President Michel Aoun on Friday denied any role for the Presidency in the judicial measures that have been taken against a number of banks in recent days.

“The media campaigns that escalated over the past two days, which tried to allege a role for the Presidency in the judicial measures that have been taken against several banks, are the epitome of falsification, unjust accusations and disinformation,” Aoun said.

Prime Minister Najib Miqati held a meeting Friday at the Grand Serail with Justice Minister Henri Khoury, amid unprecedented measures by some judges against a number of commercial banks.

The Association of Banks in Lebanon confirmed Friday evening that all Lebanese banks will stage a two-day strike on Monday and Tuesday in protest at the latest judicial measures against the country's biggest banks.

"This is a first step aimed at cautioning and raising awareness about the dangerousness of the current situations," ABL said in a statement, demanding "the rectification of the current irregularity, the issuance of the capital control law as soon as possible, and the approval and implementation of a recovery plan."

NAHNOO, a Lebanese non-governmental organization, launched Friday in collaboration with the U.N. Information Center in Beirut (UNIC Beirut), a campaign titled “Our Crafts, Our Identity,” to advocate for the ratification of a law that organizes and develops the crafts sector in Lebanon in line with the market needs.

The campaign will be promoted on social media and local TV stations. It aims at advocating for a legal framework for the Lebanese crafts sector to ensure much-needed economic, social, and cultural protection for craftsmen and craftswomen. It also falls within the framework of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that Lebanon is working on achieving, particularly SDGs 8 and 9 on promoting decent work, sustainable industrialization and innovation.

The IMF will send staff to Lebanon and Tunisia this month to further discussions on new financial aid programs for the countries, a fund spokesman said Thursday.

The tw governments have been seeking support for their troubled economies for months but have yet to reach agreements with the Washington-based crisis lender.

Myanmar's junta has approved the sale of Norwegian telecoms giant Telenor's Myanmar subsidiary to Lebanese conglomerate M1 Group, both companies said on Friday, in a move activist groups warn could put sensitive customer data in the hands of Myanmar's military.

Canada on Thursday unveiled fresh sanctions against 22 Belarus defense department officials for allowing Russia to launch attacks on Ukraine from its territory.

The announcement, Canada's foreign ministry said in a statement, "sends a clear message to President Putin's accomplices: those who support violations of Ukraine's sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence will be held accountable."

President Joe Biden will speak Friday with Chinese President Xi Jinping to discuss ongoing economic competition between the two countries and Russia's war against Ukraine.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki announced the upcoming phone call in a Thursday statement that said it's "part of our ongoing efforts to maintain open lines of communication" between the United States and China.

Turkey's central bank kept interest rates unchanged for a third straight month Thursday as consumer prices surge at an eye-popping pace, coming after a series of rate cuts last year triggered a currency crisis that has made it difficult for people to buy basic goods.

The latest official statistics showed inflation above 54.4%. The bank said in a statement that inflation has been driven by "rising energy costs resulting from the heightened regional conflict," referring to Russia's war in Ukraine, and supply side factors affecting food prices.

Mount Lebanon Prosecutor Judge Ghada Aoun on Thursday ordered the detention of the businessman Raja Salameh, the brother of Central Bank Governor Riad Salameh, after questioning him for several hours.

"Raja Salameh was detained during his interrogation at the Justice Palace and Central Bank Governor Riad Salameh will be summoned," the lawyers of the People Want to Reform the Regime group told al-Jadeed TV.