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Western nations joined key players in the Middle East on Thursday in a pledge of support for war-torn Syria’s delicate transition after the fall of longtime leader Bashar al-Assad.Around 20 countries including Arab nations, Turkey, Britain, France, Germany, Canada and Japan agreed at the close of a conference in Paris to “work together to ensure the success of the transition in a process led by Syria”.The meeting’s final statement also pledged support for Syria’s new authorities in the fight against “all forms of terrorism and extremism”.Islamist-led rebels toppled Assad in December after a lightning offensive. The new authorities, headed by interim leader Ahmed al-Sharaa, have sought to assure the international community they have broken with their past and will respect the rights of minorities.They have been lobbying the West to ease sanctions imposed against Assad to allow the country to rebuild its economy after five decades of his family’s rule and almost 14 years of civil war.”The hope you carry on your shoulders is immense,” French President Emmanuel Macron said at the meeting, attended by Syria’s Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani — who did not address the media.”This capacity to respect all communities… is key. Because it will be the condition of stability” that will allow refugees to return to the country, Macron added, saying he would “soon” host Sharaa in Paris.Syria’s war has killed more than half a million people and displaced millions from their homes.The United Nations estimates rebuilding will cost more than $400 billion.The United States was notably absent from the list of signatories of the conference’s final statement. A French diplomatic source said President Donald Trump’s administration was still deciding its approach to Syria.- Fight against IS ‘priority’ -Syria’s war evolved into a complex conflict after it started in 2011 with the brutal repression of anti-government protests.Islamic State group jihadists seized large swathes of the country and neighbouring Iraq in 2014, declaring a so-called cross-border “caliphate”.Kurdish-led Syrian fighters, backed by the air power of a US-led coalition dubbed “Inherent Resolve”, defeated that proto-state in 2019.But some IS cells still operate in Syria’s vast desert.Macron urged the new Damascus authorities to join the fight against IS, saying it was “an absolute priority”.France’s Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot earlier said the European Union was working toward “a rapid lifting” of sanctions on Syria, after EU foreign ministers agreed last month to ease them, starting with key sectors such as energy.The United States has also eased sanctions, allowing fuel and electricity donations to Syria for six months.Barrot called for “a global ceasefire in all Syrian territory, including the north and northeast”.Turkish-backed factions launched attacks against Kurdish-held areas in northern Syria at around the same time as the offensive that overthrew Assad, and have since seized strategic areas there.For another regional trouble spot, Lebanon, Barrot proposed the UN peacekeeping mission in the country, UNIFIL, deploy troops to allow a “full and definitive withdrawal” by Israel.Under a fragile November truce to end more than a year of hostilities between Israel and the Islamist militant group Hezbollah, Israel is due to withdraw all troops from southern Lebanon by February 18.Israel wants to remain in five key points as a safeguard — a plan Lebanon rejects.- ‘Essential women be represented’ -There has been concern among Western governments over the direction the new Syrian leadership will take, in particular on religious freedom, women’s rights and the status of the Kurdish minority in Syria’s northeast.Shaibani had said Wednesday that a new government would take over next month from the interim cabinet, vowing that it would represent all Syrians in their diversity.German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, ahead of the Paris meeting, emphasised the need for “all actors” in Syria to be included and said it was “essential that women be represented”.Britain plans to ease sanctions on Syria under a new plan announced by the government on Thursday, though parliament still need to debate the proposals.kol-cf-vl-ah/as/jhb/js

