Violent unrest grips Beirut as 'week of rage' escalates - CNN

Protesters were seen attacking bank branches and smashing the windows of one prominent cell phone company.

Some threw Molotov cocktails and rocks at police, who attempted to disperse protesters with tear gas. As clashes continued, security forces deployed water cannons and rubber bullets.

Hundreds of people have been injured in the chaos, according the Lebanese Red Cross, which comes after months of mostly nonviolent demonstrations over the country's continued economic failings.

The banking system has all but collapsed and Lebanese citizens have a monthly withdrawal limit worth around $200. The nation's currency has lost 60% of its value in the months of tumult, as prices soar and people are left unable to pay their regular bills.

Lebanon's President, Michel Aoun, called on the country's army and security forces to impose order.

Protesters declared the "week of rage" on Tuesday, angry that the government has failed to stymie Lebanon's descent into economic crisis. Prime Minister Saad Hariri resigned in late October in response to the initial protests, but Lebanese lawmakers have been unable to form a legitimate government in the three months since to tackle the economic issues still plaguing the country.

Some protesters who spoke to CNN said they've decided to use new tactic that includes employing more violence in order to spur quicker change, as the situation has mostly stalled since Hariri's resignation.

Hariri, who has been ruling a caretaker government since his resignation, issued a statement calling events in downtown Beirut an "unacceptable scene that threatens civil peace."

Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch both issued statements accusing police of using excessive force.

"There was no justification for the brutal use of force unleashed by Lebanon's riot police against largely peaceful demonstrators in downtown Beirut on January 18 (Saturday)," Michael Page, Human Rights Watch's deputy Middle East Director, said in a statement. "Riot police showed a blatant disregard for their human rights obligations, instead launching teargas canisters at protesters' heads, firing rubber bullets in their eyes and attacking people at hospitals and a mosque."

In a statement published Thursday, Amnesty International acknowledged wrongdoing by a small number of protesters but called the actions by authorities an "alarming attack on freedom of assembly and expression." The group also accused the government of failing to "address protesters' demands and their concerns about the impact of the economic crisis."

"Acts by a minority of protesters who vandalized banks or threw stones is never a justification for such excessive use of force and sweeping arrests by law enforcement," said Lynn Maalouf, Amnesty International's Middle East director of research.

CNN's Mitchell McCluskey, Christian Streib and Angela Dewan contributed to this report

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2020-01-20 06:41:00Z
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Harry and Meghan are giving up royal titles and state funding. Here's what that means - CNN

The news comes after a flurry of conversations and crunch talks with the Queen, who said Saturday that she was "pleased" to have found a "constructive and supportive way forward" for the Sussexes.

Earlier this month, in a carefully worded Instagram post and curated new website, Harry and Meghan announced their intention to exit the royal family. In it, they made clear what they wanted: to work to become financially independent, while continuing to support the Queen.

The question is now: did they get what they had hoped for?

Is this the exit the Sussexes had in mind?

The Sussexes had pitched for a hybrid role, where they would be allowed to pursue personal income, but also continue representing the Queen. But it appears they were offered two choices by the Palace -- in or out. They chose out.

So what's the deal with their royal titles?

Meghan received the title Her Royal Highness (HRH) The Duchess of Sussex upon marriage in May 2018. Harry's full title was His Royal Highness The Duke of Sussex, Earl of Dumbarton and Baron Kilkeel.

But the couple will no longer use the titles His and Her Royal Highness after announcing they would step back from their roles as senior members of the royal family. This is quite unprecedented. After her divorce from Prince Charles, Harry's mother Diana had her "HRH" title taken away, and she was given the courtesy title of "Diana, Princess of Wales."

Similarly, Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York was also stripped of her HRH title after her divorce from Prince Andrew.

But the situation for Harry and Meghan is different -- they have chosen, or been asked, not to use these titles because they no longer represent the Queen.

What does it mean for the Sussex brand?

This decision is really about Harry and Meghan's extraction from royal life, but the next question is what will happen to the Sussex Royal brand.

The role, outlined on Harry and Meghan's Sussex Royal website following the couple's first announcement, doesn't currently align with the agreement announced by the Palace on Saturday. That whole new brand of Sussex Royal will probably have to be reworked, and we are waiting to see what that will look like.

When does the new arrangement take effect? How long will it last?

The changes will take effect in the spring, when Harry and Meghan will stop using the titles "HRH." The situation will then be reviewed a year later, but in the meantime Harry can expect a lot of media scrutiny.

