and bishop Maroun Ammar met Friday in Ain el-Tineh with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, on behalf of Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi. Abdel Sater and Ammar had met Thursday with outgoing Progressive Socialist party leader Walid Jumblat and Abdel Sater had earlier met with Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah. After a trip last week to Paris and to the Vatican, al-Rahi announced that France and the Vatican had asked him to talk to all of the country’s “components” regarding the presidential file.
“We will talk to everyone without exception, even to Hezbollah,” al-Rahi said. Al-Rahi had tried several times to send a delegation to meet Berri but his previous attempts had failed, MTV said, as Berri was dismayed that al-Rahi reportedly accused him of not wanting to call for a session to elect a president.

Productive meeting of Bishops: Patience urged amid presidential nomination controversy
LBCI/June 09, 2023
Following the discussions held in the Vatican and Paris regarding the necessity of dialogue in the presidential file, Bishop Paul Abdel Sater met with Hezbollah's Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah on Saturday. Subsequently, Maronite Patriarch Cardinal Bechara Boutros al-Rahi's envoys, Bishop Abdel Sater and Bishop Maroun Ammar, visited Ain el-Tineh after meeting with Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblatt on Thursday. This visit was a response to the tension expressed by Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri towards the Maronite Patriarchate. Deputy Speaker Elias Bou Saab acted as a mediator in this matter. The meeting was productive and lasted for thirty-five minutes. The Bishops chose not to make any statements, leaving the matter to be addressed by the Patriarchate. Meanwhile, it has been learned that Berri affirmed his commitment to nominate Sleiman Frangieh, the leader of the Marada Movement. Sources close to Ain el-Tineh urged patience on the session's results and cautioned against relying on the rumors suggesting a clear advantage for candidate Jihad Azour. They emphasized the importance of waiting for the numbers that Frangieh would receive. As the number of undecided parliamentarians for the Wednesday session decreases, there are ongoing communications among the MPs who still need to determine their stances ranging between twenty and twenty-five.
However, the available data indicate two tendencies among the undecided MPs. The first suggests leaning towards a third option, either Neemat Frem or Ziad Baroud. The second proposes writing a specific slogan to create distance from the current alignment and avoid casting a blank vote. In addition, there are efforts to attract two or more Change MPs to vote for Jihad Azour, but the results have not appeared yet. It is worth noting that six Change MPs are coordinating to adopt a unified stance. According to Lebanese Forces Party leader Samir Geagea, those who desire effective elections must choose between the presented candidates; otherwise, they are essentially voting to maintain the presidential vacuum. Geagea considered any attempt to evade responsibility in order to pave the way for another name with no chance of reaching Baabda Palace completely inappropriate.

Democratic Gathering nominates Azour for presidency
Naharnet/June 09, 2023
The Democratic Gathering bloc of the Progressive Socialist Party has officially nominated ex-minister Jihad Azour for the presidency, noting that “ex-MP Walid Jumblat was the first to propose his nomination as part of a package of names that he discussed with the various political forces.”Jumblat’s aim was to reach “consensus and end the approach of confrontation,” the bloc said in a statement issued after a meeting in Clemenceau attended by Jumblat and his son MP Taymour Jumblat. “Supporting Azour does not mean at all that we are part of any alignment, seeing as we were the first to propose him before he was endorsed by any other party,” the bloc added. Stressing its “commitment to dialogue to reach the aspired consensus,” the bloc expressed its surprise that “Azour has been considered a confrontation candidate,” calling on all forces to “adhere to the approach of real dialogue to finalize the presidential juncture as soon as possible.”

Berri: No candidate will get 65 votes in first round
Naharnet/June 09, 2023
Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri has stressed that the June 14 presidential election session will be held and that all scenarios will be possible during it, in remarks to his visitors published Friday in al-Akhbar newspaper. Asked about the Democratic Gathering’s announcement that it would vote for Jihad Azour, Berri said that he was told Monday that the Gathering would cast blank votes, voicing surprise over the new stance. Moreover, Berri said that he does not believe any of the two candidates would receive two thirds of the votes or 65 votes in the session’s first round. “The first round’s calculations will be different than those of the second,” he added. Noting that “many MPs will cast blank votes to conceal their true stance,” Berri pointed out that “the session will unveil a part of the electoral game and the parties’ stances, but everyone knows that the settlement is not ripe yet.” As for Riyadh’s stance, Berri said that he has not been informed of any new Saudi stance and that the French stance is still unchanged as to “supporting the settlement that would carry Suleiman Franjieh to the Baabda Palace.”“The changes that happened in France are administrative and unrelated to the stance on the Lebanese juncture,” Berri added, referring to French President Emmanuel Macron’s appointment of ex-FM Jean-Yves Le Drian as his special envoy for Lebanon.

Presidential nominee Azour temporarily steps away from IMF role
Agence France Presse/June 09, 2023
International Monetary Fund official Jihad Azour, who has been nominated for the long-vacant Lebanese presidency, has "temporarily relinquished" his responsibilities at the lender, an official at the body said. "In order to avoid any perception of conflict of interest, the director of the Middle East and Central Asia department has temporarily relinquished his responsibilities at the IMF," said the organization's director of strategic communications Julie Kozack, referring to Azour. "He is on leave," she added. Azour, who served as Lebanon's finance minister from 2005 to 2008, has yet to officially announce a presidential bid. Lebanon, mired in a crippling economic crisis since late 2019, has been without a president for more than seven months, and has been run by a caretaker government since May last year. The international community has urged Lebanese officials to avoid a prolonged presidential vacuum and enact key reforms required to unlock much-needed IMF loans. Lawmakers have made 11 failed attempts to elect a new head of state, as bitter divisions prevent any single candidate from garnering enough support. Parliament speaker Nabih Berri has scheduled a new vote on the presidency for next week. On Sunday, a group of 32 Christian and independent legislators endorsed Azour after weeks of negotiations. On Thursday, Hezbollah's parliamentary bloc renewed its support for Marada leader Suleiman Franjieh, saying in a statement that it considered him "a natural candidate who is reassuring for a large segment of Lebanon".
The Shiite movement's key Christian ally, the Free Patriotic Movement, has said it would support Azour, and the Democratic Gathering bloc announced Thursday that it would also endorse Azour. French President Emmanuel Macron this week named his former foreign minister Jean-Yves Le Drian as his personal envoy for Lebanon, in a new bid to end the country's political crisis. Last month, the United States urged Lebanese politicians to elect a new president "to unite the country" and swiftly enact reforms. "Lebanon's leaders must not put their personal interests and ambitions above the interests of their country and people," State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said.