The United States on Thursday sanctioned the chief prosecutor at the International Criminal Court over the ICC’s investigations targeting US personnel as well as alleged Israeli war crimes in Gaza.The US Treasury Department said in a statement that it had imposed sanctions against Karim Khan in response to President Donald Trump’s February 6 executive order, which called for him to be sanctioned.The ICC has been investigating Israel’s conduct during its war against Hamas in Gaza, launched in response to the Palestinian militant group’s deadly October 7, 2023 attacks. Khan, who is a British national, was responsible for the request that led the ICC to issue arrest warrants late last year for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defense minister Yoav Gallant. The court said it had found “reasonable grounds” to believe Netanyahu and Gallant bore “criminal responsibility” for the war crime of starvation as a method of warfare during the Gaza conflict, as well as the crimes against humanity of murder, persecution, and other inhumane acts.Alongside its probe into Israel, the ICC has also been investigating war crimes and crimes against humanity alleged to have been carried out during the US invasion and occupation of Afghanistan between 2001 and 2021.In his executive order, Trump accused the ICC of engaging in “illegitimate and baseless actions” targeting the United States and its ally Israel — neither of which are ICC members.Trump added that the Hague-based court had “abused its power by issuing baseless arrest warrants” targeting Netanyahu and Gallant, and he ordered asset freezes and travel bans against ICC officials, employees and their family members.The ICC condemned Trump’s executive order, which it said sought to “harm its independent and impartial judicial work.”This is not the first time Trump has targeted ICC officials: During his first term, he imposed financial sanctions and a visa ban on the ICC’s then-prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda, and other senior officials.Joe Biden lifted those sanctions soon after he became president in 2021.

Israel warned Thursday that Hamas must release three living hostages this weekend or face a resumption of the war in Gaza, after the Palestinian militant group said it was committed to the truce agreement.Palestinian sources reported progress in efforts to salvage the ceasefire, which was plunged into crisis after Hamas said it would not release hostages on Saturday, citing Israeli violations.Israel countered that if Hamas failed to free captives on schedule, it would resume military operations.War raged for more than 15 months before the ceasefire took effect on January 19.”We are keen to implement it (the ceasefire) and oblige the occupation to fully abide by it,” Hamas spokesman Abdel Latif al-Qanou said, adding that mediators were pushing for Israel “to resume the exchange process on Saturday”.Hamas said it remained committed to carrying out the next exchange “according to the specified timetable”.Israel later insisted Hamas must release “three live hostages” on Saturday under the ceasefire framework.”If those three are not released, if Hamas does not return our hostages, by Saturday noon, the ceasefire will end,” said government spokesman David Mencer.Hamas has previously accused Israel of holding up the delivery of heavy machinery needed to clear war debris.On Egypt’s Rafah border crossing with Gaza, a row of bulldozers lined up waiting to enter the war-ravaged Palestinian territory on Thursday.Egyptian state-linked media said heavy equipment and trucks carrying mobile homes were ready to enter, but Israel said later they would not be allowed to go in via the Rafah crossing.The war damaged or destroyed around 69 percent of Gaza’s buildings, according to the UN.Jorge Moreira da Silva, head of the United Nations’ infrastructure agency (UNOPS), said Thursday following a visit to Gaza that he had seen not only “immense human suffering”, despite the ceasefire, but also massive destruction “and an overwhelming volume of rubble.” – ‘Power games’ -US President Donald Trump warned this week that “hell” would break loose if Hamas failed to release “all” the remaining hostages by noon on Saturday.If fighting resumes, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said, “the new Gaza war… will not end without the defeat of Hamas and the release of all the hostages”.”It will also allow the realisation of US President Trump’s vision for Gaza,” he added.Trump, whose return to the White House has emboldened the Israeli far right, sparked global outcry with a proposal for the United States to take over Gaza and to move its 2.4 million residents to Egypt or Jordan.Yemen’s Iran-backed Huthi rebels threatened Thursday to launch new attacks on Israel if it and its ally the United States went ahead with Trump’s plan to move Palestinians out of Gaza.The ceasefire’s six-week first phase has seen Israeli captives released in small groups in exchange for Palestinians in Israeli custody.The two