So what will they do now?

This latest announcement doesn't mean that the couple will no longer move in Royal circles -- we'll still see them at functions that look a lot like Royal events.

Harry and Meghan are also keeping all of their private causes and patronages -- including Invictus -- and the various patronages they hold separate to their association with the Queen. But the couple will have to find a way of tying this together with bringing in an income.

We will probably see them undertaking commercial work, possibly media work, but we'll have to wait and see who that will be with, or how that will be shaped. We know that the couple haven't signed any commercial deals yet.

Harry and Meghan will have to bring in quite a substantial income to keep up with their current lifestyles -- while the Prince of Wales will be financing them through his private estate, the Duchy of Cornwall, this is expected to be in the low millions and may not be permanent.

What does it mean for other royals?

Harry and Meghan's exit from the royal family is quite unprecedented, and could become a blueprint for other senior members of the family who want out -- for example, William's children, if they felt the same way as Harry as adults.

There are also questions that need to be answered about how Harry's move will affect Charles and William. It remains unclear whether Harry's royal duties will be dispersed between Charles and William, or whether Harry's departure will effectively reduce the amount of work that the royal family is doing.

What was left unsaid in the announcement?

The announcement didn't address what will now happen to the Sussex Royal brand, and it didn't give further details about what the security arrangements will look like for the couple in Canada.

Who is expected to pay for security costs?

In the statement released Saturday, Buckingham Palace said it would not comment on the details of security arrangements.

"There are well established independent processes to determine the need for publicly-funded security," it said.

Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau told a Canadian television station Monday that: "...there are still a lot of decisions to be taken by the royal family, by the Sussexes themselves, as to what level of engagement they choose to have and these are things that we are obviously supportive of their reflections, but have responsibilities in that as well."

Trudeau added: "That is part of the reflection that needs to be had and there are discussions going on."

What will their life look like now -- splitting time between North America and UK?

The couple will be spending most of their time in North America.

But they can only spend a certain amount of time in Canada without citizenship -- UK and America citizens can spend up to 6 months in the country as a visitor -- so it remains to be seen how much time the young family will also spend in the United States.

They will still maintain their Frogmore Cottage residence on Windsor Estate, west of London -- but will have to pay rent for it.

They will also return the Sovereign Grant funds they recently spent to renovate the residence -- £2.4 million (about $3 million) of British taxpayers' money -- the palace said in a statement.

Works included the removal of a chimney, re-finishing the roof, new staircases, fireplace installations and a new "floating" wooden floor. Expenses related to fixtures, furnishings and fittings were funded privately by the couple.

CNN's Stephanie Halasz and Jack Guy contributed to this report.

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2020-01-19 13:27:00Z
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Libya rivals, world powers set for high-stakes Berlin summit - Al Jazeera English

Leaders of Libya's warring sides and several foreign powers are arriving in Berlin for an international summit to discuss ways to end the long-running conflict in the North African country.

The head of Tripoli's internationally-recognised government, Fayez al-Sarraj, and his rival, renegade military commander Khalifa Haftar, are expected to attend Sunday's UN-backed gathering in the German capital, the first such event since 2018.

More:

Among those also expected in Berlin are Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Russian President Vladimir Putin, French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Other countries invited are the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Algeria, China and the Republic of Congo. Leaders from the United Nations, the European Union, the African Union and the Arab League will also attend.

The summit host, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, kicked off meetings with discussions with the president of the Republic of Congo, Denis Sassou Nguesso, who heads an African Union committee on Libya.

Merkel has previously said that enforcing a UN arms embargo on Libya will be a priority at the summit attended by the leading parties in Libya's war, as well as representatives from their foreign backers and other nations.

"It will be extremely difficult to see how can Berlin convince all the parties to stop providing weapons to the warring factions and stop interfering in Libya when they have different agendas," Al Jazeera's Hashem Ahelbarra, reporting from Berlin, said.

Haftar is backed by the UAE, Egypt, Jordan and, most recently, Russian mercenaries. France has also been accused of giving him some support.

Turkey strongly supports the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord (GNA), and its Parliament approved a motion to send troops to Libya earlier this month.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel welcomes Republic of the Congo's President Denis Sassou Nguesso at the beginning of the Libya summit in Berlin [Hannibal Hanschke/Reuters]

Fragile ceasefire

The conference is the latest attempt to restore stability and peace to Libya, which has been splintered between competing factions and militias since former leader Muammar Gaddafi was overthrown and killed during a NATO-supported uprising in 2011. The deeply divided country currently has two rival administrations: The UN-recognised GNA and another allied with Haftar in the eastern city of Tobruk.