Upcoming visit of new French envoy Jean-Yves Le Drian to Beirut: Date yet to be confirmed
LBCI/June 09, 2023
There is no specific date for the arrival of the new French envoy, Jean-Yves Le Drian, in Beirut, but a French source has confirmed that his visit will be very soon. The source revealed that Le Drian does not carry a new initiative because the French initiative, which proposes Sleiman Frangieh as president, is still ongoing. However, Le Drian will conduct an exploratory tour involving political forces, followed by an evaluation process to determine whether France will propose a new initiative regarding the presidential issue. The French source also pointed out that another factor that will play a role in any new French proposal is the outcome of the parliamentary session scheduled for June 14. In addition, the French source welcomed the opposition's choice of Jihad Azour as a candidate, stating that this choice will lead to a democratic contest that proves democracy is still alive in Lebanon. He also mentioned that French movements are coordinated with the other four countries that participated in the Paris Quincy meeting: the United States, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Egypt. Nonetheless, he stated that there is currently no specific date or location for convening a new Quincy meeting, but it could happen at any moment.
The French source emphasized that Le Drian is a notable French envoy to Lebanon, replacing Pierre Dukan with broader powers, including politics, economy, and social affairs.

Report: Aoun told Assad he doesn't believe Azour will be president
Naharnet/June 09, 2023
Ex-president Michel Aoun told Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in their meeting on Tuesday that the Free Patriotic Movement’s rapprochement with the Lebanese Forces, the Kataeb Party, the Progressive Socialist Party and the Change bloc is not aimed at securing the election of Jihad Azour as president but rather at diminishing Suleiman Franjieh’s chances, a media report said. The longer-term objective is to “agree later on a third candidate,” al-Akhbar newspaper quoted Aoun as telling Assad. The former president added that he does not believe that Azour will become president, the daily added.
Assad for his part advised Aoun to talk to Hezbollah, voicing surprise over “the agreement between the FPM and Lebanese parties that antagonize the FPM and its allies,” al-Akhbar said.

Geagea: MPs who won't vote for Azour or Franjieh would be choosing vacuum
Naharnet/June 09, 2023
Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea accused Friday those who don't want to vote for one of the two competing presidential candidates in June 14 session of participating in keeping the presidential vacuum. "Those who want real elections must choose one of the two candidates, otherwise they'd be voting for presidential vacuum," Geagea said. He added that the LF party has nominated former minister Jihad Azour, who is acceptable to some extent, to reach a possible solution and avoid vacuum. Lebanon, mired in a crippling economic crisis since late 2019, has been without a president for more than seven months.
The international community has urged Lebanese officials to avoid a prolonged presidential vacuum and enact key reforms required to unlock much-needed IMF loans. Parliament speaker Nabih Berri has scheduled a new vote on June 14, after 11 failed attempts to elect a new head of state.
On Sunday, 32 Christian and independent legislators endorsed Azour after weeks of negotiations. The Free Patriotic Movement and the Democratic Gathering bloc also said they would support Azour, while Hezbollah and Amal renewed their support for Marada leader Suleiman Franjieh.
Some change and independent MPs said they wouldn't vote for any of the two.

Hope despite pain: Retrospective exhibition by Majd Kurdieh starts in Beirut
Naharnet/June 09, 2023
A retrospective exhibition by Artist Majd Kurdieh has started in Beirut, presented by Fann à Porter in collaboration with Zaat. On the old walls of Assafir building in Hamra, visitors can follow nine years of the artist's creative journey. From black and white drawings to colorful breathtaking paintings with Arabic verses about love, hope, and friendship, Kurdieh's magical art will bewitch you.
-What's so special about it?-
Kurdieh has created simple, childish-like characters that easily enter everybody's heart. These characters can "steal your sadness" with their endless cuteness and deep philosophy.
-What inspired the artist?-
Sadness, that's where Kurdieh found his inspiration, he said. From that sadness, he painted hope, a sun, a butterfly, a flower, a sweet beloved, and a mouse who doesn't know what the impossible is. It reminds us of all the beautiful and innocent things in a life that might be sometimes very difficult to live.
"We are obliged to give some hope in order to make this life livable," Kurdieh told reporters.
-Reality through art-
"The concept of home, love, devotion and sadness ring strong in all his creations," Fann à Porter said on its social media account. "Kurdieh is masterful in his ability to express our realities through the strokes of his brush and the power of his words."The exhibition also features early studies by the artist, including the first sketches of his characters. It continues until June 26.

Lebanon's displacement crisis in focus at Brussels conference on Syrian refugees
LBCI/June 09, 2023
Lebanon is gearing up for the Brussels conference on Syrian refugees, scheduled to take place next week. The Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Minister, Abdallah Bou Habib, has been appointed by the Prime Minister to represent Lebanon at the conference. Bou Habib will present a unified working paper on behalf of the Lebanese government, which has been prepared in collaboration with the Prime Minister's team, the Social Affairs Ministry, the Displaced Ministry, and the Foreign Affairs Ministry. The working paper encompasses nine items that propose an approach to address the displacement issue effectively.
In light of the upcoming conference, the Cabinet has scheduled a session for next Tuesday to examine and approve the proposed displacement plan thoroughly. This session will take place before the Lebanese delegation departs for Brussels. Notably, the Social Affairs Minister will not be present during the Cabinet's session due to his participation in a separate conference in Brussels, where he will represent Lebanon personally, unrelated to the displacement matter.

Prime Minister Mikati's stance on military and security promotions
LBCI/June 09, 2023
The media office of Prime Minister Najib Mikati issued a statement saying: "Regarding the circulated positions attributed to the Prime Minister regarding the military and security promotions decree, sometimes attributed to informed, we would like to clarify that the Prime Minister's stance on the matter is formulated after consulting with the relevant parties to ensure the desired benefits for the military institutions. Any statements suggesting otherwise are mere speculation, leaks, or wishful thinking aimed at misrepresenting the Prime Minister's stance."

Road-map for prosperity: Lebanon's participation in Iraq's "Road to Development" project
LBCI/June 09, 2023
The "Road to Development" is not just a name but an Iraqi project worth $17 billion announced last May, which aims to connect the Grand Faw Port in southern Iraq to Turkey, reaching Europe, spanning 1,200 kilometers. Through this project, which requires three to five years to execute, Iraq aspires to become a link between the East and the West and a vital route for transporting goods. The project involves the participation of ten countries: Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Syria, Jordan, Turkey, and Iran. So, why are we talking about this road today? The news is about Lebanon joining the list of countries participating in the Road to Development, with Beirut and Tripoli's ports serving as maritime gateways to the road. A technical committee will head to Baghdad on Wednesday to participate in the Road to Development conference. However, consultations between Lebanon and Iraq have begun, and serious discussions are underway regarding Iraqi investments in the railway system to connect the ports of Beirut and Tripoli. There are also talks about establishing a free Iraqi economic zone in Lebanon. According to the Public Works Minister, Ali Hamieh, Lebanon will not impose transit fees on Iraqi trucks. This cooperation between the two countries is not the first and will not be the last, as Lebanon will provide services to Iraq in exchange for Iraqi fuel. This was witnessed by the Iraqi Transport Minister, Razzaq Al-Saadawi, during his visit to the Aviation Security Training Center (ASTC) on the airport premises. "There are significant capabilities we can benefit from in training Iraqi pilots," the Iraqi minister said. Thus, between Lebanon and Iraq, there are trade relations. Cooperation in various fields undoubtedly has a positive impact on a sustainable economy that contributes to regional integration.