sides, which have yet to agree on the next phases of the truce, have traded accusations of violations, spurring concern that the violence could resume.On Thursday for the first time since the truce began, Israel’s military said it identified a rocket launch from Gaza. The rocket landed back inside the Palestinian territory and the military later said it had struck the launcher.Analyst Mairav Zonszein, of the International Crisis Group, said despite their public disputes Israel and Hamas were still interested in maintaining the truce and have not “given up on anything yet”.”They’re just playing power games,” she said.In Israel, dozens of relatives of hostages held in Gaza blocked a highway near Tel Aviv, waving banners and demanding the terms of the ceasefire be respected, an AFP photographer said.- Trump’s plan – Trump’s proposal for Gaza and for moving its more than two million residents to Jordan or Egypt would, according to experts, violate international law, but Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has described it as “revolutionary”.Hamas called for worldwide “solidarity marches” over the weekend to denounce “the plans to displace our Palestinian people from their land”.Defence Minister Katz last week ordered the Israeli army to prepare for “voluntary” departures from Gaza. The military said it had already begun reinforcing its troops around the territory.Trump reaffirmed his Saturday deadline for the hostage release while hosting Jordan’s King Abdullah II on Tuesday.In a phone call Wednesday, Abdullah and Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said they were united in supporting the ceasefire’s “full implementation”, and in their opposition to the displacement of Palestinians.Many Palestinians have also voiced opposition to the plan.”Who is Trump? Is he God almighty? The land of Jordan is for Jordanians, and the land of Egypt belongs to Egyptians,” said Gaza City resident Abu Mohamed al-Husari.”We are here, deeply rooted in Gaza — the resilient, besieged and unbreakable Gaza.”Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on Israel resulted in the deaths of 1,211 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of official Israeli figures.Militants also took 251 hostages, of whom 73 remain in Gaza, including at least 35 the Israeli military says are dead.Israel’s retaliatory campaign has killed at least 48,239 people in Gaza, the majority of them civilians, according to figures from the Hamas-run territory’s health ministry that the UN considers reliable.burs-smw/dv/it/ysm

US President Donald Trump inked plans Thursday for sweeping “reciprocal tariffs” hitting both allies and competitors, in a dramatic escalation of an international trade war that economists warn could fuel inflation at home.Speaking in the Oval Office, Trump said he had decided to impose the reciprocal duties, telling reporters that US allies were often “worse than our enemies” on trade issues.The levies would be tailored to each US trading partner and consider non-tariff factors including value-added tax (VAT).”Major exporting nations of the world attack our markets with punishing tariffs and even more punishing non-tariff barriers,” Trump trade advisor Peter Navarro told reporters, taking aim at the European Union in particular over VAT.Washington will start by examining economies with which the United States has its biggest deficits or “most egregious issues,” said a White House official.”This should be a matter of weeks, in a few months, but not much longer than that,” the official added, speaking on condition of anonymity.Trump acknowledged Thursday that US prices “could go up” due to tariffs, but he expressed confidence that they would ultimately ease.Trump has announced a broad range of tariffs targeting some of the biggest US trading partners since taking office, arguing that they would help tackle unfair practices — and in some cases using the threats to influence policy.The president has referred to tariffs as a way to raise revenue, remedy trade imbalances and pressure countries to act on US concerns.The White House official said Thursday that the United States has been “treated unfairly,” saying a lack of reciprocity is a reason behind the country’s “persistent annual trade deficit in goods.”With the memo Trump signed on Thursday, the US Trade Representative, commerce secretary and other officials will work to propose remedies on a country-by-country basis.Trump’s announcement came hours before he was due to meet Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Washington.Analysts have warned that reciprocal duties could bring a broad tariff hike to emerging market economies such as India and Thailand, which tend to have higher effective tariff rates on US products.Countries such as South Korea that have trade deals with Washington are less at risk from this move, analysts believe.