As with previous failed attempts at securing a lasting ceasefire, Haftar, who in April last year launched an offensive to take Tripoli, will be centre stage as international powers hope to put pressure on him to continue a ceasefire brokered by Russia and Turkey that has largely held for one week.

The warring sides earlier this month agreed to the ceasefire, though Haftar dramatically departed talks in Moscow on January 12 before signing the formalised agreement with al-Sarraj.

Eastern-based forces loyal to Haftar escalated the conflict on Friday when allied tribesmen shut down eastern oil ports, cutting oil production by 800,000 barrels per day, and crippling Tripoli's main source of income.

The move was a protest against Turkey's decision to send troops to shore up the GNA.

Haftar wants the armed factions in western Libya to disband and has called for a maritime and military deal between the GNA and Turkey to be scrapped.

Underlining the stakes involved, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said "Europe and those players who are influential" in the region have all been called to Berlin, because "we have to make sure Libya doesn't become a second Syria." 

"The conference can be the first step to peace for Libya," Maas told Bild newspaper. 

Speaking to reporters at an Istanbul airport before leaving to attend the talks, Erdogan on Sunday said he hoped for an "important step" to cement the fragile ceasefire "and a political solution".

In a column published on Politico on the eve of the talks, Erdogan had urged Europe to stand united behind al-Sarraj's government, as Tripoli's fall could leave "fertile ground" for armed groups such as ISIL or al-Qaeda "to get back on their feet".

A fighter loyal to the UN-recognised Libyan GNA south of Tripoli on January 12 when a ceasefire was signed [File: Mahmud Turkia/AFP]

The UN hopes all parties will sign on to a plan to refrain from interference and commit to a truce that leads to a lasting end to hostilities, according to a draft of a final communique seen by AFP news agency. 

The document also urges all parties to re-commit to a much-violated UN arms embargo and raises the prospect of political, inter-Libyan talks in Geneva at the end of the month.

The draft communique calls on all parties to recognise Libyan state oil firm NOC as sole entity authorised to sell Libyan crude, and urges them to refrain from hostilities against oil production facilities, Reuters news agency reported.

"What the Berlin conference is trying to do is get an agreement between the states meddling in Libya to stop their support [of] the warring parties," Wolfram Lacher, a political analyst, told Al Jazeera.

"The problem is Western states are not ready to put pressure on Haftar's foreign supporters, particularly the UAE so the promises that the foreign meddlers will make in Berlin ring hollow," he said. 

The International Crisis Group's Libya expert Claudia Gazzini said the Berlin conference "could be a modest step forward" on the path to peace. 

"Yet the risk remains that some participants will merely pay lip service to the diplomatic initiative, even as they continue to fuel a war from which they benefit."

Libya's UN-recognised leader Fayez al-Sarraj, left, and renegade commander Khalifa Haftar, right, will attend the meeting [File: Fethi Belaid and Ho/AFP]

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2020-01-19 12:23:00Z
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Libya rivals, world powers set for high-stakes Berlin summit - Al Jazeera English

Leaders of Libya's warring sides and several foreign powers are arriving in Berlin for an international summit to discuss ways to end the long-running conflict in the North African country.

The head of Tripoli's internationally-recognised government, Fayez al-Sarraj, and his rival, renegade military commander Khalifa Haftar, are expected to attend Sunday's UN-backed gathering in the German capital, the first such event since 2018.

More:

Among those also expected in Berlin are Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Russian President Vladimir Putin, French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Other countries invited are the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Algeria, China and the Republic of Congo. Leaders from the United Nations, the European Union, the African Union and the Arab League will also attend.

The summit host, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, kicked off meetings with discussions with the president of the Republic of Congo, Denis Sassou Nguesso, who heads an African Union committee on Libya.

Merkel has previously said that enforcing a UN arms embargo on Libya will be a priority at the summit attended by the leading parties in Libya's war, as well as representatives from their foreign backers and other nations.

"It will be extremely difficult to see how can Berlin convince all the parties to stop providing weapons to the warring factions and stop interfering in Libya when they have different agendas," Al Jazeera's Hashem Ahelbarra, reporting from Berlin, said.