Beirut Governor orders sealing and closure of unauthorized public parking lots
LBCI/June 09, 2023
The Public Relations Department of Beirut Municipality issued a statement revealing that, based on the inspection conducted by the Monitoring Department of the Classified Institutions Service at Beirut Municipality, under reference number 157/2023 AD, it was found that the uncovered public parking spaces in properties numbered 666, 1070, and 1071 in Mdaour are being exploited without a license and are not complying with the provisions of resolution No. 301/B dated 3/4/2023, particularly regarding the announcement and adherence to the official tariff in accordance with the proposal of the Classified Institutions Service Director. Beirut Governor Marwan Abboud issued resolution No. 484/B dated 26/5/2023 regarding the sealing and closure of a public parking lot in Beirut city, stating the following: Article 1: The public uncovered parking lot belonging to "Elite Group One SARL" located in properties numbered 666, 1070, and 1071 in Mdaour Real Estate Area, Pharaon Street, Mar Mikhael District, shall be closed and sealed. Article 2: It is strictly prohibited to remove, tamper with, or damage the seals under penalty of prosecution in accordance with Article 395 of the Penal Code. Article 3: The Classified Institutions Service is tasked with the execution of this resolution, with support from the Guard Regiment. Article 4: This decision shall be published and communicated wherever necessary.

Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on June 09-10/2023
Iran and US explore temporary nuclear agreement
LBCI/June 09, 2023
From a nuclear agreement between Iran and the United States in 2015, from which former US President Donald Trump withdrew in 2018, to a temporary agreement between them...Could this be the end of message transfer between the two countries through intermediaries regarding the nuclear file?
According to the British website "Middle East Eye," Tehran and Washington are approaching the conclusion of a temporary agreement. According to an Iranian official speaking to the same website, the talks took place directly on US soil. They included a delegation from the Iranian side led by Amir Saeid Iravani, Iran's recently appointed ambassador to the United Nations, and from the US side, Robert Malley, the US special envoy to Iran. The provisions of the temporary agreement, according to the same newspaper, include the following points:
- Iran's commitment to suspend its uranium enrichment activities and continue cooperating with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to monitor and verify its nuclear program.
- In return, Tehran is allowed to export up to one million barrels of oil per day and receive its proceeds.
- Tehran retrieves frozen funds abroad to be used exclusively to purchase essential goods, including medicines and food.
Both the Iranian and American sides denied what the British newspaper revealed. Through officials speaking to Reuters, Iran announced that there is progress in the nuclear file, but there is no imminent agreement. Notably, a third official did not deny the meeting between Malley and Iravani, explaining that they met three times last week. As for the US side, it also denied the accuracy of reports about the United States and Iran nearing a temporary agreement. Do these indications indicate a serious agreement, or is it just maneuvering?

Fighting rages in southern Ukraine as offensive expectations build
Agence France Presse/June 09, 2023
Fighting raged Friday in Ukraine's southern Zaporizhzhia region, a Russian official said, with observers seeing the combat as the possible start of Kyiv's long-expected offensive. Ukraine has not offered any confirmation but expectations have built for months over when its forces, bolstered with Western weapons and training, would launch a counter-offensive in a bid to reclaim land occupied by Russian forces. The fighting comes as the humanitarian and environmental cost climbed after the destruction of the Kakhovka dam unleashed destructive flooding in a different part of Ukraine's south. "At the moment, active combat is ongoing in the region between Orekhovo and Tokmak," Vladimir Rogov, an official with Russian occupation authorities, wrote on the Telegram messaging service, referring to a locality known in Ukrainian as Orikhiv. Alexander Sladkov, a correspondent for Russian media, wrote on Telegram of "intense fighting" in the area. "The enemy is undertaking incredible efforts, attacks. In vain. Our forces are holding on. The front line is stable," he wrote. The information could not be independently verified. Ukraine's army said only that "the adversary remains on the defensive" in Zaporizhzhia, in a Facebook post. It said it destroyed four missiles and 10 drones, out of some 20 that Russia had fired at "military installations and critical infrastructure". Russia said on Thursday that its forces had fought a two-hour battle with Ukrainian troops in the early hours in the Zaporizhzhia region, which neighbours the flood-hit areas.
- Major impact of dam's destruction -
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said the Ukrainian offensive involved 1,500 soldiers and 150 armored vehicles. "The enemy was stopped and retreated after heavy losses," he said. Ukrainian officials have said their forces are ready for a long-expected counteroffensive but that there would be no formal announcement when it begins. Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Ganna Maliar said only that Russia was conducting "defensive actions" near the town of Orikhiv in the Zaporizhzhia region. Parallel to the fresh fighting, the destruction of the major Russian-held dam on the Dnipro River on Tuesday left 600 square kilometers of the region under water. Emergency services were racing to rescue people stranded by the flood-swollen waters of the Dnipro, which have forced thousands to flee. Ukrainian authorities said water levels in a reservoir which had been created by the Kakhovka dam had fallen "below the critical point of 12.7 meters (42 feet)". They said the reservoir was no longer able to supply households and the cooling ponds at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station, Europe's largest. However late Thursday the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said he nuclear plant was continuing to receive water from the reservoir after the dam was damaged. The plant's six reactors have been shut down but they still need cooling water to ensure there is no nuclear disaster. Ukraine meanwhile called on Europe to double power supplies to two gigawatts. Ukraine accuses Russia, whose forces control the dam area, of blowing up the dam, while Russia accuses Ukraine hitting it with artillery. Ukrhydroenergo, the dam's operator, said it was most likely mined from the inside. The emergency service has warned the flood water has dislodged land mines that pose a threat to civilians. The government has also sounded the alarm over the environmental impact, calling it "a crime of ecocide".

Russia has received hundreds of Iranian drones to attack Ukraine: White House
Reuters/June 09, 2023
WASHINGTON D.C.: The White House said on Friday that Russia appeared to be deepening its defense cooperation with Iran and had received hundreds of one-way attack drones that it is using to strike Ukraine. Citing newly declassified information, the White House said the drones, or Uncrewed Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), were built in Iran, shipped across the Caspian Sea and then used by Russian forces against Ukraine. “Russia has been using Iranian UAVs in recent weeks to strike Kyiv and terrorize the Ukrainian population, and the Russia-Iran military partnership appears to be deepening,” White House spokesman John Kirby said in a statement. “We are also concerned that Russia is working with Iran to produce Iranian UAVs from inside Russia.” Kirby said the US had information that Russia was receiving materials from Iran required to build a drone manufacturing plant that could be fully operational early next year. “We are releasing satellite imagery of the planned location of this UAV manufacturing plant in Russia’s Alabuga Special Economic Zone,” he said. The US has previously sanctioned Iranian executives at a defense manufacturer over drone supplies to Russia. Iran has acknowledged sending drones to Russia but said in they past they were sent before Russia’s February invasion. Moscow has denied its forces used Iranian drones in Ukraine.
Support between Iran and Russia was flowing both ways, Kirby said, with Iran seeking billions of dollars worth of military equipment from Russia including helicopters and radars. “Russia has been offering Iran unprecedented defense cooperation, including on missiles, electronics, and air defense,” he said.
“This is a full-scale defense partnership that is harmful to Ukraine, to Iran’s neighbors, and to the international community. We are continuing to use all the tools at our disposal to expose and disrupt these activities including by sharing this with the public – and we are prepared to do more.”
Kirby said the transfers of drones constituted a violation of United Nations rules and the United States would seek to hold the two countries accountable. Britain, France, Germany, the US and Ukraine say the supply of Iranian-made drones to Russia violates a 2015 UN Security Council resolution enshrining the Iran nuclear deal. Under the 2015 UN resolution, a conventional arms embargo on Iran was in place until October 2020. Ukraine and Western powers argue that the resolution includes restrictions on missiles and related technologies until October 2023 and can encompass the export and purchase of advanced military systems such as drones. The Iranian and Russian missions to the United Nations did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the US accusations. “We will continue to impose sanctions on the actors involved in the transfer of Iranian military equipment to Russia for use in Ukraine,” Kirby said.
He said a new US advisory issued on Friday aimed “to help businesses and other governments better understand the risks posed by Iran’s UAV program and the illicit practices Iran uses to procure components for it.”The advisory highlighted key items sought by Iran for its development of drones, including electronics such as processors and controllers.

