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Syria’s embassy in Lebanon suspended consular services Saturday, a day after two relatives of were arrested at the Beirut airport with allegedly forged passports. Also on Saturday, Lebanese authorities handed over dozens of Syrians — including former officers in the Syrian army under Assad — to the new Syrian authorities after they were caught illegally entering Lebanon, a war monitor and Lebanese officials said. The embassy announced on its Facebook page that consular work was suspended “until further notice” at the order of the Syrian foreign ministry. The announcement did not give a reason for the suspension. Two Lebanese security officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly, said the suspension was ordered because the at the embassy. Assad’s uncle, Rifaat Assad — who has been indicted in Switzerland on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity — had flown out the day before on his real passport and was not stopped, the officials said. The U.K.-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported Saturday that 70 Syrians, including former army officers, were handed over by a Lebanese security delegation to the security forces of the new Syrian government, led by the former insurgent group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS. Three Lebanese judicial officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed the report. Regional countries have been quick to establish ties with Syria’s new rulers. Delegations of Libyan and Bahraini officials arrived in Damascus on Saturday on official visits. HTS leader Ahmad al-Sharaa, formerly known as Abu Mohammed al-Golani, has largely succeeded in calming fears within and outside of Syria that his group would unleash collective punishment against communities that supported Assad’s rule or attempt to impose strict Islamic law on the country’s religious minorities. However, in recent days, sporadic clashes have broken out between the HTS-led security forces and pro-Assad armed groups. The country’s new security forces have launched a series of raids targeting officials affiliated with Assad and have set up checkpoints in areas with significant populations of the Alawite religious minority to which the former president belongs to search for weapons. There have also been ongoing tensions and clashes in northeastern Syria between Kurdish-led forces and armed groups backed by Turkey. Many Kurds have viewed the new order in Damascus, which appears to have strengthened Turkey’s hand in Syria, with anxiety. Ankara sees the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces — a key U.S. ally in the fight against the Islamic State group — as an affiliate of its sworn enemy, the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, which it classifies as a terrorist organization. The U.S. State Department said Saturday that Secretary of State Antony Blinken had spoken with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan to “discuss the latest developments in Syria.” “Secretary Blinken emphasized the need to support a Syrian-led and Syrian-owned political process that upholds human rights and prioritizes an inclusive and representative government,” the statement said, adding that they “also discussed the shared goal of preventing terrorism from endangering the security” of Turkey and Syria. On Saturday, hundreds of protesters convened by Kurdish women’s groups participated in a demonstration in the northeastern city of Hasaka to demand women’s rights in the new Syria. Perishan Ramadan, a participant from Hasaka, said the new government “is worse than Bashar” and that its leaders are Islamist extremists who “don’t accept any role for women.” While the country’s new leaders have not attempted to impose Islamic dress or other conventions, it remains to be seen what role women will have in the new order and whether they will hold political or government positions. “Women must be present in the new constitution for Syria,” said Rihan Loqo, spokeswoman for the Kongra Star women’s organization. “... Women’s rights should not be ignored.” ___Dividend, bonus, stock split: Redtape Limited is scheduled to trade ex-dividend while KPI Green Energy Ltd, Banco Products India Ltd, and Surya Roshni Ltd, among others, to trade ex-bonus next week, starting on Monday, December 30, according to BSE data. Some of the major companies have announced various corporate actions, including stock splits, bonus issues and extraordinary general meetings (EGM), according to BSE data. The day when the equity share price adjusts to show the next dividend payout is known as the ex-dividend date. When the stock becomes ex-dividend, it does not carry the value of its next dividend payment from that day forward. Dividends are payable to all the shareholders whose names appear on the company's list by the end of the record date. Here are the stocks that will declare dividends in the upcoming week: Redtape Limited shares will trade ex-dividend on Friday, January 3, as the company has declared an interim dividend of ₹ 2 per equity share. Here are the stocks that will declare a bonus issue in the upcoming week: Banco Products India Ltd declared a bonus issue of shares at a ratio of 1:1. Shares will trade ex-bonus on Monday, December 30. Surya Roshni Ltd declared a bonus issue of shares at a ratio of 1:1. Shares will trade ex-bonus on Wednesday, January 1. Ceenik Exports India Ltd declared a bonus issue of shares at a ratio of 1:5. Shares will trade ex-bonus on Friday, January 3. Garware Technical Fibres Ltd declared a bonus issue of shares at a ratio of 4:1. Shares will trade ex-bonus on Friday, January 3. KPI Green Energy Ltd declared a bonus issue of shares at a ratio of 1:2. Shares will trade ex-bonus on Friday, January 3. A bonus issue is a corporate action that allows existing shareholders to subscribe for additional shares. Instead of increasing the dividend payout, companies offer to distribute additional shares to the shareholders . For example, the company may give out one bonus share for every ten shares held. Here are the stocks that will declare a stock split in the upcoming week: Getalong Enterprise Ltd will undergo a stock split from ₹ 10 to Re 1. Shares will trade ex-split on Thursday, January 2. Inertia Steel Ltd will undergo a stock split from ₹ 10 to Re 1. Shares will trade ex-split on Friday, January 3. A stock split is a corporate action that occurs when a company issues additional shares to shareholders to boost liquidity . The total number of shares issued is increased by a specified ratio based on previously held shares. However, if the number of shares outstanding increases by a specific multiple, the total value (in rupees) of all shares outstanding remains the same because a split does not change the company's value. The most common split ratios are 2-for-1 or 3-for-1 ( denoted as 2:1 or 3:1). For every share held before the split, each stockholder will have two or three shares, respectively, after the split. Other Corporate Action: J.J. Finance Corporation Ltd: EGM on Monday, December 30. Manpasand Beverages Ltd: EGM on Monday, December 30. S.R. Industries Ltd: Resolution plan suspension on Monday, December 30. Harshil Agrotech Ltd: Rights issue on Tuesday, December 31. Pro Fin Capital Services Ltd: Rights issue on Tuesday, December 31. Sharanam Infraproject and Trading Ltd: Rights issue on Tuesday, December 31. Anjani Finance Ltd: EGM on Wednesday, January 1. Capfin India Ltd: EGM on Wednesday, January 1. Indong Tea Company Ltd: EGM on Wednesday, January 1. Ascensive Educare Ltd: EGM on Friday, January 3. Starlit Power Systems Ltd: Resolution plan suspension on Friday, January 3. Steel Exchange of India Ltd: EGM on Friday, January 3.
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