Hdhod - English

Why Riad Hijab?

by Maher Sharafeddine — Sun, 26 Dec 2021 22:47:00 +0100

The Syrian issue is currently going through its most dangerous phase. The phase will be either one where the issue is completely liquidated or one in which the Syrians succeed in imposing themselves and their vision on the imminent and inevitable political solution.

Now that the Assad regime has been exposed — even in the eyes of those who support it — as a gang and a tool controlled by foreign countries, and after the opposition’s mission was tainted by those who perceived the revolution as a personal opportunity to make money and gain influence, it has become necessary to fight for the formation of a political rescue movement around which all national figures rally, figures whose names have not been linked to blood, money or suspicious dealings that reflect the agendas of other countries.

Knowing the sensitivity of the issue, we cannot really talk of supernatural figures or ones we should have to invent or wait for decades to watch them come to life. We must be realistic and name figures who can walk the walk and talk the talk.

I believe it’s my duty not to hesitate to name the person whom I believe is the most worthy and capable of forming a rescue movement that would play a major role in leading the next stage. I call upon Dr. Riad Hijab, the dissident prime minister, and I invite him to take the reins.

I will explain my point of view while breaking down the reasons for my belief in the superiority of Hijab over all others. I will detail my position in seven points, seven strengths that I find the man to possess, and which, I believe, do not exist in the other opponents, combined.

He is the most senior figure to have defected from the Assad regime.
A large group of revolutionaries have positive sentiments towards Hijab.
He gives reassurance to various segments of the Syrian people, including pro-regime ones who knew him as the Governor of Lattakia. This is a point that I find both important and reassuring.
Hijab is the most active opposition figure when it comes to carrying out administrative functions and governance in the country.
He has immunity, which he gained through his political history before he defected and his behavior after he did, against the two most important charges that the Assad regime and its allies use to tarnish the image of opponents: extremism and sectarianism.
Hijab is a moderate and enjoys international approval. He belongs to the majority of Syrians who fell victim to genocide and cleansing.
He hails from the Deir ez-Zor Governorate, which has come under the control of what is known as the Autonomous Administration. Hijab is from the region that is responsible for curbing the separatist projects that threaten the territorial integrity of Syria.

I can go on listing additional points, but I find the aforementioned seven the most important ones that make the strongest argument for Hijab’s appropriateness to lead the upcoming phase. They also make a strong argument for why Hijab should form a national or a rescue movement which puts Syrian interests above all considerations; a movement that the Syrians should back, give the necessary momentum to, and enable to become prominent at the local level, in order to start changing the status quo at a later
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- ZAMAN AL-WASL

This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.

ILO: Pandemic cost 34 million jobs in Latin America and Caribbean

(dpa) — Wed, 30 Sep 2020 23:02:00 +0200

Mexico City – At least 34 million workers in Latin America and the Caribbean lost their jobs just before and during the coronavirus pandemic, the International Labour Organization (ILO) said on Wednesday.

The pandemic caused recession of "unprecedented magnitude and duration" in the region, which is the most affected in terms of hours worked and labour income, according to the report.
The International Monetary Fund estimates a contraction of 9.4 per cent in regional GDP in 2020, the ILO pointed out.
In nine countries representing 80 per cent of total employment in the region, 34 million workers lost their jobs in the first half of the year, according to the report.
During the first three quarters of 2020, hours worked dropped by 20.9 per cent, while labour income declined by 19.3 per cent.
Job loss has been more intense among self-employed workers than among wage earners, and deeper among informal than formal workers, the ILO said.
"Considering that the most affected workers are located mostly at the bottom of the distribution, this will result in increases in the levels of inequality in the region," it added.
In Argentina, about 40.9 per cent of the population now live below the poverty line, up 5.5 percentage points from the first half of 2019, according to official statistics published on Wednesday.
The Americas region is one of the most affected by the pandemic. It has confirmed more than 16.4 million coronavirus infections and over 550,000 deaths, the Pan American Health Organization said on Wednesday.

Study confirms Berlin Film Festival founding director's Nazi past

By Andrew McCathie, — Wed, 30 Sep 2020 20:08:00 +0200

Berlin - By Andrew McCathie, - The Berlin Film Festival's founding director played a larger than previously known role in Hitler's Germany and systematically moved to cover up his past after 1945, according a study commissioned by the Berlinale. "The new and now scientifically researched findings about Alfred Bauer's responsibilities [in the Nazi film industry] ... and his behaviour in the denazification process are startling," said Berlinale executive director Mariette Rissenbeek releasing the study on Wednesday.

She said the research represented an important element in the process of dealing with the Nazi past of German cultural institutions founded after 1945 and how certain individuals helped to shape the nation's post-war cultural scene.
Bauer, who died in 1986 age 75, was a one-time advisor to the Reichsfilmintendanz, a body created by Hitler's Propaganda Minister in 1942 to oversee film production during the Third Reich.
He was also former member of Hitler’s paramilitary SA group before joining the National Socialist Party in 1937, according to the study, which was carried out by the Leibniz Institute for Contemporary History.
"Bauer systematically shrouded this role after 1945," the study concluded.
The Berlinale commissioned the Bauer study following media speculation about the role he played in the film industry in Nazi Germany.
"The documents also make it clear that Alfred Bauer was not only an important functionary within the Reichsfilmintendanz, but that he also carried out his job there in a committed and dutiful manner," the institute said.
"His employment in the Reichsfilmintendanz contributed to the functioning, stabilisation and legitimation of the Nazi regime," the study said.
In 1951, Bauer became the first director of the newly-founded film festival.
He held that position until 1976, helping to oversee the festival's development into what is today one of the world's top film showcases.
In the wake of the media revelations about Bauer, which first emerged shortly before the opening of this year's festival in February, the Berlinale renamed the prize bearing his name.
The Alfred Bauer Prize, awarded to a film that opened new perspectives in cinema, had been presented each year since 1987 as part of the festival's awards.

UN chief says humans must stop 'war on nature' at biodiversity summit

By Sophie Wingate, — Wed, 30 Sep 2020 20:02:00 +0200

New York - By Sophie Wingate, - UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said humanity must stop "waging war on nature" at the United Nations' first ever summit on the biodiversity crisis on Wednesday. "We have to change course and transform our relationship with the natural world," Guterres said. He said one consequence of the imbalance with nature, caused by deforestation, climate change and food production, was the emergence of deadly diseases such as HIV-AIDS, Ebola and Covid-19.