Thousands face the deluge after dam collapse in Russian-occupied Ukraine
Associated Press/June 09/2023
For days, the Ukrainian teenager has waited in the attic, just down the street from the cemetery of her flooded town, marking time with her 83-year-old grandfather and two other elderly people and hoping for help to escape the deluge of a catastrophic dam collapse. But help is slow in coming to Oleshky, a Russian-occupied town across the Dnieper River from the city of Kherson with a prewar population of 24,000, according to those stranded and their desperate Ukrainian rescuers. Russian forces are taking rescuers' boats, they say. Some say the soldiers will only help people with Russian passports. "Russian soldiers are standing at the checkpoints, preventing (rescuers) from approaching the most-affected areas and taking away the boats," said one volunteer, Yaroslav Vasiliev. "They are afraid of saboteurs, they suspect everyone." So 19-year-old Yektarina But and the three elderly people with her simply wait, along with thousands of others believed to be trapped by floodwaters spread across 600 square kilometers (230 square miles) of the Kherson region. About two-thirds of the flooded areas are in territory occupied by Russia, officials said. The group in the attic have no electricity, no running water, no food. The battery on But's cellphone is dying. "We are afraid that no one will know about our deaths," she said in a brief cellphone interview, her voice trembling. "Everything around us is flooded," she said. "There is still no help." Her grandfather, who had suffered a stroke, was running out of medicine, she said. One woman with her, a neighbor's grandmother, could not move on her own.
Others have been turned away from rescue.
Viktoria Mironova-Baka said she has been in touch from Germany with relatives stuck in the flooded region. "My relatives said that Russian soldiers were coming up to the house today by boat, but they said they would only take those with Russian passports," she told The Associated Press. Her grandmother, aunt and more than a dozen other people are taking shelter in the attic of a two-story house. Details of life in Russian-occupied Ukraine are often unclear. The AP could not independently verify reports of boat seizures or that only Russians were being evacuated, but the account is in line with reporting by independent Russian media. It's a sharp contrast to Ukrainian-controlled territory flooded by the dam collapse. Authorities there have aggressively evacuated civilians and brought in emergency supplies. On Thursday, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy traveled to the area to assess the damage. Russian President Vladimir Putin "has no plans at the current moment" to visit affected Moscow-occupied areas, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists.
This region has suffered terribly since Russia invaded Ukraine early last year, enduring sometimes-relentless artillery and missile attacks. The latest disaster began Tuesday, when the Kakhovka hydroelectric dam, roughly 80 kilometers (50 miles) upstream from Oleshky, collapsed, sending torrents of water down the Dnieper River and across the war's front lines. Officials say more than 6,000 people have been evacuated from dozens of inundated cities, towns and villages on both sides of the river. But the true scale of the disaster remains unclear for a region that was once home to tens of thousands of people.
At least 14 people have died in the flooding, many are homeless, and tens of thousands are without drinking water. The floods ruined crops, displaced land mines, caused widespread environmental damage, and set the stage for long-term electricity shortages. Ukraine says Russia destroyed the dam with explosives. Russia accuses Ukraine of destroying it with a missile strike. A drone flown Wednesday by an AP team over the dam's wreckage revealed none of the scorch marks or shrapnel scars typical of a bombardment. The bulk of the dam itself is now submerged, and The AP images offered a limited snapshot, making it difficult to rule out any scenario. The dam also had been weakened by Russian neglect and water had been washing over it for weeks. It had been under Russian control since the invasion in February 2022. Compounding the tragedy, Russia has been shelling areas hit by the flooding, including the front-line city of Kherson. On Thursday, Russian shelling echoed not far from a square in Kherson where emergency crews and volunteers were dispensing aid. Some evacuation points in the city were hit, wounding nine people, according to Ukrainian officials.
The floodwaters have irrevocably changed the landscape downstream, and shifted the dynamic of the 15-month-old war. Oleshky Mayor Yevhen Ryshchuk said that by Thursday afternoon water levels were beginning to fall, but roughly 90% of the city remained flooded. Ryshchuk fled after Russian forces tried to force him to collaborate, but he remains in close contact with people in and around the city. Russia says it is helping the region's civilians. Moscow-appointed regional Gov. Vladimir Saldo claimed over 4,000 people had been evacuated from the flood zones. He shared a video showing empty beds in shelters prepared for evacuees.
Ryshchuk dismisses such talk.
He said some people trying to leave flooded areas were forced back by Russian soldiers who accused them of being "waiters" — people waiting for Ukraine to reclaim control of the region. Others, who called the Russian-controlled emergency services, were told they would have to wait for help, he said.
"That's it," he said. "Yesterday, some Russians came in the morning, took a few people off the roofs, filmed a video, and left. That's everything they have done as of today."The help that made it through has been scattered. Ukrainian military footage, for instance, showed their forces dropping a bottle of water from a drone to a boy trapped with his mother and sister in the attic of their home near Oleshky. Ukrainian soldiers later evacuated the family and their pets to the city of Kherson, National Police reported. Much of the help is being organized by volunteers communicating on the encrypted app Telegram. Messages about stranded people, often trapped on the roofs of their houses, appear in these groups every few minutes. Most are posted by relatives in safer areas. Just one of these volunteer groups has a map showing over 1,000 requests to locate and rescue people, mostly in Oleshky and the nearby town of Hola Prystan. A woman helping with one of the groups, who spoke on condition her name not be used for fear of reprisals from the Russian occupiers, shared a message with an AP journalist. "We were looking for a person named Serhii Borzov," the message read. "He was found. Unfortunately, dead. Our condolences to the relatives."

