Assad Welcomed at Arab League Summit After Years of Isolation
Plus: Turkish presidential election heads to runoff, Iran executes three men, Lebanon gets Interpol notice for central bank's governor, UN commemorates Palestine Nakba, and more.
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Assad Welcomed at Arab League Summit After Years of Isolation
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad attended an Arab summit in Saudi Arabia on Friday, May 19, receiving a warm welcome and a hug from Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince.
The summit with Assad marked a policy shift opposed by the U.S. and Western powers.
Al-Assad's participation in the summit was the first since Syria's suspension following the start of the war in 2011.
While some Arab League members welcomed Syria's return, Qatar's Emir notably boycotted Assad's speech and left the summit in protest.
Qatar has been a vocal critic of Assad's government and continues to boycott Damascus.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also attended the summit, aiming to gather support for Ukraine's battle against Russia.
Zelenskyy expressed gratitude for Arab states' international support but criticized some regional states for turning a blind eye to Russia's invasion.
Syria has been a strong ally of Russia and publicly supported the invasion.
Turkish Presidential Election Heads to Runoff
The second round of voting for Turkey's presidential election will take place on May 28, as no candidate achieved the required 50% threshold for victory in the first round.
Incumbent President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, although leading his main competitor Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, didn't secure an outright win.
Erdoğan is expected to be the front-runner in the runoff despite being narrowly behind in opinion polls.
Kılıçdaroğlu has accepted the runoff and believes he will prevail against Erdoğan.
In the first round, Erdoğan received 49.24% of the vote, Kılıçdaroğlu received 45.07%, and Sinan Ogan, a nationalist politician, received 5.28%.
Since Ogan is now out of the race, his support could be crucial for victory in the runoff.
Ogan has outlined his conditions for supporting a candidate, which includes taking a tough stance against the PKK and establishing a timeline for the return of millions of Syrian refugees.
Lebanon Gets Interpol Notice for Central Bank's Governor Riad Salameh
Lebanon's Justice Ministry, Bassam Mawlawi, received an Interpol notice this week for the central bank's Governor Riad Salameh.
If instructed by the judiciary, Mawlawi would implement the red notice, which is issued to law enforcement agencies worldwide to locate and apprehend fugitives.
Salameh faces an arrest warrant from France, accused of embezzling over $300 million in public funds, an allegation he denies.
He criticized the French action, considering it a violation of the law, and plans to appeal.
Salameh, part of Lebanon's political elite, is seen as one of the main accountable for the severe economic crisis since late 2019.
He faces multiple judicial investigations in Europe and Lebanon involving fraud, money laundering, and illicit enrichment.
Salameh maintains his innocence, attributing his wealth to his previous job at Merrill Lynch, inherited properties, and investments.
Iran Executes Three Men over Recent Protests
Three men were executed in Isfahan, Iran, for their alleged involvement in the deaths of three security force members during anti-government protests.
Majid Kazemi, Saleh Mirhashemi, and Saeed Yaghoubi were accused of killing two Basij paramilitary members and a police officer on November 16.
Amnesty International criticized their fast-tracked trial, stating that it was flawed and based on "torture-tainted 'confessions," while Iran denies allegations of torture during confessions.
These executions bring the total to at least seven protesters hanged since the nationwide protests began in the autumn of last year, which posed a significant challenge to the clerical leadership.
The European Union, Australia's Minister for Foreign Affairs, and U.N. rights experts expressed condemnation, while the U.S. State Department called on Iran to respect human rights and not execute the men.
UN Commemorates Palestine Nakba
For the first time in its history, the U.N. General Assembly has commemorated the 75th anniversary of the Palestinian Nakba, acknowledging the mass displacement of over 760,000 Palestinians during the creation of Israel in 1948.
The event, known as Nakba or catastrophe, is annually commemorated on May 15.
In 2022, the U.N. passed a resolution recognizing the Nakba despite strong opposition from Israel.
The U.S. mission at the U.N. did not attend the recent event on Washington's instruction.
Israel's ambassador criticized the U.N.'s decision, accusing it of endorsing "Jew-hatred" and enabling the Palestinians' narrative.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called for the suspension of Israel's U.N. membership until it stops its aggression and implements resolutions for separate Israeli and Palestinian states and the return of Palestinian refugees.
Israel and Palestinian Islamic Jihad Agree on Gaza Truce
An Egyptian-mediated ceasefire between Israel and the Islamic Jihad group took effect last Saturday, aiming to end the most severe cross-border conflict since the 2021 war.
The ceasefire includes provisions to cease targeting civilians, demolishing houses, and immediately halting attacks on individuals.
Israel initiated airstrikes last week, targeting Islamic Jihad commanders involved in planned attacks.
The Palestinian militants launched over 1,000 rockets in response, causing Israelis to seek shelter.
Israel killed six senior Islamic Jihad commanders throughout the five-day campaign and destroyed military installations.
However, the conflict also resulted in the deaths of several Palestinian civilians, including women and children, in Gaza, while two people were killed by Palestinian rocket fire in Israel.
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My name is Dario Sabaghi, and I am a freelance journalist interested in international news focusing on the MENA region.
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Cover photo: SANA, Reuters - France24