Hong Kong activists renew protest against extradition bill
More than 100 people blocked a Hong Kong government building on Monday in protest against proposed legislation allowing extraditions to mainland China that they want scrapped.
Tom Perry
Lebanon budget seen 'a good first step', but numbers questioned
BEIRUT/LONDON Heavily indebted Lebanon has unveiled an unprecedented plan to bring its public finances under control but faces an uphill struggle to restore investor confidence that is needed to stave off crisis.
UPDATE 4-Lebanese cabinet finalises draft budget to cut deficit, hopes to avert crisis
* "We are still sceptical" - fund manager (Adds time of final budget meeting)
UPDATE 5-Lebanon cabinet set to complete 2019 draft budget
* Markets will welcome efforts to slash deficit - analyst (Releads with information minister, adds finance minister quote and context)
Lebanese central bank, public sector workers suspend strikes
BEIRUT Lebanese central bank workers suspended a strike on Tuesday but left open the possibility of resuming the walkout on Friday if the government presses ahead with draft budget proposals that would cut their pay.
Lebanon central bank workers strike, PM demands budgetary 'realism'
BEIRUT Lebanese central bank employees went on strike on Monday over state budget proposals that would cut their benefits but Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri said failure to pass a "realistic" budget would be like a "suicide operation" against the economy.
Damascus presses Idlib attack, artillery hits Turkish position
BEIRUT/ANKARA Syrian government forces and their Russian allies pounded the rebel-held northwest of Syria with air strikes on Saturday, sources in the area said, as artillery hit a Turkish military position there, underlining the risk of wider escalation.
UPDATE 1-Lebanese banks should play role in reducing deficit -finance minister
* Finance minister signals moves to cut public-sector wage bill
Exclusive: Lebanese draft budget reduces deficit to below 9 pct of GDP-finance minister
BEIRUT Lebanon's draft budget for 2019 projects a deficit of less than 9 percent of GDP compared to 11.2 percent in 2018 and includes "wide reductions" in spending based on the need for "exceptional austerity measures", the finance minister said on Wednesday.
Syria vows to recover Golan as Trump policy shift draws criticism
BEIRUT The Syrian government vowed to take back the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights as its allies and enemies alike condemned U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday for moving to recognise Israeli sovereignty over the territory seized in war. | Video
Trump entfacht im Nahost-Konflikt neuen Streit um Golanhöhen
Beirut US-Präsident Donald Trump hat mit einer weiteren Kehrtwende in der Nahost-Politik den Streit zwischen Israel und Syrien um die Golanhöhen neu entfacht. Trump überraschte mit seinem Vorstoß, die USA sollten die Souveränität Israels über das 1967 eroberte und später annektierte Gebiet anerkennen. Syrien protestierte und kündigte an, nun noch entschlossener und mit allen Mitteln um die Golanhöhen zu kämpfen. Scharfe Kritik an Trumps Vorhaben kam zudem nicht nur von Syriens Verbündeten Russland und Iran, sondern auch aus der Türkei. "Die unglückliche Äußerung von US-Präsident Trump gestern hat die Region an den Rand einer neuen Krise gebracht", sagte Präsident Recep Tayyip Erdogan am Freitag. Die EU, Deutschland und Frankreich lehnten eine Anerkennung der Golanhöhen als israelisches Gebiet ab.