3 wounded as drone hits residential building in southwestern Russia
Associated Press/June 09/2023
Three people were lightly wounded after a drone crashed into a residential building in southwestern Russia near Ukraine, a regional governor said, exposing the latest vulnerabilities in the country's air defense systems as President Vladimir Putin's war in Ukraine increasingly affects Russian soil.
The latest drone attack to target Russian cities in recent weeks comes as Ukraine has been intensifying its efforts to expel Russian forces and rising talk of a Ukrainian counteroffensive in pockets of a vast swath of southern and eastern Ukraine that Russia invaded more than 15 months ago.
In a Telegram post, regional governor Alexander Gusev said the three residents were hurt by shards of glass from broken windows in the city of Voronezh and received help on the spot. Russian state media published photos showing a high-rise apartment building with some windows blown out and damage to the facade. Gusev said the drone was targeting a nearby airbase, but veered off course after its signal was electronically jammed. The city lies some 250 kilometers (155 miles) north of Ukraine's eastern Luhansk region, most of which is occupied by Russia. Separately, Gov. Vyacheslav Gladkov of the neighboring Belgorod region, which also borders Ukraine, said on Telegram that air defenses had been working overnight and an apartment building and private homes had been damaged. He said two unspecified targets were shot down, but he did not specify the cause of the damage.
Such drone strikes — which have previously hit places like residential areas in southern Krasnodar and there was even one at the Kremlin — along with cross-border raids in southwestern Russia have exposed glaring breaches in Russian air defenses and porous border security, and brought the war home to Russians.
Ukrainian authorities have generally denied any role in such attacks.
Separately Friday, the Ukrainian presidency's website posted a video statement overnight from President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that alluded to the latest efforts of his country's forces to drive out the Russian invaders, along various parts of the more than 1,000-kilometer (about 620-mile) front line.
Ukrainian officials have kept generally quiet about their latest military moves, refusing to join in on rising commentary from Western military experts and others that a long-anticipated counteroffensive was under way. Zelenskyy echoed that government stance on Friday, saying it was "not time" yet to talk about the details of the fighting. but said he was in touch with Ukrainian forces "in all the hottest areas" of the fight and praised an unspecified "result" from their efforts. Analysts and Russian reports suggest Ukrainian forces have been active around the city of Bakhmut, which was largely devastated in a bloody, monthslong standoff, as well as carrying out probing operations around Russian-occupied areas of the Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia regions. In the video, Zelenskyy appeared to be speaking from inside a train car after visiting flood-hit southern Ukraine on Thursday. Gov. Oleksandr Prokudin of the southern Kherson region said Friday that water levels had decreased by about 20 centimeters (about 8 inches) overnight on the western bank of the Dnieper River, which was inundated starting Tuesday after a breach of the Kakhovka dam upstream. The lower part of the river runs along the front line between Russian and Ukrainian forces. Officials on both sides gave figures that indicated about 16 people have died in connection with the flooding, which has added misery to the lives of Ukrainians beleaguered by the war. Viktor Vitovetskyi, a representative of Ukraine's Emergency Service, said 46 municipalities in the region have been flooded — 14 of them along the Russian-occupied eastern bank. Even as efforts to rescue civilians and supply them with fresh water, health care and other services, Russian shelling over the last day killed two civilians and injured 17 in the region, Prokudin said. Across the country, a total of at least 4 civilians were killed and 41 people were injured over the past day, according to Zelenskyy's office.
In other developments in Ukraine's war:
1. Air raid sirens and alert systems went off across Ukraine overnight warning of more Russian long-range strikes by drones and missiles. Falling debris from a downed Russian missile killed one civilian and injured three others in the western city of Zviahel, said Gov. Vitalii Bunechko of the surrounding Zhytomyr region.
2. Gladkov, the governor of Russia's Belgorod region, said Ukrainian shelling overnight wounded three civilians in the border town of Shebekino, two of whom have been hospitalized.
3. The Institute for the Study of War, a Washington-based think tank that has been tracking the conflict, said a "variety of indicators" suggested that the long-anticipated counteroffensive had begun, and that the new phase of the war "may also see the highest Ukrainian losses."

After Saudi visit, Blinken raises Palestinian state with Israel PM
Agence France Presse/June 09/2023
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not to undermine prospects for a Palestinian state, after talks in Saudi Arabia which linked normalization to peace efforts. Blinken, after wrapping up a visit to the Gulf Arab monarchy criticized by rights groups, spoke by telephone with Netanyahu to discuss "deepening Israel's integration into the Middle East through normalization with countries in the region," State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said. Blinken "discussed the need to uphold the commitments made at regional meetings in Aqaba and Sharm el-Sheikh to avoid measures that undermine the prospects for a two-state solution," Miller said, referring to talks earlier this year in Jordan and Egypt that brought Israeli, Palestinian and US officials together. Blinken in a speech this week before the leading US pro-Israel group said that he would work to win recognition of the Jewish state by Saudi Arabia -- a major goal for Israel due to the kingdom's size and role as guardian of Islam's two holiest sites. Speaking alongside Blinken on Thursday, Prince Faisal bin Farhan said that normalization with Israel "is in the interest of the region" and would "bring significant benefits to all.""But without finding a pathway to peace for the Palestinian people, without addressing that challenge, any normalization will have limited benefits," he said. "Therefore, I think we should continue to focus on finding a pathway towards a two-state solution, on finding a pathway towards giving the Palestinians dignity and justice."Netanyahu during his last stint in power won normalization from the United Arab Emirates, Morocco and Bahrain in what both he and the then US administration of Donald Trump saw as crowning achievements. The longest-serving Israeli premier has returned to power leading the country's most right-wing government ever with supporters adamantly opposed to a Palestinian state.