"Degradation of nature is not purely an environmental issue - it spans economics, health, social justice and human rights," the UN chief said.
"Neglecting our precious resources can exacerbate geopolitical tensions and conflicts. Yet, too often environmental health is overlooked or downplayed by other government sectors."
The UN chief said countries had "largely failed" at protecting the planet.
Earlier this month, the UN published a major assessment, which found that none of the 20 global biodiversity targets agreed 10 years ago with a 2020 deadline have been fully met.
Guterres said governments must include nature-based solutions in coronavirus recovery plans, investing in forests, wetlands and oceans.
Nature must be accounted for by financial markets, as the current system was "weighted towards destruction, not preservation," he said.
Guterres urged world leaders to secure "the most ambitious policies and targets that protect" the natural world through the biodiversity framework to be adopted at the UN's landmark COP15 biodiversity convention in Kunming, China in May.
Wednesday's largely online event gave more than 100 heads of state and government the opportunity to raise ambition for the development of the 10-year-strategy.
"The loss of biodiversity and the degradation of the ecosystem pose major risk to human survival," Chinese President Xi Jinping said, urging humanity to turn the planet into a "beautiful homeland."
However, Xi did not make another major announcement, after pledging last week that China would achieve carbon neutrality before 2060.
French President Emmanuel Macron said "2021 must be the year of action," while European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen reaffirmed her commitment to the new global biodiversity framework.
Britain's Prince Charles told the event: "We are I'm afraid at the last hour. We know what we need to do ... Let's get on with it."
German Chancellor Angela Merkel was also among the leaders set to speak at the oversubscribed event, while the United States was not participating.
Ahead of the summit, leaders from more than 70 countries and the European Union signed a pledge to reverse losses to natural habitats by 2030.
But leaders of some of the world's worst polluters - Brazil, China, India and the US - did not sign the pledge.
Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg noted that "it's so easy to pledge."
"Everyone wants to save nature and save the climate. When it comes to real action however, they fail every single time," she tweeted.

Iraqi premier vows state will protect embassies against attacks

(dpa) — Wed, 30 Sep 2020 19:59:00 +0200

Baghdad - Iraq wants to protect foreign embassies in the country and limit the use of weapons to state bodies, Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi told 25 Western and Arab envoys in Baghdad on Wednesday.

Al-Kadhimi stressed that attacks against foreign diplomatic missions aim at destabilizing Iraq and damaging its regional and international relations, according to a statement from his office.
Attacks have also targeted citizens including children. The state’s security agencies are determined to put an end to these attacks, he added.
Al-Kadhimi met with envoys of 25 countries including the United States, Germany, Britain, the European Union and several of Iraq’s Middle Eastern neighbours, according to a statement posted by British Ambassador to Iraq Stephen Hickey on Twitter.
“We expressed our deep concern at the rise in the number and sophistication of attacks against diplomatic premises in Iraq,” the statement read.
Attacks targeting the green zone, where embassies and government buildings are located, Baghdad's airport and military bases hosting US-led forces fighting the Islamic State extremist group have become frequent in recent months amid tensions between Iraq and the US.
On Monday, a rocket attack targeting the airport hit a nearby house, killing at least five civilians.

Armenia, Azerbaijan's heavy fighting stokes concerns of looming war

By Pol O Gradaigh and Peter Spinella, dpa — Wed, 30 Sep 2020 19:55:00 +0200

Moscow - By Pol O Gradaigh and Peter Spinella, - Armenia and neighbouring Azerbaijan engaged in heavy fighting on Wednesday in a days-long flare-up that has riled regional powers Russia and Turkey and stoked concerns of an all-out war. The fighting, which began at the weekend, is an extension of decades-old hostilities over the Armenian-held region of Nagorno-Karabakh, internationally recognized as part of predominantly Muslim Azerbaijan.

"Intense fighting continues along the entire battle line," Armenian Defence Ministry spokesperson Shushan Stepanyan said in a statement.
Azerbaijan reported that Armenian forces had attacked the city of Tartar, which lies near the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh zone, with "heavy artillery shelling," state media reported.
With a death toll believed to have surpassed 100, including several civilians, it is the bloodiest fighting between the two sides since a similar flare-up in 2016.
The fighting has raised concerns that the flare-up could escalate into an all-out war, as the combatants look to regional powers Turkey and Russia for support.
Impoverished Armenia has traditionally relied heavily on backing from Russia, with which it has a shared Christian heritage. Oil-rich Azerbaijan is supported by predominantly Muslim Turkey, thanks to close ties between their ethnic Turkic populations.
Turkey said on Wednesday that it would back Azerbaijan with "every means available," according to comments by Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu published by Turkish state news agency Anadolu.
"We will do what is necessary ... if Azerbaijan wants to resolve this on the field," Cavusoglu said after being asked whether Turkey would provide military support to Azerbaijan.
Armenia has already accused Turkey of direct involvement in the conflict, saying that a Turkish F-16 fighter jet shot down an Armenian warplane earlier this week, killing the pilot. Turkey has denied the allegations.
Russia on Wednesday criticized Turkey's pledged support to Azerbaijan and the belligerent rhetoric of senior Turkish officials, with the Kremlin saying: "One should not pour fuel onto the fire."
Russia maintains close military ties with Armenia, including a military base, and has repeatedly called for an immediate ceasefire after the flare-up erupted on Sunday.
After holding phone calls with his counterparts in Yerevan and Baku, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov reiterated this position, and also confirmed that Moscow was ready to mediate in the conflict.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said meanwhile, in comments carried by Armenian state news agency Armenpress, that Armenia does "not need yet to use the potential of the Russian base, however, in case of necessity, all legal grounds exist."
Azerbaijan's president, Ilham Aliyev, vowed that his country would continue military operations until Armenia withdraws from the area and said that calls for dialogue were thus pointless.
The European Union earlier this week expressed concern about the potential for a war.
"We urge everyone to do all they can to prevent an all-out war from breaking out," EU foreign affairs spokesperson Peter Stano told a press briefing, explaining that EU officials had contacted diplomats from both sides in the conflict.
French President Emmanuel Macron has blamed Azerbaijan for the recent flare-up, saying it has been "established" that "the shots came from Azerbaijan."
Macron said he had no proof of Turkish involvement in the conflict. But he criticized Turkey for issuing "warlike messages which, in the end, remove Azerbaijan's inhibitions about a possible reconquest of Nagorno-Karabakh," saying that France "will not accept that."
The European Court of Human Rights has instructed Armenia and Azerbaijan to avoid any military action that could put the life and health of civilians at risk, it said on Wednesday.
The Strasbourg-based court said it considered the current fighting over Nagorno-Karabakh to pose a risk of serious violations of the European Convention on Human Rights, to which both states are parties.

