BREAKING — US President Donald Trump publicly opposes Nouri Al-Maliki returning as Iraqi Prime Minister, says U.S. won’t “help” Iraq if he is.

Last week, Shiite parties picked him to form a government.

"Last time Maliki was in power, the Country descended into poverty and total chaos. That should not be allowed to happen again. Because of his insane policies and ideologies, if elected, the United States of America will no longer help Iraq,” Trump said

Reuters) - A Qatari official announced on Monday that Doha will provide Lebanon with at least $420 million in grants.

Jan 24 (Reuters) - A four-day ceasefire agreement between the Syrian government and Kurdish forces, which expired on Saturday night, has been extended by 15 days, Syria’s defence ministry said on Saturday.

The extension was decided to support a U.S. operation to transfer Islamic State prisoners from Syria to Iraq, the ministry added in a statement.

QAMISHLI, Syria, Jan 26 (Reuters) - Russia is withdrawing forces from an airport in northeastern Syria, moving to end its military presence in a corner of the country where the Damascus government is trying to seize control from Kurdish forces, five Syrian sources said.

U.S. embassy in Riyadh holds its first-ever Holocaust Remembrance memorial in the country.

(Also first time such an event appears to have been held in the kingdom).

BREAKING — US President Donald Trump publicly opposes Nouri Al-Maliki returning as Iraqi Prime Minister, says U.S. won’t “help” Iraq if he is.

Last week, Shiite parties picked him to form a government.

"Last time Maliki was in power, the Country descended into poverty and total chaos. That should not be allowed to happen again. Because of his insane policies and ideologies, if elected, the United States of America will no longer help Iraq,” Trump said

WASHINGTON/RIYADH, Jan 31 (Reuters) - Mark Savaya, named by U.S. President Donald Trump as special envoy for Iraq in October, is no longer in that role, sources familiar with the move said.

Why?

One source pointed to Savaya's "mishandling" of key situations, including his failure to prevent the nomination of former Iraqi prime minister Nouri al-Malikito be the country's next premier, a move Trump openly warned Baghdad against.

W/@andrea_shalal & @humeyra_pamuk

NEW — Saudi Arabia will invest in a new private Syrian airline as part of a multi-billion-dollar investment package expected to be announced on Saturday

— Syrian investment authority chief

Deals also set to include telecoms, real estate. @ChoukeirJ

After our report, Saudi Al-Arabiya adds details:
- STC to invest in telecoms infrastructure
- ⁠Flynas to be involved in new Syrian airlines
- ⁠Bin Dawood to rehabilitate and run Aleppo airport
- ACWA power project to desalinate water

EXCLUSIVE - ⁠Some UAE companies have pulled out of a major defence show taking place in Saudi Arabia, two sources with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters

Latest sign that a rift between the two Gulf oil powers is seeping into business ‌interests.

By Reuters colleagues @femaccions95 & @NazihOsseiran

Feb 9 (Reuters) - The death toll from the collapse of a residential building in the Lebanese city of Tripoli rose to 13, as rescue teams continued to search for missing people beneath the rubble, Lebanon's National News Agency reported on Monday.

Rescue workers in the northern city's Bab al-Tabbaneh neighbourhood have also assisted nine survivors, while the search continued for others still believed to be trapped under the debris, NNA said