Saudi FM says kingdom seeks US nuclear aid but 'others' also bidding
Associated Press/June 09, 2023
Saudi Arabia's foreign minister has said after meeting with the visiting U.S. secretary of state that while the kingdom would welcome U.S. aid in building its civilian nuclear program, "there are others that are bidding." Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan was responding to a question about recent news reports that Saudi Arabia is asking for U.S. aid in building its own nuclear program in exchange for establishing diplomatic relations with Israel. "It's no secret that we are developing our domestic civilian nuclear program and we would very much prefer to be able to have the U.S. as one of the bidders," he said. "Obviously we would like to build our program with the best technology in the world." Prince Faisal went on to say that normalization with Israel would have "limited benefits" without "finding a pathway to peace for the Palestinian people." He did not say whether the nuclear issue is linked to normalization.
The exchange came at the end of a two-day visit to the kingdom in which U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with senior Saudi officials, including the country's de facto leader, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and co-hosted a meeting of the global coalition fighting the Islamic State group.
The United States has been forced to recalibrate its decades-long alliance with Saudi Arabia as the oil-rich kingdom seeks to transform itself into a global player untethered from Washington.
Blinken, appearing at the press conference alongside the foreign minister, said expanding Israel's normalization with Arab countries — a process known as the Abraham Accords — remains an American "priority." He did not comment on the nuclear issue. Saudi Arabia, which has taken the first steps toward a rudimentary nuclear program, has long viewed the far more advanced program of its archrival Iran with suspicion. The crown prince said in 2018 that if Iran ever builds a nuclear weapon, the kingdom will do so as well, adding to fears of a potential nuclear arms race in the volatile Middle East.
Under the crown prince, the oil-rich kingdom has embarked on a massive economic and social transformation aimed at reducing its dependence on oil and attracting commerce, investment and tourism. In recent years the kingdom has lifted a ban on women driving, sidelined its once-feared religious police and begun hosting concerts, raves and visiting celebrities — all of which was unthinkable a decade ago, when it was best known internationally for its ultra-conservative Islamic rule.
The Saudis have meanwhile launched wide-ranging diplomatic efforts to wind down their war in Yemen, resolve a crisis with Qatar, restore relations with archrival Iran and welcome Syria's President Bashar Assad back into the Arab League after a 12-year boycott.
The flurry of diplomacy has included outreach to U.S. foes like Russia's President Vladimir Putin, who spoke with the crown prince by phone late Wednesday, and Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro, who visited Saudi Arabia and met with the crown prince shortly before Blinken's arrival.
The Saudis have also resisted U.S. pressure to bring down oil prices as they seek revenues to fund what they refer to as "gigaprojects," including a $500 billion futuristic city under construction on the Red Sea.
The kingdom is also hard at work transforming itself into a global power in the world of sports, attracting soccer superstars like Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema to its local clubs with lavish contracts and entering into a commercial merger with the PGA tour.
The Saudis say they are pursuing their own national interests in a world increasingly defined by great power competition. In addition to improving relations with Washington's foes, the Saudis have also resolved a spat with Canada and invited Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, a close Western ally, to address an Arab League summit last month. But they appear hesitant to proceed with normalizing relations with Israel at a time when it is led by the most right-wing government in its history, and when tensions have soared with the Palestinians. The Saudis have repeatedly called for the creation of a Palestinian state in the West Bank, east Jerusalem and Gaza, territories Israel seized in the 1967 war — something that is inconceivable under Israel's current leadership.
Critics say Saudi Arabia's diplomatic efforts and its push into international sports are aimed at repairing the kingdom's image after the 2018 killing and dismemberment of Jamal Khashoggi, a prominent Saudi dissident and Washington Post columnist. U.S. intelligence concluded that Prince Mohammed likely approved the operation carried out by Saudi agents — allegations he denies. Critics also point to an unprecedented crackdown on dissent in recent years, with authorities jailing everyone from liberal women's rights activists to ultra-conservative Islamists, and even targeting Saudis living in the United States.
Blinken said "human rights are always on the agenda" and that he had raised "specific cases," but did not say whether any progress had been made on the release of detainees or the lifting of travel bans on prominent activists.
Earlier in the day, Blinken co-hosted a meeting of foreign ministers from the global coalition battling the Islamic State group during which he announced nearly $150 million in new U.S. funding for stabilization efforts in Syria and Iraq. The extremist group no longer controls any territory, but its affiliates still carry out attacks across Africa, Asia and the Middle East. The Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS, as the Islamic State group is also known, includes more than 80 countries and continues to coordinate action against the extremists, who at their height controlled large parts of Syria and Iraq. Blinken said the U.S. pledge is part of new funding amounting to more than $600 million. Blinken did not specify, but U.S. aid to Syria is expected to flow through Kurdish allies, the United Nations or international aid groups, as the U.S. and other Western countries maintain sanctions on Assad's government.

US-Saudi ties strong despite differing views on OPEC+ oil production cut: Blinken
Arab News/June 09, 2023
RIYADH: The decades-long strategic relationship between Saudi Arabia and the US remains strong and is going through a period of “increasing convergence,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Thursday. During an official trip to Saudi Arabia, Washington’s top diplomat told Hiba Nasr of Asharq News that the Kingdom and the US are successfully working together despite “a difference in views” over the decision by OPEC+ nations last October to cut oil-production targets. “We’ve had a partnership together for decades that was grounded in security, in cooperation, energy and, in recent years, counterterrorism, and that foundation remains,” Blinken said. “But what we’re also seeing — and what this visit reconfirms — is that there are important opportunities for our two countries to work together to advance some very positive issues, very positive trends.”
Blinken, who attended a Global Coalition Against Daesh conference in Riyadh this week, said the deescalation of tensions in the Middle East was a priority for both countries, but that the Kingdom and the US have also been working together well on a “positive trajectory based on interests we share” in other arenas. This includes “collaboration between our countries in addressing some of the challenges that not only are of concern to our people but to people around the world, from health security to climate security to energy security to food security and, of course, the transition to clean energy, working on emerging technologies,” he added. Blinken said the US is not abandoning the Middle East in the face of growing Chinese and Russian influence and is “here to stay” in the region. “Day-in, day-out, we’re working with partners throughout the region and what I hear in almost all of my engagements is the US remains the No. 1 partner of choice; that is clear in what I hear, what we hear from all of our partners,” he added. “And we’re engaging with them, working with them both to deal with many of the challenges (that you just talked about), which are real and urgent and acute, but also — and this is so important — on an affirmative agenda for the future; not just dealing with the crisis but actually trying, together, to build a better future for our people in the US and for people throughout this region.
“So, yes, we’re dealing with crises, we’re dealing with security challenges, but we’re also dealing with an affirmative agenda. And across the board on all of that, as I said, what I hear again and again is the US is our preferred partner. We are a partner and we’re here.”
On the issue of the recent Beijing-brokered agreement between Iran and Saudi Arabia, Blinken said any and all contributions by countries, including China, to the advancement of peace in the region is a positive step.
“We applaud what happened,” he said. “Anything that deescalates tensions, that takes at least one problem off of the agenda, and in this case also may have the additional benefit of helping to advance a peace in Yemen, we think is a good thing. “Of course, the Saudis and Iranians have been talking together for at least a couple of years to get to this place. We’ll see what happens now. “If countries — including China — can play a positive role, wherever it is, in helping to advance peace, to reduce tensions then, again, I think that’s positive, that’s what we should all be trying to do.”Blinken also praised Saudi Arabia for its role in joint humanitarian efforts and its attempts to help end the conflict in Sudan. “We had, by the way in very close partnership with Saudi Arabia, some success in getting very limited ceasefires that were highly imperfect but did allow more humanitarian assistance to get in (to Sudan) and reach about 2 million people that otherwise would not have had this assistance provided to them,” he said. With both sides in the conflict increasingly ignoring truce commitments, Blinked added that if neither side was serious about the ceasefire process, Washington has “tools at its disposal” to help bring about a lasting peace.