First US presidential debate reveals polarization, anger, tensions

By Shabtai Gold and Eliyahu Kamisher, — Wed, 30 Sep 2020 19:07:00 +0200

Washington - By Shabtai Gold and Eliyahu Kamisher, - A bruising, chaotic 95-minute debate between US President Donald Trump and Democratic contender Joe Biden descended into bitter personal attacks, with the candidates seeming to talk over each other as much as they finished sentences uninterrupted. The first of three debates was hosted on Tuesday by journalist Chris Wallace, who tried to focus on policy issues such as health care, the coronavirus, Supreme Court appointments and climate change.

However, he was repeatedly thwarted by the candidates, and disproportionately by Trump, who again and again attacked Biden's mental faculties and the former vice president's family, though both men interjected with biting insults. Biden called Trump a "clown."
"Gentlemen," Wallace exclaimed at one point. "I hate to raise my voice but why should I be any different than the two of you," he said, in a paternalistic tone as the yelling on stage sunk into jejune asides and an overall sense of rudeness.
"Frankly, you've been doing more interrupting," Wallace said to Trump, the Republican candidate. "Sir, please stop," he pleaded repeatedly to the president, at one point conceding that it was becoming impossible to keep track of the discussion.
"You're the worst president America has ever had, c'mon," Biden said, sounding particularly frustrated as Trump repeatedly praised his handling of the coronavirus and the economy, despite 200,000 deaths and a labour market which has haemorrhaged millions of jobs.
The debate also delved into family - taboo topic for typical presidential debates - with Trump accusing Biden's son Hunter, of benefiting over complex business dealings in Russia and Ukraine, as well as the younger Biden's drug problem.

Biden said he was only holding back when it came to attacking Trump's family, but pulled no punches regarding the man himself.
He accused the president of being a "puppy" of Russian President Vladimir Putin, among a slew of jabs, including insinuating that the real-estate-mogul-turned-president is a tax cheat, and calling the incumbent a "racist" who inflames divisions.
"This is a president who has used everything as a dog whistle to try to generate racist hatred, racist division," Biden said. "He just pours gasoline on the fire."
The segment of the debate on racism and policing was one of the most intense episodes of the night. The issue has been forefront in the US since the police killing of George Floyd, a black man, in May.
Trump declined to directly condemn white supremacist groups when asked by the debate moderator and told the Proud Boys - a far-right extremist group - to "stand back and stand by" in what critics say is dog whistle for racial violence.
"This is not a right wing problem, this is a left wing problem," said Trump, who has previously come under fire for not forcefully condemning right-wing hate groups.
The debate - which largely went down as expected, even if it was particularly heated - also saw Biden say that he would accept the election result, whatever it was, while Trump went on an extended diatribe about election fraud, never committing to accepting a loss.
"This is not going to end well," Trump said, in a comment that is stoking fear of unrest after November 3rd. "I hope it will be a fair election," he added.
On economic policy, Trump sought to differentiate himself as the leader who wants to get the economy running again after the lockdowns.
"He will shut it down again, he will destroy this country," Trump said of Biden's approach, without any hint that he was being hyperbolic, during the debate in Cleveland, Ohio.
The Democratic challenger said the Obama administration left Trump a "booming" economy, but now, the US is "weaker, sicker, poorer, more divided and more violent." Biden said.
The debate over coronavirus was probably the moment many viewers hoped would give them clarity on policy, but it too ended with insults.
Biden demanded that Trump get "smart" about his response or many more people will die, promising a more coordinate strategy if elected in November.
"Don't ever use the word smart with me... There is nothing smart about you, Joe," said Trump.
The president insisted it was thanks to his policies that a vaccine would soon be developed, while Biden cast doubt on whether he could trust inoculations coming out of White House-led projects- a microcosm of the stark divides haunting the country.
Prior to the debate Trump's campaign painted the 77-year-old Biden as mentally deficient and physically unfit, setting a low bar.
The former vice president largely held his ground without major gaffs, in a win for the Biden campaign, regularly laughing off personal attacks, even if there was no stand-out moment or charismatic outburst from the Democratic.
An instant poll of viewers by broadcaster CBS found that most felt the first presidential debate had a "negative" tone while only 17 per cent said they received a positive vibe from the face-to-face.
Specifically, 69 per cent of those surveyed saying they were "annoyed," and only 17 per cent say they felt the discussion "informed" them. A majority of viewers thought Biden won, the poll found, though the Democrat held a lead heading into the debate.

Treasury Continues Targeting Facilitators of Assad Regime

treasury.gov/news/press-releases — Wed, 30 Sep 2020 17:09:00 +0200

Washington – Today, as part of the U.S. government’s continued effort to achieve a peaceful, political resolution of the Syrian conflict, the U.S. Department of the Treasury is taking action against key enablers of the Assad regime that are associated with the Fourth Division of the Syrian Arab Army, the Syrian General Intelligence Directorate, and the Central Bank of Syria. Specifically, Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) added three individuals and 13 entities to the Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List, pursuant to Syria sanctions authorities. Treasury is sanctioning a prominent, regime-connected Syrian businessman, who serves as an intermediary for the Fourth Division of the Syrian Arab Army, and his network of businesses that generate revenue for the regime and its supporters. Additionally, today’s action includes the designations of two key Assad regime officials: the head of the Syrian General Intelligence Directorate and the Governor of the Central Bank of Syria.

“Those who continue to stand with the brutal regime of Bashar al-Assad further enable its corruption and human rights abuses,” said Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin. “As we mark three years since the regime’s slaughter of Syrian civilians in Armanaz, Syria, the United States will continue to employ all of its tools and authorities to target the finances of anyone who profits from or facilitates the Assad regime’s abuse of the Syrian people.”
Concurrent with the Treasury Department’s designations, the State Department took action against three Syrian persons pursuant to Section 2 of Executive Order (E.O.) 13894, “Blocking Property and Suspending Entry of Certain Persons Contributing to the Situation in Syria.”