Haftar is backed by the UAE, Egypt, Jordan and, most recently, Russian mercenaries. France has also been accused of giving him some support.

Turkey strongly supports the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord (GNA), and its Parliament approved a motion to send troops to Libya earlier this month.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel welcomes Republic of the Congo's President Denis Sassou Nguesso at the beginning of the Libya summit in Berlin [Hannibal Hanschke/Reuters]

Fragile ceasefire

The conference is the latest attempt to restore stability and peace to Libya, which has been splintered between competing factions and militias since former leader Muammar Gaddafi was overthrown and killed during a NATO-supported uprising in 2011. The deeply divided country currently has two rival administrations: The UN-recognised GNA and another allied with Haftar in the eastern city of Tobruk.

As with previous failed attempts at securing a lasting ceasefire, Haftar, who in April last year launched an offensive to take Tripoli, will be centre stage as international powers hope to put pressure on him to continue a ceasefire brokered by Russia and Turkey that has largely held for one week.

The warring sides earlier this month agreed to the ceasefire, though Haftar dramatically departed talks in Moscow on January 12 before signing the formalised agreement with al-Sarraj.

Eastern-based forces loyal to Haftar escalated the conflict on Friday when allied tribesmen shut down eastern oil ports, cutting oil production by 800,000 barrels per day, and crippling Tripoli's main source of income.

The move was a protest against Turkey's decision to send troops to shore up the GNA.

Haftar wants the armed factions in western Libya to disband and has called for a maritime and military deal between the GNA and Turkey to be scrapped.

Underlining the stakes involved, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said "Europe and those players who are influential" in the region have all been called to Berlin, because "we have to make sure Libya doesn't become a second Syria." 

"The conference can be the first step to peace for Libya," Maas told Bild newspaper. 

Speaking to reporters at an Istanbul airport before leaving to attend the talks, Erdogan on Sunday said he hoped for an "important step" to cement the fragile ceasefire "and a political solution".

In a column published on Politico on the eve of the talks, Erdogan had urged Europe to stand united behind al-Sarraj's government, as Tripoli's fall could leave "fertile ground" for armed groups such as ISIL or al-Qaeda "to get back on their feet".

A fighter loyal to the UN-recognised Libyan GNA south of Tripoli on January 12 when a ceasefire was signed [File: Mahmud Turkia/AFP]

The UN hopes all parties will sign on to a plan to refrain from interference and commit to a truce that leads to a lasting end to hostilities, according to a draft of a final communique seen by AFP news agency. 

The document also urges all parties to re-commit to a much-violated UN arms embargo and raises the prospect of political, inter-Libyan talks in Geneva at the end of the month. 

If all goes to plan, the Berlin participants will hold an evening press conference.

"What the Berlin conference is trying to do is get an agreement between the states meddling in Libya to stop their support [of] the warring parties," Wolfram Lacher, a political analyst, told Al Jazeera.

"The problem is Western states are not ready to put pressure on Haftar's foreign supporters, particularly the UAE so the promises that the foreign meddlers will make in Berlin ring hollow," he said. 

The International Crisis Group's Libya expert Claudia Gazzini said the Berlin conference "could be a modest step forward" on the path to peace. 

"Yet the risk remains that some participants will merely pay lip service to the diplomatic initiative, even as they continue to fuel a war from which they benefit."

Libya's UN-recognised leader Fayez al-Sarraj, left, and renegade commander Khalifa Haftar, right, will attend the meeting [File: Fethi Belaid and Ho/AFP]

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2020-01-19 10:35:00Z
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Harry and Meghan: 'Nothing like this has ever happened before' - BBC News

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will no longer receive public funds for royal duties as part of an agreement on their future role.

The couple will also no longer use their HRH titles or represent the Queen formally as they break away from being senior royals.

BBC royal correspondent Daniela Relph explains what happens next for Harry and Meghan.

Read more: Harry and Meghan drop royal duties and HRH titles

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2020-01-19 10:24:06Z
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Harry and Meghan: 'Nothing like this has ever happened before' - BBC News

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will no longer receive public funds for royal duties as part of an agreement on their future role.

The couple will also no longer use their HRH titles or represent the Queen formally as they break away from being senior royals.

BBC royal correspondent Daniela Relph explains what happens next for Harry and Meghan.

Read more: Harry and Meghan drop royal duties and HRH titles

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2020-01-19 09:51:52Z
52780542675596

Libya rivals, world powers set for high-stakes Berlin summit - Al Jazeera English

Libya's warring sides and representatives of foreign powers are arriving in Berlin for a highly anticipated summit to discuss ways to end the long-running conflict in the North African country.

