French diplomat visits two French detainees in Iran: Minister
'We obtained a visit today from our charge d'affaires in Iran,' Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot told lawmakers, without specifying where the visit took place.
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Arab News
an hour ago
- Arab News
Saudi Cabinet hails Hajj success, backs peace efforts and greenlights series of international agreements
JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia's Cabinet, chaired by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, on Tuesday praised the successful delivery of this year's Hajj season, which saw more than 1.6 million pilgrims complete their rituals smoothly, and reaffirmed the Kingdom's global leadership in crowd management and services to visitors of the Two Holy Mosques. The Cabinet also reviewed efforts to support pilgrims from Iran in returning home safely, following recent domestic unrest in the country, the Saudi Press Agency reported. In its weekly session held in Jeddah, the Council of Ministers welcomed messages to King Salman from the leaders of Venezuela, Vietnam, and Angola on bilateral cooperation. It also reiterated the Kingdom's positions on regional and global developments, reaffirming support for diplomatic solutions and condemning any violation of Qatar's sovereignty. The Cabinet called on the international community to end the humanitarian crisis caused by Israel's war in Gaza and pressed for peace in line with international legitimacy. It also welcomed the recent peace agreement between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo and voiced optimism about its potential to boost regional stability and prosperity. Ministers noted the launch of the World Water Organization's activities in Riyadh as further evidence of Saudi Arabia's role in advancing global cooperation. They also highlighted several recent international recognitions, including the Kingdom's election as Vice-Chair of the World Health Organization's Executive Board, its appointment to the UN's High-Level Group for the 2030 Agenda, and the inclusion of the Uruq Bani Ma'arid Reserve on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Green List. The Cabinet welcomed the IMF's latest Article IV report, which commended the Saudi economy's resilience amid global headwinds, citing strong non-oil growth, controlled inflation, and historically low unemployment rates — all in alignment with Vision 2030 goals. The session also saw the approval of several international cooperation agreements. These included a draft pact with Algeria to combat organized crime, a mutual visa exemption deal with Italy for diplomatic and special passport holders, and the initiation of negotiations with Russia on a similar visa waiver agreement. The Cabinet also endorsed a memorandum of understanding on Islamic affairs with Pakistan, an agreement with the International Consultative Group on Agricultural Research to promote innovation in Saudi Arabia's agriculture sector, and a new partnership with Zambia in the field of mineral resources. Saudi Arabia will also proceed with joining the Integrated Industrial Partnership for Sustainable Economic Development, following Cabinet authorization. Other decisions included renaming the Supreme National Investment Committee to the National Investment Committee at the Council of Economic and Development Affairs, approving new procedures for biometric verification of cruise ship passengers, and assigning the Ministry of Education as the supervisory authority over the Saudi Arabian Boy Scouts Association. The Cabinet also approved restructuring of the Insurance Disputes and Violations Resolution Committee in Dammam and reviewed the final accounts of the Saudi Red Crescent Authority and the General Authority for Food Security. Several senior civil service promotions were confirmed, including appointments at the Ministries of Interior, Justice, Foreign Affairs, Hajj and Umrah, Human Resources, and Municipal Affairs. Notably, Manal Radwan was promoted to Minister Plenipotentiary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The session ended with reviews of annual reports from the Ministry of Tourism, the National Development Fund, and the Tourism Development Fund, with the Cabinet taking the necessary actions on each.
Arab News
2 hours ago
- Arab News
Lebanon drafts reply to US demand for Hezbollah to disarm, sources say
Barrack said full disarmament should be completed by November or by the end of the year at the latestThe proposal also refers to establishing a mechanism overseen by the United Nations to secure the release of Hezbollah-linked prisoners by IsraelBEIRUT: Lebanese officials were drafting a response on Tuesday to US demands for armed group Hezbollah to relinquish its weapons across the country by November in exchange for a halt to Israeli military operations, two sources briefed on the matter deadline has turned up the heat on Iran-backed Hezbollah, which was struck hard by Israel during last year's war, is suffering a financial crunch and faces pressure in Lebanon to demands were conveyed by Thomas Barrack, US special envoy to Syria and ambassador to Turkiye, during a trip to Beirut on June sources, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter, told Reuters Barrack had shared a written roadmap with Lebanese officials and told them he expected to hear back by July 1 on any proposed six-page document centers on the disarmament of Hezbollah and other militant groups, and urges Lebanon to improve ties with neighboring Syria and implement financial reforms, they proposes a phased approach to disarmament, in which Hezbollah would hand in its arms throughout Lebanon in exchange for the withdrawal of Israeli troops occupying areas in south Lebanon, the sources said full disarmament should be completed by November or by the end of the year at the latest, they would end Israeli strikes targeting Hezbollah members and unlock funds to rebuild parts of Lebanon destroyed by Israeli forces last year, they US has said Washington will not support