KHODR TAHER BIN ALI AND HIS BUSINESS NETWORK

Khodr Taher Bin Ali (Taher) is a Syrian businessman who serves as a prominent local intermediary and contractor for the designated Fourth Division of the Syrian Arab Army (Fourth Division). The Fourth Division is an elite military unit, led by Maher al-Assad, the brother of Bashar al-Assad, that was founded to protect the regime from internal and external threats. On April 29, 2011, the President included Bashar al-Assad and Maher al-Assad in the Annex to E.O. 13572, Blocking Property of Certain Persons With Respect to Human Rights Abuses in Syria.” On January 12, 2017, OFAC identified the Syrian Arab Army as falling within the definition of the Government of Syria, as set forth in E.O. 13582 and the Syrian Sanctions Regulations. On June 17, 2020, the U.S. Department of State designated Bashar al-Assad, Maher al-Assad, and the Fourth Division pursuant to E.O. 13894.
In 2017, Taher established Castle Security and Protection LLC, a private security company that has become the informal executive arm of the Fourth Division’s Security Bureau and is responsible for providing convoy protection at Fourth Division checkpoints. Taher was also chosen to direct the collection of fees at checkpoints and internal crossings between regime and opposition areas, as well as crossings with Lebanon. In addition to Castle Security and Protection LLC, Taher has reportedly established a number of other companies that are allegedly being used to obscure and launder money collected illicitly at regime crossings and through looting. These crossings into opposition areas have generated huge sums for regime officials, and in one example, most of the sums made reportedly went to Maher al-Assad.
Taher and his company, Castle Security and Protection LLC, were both designated today pursuant to E.O. 13582 for having materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological support for, or goods and services in support of, the Government of Syria. Castle Security and Protection LLC was additionally designated for being owned or controlled by, or having acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, Taher.
In 2019, Taher founded Emma Tel LLC, a telecommunications provider that now has over 20 locations around Syria, where it sells mobile phone equipment and provides related services. Bashar al-Assad’s wife, Asma al-Assad, allegedly ordered the establishment of Emma Tel LLC in order to create alternatives to the business empire of Rami Makhlouf, the cousin of Bashar al-Assad, and to break the dominance of the Makhlouf-owned Syriatel Mobile Telecom on the Syrian telecommunications market. Despite the reported linkages to Asma Al-Assad, Taher established Emma Tel LLC and owns 100 percent of its shares. Furthermore, Taher recently established Ella Media Services LLC, an advertisement company that was awarded a license to manage Syria’s largest billboard advertising network.
Emma Tel LLC and Ella Media Services LLC were designated today pursuant to E.O. 13582 for being owned or controlled by, or having acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, Taher. Today, OFAC also issued a general license authorizing persons to wind down transactions prohibited by the Syrian Sanctions Regulations involving Emma Tel LLC, or any entity in which Emma Tel LLC owns, directly or indirectly, a 50 percent or greater interest, for 90 days, as well as an FAQ which provides further guidance on the scope of the general license and the wind down of transactions involving Emma Tell LLC. On June 17, 2020, the U.S. Department of State designated Asma Al-Assad pursuant to E.O. 13894.
Taher is also involved in a joint venture with the Syrian Transport and Tourism Company named Syrian Hotel Management LLC. Taher owns two-thirds of the shares of the joint venture, while Syrian Transport and Tourism Company owns the remaining shares. The Syrian Transport and Tourism Company itself is owned 67 percent by the Syrian Ministry of Tourism.
Syrian Hotel Management LLC was designated today pursuant to E.O. 13582 for being owned or controlled by, or having acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, Taher. Syrian Transport and Tourism was also designated today under E.O. 13582 for being owned or controlled by, or having acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, the Government of Syria. OFAC additionally identified the Syrian Ministry of Tourism as part of the Government of Syria.
Taher further owns or controls several other companies, including Al Ali and Al Hamza LLC, Jasmine Contracting Company, Golden Star Trading LLC, Emma LLC, Ella Tourism Company, and Emma Tel Plus LLC. These companies are involved in an array of activities, including contracting, the wholesale of metals and electronics, money transfer, and tourism activities. These companies were all designated today pursuant to E.O. 13582 for being owned or controlled by or having acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, Taher. Taher additionally owns a 50 percent stake in the Syrian Company for Metals and Investments LLC, which is being identified for being owned in the aggregate, directly or indirectly, 50 percent or more by Taher.

HUSAM MUHAMMAD LOUKA – HEAD OF THE SYRIAN GENERAL INTELLIGENCE DIRECTORATE

Today, OFAC also designated Husam Muhammad Louka (Louka), the current head of the Syrian General Intelligence Directorate (GID), one of Syria’s four intelligence agencies. On April 29, 2011, the President included the GID in the Annex to E.O. 13572. On April 22, 2012, the President included the GID in the Annex to E.O. 13606, “Blocking the Property and Suspending Entry Into the United States of Certain Persons With Respect to Grave Human Rights Abuses by the Governments of Iran and Syria via Information Technology.”
Louka is a longtime leader within the Syrian regime’s security apparatus. In 2010, Louka was appointed Assistant Head of the GID. Since the Syrian revolution broke out in March 2011, Louka has held several high-ranking positions in both the Syrian Political Security Directorate and the GID, including as Head of the Political Security Branches in Homs and Hama. While working in Homs, Louka reportedly committed a number of massacres and was responsible for the torture of detainees in his department. In 2015, Louka was accused in press reporting of participating in the so-called “Eid massacre” in the al-Waer neighborhood, where a children’s playground was bombed and 19 people, including 14 children, were killed. Louka has been serving in his current position as Head of the GID since July 2019.
Louka is being designated pursuant to E.O. 13572 for being a senior official of the GID, an entity whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to E.O. 13572.

HAZEM YOUNES KARFOUL – GOVERNOR OF THE CENTRAL BANK OF SYRIA

Additionally, today OFAC designated the Governor of the Central Bank of Syria (CBoS), Hazem Younes Karfoul (Karfoul). The Syria Sanctions Regulations at 31 C.F.R. part 542 includes the Central Bank of Syria in the definition of Government of Syria.
In September 2018, Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad appointed Karfoul Governor of the CBoS. The CBoS, which is headquartered in Damascus, Syria, oversees the stability, integrity, and efficiency of the country’s monetary policy and acts as the fiscal agent and depository of the government. Prior to his appointment as Governor, Karfoul held other posts at the bank. In 2010, he was assigned to the CBoS’s Directorate of Economic Research and General Statistics, and later, in February 2011, he became head of the Department of Office Control and Assistant Director of the Directorate of the Government Commission. In November 2013, Karfoul worked with the Anti-Money Laundering and Terrorism Financing Authority and took the position of Secretary of Authority that same month. In 2014, Karfoul was assigned the position of First Deputy Governor of the CBoS.
As Governor of the CBoS, Karfoul met with the Governor of the Central Bank of Iran in Tehran in September 2019 to sign a memorandum of understanding for the development of strategic and long-term areas of economic cooperation. Also, in September 2019, Karfoul assembled some of Syria’s wealthiest businessmen in Damascus to seek donations in an effort to strengthen the country’s struggling currency. It was reported in the press that Karfoul identified the properties and other assets of the businessmen during the meeting and had suggested to the participants that their fortunes could be seized if they did not give a significant contribution to the state’s coffers.
Karfoul is being designated pursuant to E.O. 13573 for being a senior official of the Government of Syria and pursuant to E.O. 13582 for having materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological support for, or goods or services in support of, the Government of Syria, a person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to E.O. 13582.