Warring parties in Sudan agree to 24-hour ceasefire – Saudi Arabia, US statement
Arab News/June 09, 2023
RIYADH: The warring parties in Sudan have agreed to a 24-hour nationwide ceasefire beginning June 10, a statement from Saudi Arabia and US said on Friday. “The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United States of America announce that representatives of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) agreed to a 24-hour countrywide ceasefire beginning on June 10 at 6:00 a.m. Khartoum time,” Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs posted on their social media account. “The parties agreed that during the ceasefire they will refrain from prohibited movements, attacks, use of aircraft or drones, aerial bombardment, artillery strikes, reinforcement of positions and resupply of forces, and will refrain from seeking military advantage during the ceasefire,” the joint statement said. “They also agreed to allow unimpeded movement and delivery of humanitarian assistance throughout the country,” it added. However, the statement issued a warning against the warring parties: “Should the parties fail to observe the 24-hour ceasefire, facilitators will be compelled to consider adjourning the Jeddah talks.” An earlier truce drawn up by Saudi Arabia and the US fell through after both sides of the Sudanese clashes accused each other of serious violations of the ceasefire. The White House has warned that sanctions will be imposed against key defense companies and people who “perpetuate violence” in Sudan as the warring sides fail to abide by a cease-fire agreement. “Once it becomes clear that the parties are actually serious about complying with the ceasefire, the facilitators are prepared to resume the suspended discussions to find a negotiated solution to this conflict,” Saudi Arabia and the US said in an earlier statement. Sudan descended into chaos after fighting erupted in mid-April between forces loyal to the country’s military Gen. Abdel Fattah Burhan and his erstwhile deputy Gen. Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo. Thousands of civilians in towns and villages across Sudan were forced to flee amid worsening conflict in the country, leading to fears of a new global refugee crisis. Nearly 1.4 million people have been displaced, the UN reported on May 28, raising concerns among Sudan’s neighboring states they may not be able to cope with the influx of people seeking safety and refuge.

Former British prime minister Boris Johnson resigns as MP
Reuters/June 09, 2023
LONDON: Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is stepping down as a member of parliament with immediate effect, triggering a by- election in his marginal seat. Johnson had been fighting for his political future with a parliamentary inquiry investigating whether he misled the House of Commons when he said all COVID-19 rules were followed. Parliament’s privileges committee had the power to recommend that Johnson be suspended from parliament for more than 10 days if they were to find he did mislead parliament recklessly or deliberately, potentially triggering an election for his seat. Johnson said he had received a letter from the “privileges committee making it clear — much to my amazement — that they are determined to use the proceedings against me to drive me out of parliament.”“I am being forced out by a tiny handful of people, with no evidence to back up their assertions, and without approval even of Conservative party members let alone the wider electorate,” Johnson said in a statement. “It is very sad to be leaving parliament — at least for now — but above all I am bewildered and appalled that I can be forced out.”Johnson, whose premiership was cut short in part by anger in his own party and across Britain over COVID rule-breaking lockdown parties in his Downing Street office and residence, accused the committee of acting of being the “very definition of a kangaroo court.”“Most members of the committee — especially the chair — had already expressed deeply prejudicial remarks about my guilt before they had even seen the evidence,” he said. “In retrospect it was naive and trusting of me to think that these proceedings could be remotely useful or fair.”Johnson also used his resignation statement to deliver an attack on Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s premiership. “When I left office last year the government was only a handful of points behind in the polls. That gap has now massively widened,” he said. “Our party needs urgently to recapture its sense of momentum and its belief in what this country can do.”

Palestinian killed by Israeli forces in West Bank
Agence France Presse/June 09, 2023
Israeli forces on Friday killed a Palestinian in the occupied West Bank, the Palestinian health ministry and the army said, with the latter adding that a soldier was lightly wounded. Mehdi Bayadsa, 29, was killed by "bullets from the occupation (Israel) near the Rantis military checkpoint, west of Ramallah", the ministry said in a statement. The military in a statement said it had "neutralized" a Palestinian who had arrived near the crossing point between the West Bank and Israel in a stolen vehicle. "While IDF (Israeli army) soldiers inspected his vehicle, the suspect attacked an IDF soldier and attempted to steal his weapon," the army said, adding a "lightly injured" soldier was taken to hospital. "Following the confrontation, another soldier in the area shot live fire toward the suspect and neutralized him," the army said, adding that it was "investigating the incident".Nearly three million Palestinians live in the West Bank, which Israel has occupied since the Six-Day War of 1967. About 490,000 Israelis live in the occupied territory in settlements deemed illegal under international law. Since the start of the year, at least 157 Palestinians, 21 Israelis, a Ukrainian and an Italian have been killed in violence linked to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, according to an AFP tally compiled from official sources. The figures include combatants as well as civilians and, on the Israeli side, three members of the Arab minority.

Erdogan appoints Hafize Gaye Erkan as governor of Turkiye’s central
AP/June 09, 2023
ANKARA: As part of recently re-elected Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s attempts to overhaul his economic team, the country’s central bank will be governed by a female executive for the first time. US-based Hafize Gaye Erkan, 41, is Turkiye’s fifth central bank chief in four years, replacing Sahap Kavcioglu, who followed a policy of slashing interest rates despite rising inflation of around 40 percent. Kavcioglu has now been appointed head of the Banking Regulatory and Supervision Agency (BDDK). Erdogan has always been opposed to interest rate hikes and has focused on economic growth, investment and exports. Erkan was the first woman under the age of 40 to hold the title of president or CEO at one of America’s 100 largest banks. She has a doctorate in financial engineering from Princeton, and previously worked as First Republic’s co-chief executive officer. She abruptly resigned from that position in December 2021 before the bank was sold. She also worked at Goldman Sachs for almost a decade as a managing director, and was a director at Marsh McLennan. Last year, she was appointed CEO of the real estate finance and investment firm Greystone, a post she resigned in December.
Following her new appointment, there are now 23 female central bank governors around the world. On Monday, Erkan reportedly met Turkiye’s newly appointed Treasury and Finance Minister, Mehmet Simsek, a former Merrill Lynch economist, in Ankara to discuss her new role.
Simsek told media on Wednesday that Turkiye would now return to economic “rationality” with a “credible program” to address the cost-of-living crisis. However, he also warned there would be “no shortcuts or quick fixes” and asked the public to be patient. Brad W. Setser, senior fellow at the Washington-based Council on Foreign Relations, recently calculated that, apart from Turkey’s swap and deposit deals with foreign countries including Saudi Arabia, the central bank has only $30 billion in actual foreign reserves. Economists believe that Erkan’s appointment may indicate that Turkiye will now follow orthodox economic policies, including interest rate hikes. The new governor’s policy preferences are unclear, however, as she has previously worked only in the private sector. It also remains to be seen how much independence she will be granted, especially with local elections approaching. In March 2021, former central bank governor Naci Agbal was fired after just five months in the job after he decided to raise interest rates.
Erik Meyersson, chief emerging markets strategist at the European financial services group SEB, said the appointment of Erkan “provides valuable synergies” to Simsek’s attempts to shift policy. “But, at the same time, the experience of Agbal — and the manner in which his efforts to push policy in a similar direction ended prematurely — does hang like a shadow over the current initiative,” he told Arab News. “The continued presence of Kavcioglu — a figurehead of the devastating policy mistakes of recent years — as head of the BDDK does not provide similar synergies and instead could be a sign of a limited commitment on behalf of Erdogan to the new policy direction.” The retention of Kavcioglu, he added, “risks becoming an unwanted deadweight to what could otherwise have signaled fresh and significant policy momentum.”According to Meyersson, one interpretation is that the old economic model that caused so much damage is “more dormant than dead” and is a reminder that “arbitrary rule implies arbitrary and often sudden changes.”Meyersson believes that markets will likely look to test the extent of the new mandate from the presidential palace, and said that front-loaded rate hikes would be a good start. “The gap between the policy rate and current inflation is minus 30 percent, and given the low credibility ascribed to the central bank, the real policy rate should increase toward positive territory soon. But that amount of policy tightening is unlikely to have been approved by President Erdogan, setting up Turkish financial markets for further volatility during the year,” he said. The central bank’s monetary policy committee will have its first meeting under the new governor on June 22, and an increase in interest rates is expected. Ehsan Khoman, head of emerging markets, ESG and commodities research at MUFG Bank in Dubai, said Erkan’s appointment, coupled with Simsek’s pledges to restore credibility, was a clear signal of a return toward rules-based monetary policymaking to re-anchor inflation expectations. “Our base case is for a supersized rates hike from 8.5 percent to 20 percent on 22 June — with a likely pre-meeting statement to prepare markets for the start of the hiking cycle — to reach levels that imply positive real rates by year-end,” he told Arab News. Critically, given Turkey’s past experience with relatively short-lived U-turns in policy regarding interest rates, Khoman said that (gaining) credibility will require patience, though these latest market-friendly appointments should rule out risks related to reliance on less-orthodox measures, including stricter regulations on foreign exchange transactions, to sustain acutely negative real rates. Wolfango Piccoli, co-president of London-based Teneo Intelligence, thinks that “an outright and fast pivot toward a conventional policy set, especially in terms of monetary policy, remains unlikely.” He told Arab News: “Erkan’s appointment seems designed to regain credibility in the eyes of foreign investors. But how she will adapt to Ankara’s working culture, where obedience matters, remains to be seen. Also, Erkan has no formal monetary policy experience. “The appointments are important, but the next crucial step should be the decisions,” he continued. He also noted that a shift towards orthodox economic policy requires the support of the banking regulator, which is now headed by a loyalist, suggesting a likely return to previous economic policies. “Turkey’s domestic banks — private and state-owned — are under close political scrutiny and command,” he said.