The head of Tripoli's internationally-recognised government, Fayez al-Sarraj, and his rival, renegade military commander Khalifa Haftar, are expected to attend Sunday's UN-backed gathering in the German capital, the first such event since 2018.

More:

Among those also expected in Berlin are Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Russian President Vladimir Putin, French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Other countries invited are the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Algeria, China and the Republic of Congo. Leaders from the United Nations, the European Union, the African Union and the Arab League will also attend.

The summit host, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, kicked off meetings with discussions with the president of the Republic of Congo, Denis Sassou Nguesso, who heads an African Union committee on Libya.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel welcomes Republic of the Congo's President Denis Sassou Nguesso at the beginning of the Libya summit in Berlin [Hannibal Hanschke/Reuters]

Fragile ceasefire

The conference is the latest attempt to restore stability and peace to Libya, which has been splintered between competing factions and militias since former leader Muammar Gaddafi was overthrown and killed during a NATO-supported uprising in 2011. The deeply divided country currently has two rival administrations: The Tripoli-based Government of National Accord (GNA) - which is recognised by the UN - and another allied with Haftar in the eastern city of Tobruk.

As with previous failed attempts at securing a lasting ceasefire, Haftar, who in April last year launched an offensive to take Tripoli, will be centre stage as international powers hope to put pressure on him to continue a ceasefire brokered by Russia and Turkey that has largely held for one week.

The warring sides earlier this month agreed to the ceasefire, though Haftar dramatically departed talks in Moscow on January 12 before signing the formalised agreement with al-Sarraj.

Eastern-based forces loyal to Haftar escalated the conflict on Friday when allied tribesmen shut down eastern oil ports, cutting oil production by 800,000 barrels per day, and crippling Tripoli's main source of income.

The move was a protest against Turkey's decision to send troops to shore up the GNA.

Haftar is backed by the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Egypt, Jordan, Sudanese and Chadian fighters and, most recently, Russian mercenaries. France has also been accused of giving him some support.

Haftar wants the armed factions in western Libya to disband and has called for a maritime and military deal between the GNA and Turkey to be scrapped.

Underlining the stakes involved, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said "Europe and those players who are influential" in the region have all been called to Berlin, because "we have to make sure Libya doesn't become a second Syria." 

"The conference can be the first step to peace for Libya," Maas told Bild newspaper. 

Speaking to reporters at an Istanbul airport before leaving to attend the talks, Erdogan on Sunday said he hoped for an "important step" to cement the fragile ceasefire "and a political solution".

In a column published on Politico on the eve of the talks, Erdogan had urged Europe to stand united behind al-Sarraj's government, as Tripoli's fall could leave "fertile ground" for armed groups such as ISIL or al-Qaeda "to get back on their feet".

Al Jazeera's Hashem Ahelbarra, reporting from Berlin, said the international community is committed to ending the conflict over concerns it could intensify, threatening Europe's security.

A fighter loyal to the UN-recognised Libyan GNA south of Tripoli on January 12 when a ceasefire was signed [File: Mahmud Turkia/AFP]

The UN hopes all parties will sign on to a plan to refrain from interference and commit to a truce that leads to a lasting end to hostilities, according to a draft of a final communique seen by AFP news agency. 

The document also urges all parties to re-commit to a much-violated UN arms embargo and raises the prospect of political, inter-Libyan talks in Geneva at the end of the month. 

If all goes to plan, the Berlin participants will hold an evening press conference.

"What the Berlin conference is trying to do is get an agreement between the states meddling in Libya to stop their support [of] the warring parties," Wolfram Lacher, a political analyst, told Al Jazeera.

"The problem is Western states are not ready to put pressure on Haftar's foreign supporters, particularly the UAE so the promises that the foreign meddlers will make in Berlin ring hollow," he said. 

The International Crisis Group's Libya expert Claudia Gazzini said the Berlin conference "could be a modest step forward" on the path to peace. 

"Yet the risk remains that some participants will merely pay lip service to the diplomatic initiative, even as they continue to fuel a war from which they benefit."

Libya's UN-recognised leader Fayez al-Sarraj, left, and renegade commander Khalifa Haftar, right, will attend the meeting [File: Fethi Belaid and Ho/AFP]

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2020-01-19 09:41:00Z
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