reconstruction in Lebanon without Hezbollah laying down proposal also refers to establishing a mechanism overseen by the United Nations to secure the release of Hezbollah-linked prisoners by Israel, the sources said Barrack had urged Lebanese officials to seize the opportunity laid out in the roadmap as it 'may not come up again.' He is set to return to Lebanon next had not yet gotten Israeli approval for the roadmap, the sources said. There was no immediate response from the US state department, Israel's prime minister's office or Israel's foreign ministry to Reuters requests for comment.'THE RIGHT TO SAY NO'Lebanon has appointed a committee to formulate a preliminary response, comprised of delegates from the offices of Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, President Joseph Aoun and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, a Hezbollah ally, the sources was not clear whether the initial reply would be ready by Tuesday. The US proposal includes a condition that the final deal be sealed with a unanimous decision by Lebanon's government, the sources second source, and a third source briefed on the matter, said Berri was in close communication with Hezbollah to secure the group's input.'Hezbollah has not refused to cooperate with the committee and in fact began sending signals of cooperation — but has not committed to disarming,' the third source prospect of securing Hezbollah's disarmament — unimaginable two years ago — underlines the big shifts in the Middle East power balance to the detriment of Iran's allies across the region since the start of the war between Israel and Hezbollah ally Hamas in October of Hezbollah's arsenal was destroyed by Israeli airstrikes, and other depots in southern Lebanon were handed over to Lebanon's army in accordance with the US-brokered ceasefire that ended that round of deal called for the disarmament of armed groups across Lebanon. Hezbollah has said it applies only to the group in Lebanon's southernmost has not commented publicly on Barrack's proposal. But in a televised address on Monday, its secretary general, Naim Qassem, reiterated Hezbollah's resistance to US and Israeli pressure and urged other Lebanese to do the same.'We have the right to say 'no' to them, 'no' to America, 'no' to Israel,' Qassem said. 'We call on you in Lebanon: do not help Israel and America with their plans.'Qassem said the US and Israel 'want to exploit the moment to turn the equation in the entire region in their image.'
Arab News
2 hours ago
- Arab News
Algerian court upholds writer's 5-year sentence in a case that's strained relations with France
ALGIERS: A court in Algeria on Tuesday upheld French-Algerian author Boualem Sansal's five-year prison sentence in a case that has raised alarm over freedom of expression in Algeria and pushed tensions with France to the brink. The ruling denies a request made by prosecutors at an appeal hearing last week. They asked a judge to give Sansal the maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. The '2084: The End of the World' author was charged in March under Algeria's anti-terrorism laws and convicted of 'undermining national unity,' receiving his initial five-year sentence then. Before his arrest, Sansal's work faced bans from Algerian authorities but he regularly traveled between Paris and Algiers without issue. His books — written in French — are little read in Algeria. Sansal's appeal was closely watched in both France and Algeria. It caps a saga that has turned the novelist into a unlikely cause célèbre, uniting francophone writers, members of France's far right and European lawmakers in a rare chorus demanding his release. The issue arose last year when, in an interview with a French right-wing media outlet, Sansal questioned Algeria's current borders, arguing that France had redrawn them during the colonial period to include lands that once belonged to Morocco. The 80-year-old dual citizen was arrested the following month and later lambasted by the president in a speech to Algeria's parliament. The case has unfolded at a historic low point in Algeria's relations with France, which were strained further over the disputed Western Sahara. The territorial dispute has long helped shape Algeria's foreign policy, with its backing of the Polisario Front, a pro-independence group that operates out of refugee camps in southwestern Algeria. France angered Algeria last year shifted its longstanding position to back regional rival Morocco's sovereignty plan. Analysts say that Sansal has become collateral damage in the broader diplomatic fallout and describe the charges as a political lever Algiers is deploying against Paris. Sansal's supporters hope military-backed President Abdelmadjid Tebboune will grant a pardon on Saturday, when Algeria marks Independence Day and traditionally frees selected prisoners as part of a national amnesty. 'Now that a verdict has been handed down, we can imagine that clemency measures may be taken, especially because of our compatriot's health,' French Prime Minister François Bayrou told reporters on Tuesday. France's Foreign Ministry said it 'deplores' the decision to sentence Sansal to prison. 'This decision is both incomprehensible and unjustified,' it said in a statement. The timing is dire, Sansal's supporters in France and Algeria warn, as he battles prostate cancer and has spent part of his detention in a prison hospital. He appeared in court on Tuesday looking frail and without his trademark ponytail. Before his arrest, Sansal's work faced bans from Algerian authorities but he regularly traveled between Paris and Algiers without issue. His books — written in French — are little read in Algeria. However, he has amassed a large following in France for books and essays in which he regularly criticizes Algeria's leaders after 1962, when it won independence from French colonial rule, and the role of Islam in society. Under the imprint of the prestigious French publishing house Gallimard, he has published 10 novels and won a prize for the best novel of the year, the Grand Prix du Roman, in 2015.