- Inflation concerns -Cost-of-living pressures were a key issue in the November election that saw Trump sweep to power, and the Republican has promised to swiftly reduce prices.But economists caution that sweeping tariffs on US imports would likely boost inflation, not reduce it, in the near term and could weigh on growth eventually.Trump’s deputy chief of staff for policy Stephen Miller previously said countries use the VAT to get an unfair trade advantage, although analysts have challenged this characterization.During election campaigning, Trump promised: “An eye for an eye, a tariff for a tariff, same exact amount.”For example, if India imposes a 25-percent tariff on US autos, Washington will have a 25-percent tariff as well on imports of autos from India, explained a Nomura report this week.The consideration of non-tariff factors might shift this calculus.Modi will hold talks with Trump on Thursday and New Delhi offered some quick tariff concessions ahead of his visit, including on high-end motorcycles.”Trump’s objective of implementing reciprocal tariffs is to ensure fair treatment for US exports, which could indirectly also address US trade imbalances with partner countries,” analysts at Nomura said.Among Asian economies, India has a 9.5-percent weighted average effective tariff on US exports, while there is a three-percent rate on India’s exports to the United States.Thailand has a 6.2-percent rate and China a 7.1-percent rate on US products, Nomura noted.Higher tariffs are often imposed by poorer countries, who use them as a tool for revenue and protection because they have fewer resources to impose non-tariff barriers, Cato Institute’s Scott Lincicome earlier told AFP.

Lebanon’s parliamentary speaker Nabih Berri said on Thursday that Beirut rejected Israel’s demand to remain in five southern locations after a February 18 deadline for fully implementing a ceasefire deal.Concerns have mounted ahead of a deadline for the fragile November 27 truce that ended more than a year of Israel-Hezbollah hostilities and has already been extended once, with both sides accusing each other of ceasefire violations.Under the deal, Lebanon’s military was to deploy in the south alongside United Nations peacekeepers as the Israeli army withdrew over a 60-day period, which was extended until February 18.Hezbollah was also meant to leave its positions in the south, near the Israeli border, over that period.The United States, a key mediator, “informed me that the Israeli occupation will withdraw from villages it still occupies on February 18, but it will remain in five points,” Hezbollah ally Berri told reporters, according to a statement released by his office.”I informed them in my name and on behalf of President General Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Judge Nawaf Salam of our absolute rejection” of this proposal,” the statement added.Earlier, Berri had met with US ambassador to Lebanon Lisa Johnson and US Major General Jasper Jeffers.The American general co-chairs a committee involving the United States, France, Lebanon, Israel and UN peacekeepers tasked with ensuring any ceasefire violations are identified and dealt with.”I refused to discuss any extension to the deadline for (Israel’s) withdrawal,” Berri said.”It is the responsibility of the Americans to enforce the withdrawal, otherwise they will have caused the greatest setback for the government”.- ‘Honour commitments’ -On Saturday, Lebanon’s prime minister named a new government, with the weakening of long-dominant Hezbollah bringing to a close a two-year period of rule by caretaker authorities.UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ deputy spokesman Farhan Haq said “we continue to urge Israel and Lebanon to honour their commitments to the cessation of hostilities understanding”. “Continued progress in Lebanese Armed Forces redeployment and Israeli Defence Force withdrawal is crucial,” Haq said, adding that “the parties must avoid any action that could raise tensions, endanger civilians and further delay their return to their towns and villages on both sides”.Haq added that the “UN continues to urge the full implementation of Resolution 1701 as a comprehensive path towards longer term peace, security and stability on both sides of the Blue Line.” He was referring to the UN Security Council decision that ended a 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah. Under Resolution 1701, only the Lebanese army and UN peacekeepers can be deployed in southern Lebanon.