SANCTIONS IMPLICATIONS

All property and interests in property of these persons that are in the United States or in the possession or control of U.S. persons must be blocked and reported to OFAC. OFAC’s regulations generally prohibit all dealings by U.S. persons or within (or transiting) the United States that involve any property or interests in property of blocked or designated persons. In addition, non-U.S. persons that engage in certain transactions with the persons designated today may be exposed to designation. Pursuant to the general license issued today, U.S. persons are authorized to wind down transactions with Emma Tel LLC, and any entity in which Emma Tel LLC owns, directly or indirectly, a 50 percent or greater interest, until December 20, 2020.

Syria tycoon Rami Makhlouf: Largest fraud in Middle East is in Syria

middleeastmonitor. — Wed, 30 Sep 2020 14:46:00 +0200

Syrian businessman Rami Makhlouf said on Monday that the Syrian regime has committed the largest fraud operation in the Middle East by taking over his companies under the cover of security for the benefit of the rich.

“These wealthy people were not satisfied with impoverishing the country, but rather they turned to loot humanitarian institutions and their projects by selling their assets and leaving them without projects or income to impoverish the poor and prevent them from finding an outlet to survive,” he said on Facebook.

Makhlouf, who is also the president’s cousin, explained that he had sent several letters to the Syrian government “without a response”, adding that he sent on Monday a letter to the chairman of the High Judicial Council to report those who commandeered his companies.

A few months ago, the Syrian regime seized the Al-Bustan Association run by Makhlouf and arrested its director, Samer Darwish.

European court tells Armenia, Azerbaijan to protect civilians

(dpa) — Wed, 30 Sep 2020 10:39:00 +0200

Paris - The European Court of Human Rights has instructed Armenia and Azerbaijan to avoid any military action that could put the life and health of civilians at risk, it said on Wednesday.

The Strasbourg-based court said it considered that the current fighting over the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh risked serious violations of the European Convention on Human Rights, to which both states are parties.
The court gave its ruling after Armenia asked it to instruct Azerbaijan to stop attacks on civilians and military advances towards civilian settlements in Nagorno-Karabakh and in Armenia proper.
Both countries have accused each other of attacking civilian targets in the latest conflict over the breakaway Armenian-populated Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan.
The then Soviet autonomous province's first attempt to break away from Azerbaijan, in 1988, was followed by widespread ethnic clashes.
More than 1 million civilians were displaced and thousands of lives lost before a 1994 ceasefire stabilized front lines, with Armenian and Karabakh forces in control of almost all the region as well as large neighbouring areas of Azer

Council of Europe experts begin audit of scandal-hit Vatican finances

(dpa) — Wed, 30 Sep 2020 10:35:00 +0200

Rome - Experts from the Council of Europe on financial transparency arrived at the Vatican on Wednesday for a highly anticipated audit of its finances.

A team from the council's Moneyval committee is "to assess the effectiveness of the legislative and institutional measures" adopted against money laundering and terrorist financing, the Vatican said.
The Vatican is keen to make strides on financial transparency, after decades in which its secretive bank, the Institute of Religious Works (IOR), was seen as a money-laundering haven.
But the Moneyval visit comes as the Vatican is reeling from a new financial scandal triggered the dramatic resignation last week of Italian Cardinal Angelo Becciu.
Becciu was effectively fired by Pope Francis on Thursday, after being accused of misusing a papal charity fund to support a cooperative run by his brother in his native Sardinia.
The cardinal, a key player in the pope's inner circle, was previously under scrutiny - but not under investigation - for a real estate deal in central London that cost the Vatican vast amounts of money.
Vatican prosecutors have since last year been investigating the affair, which happened when Becciu was the deputy head of the Secretariat of State, the Vatican's main ministry.
The suspicion is that the Secretariat of State was milked off by unscrupulous middlemen through various transactions, possibly with the complicity of people working under Becciu.
The whole affair has been called "opaque" by Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin. Francis said last year there was "clear" evidence of corruption.

Nawaf al-Ahmed Al Sabah sworn in as Kuwait's new ruler

By Nehal El-Sherif, — Wed, 30 Sep 2020 10:34:00 +0200

Kuwait City - Nawaf al-Ahmed Al Sabah has been sworn in as Kuwait's new ruler after the death of his older half-brother, Emir Sabah al-Ahmed Al Sabah. Sabah died in the United States on Tuesday at the age of 91. Nawaf was named crown prince in 2006, shortly after Sabah was named as leader.

Kuwait City - By Nehal El-Sherif, – Nawaf al-Ahmed al-Jaber Al Sabah will become oil-rich Kuwait's new leader after his older half-brother, Sabah, died earlier on Tuesday at the age of 91.

The Arab world went into mourning as Kuwait announced the death of its emir, a man whose 16-year-rule was characterized by attempts to calm crises in the region.

Sabah died in the United States at 4 pm Kuwait time (1300 GMT), the Cabinet said.

The emir had recently travelled to the US for medical reasons.

Speculation about Sabah's health had been ongoing for months, as he had been admitted to hospital several times since last year.

Earlier in the day, lawmaker Saleh Ashour tweeted that Prime Minister Sabah al-Khalid Al Sabah and Parliament Speaker Marzouk al-Ghanem left in the middle of a parliamentary session to meet with the crown prince.

According to the constitution, Nawaf, 83, will become the Gulf country's ruler. A swearing-in ceremony will be held at parliament on Wednesday, al-Ghanem said.
Born on June 25, 1937 in the Kuwaiti capital, Nawaf began his political career when he was in his mid-20s, when he was appointed governor of the Hawalli province.

Nawaf later held several ministerial positions, including interior, defence and social affairs, before he was named crown prince in 2006, shortly after Sabah was named as leader.

Nawaf has five children, according to his website.

The Cabinet announced a 40-day mourning period in the country. Public offices will be shut for three days.

Earlier on Tuesday, Kuwait’s state television stopped its usual programmes to broadcast a recital of verses from the Koran, a common move in Muslim-dominated countries when the head of state dies.

Minutes later, an announcer read the brief official statement before the Koran recital resumed, along with a black and white photo of the emir on screen.

“With great sadness and sorrow, we mourn to the Kuwaiti people, the Arab and Islamic nations, and the friendly peoples of the world, the death of His Highness Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmed al-Jaber Al Sabah, the emir of the State of Kuwait,” read the statement.

Afterwards, the official KUNA news agency tweeted a photo of the emir alongside the words: "Farewell, the prince of humanity."

Although Kuwait has one of the Arab world's most active parliaments, the emir retains the most power, including the right to appoint the government.

Sabah's rule was marked by efforts to calm regional disputes. He maintained good ties with Iran, which is considered a rival by many nations in the Gulf, and maintained ties to Qatar when several other Gulf nations severed ties dramatically in 2017.

Regional leaders paid tribute to the emir.

“Today we lost a great brother and a wise leader,” Jordan’s King Abdullah said, as he announced a 40-day mourning period in the kingdom starting on Tuesday.

