Briefly

LEBANON

Minister won't resign despite diplomatic row

Lebanese Information Minister George Kordahi said on Sunday that he was not resigning over his remarks on Yemen's war that sparked a diplomatic row between Beirut and Arab Gulf states. "My resignation is out of the question," Kordahi said on Sunday without elaborating. In an August interview that aired earlier, Kordahi said Iran-backed Houthi militias in Yemen were "defending themselves ...against an external aggression", sparking an angry rebuke from Saudi Arabia and its allies and calls for his resignation. Some are pushing for his resignation in order to protect economic and political ties with the Gulf. Others are defending him, describing calls for his removal as extortion.

UNITED STATES

New system to resolve tariff dispute with EU

The US and the European Union have agreed to use a tariff-rate quota, or TRQ, system to help resolve their three-year dispute over US tariffs on steel and aluminum imported from the EU. The US will replace the existing tariffs on EU steel and aluminum products under the so-called Section 232 with the TRQ, according to a fact sheet released by the US Commerce Department on Sunday. Citing national security concerns, the administration of former president Donald Trump unilaterally imposed a 25 percent tariff on steel imports and 10 percent tariff on aluminum imports in 2018 under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, drawing strong opposition domestically and abroad.

ETHIOPIA

Govt denies rebels' claim of major advance

Tigrayan rebels on Sunday announced they have captured a strategic northern Ethiopian town, but the government denied the claims, saying federal forces were mounting a "fierce" battle for Kombolcha and the city of Dessie. If confirmed, the capture of Kombolcha on Sunday, which came a day after the rebels claimed control of Dessie, would reflect a rapid advance by the Tigray People's Liberation Front in the nearly yearlong war. Much of northern Ethiopia is under a communications blackout and access for journalists is restricted, making it difficult to independently verify battlefield claims, media reported.

Agencies - Xinhua