Egypt 'national dialogue' kicks off with wave of arrests
Agence France Presse/June 09/2023
One month into a much-touted program to heal the country's deep political rifts, Egyptian authorities have arrested dozens of dissidents, opposition supporters and football fans in a wave of repression. Cairo inaugurated its long-delayed "national dialogue" on May 3, promising to give a platform to opposition voices that have been largely silenced since President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi took office in 2014. Critics have denounced it as a public relations stunt designed to burnish a dismal human rights record. The launch coincided with World Press Freedom Day and that same morning authorities arrested journalist Hassan el-Kabbany. He was released later the same day, with dialogue coordinator Diaa Rashwan saying the detention was an unfortunate case of "mistaken identity". The public should "distinguish between isolated cases and broader phenomena" such as the opening of space for free expression, Rashwan said.
But the same week, police arrested 16 relatives and supporters of Ahmed al-Tantawi, after the former opposition lawmaker announced he would run in next year's presidential election. The national dialogue is merely a "maneuver to appear as if they are trying to start a new page, when in fact they are just trying to improve their image," Human Rights Watch's Amr Magdi told AFP.
"There's really no change at all."
- 'Terrorist' ultras -
In the face of persistent criticism of Egypt's human rights record, Sisi announced plans for the national dialogue in late 2021, followed by the revival of the executive pardons committee in April last year. Since then, authorities have released 1,000 political prisoners amid much fanfare, but almost 3,000 more have been detained, Egyptian rights monitors said. In recent weeks, arrests have become more frequent. On April 22, police detained 20 fans of Al Ahly SC, Africa's most successful football club, during a home game in Cairo, the Egyptian Front for Human Rights (EFHR) said. The club's ultras played a central role in the 2011 uprising that toppled longtime autocrat Hosni Mubarak and have been consistently targeted by authorities. Calls for fans to burn their supporters' cards and boycott subsequent matches prompted 39 more arrests, the EFHR said. Police alleged that those detained "belong to the terrorist ultras group" and intended to "vandalize the Cairo stadium", the EFHR added.
'Revolving door' justice
Authorities decline to release specific figures but human rights groups estimate that tens of thousands of political prisoners languish in Egypt's jails. In 2022, at Badr prison alone, judges approved nearly 99 percent of more than 25,000 applications to keep defendants in custody pending trial, EFHR said.
Human rights groups have repeatedly criticized what they call a "revolving door" justice system in Egypt, in which prisoners nearing the maximum two years' on remand face new charges to keep them in detention. Authorities have opened new "rehabilitation centers" in recent years, hosting libraries, workshops and food processing plants. The sprawling desert complexes are supposed to replace older prisons, where rights groups say inmates face chronic overcrowding. So far this year, 14 inmates have died in custody, at least five of them in rehabilitation centers, monitors say. Tantawi announced his presidential bid from exile in March, having fled Egypt last year amid reports he faced "security threats". An outpoken critic of Sisi, who told a parliamentary session in 2019: "I neither like nor trust the president," Tantawi said he wanted to offer a "democratic alternative".But on May 6, the opposition champion announced he was delaying his return to Egypt because of the threat of prison hanging over relatives and supporters. Sixteen were accused of joining or financing a "terrorist group" along with possession of weapons and publishing material that "undermines public security", Human Rights Watch said. Nine others were "kidnapped en route to" his Cairo office, Tantawi said. "There will be no free and fair election," HRW's Magdi said. "People are being arrested for Facebook posts, let alone running for election."

Child victims of stabbing attack in France still in critical condition
Associated Press/June 09/2023
France's president was heading Friday to the Alps to be at the side of families traumatized by the savage stabbings of four very young children and two adults, as investigators worked to unravel the motives of a Syrian man taken into custody. President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte were traveling together to comfort victims wounded in Thursday's attack, meet their families and people who came to their aid in Annecy, a lakeside town ringed by mountains, the president's office said. The four critically injured child victims — aged between 22 months and 3 years old — were rushed to hospitals in the French city of Grenoble and Geneva in neighboring Switzerland. It wasn't immediately clear if those cities would also be part of the presidential couple's travel itinerary. Two children remained in critical condition Friday morning, government spokesman Olivier Veran said. Two of the four children are French and the other two were tourists — one British, the other Dutch. The suspect, a 31-year-old Syrian with refugee status in Sweden, is in custody. Psychiatrists were evaluating him, Veran said. The helplessness of the young victims and the savagery of the attack sickened France, and drew international condemnation. French authorities said the suspect had recently been refused asylum in France, because Sweden had already granted him permanent residency and refugee status a decade ago. Lead prosecutor Line Bonnet-Mathis said the man's motives were unknown but did not appear to be terrorism-related. He was armed with a folding knife, she said. Two adults also suffered knife wounds — life-threatening for one them, she said. One of the adults was hurt both by the attacker's knife and later by a shot fired by police as they were making the arrest.