French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday urged Syria’s new leaders to ensure “governance that is representative and respectful of all” at a Paris conference on the transition in the war-torn country after Bashar al-Assad’s fall.”The hope you carry on your shoulders is immense,” he said at the international meeting attended by Syria’s Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani.Islamist-led rebels toppled Assad in December after a lightning offensive.The new authorities, headed by interim leader Ahmed al-Sharaa, have sought to reassure the international community that they have broken with their past and will respect the rights of minorities.They have been lobbying the West to ease sanctions imposed against Assad to allow the country to rebuild its economy after five decades of his family’s rule and almost 14 years of civil war.”This capacity to respect all communities… is key. Because it will be the condition of stability” that will allow refugees to return to the country, Macron said.Syria’s war has killed more than half a million people and displaced millions from their homes inside the country and abroad.Macron said he would “soon” be hosting Sharaa in Paris, but did not give a specific date.- Fight against IS ‘priority’ -Syria’s war evolved into a complex conflict after it started in 2011 with the brutal repression of anti-government protests.Islamic State group jihadists seized large swathes of the country and neighbouring Iraq in 2014, declaring a so-called cross-border “caliphate” there.But Kurdish-led Syrian fighters, backed by the air power of a US-led coalition dubbed “Inherent Resolve” that includes France, defeated that proto-state in 2019.Some IS cells however still operate in Syria’s vast desert.Macron urged the new Damascus authorities to join in the fight against IS, saying it was “an absolute priority”.France’s Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot earlier said the European Union was working toward swiftly easing Syria sanctions.”We are working with my European counterparts towards a rapid lifting of sectorial economic sanctions,” Barrot said, after EU foreign ministers agreed last month to ease them, starting with key sectors such as energy.Conference attendees — including the United States, Germany, Britain, the European Union and the United Nations — wanted to see emerge “a free, sovereign, unified and stable Syria”, the foreign minister said.Barrot also called for “a global ceasefire in all Syrian territory, including the north and northeast”.Turkish-backed factions launched attacks against Kurdish-held areas in northern Syria at around the same time as the offensive that overthrew Assad, and have since seized strategic areas there.- ‘Essential women be represented’ -There has been concern among Western governments over the direction the new Syrian leadership will take, in particular on religious freedom, women’s rights and the status of the Kurdish minority in the northeast of Syria.Shaibani on Wednesday said a new government would take over next month from the interim cabinet, vowing that it would represent all Syrians in their diversity.German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, ahead of the Paris meeting, emphasised the need for “all actors” in Syria to be included and said it was “essential that women be represented”.Britain plans to ease sanctions on Syria under a new plan announced by the government on Thursday.Foreign Office minister Stephen Doughty said that would “include the relaxation of restrictions that apply to the energy, transport and finance sectors”, but members of parliament still need to debate the proposals.After EU foreign ministers agreed on January 27 to ease sanctions on Syria, Shaibani welcomed the European Union’s move “to suspend sanctions on Syria for one year”.That decision came after the United States eased its own punitive measures, allowing fuel and electricity donations to Syria for six months.kol-cf-vl-ah/as/jhb

Turkey has hit German sporting equipment giant Adidas with a fine of more than $15,000 for failing to inform customers that one of its flagship footwear models contained pigskin.The Muslim-majority country’s advertising regulator slammed Adidas for describing its “Samba OG” trainers — sported in recent years by models Kendall Jenner and Bella Hadid — as made from “real leather”, without specifying it came from pigs.In a ruling seen by AFP on Thursday, it said the use of materials “contrary to the religious sensibilities of the majority of society must be clearly mentioned” in advertisements and product descriptions.The regulator fined the company 550,059 Turkish lira ($15,200).Contacted by AFP, Adidas admitted it had “updated” the specification on its website, without commenting on the fine. “Following an individual notification regarding a product description on our Turkish e-com website, we have updated the material specifications for the product accordingly,” it said in a brief statement. In 2020, Turkey’s Presidency of Religious Affairs ruled it was “not permissible to manufacture shoes or garments from pigskin or pigskin hair”.”It is accepted by nearly all Muslim scholars that pigskin cannot be made pure by tanning or similar processes,” it said.