Leaders of the United Arab Emirates and Egypt also paid tribute to Sabah, saying he was a great leader. Both announced a three-day mourning period.

Saudi King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed praised the Kuwaiti leader, and his "achievements and endeavours" to serve his country and the region.

Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels also paid tribute to Sabah.

"We do not forget his position supporting peace consultations and he used to express his love for Yemen in every meeting,” Houthi spokesman, Mohamed Abdul-Salam wrote on Twitter. Sabah was respected and appreciated for his attempts to end the war, Abdul-Salam added.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan also expressed his sorrow and condolences for Sabah’s death, in a tweet in Arabic.

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres described Sabah as "an extraordinary symbol of wisdom and generosity, a messenger of peace, a bridge builder."

Meet Chris Wallace, the presidential debate moderator from Fox News

By Stephen Battaglio, Los Angeles Times — Wed, 30 Sep 2020 09:59:00 +0200

By Los Angeles (tca/dpa) - Fox News anchor Chris Wallace will be the moderator when President Donald Trump and his Democratic opponent, former Vice President Joe Biden, face off at Case Western University in Cleveland on Sept. 29 for the first of three presidential debates. The highly anticipated event will likely approach the record of 84 million viewers who watched Trump's first meeting with Hillary Clinton in 2016.

Wallace is familiar to viewers as the host of "Fox News Sunday," the Washington-based public affairs program that airs on the cable news channel and the Fox broadcast network.
He has long prided himself on his ability to irritate both political sides, already apparent in the run-up to the upcoming debate. Liberal pundits have complained about his choice of debate topics, which include "race and violence in our cities" and the integrity of the election - two hot-button issues for the president. But Trump has attacked Wallace as well, saying the anchor is "controlled by the radical left" without presenting any evidence.
Here is what you need to know about Wallace:
He comes from a journalism family. Chris Wallace is the son of Mike Wallace, the hard-charging correspondent who helped launch "60 Minutes" in 1968 and was a fixture on the newsmagazine for 40 years. His stepfather was Bill Leonard, a longtime executive at CBS News who served as its president from 1979 to 1982. Leonard gave a 16-year-old Chris Wallace his first job in the news business as an assistant to anchor Walter Cronkite at the 1964 Democratic National Convention.
He has worked for four TV network news divisions. Wallace was a student at Harvard University when he had a summer job at CBS News. He worked at the turbulent 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago, where his father was arrested.
After a stint as a correspondent for CBS' Chicago TV station WBBM, he joined NBC News in Washington where he covered the White House, briefly served as a co-anchor of "Today" (with Bryant Gumbel and Jane Pauley) in 1980 and moderated "Meet the Press." He left in 1989 for ABC, where he was a correspondent for the news magazine "PrimeTime Live." He joined Fox News in 2003.
He was the first Fox News anchor to moderate a presidential debate. Wallace handled the third showdown between then-candidate Trump and Clinton in 2016, earning praise from pundits on both sides and a tweet of approval from Oprah Winfrey. Wallace landed a permanent place on the presidential debate highlight reel when he got Trump to say he would not commit to accepting the results of the election.
He has a reputation as one of the toughest interrogators in TV news. Even though his network, Fox News, is a favorite of conservative voters and Trump supporters, Wallace has maintained his reputation for being even-handed no matter who he is interviewing.
"I take the line that somebody said from Vince Lombardi, 'He doesn't discriminate - he treats us all like dogs,'" he told the Times in 2016. "That's my view on all politicians." In a 2018 interview, Wallace asked Russian president Vladimir Putin why so many of his political opponents ended up dead.
He has Hollywood connections. While many Fox News commentators often express disdain for show business liberals, Wallace and his wife, Lorraine, vacationed at actor George Clooney's Lake Como compound in northern Italy. "Great food, great wine and great talk," he told Politico in 2012. "The only thing that ticked me off is that he may be smarter about politics and know more about politics than I do."
He is a registered Democrat. Many journalists avoid affiliating with a political party. But Wallace is registered as a Democrat in Washington, D.C., as the district's local government elections are typically decided in the party primaries. Wallace says he has cast votes for both Democratic and Republican candidates in presidential contests.

Nobel prizes to be awarded in the shadow of the pandemic

(dpa) — Tue, 29 Sep 2020 16:49:00 +0200

Despite the dark shadow cast by the coronavirus pandemic, the Nobel prizes for 2020 are to be announced next week. The virus has prompted some adjustments, including scaled-down celebrations.

Stockholm - By Lennart Simonsson - The Nobel prizes are to go ahead this year despite the coronavirus pandemic posing a special challenge for organizers and prize-giving bodies.
"In March (and) April we were worried we would not even be able to choose any laureates this year," Lars Heikensten, executive director of the Nobel Foundation, told dpa.
The foundation manages the assets of Swedish industrialist and dynamite inventor Alfred Nobel, who created the prizes in the fields of literature, medicine, physics, chemistry, and peace.
"We stand for knowledge, we stand for science, we stand for peace - these are things that are perhaps particularly important these days," Heikenstein said.
Winners of the 2020 Nobel awards are to receive more money. The foundation said each prize will be worth 10 million kronor (1.1 million dollars), compared to 9 million kronor in past years.
The pandemic has prompted some adjustments to the famed prizes.
The December 10 award ceremonies in Oslo and Stockholm have been scaled down due to the pandemic.
Banquets for laureates have cancelled, and winners in the fields of medicine, physics, chemistry, literature and economics will receive their awards from home rather than in Stockholm.
A limited number of guests will be invited to the peace prize ceremony in Oslo, though it is not clear yet whether the laureate or laureates will attend.
The Nobel prize week itself opens, as in previous years, with the medicine prize on Monday, October 5. It is followed by the physics prize on October 6, chemistry on October 7, literature on October 8, and peace on October 9.
Economics - not one of Nobel's original prizes - rounds off the announcements on October 12.
Last year, the Swedish Academy announced two Nobel Prizes in Literature - for Polish author Olga Tokarczuk for the year 2018, and Austrian author Peter Handke for 2019 - after it had postponed the 2018 award due to a sexual assault scandal and alleged conflicts of interest.
This year, 197 candidates were considered for the literature award, of which 37 have not previously been nominated, the Swedish Academy informed dpa. Guesswork is tricky, given that the academy does not publish a shortlist. Previous surprise choices have included US singer-songwriter Bob Dylan in 2016.
The nominations - and deliberations - for all Nobel prizes are sealed for 50 years.
Somewhat more information is available for the Nobel Peace Prize, as some nominators - people including lawmakers, academics and former peace laureates - announce their proposals.
The Norwegian Nobel Committee, which selects the peace prize recipient, received 318 nominations this year of individuals as well as organizations, the fourth-highest tally since the first award in 1901.
Among the 211 proposed individuals is Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg. The 17-year-old was also nominated last year for inspiring a global movement calling for action on climate change.
Pro-democracy activists in Hong Kong were proposed by lawmakers in Norway and the United States. Members of the German Left party nominated US whistleblower Edward Snowden for disclosing mass surveillance programmes in the US, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and former US military intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning, who worked with Assange to leak a trove of classified material in 2010.
In 2019, the five-member committee picked Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed for his regional peace efforts.
Judging from online bets, Thunberg is a strong contender this year, as well as the World Health Organisation (WHO) for its efforts to tackle the pandemic, and US President Donald Trump.
It is not known if Trump has been nominated this year. Several researchers told dpa they were doubtful of Trump's chances.
"I just don't see it," said Dan Smith, director of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, citing Trump's pulling out of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal and the Paris climate agreement.
Smith said the Nobel committee could be considering an award for human rights or climate change, as there were few signs of progress "in the world of conflict, peace and security."
He said there is "a distinct connection between climate change and peace" due to the impact on political stability and people's wellbeing. This could motivate an award to Thunberg or other activists and organizations.
Henrik Urdal, director of the Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO), made a case for an award for press and media freedom, mentioning the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).
"Journalists are often on the frontline, reporting about war and peace," he told dpa, adding that the international community needs "accurate information" to assess and respond to conflicts.
Peter Wallensteen, senior professor of peace and conflict research at Uppsala University, suggested a possible prize for independent media "often under pressure and amid the 'fake news' debate," or for the anti-corruption watchdog Transparency International.

Azerbaijan continues offensive into disputed Armenian-held territory

By Peter Spinella, — Tue, 29 Sep 2020 12:40:00 +0200

Moscow - By Peter Spinella, - Azerbaijan continued a military offensive on Tuesday into Armenian-held territory in the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region, with Armenia reporting several civilian casualties. The region, internationally recognized as part of predominantly Muslim Azerbaijan, has been controlled by Christian Armenian separatists for decades, with a fragile peace treaty in place since the 1990s. "Two women aged 59 and 79, one man aged 24 and one child aged 9 were killed," Armenian state news agency Armenpress reported. Dozens of soldiers have been reported killed on both sides.

Azerbaijan's Defence Ministry was still in the process of counting military casualties, said Hikmat Hajiyev, a foreign policy aide to President Ilham Aliyev, on Tuesday.
He told reporters via videoconference that 10 civilians had been killed so far, including a child, and 29 were seriously wounded.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel has spoken to both Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Aliyev in separate telephone calls, her spokesperson said on Tuesday.
The discussions focused on the escalation in the conflict between the two countries, government spokesperson Steffen Seibert said.
Merkel stressed the importance of an immediate truce and a return to the negotiating table for both sides, Seibert added.
Asked about the European Union's role in reducing tensions, Hajiyev said Azerbaijan had taken note of all the telephone diplomacy and statements.
But "just expressing concern is not enough, there should be real actions on the ground" for Armenia to come to the negotiating table, he said.
The flare-up began at the weekend. It is the bloodiest fighting in years between the former Soviet republics, which fought a war over the disputed region in the late 1980s and early 1990s as they transitioned into independent countries amid the dissolution of the Soviet Union.
Impoverished Armenia has relied heavily on backing from Russia, with which it has a shared Christian heritage. Oil-rich Azerbaijan is supported by predominantly Muslim Turkey, with close ties between their ethnic Turkic populations.
In a rare moment of Russia and the European Union expressing the same position on an issue, they both called on Monday for an immediate ceasefire between Azerbaijan and Armenia.
Hajiyev, the senior Azerbaijani official, outright rejected media reports that Syrian fighters were being sent by Turkey and also denied the use of Turkish military equipment.
He called the reports about the use of Syrian fighters as "propaganda and fake news from Armenia," and "absolutely baseless and groundless."
"Why should Azerbaijan bring others to its sovereign soil?" he asked.
While acknowledging the close ties between Baku and Ankara, he denied any military support from Turkey.
"Azerbaijan is an independent country and Azerbaijani armed forces are capable of fulfilling any mission. Turkey's intervention or participation is simply disinformation and propaganda by the Armenian side," he said.
He insisted that Azerbaijan was committed to a peaceful resolution of conflict, but Armenia's "aggression must stop," adding that "we are tired of the Armenian side cheating the international community and cheating the negotiating process."

Rumors of Prince Harry and Meghan's Netflix reality show are false

By Nardine Saad, Los Angeles Times — Tue, 29 Sep 2020 12:34:00 +0200

Los Angeles (tca/dpa) - Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, are getting heat for the mere whiff of reality-show rumors wafting from their massive Netflix deal. The British tabloid The Sun reported Monday that the Sussexes would be partaking in some sort of reality series about their philanthropy - a project that would reportedly give the much-maligned "Suits" actress a chance to show viewers "the real her."

It also could have been another lucrative draw for the streaming giant and a chance to humanize the pair as they repair damage done to their public image since their surprising break with the British monarchy this year.
But the tabloid's allegations put the Sussexes at odds with their apparent desire for more privacy - a main reason the British prince and American actress stepped back as senior members of the royal family, moved back to Southern California and are charting a new path for their nonprofit foundation, Archewell. (A hefty conceit for a reality series, if we do say so ourselves.)
Alas, that enticing report was promptly shut down by a rep for Harry and Meghan.
"The Duke and Duchess are not taking part in any reality shows," the spokesperson told NBC 4. The rep did not immediately respond to The Times' requests for comment.
Netflix somewhat doubled down, telling The Times that the duo already had several projects in development, but the streamer is "not disclosing any of the programming slate at this time."
Those projects, announced in a deal that is reportedly worth 100 million dollars, include a nature docuseries and an animated series that celebrates inspiring women. Meghan also has no plans to return to acting.
The duchess, like just about everything these days, has been entangled in American politics as of late as some suggested her as a future US presidential contender in a run against White House senior advisor, Ivanka Trump.
The former star also took heat last week for joining her husband in a video encouraging Americans to vote in November's presidential election. The move prompted POTUS to take a dig at the couple and say that he's "not a fan of hers." He has called her "nasty" in the past.

Trump's tiny tax bill reveals big losses at his golf resort in Miami

By Douglas Hanks, Miami Herald — Tue, 29 Sep 2020 12:30:00 +0200

Miami (tca/dpa) - Behind the 750 dollars that Donald Trump owed the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in 2017 looms a much larger number from Miami: 162 million dollars in reported losses at the Trump Doral golf resort.

The New York Times cited both figures in a report Sunday based on tax filings that the president has declined to make public. The article laid out how reported business losses from Trump Organization ventures helped wipe away reported profits from Trump investments, leaving the president paying less in income taxes than it would cost to spend this weekend in a suite at his Doral hotel (834 dollars, with taxes).
The deluge of confidential Trump financials the Times said it obtained bring the latest discouraging look at how one of Miami-Dade's largest hotels has fared under presidential ownership. Trump purchased the 643-room property for 150 million dollars in 2012, when the former Marriott was in bankruptcy.
Massive renovations followed to a property once best known for its Blue Monster PGA Tour golf course. In news reports, the Trump Organization announced 250 million dollars worth of renovations at the Trump National Doral Miami. The Times article said Trump only reported spending 213 million dollars at the property.
According to the tax information the Times said it had obtained, Trump reported the 162 million dollars in losses from Doral through 2018. That's not entirely a cash loss, but includes depreciation - deductions in value of buildings and other assets that the IRS allows to be treated as business expenses.
A Trump lawyer told the Times its financial information was largely incorrect. A representative for the Trump Organization was not available for comment Monday. Trump himself called the Times article "a total fake."
When he launched his presidential campaign promising a crackdown on illegal immigration, the backlash cost the property its spot on the PGA Tour schedule when the spring event moved to Mexico City in 2016. Even so, the Times report included hints of an upside to Trump's campaign in Doral. The article said credit-card revenue there doubled in the summer of 2015 after the real estate mogul joined the race.
Once elected, Trump saw his Doral property falter, according to records the Trump Organization gave Miami-Dade tax authorities in 2018 to justify a lower value on the property. That included occupancy levels and room rates trailing its competitors in Miami-Dade, and profits dropping from 14 million dollars in 2015 to just over 4 million dollars in 2017.
Gregory Rumpel, a veteran commercial broker in Miami who specializes in the lodging market, noted some of the years covered in the Times report were particularly tough for large properties in South Florida. The Zika scare in 2016 "annihilated group business" and Hurricane Irma disrupted the industry in 2017. He also sees how the Trump brand could be an anchor in Miami.
"Our biggest feeder markets are from New York and New Jersey," said Rumpel, managing director of the hotels division for Jones Lang Lasalle. "Last I checked, those were pretty blue states."
The Times report doesn't cover 2020, when the Covid-19 pandemic sent Miami-Dade's tourism and lodging sectors into downturns with no comparison in South Florida history. According to county figures, hotel taxes in the Doral area plunged 40 per cent in July compared to results from a year before.
Last year, a Trump consultant scrapped an appeal of a 2019 tax bill before having to submit updated financial documents. Last week, the Trump Organization filed a petition to challenge the Doral property's 1.39 million dollars county tax bill for 2020. County appraisers kept the taxable value flat in 2020 at 78 million dollars for the land that holds the resort buildings. That assessment also doesn't take Covid into account because it's based on the real estate market at the start of 2020.
Appealing tax valuations isn't unusual. The three properties in Miami-Dade with the largest tax bills - the Aventura Mall, Dadeland Mall and the Southeast Financial Center - also filed appeal petitions for 2020 with the county's Value Adjustment Board this month.
According to the Times report, the Trump Doral's financial performance will take on even more importance for the president in the coming years. He personally backed about 421 million dollars in loans and other debts that come due in the next four years. The Trump Doral accounts for 121 million dollars of that obligation - about 30 cents of every dollar owed.

US District court halts ban on TikTok downloads

(dpa) — Mon, 28 Sep 2020 11:29:00 +0200

Washington - A district court in Washington DC has halted a ban on downloads of media app TikTok set to go into effect late Sunday.

A judge granted a preliminary injunction to TikTok on Sunday, blocking the planned ban on new downloads in the US which would have taken effect just before midnight.
It would have prohibited marketplaces like the Apple App Store from offering TikTok for download.
The court declined to rule on a ban the Trump administration has slapped on TikTok from November, which may still go ahead.
The judge also called on the two sides to reach agreement on a time scale for the way forward.
Meanwhile the Commerce Department in a statement said the US government "will comply with the injunction and has taken immediate steps to do so."
At the same time the Commerce Department said it intended to "vigorously defend" Trump's executive order and the Commerce Secretary’s implementation efforts from legal challenges.
According to decisions by Washington, the app will stop working completely for US smartphone users on November 12.
TikTok, one of the most popular social media platforms in the country, has around 100 million users in the United States.
The app allows users to create short videos - often with some basic effects and music.
The administration of President Donald Trump argues that as TikTok collects users' data, it is a security risk, saying Chinese authorities may gain access to that data. TikTok and its Chinese parent firm ByteDance deny the allegations.
The Trump administration is trying to force a sale of TikTok to US companies, saying it is concerned about user data falling into the hands of the Chinese government.
Washington continues to see risks despite the assurance that data from American users will be stored in the United States under a tentative deal between TikTok and two major US firms, Oracle and Walmart.
The fate of talks to buy TikTok remains unclear. Oracle and retailer Walmart have made an offer for a percentage of TikTok in the US, though it remains unclear if their control will be enough to satisfy Washington.

Bach: moving indoor Olympic events outside 'too complicated'

(dpa) — Mon, 28 Sep 2020 11:28:00 +0200

Imola, Italy (dpa) - Indoor sports in the open air at new venues for reduced coronavirus infection risk are currently unimaginable for International Olympic Committee (IOC) chief Thomas Bach at the 2020 Tokyo Games delayed to next year due to the global pandemic.

"I think that is too complicated," Bach told a media round on Sunday while attending the world road cycling championships at Imola, Italy.
"I have not considered it yet and don't know if it is one of the scenarios in the working groups. If you ask me personally, I think that it would be too complicated to change the venues."
An event at the Games, July 23-August 8, 2021, in the Japanese capital is "not alone, we have 33 world championships at the same time," said Bach.
The question was asked after Bach said that it might be necessary to differentiate fan access to events held inside and outside in Tokyo due to the coronavirus.

Merkel visited poisoned Russian dissident Navalny in Berlin hospital

(dpa) — Mon, 28 Sep 2020 11:23:00 +0200

Berlin (dpa) - German Chancellor Angela Merkel visited Russian dissident Alexei Navalny while he was recovering in a Berlin hospital after being poisoned with a nerve agent in Russia, Navalny said on Monday.

"I am very grateful to Chancellor Merkel for her visiting me in the hospital," Navalny said in a statement on Twitter. "There was a meeting, but it should not be called 'secret.' It was more like a private meeting and conversation with my family."
Navalny was discharged from Berlin's Charite hospital last week after more than a month of treatment. German, Swedish and French laboratories have determined that he had been poisoned with the Soviet-developed nerve agent Novichok. He had fallen ill while on a campaign trip in Siberia.
Novichok was also used in the near-fatal poisoning of former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in the southern English city of Salisbury two years ago.