Three more ships with grain have left Ukrainian ports and are headed to Turkey for inspection, Turkey's defense ministry said Friday, evidence that a U.N.-backed deal is working to export Ukrainian grain that has been trapped by Russia's invasion.

The three ships are loaded with over 58,000 tons of corn. Much of the grain that Ukraine exports is used as animal feed, experts say.

The Association of Banks in Lebanon has announced a strike starting Monday, as it said in a statement that banks can no longer bear harmful and populist measures against them.

The Banks Association decried the arrest of the Chairman of Creditbank, stressing that banks should not be blamed for the economic situation.

Morocco's Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch, a billionaire petrol baron, is facing a growing online campaign demanding he step down as fuel prices -- and energy firms' profits -- surge.

A Syrian ship that Ukraine says is carrying stolen Ukrainian grain has left a Lebanese port after officials in Lebanon allowed it to sail following an investigation, Lebanon's transport minister tweeted on Thursday.

The Syrian-flagged Laodicea had been anchored at the port of Tripoli since it arrived last Thursday, carrying 10,000 tons of wheat flour and barley. Ukraine says the grain was stolen by Russia, a claim it denies.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Wednesday raised the possibility of keeping nuclear plants going as he accused Russia of blocking the delivery of a key turbine to throttle gas supplies to Europe.

The United Nations chief sharply criticized the "grotesque greed" of oil and gas companies on Wednesday for making record profits from the energy crisis on the back of the world's poorest people, "while destroying our only home."

Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said it was "immoral" that the largest energy companies in the first quarter of the year made combined profits of close to $100 billion.

The OPEC+ group of major oil exporters began talks on its output strategy on Wednesday after U.S. President Joe Biden lobbied Saudi Arabia to boost production to tame soaring prices.

The cartel led by Saudi Arabia and Russia has so far resisted U.S. pressure to ramp up production significantly after Moscow's invasion of Ukraine sent oil prices soaring.

Arab Bank Group has reported a net income of $252 million for the first half of 2022, recording an increase of 38% from last year.

Chairman of the Board of Directors, Sabih Masri, stated that the performance in the first half of the year reflects the Group’s prudent operating policies and strong financial position, despite challenging economic environment.

The first grain ship to depart Ukraine under a wartime deal entered the Bosporus Strait on the way to Lebanon after its cargo was checked and approved Wednesday, Turkish and Ukrainian authorities said.

An inspection team spent about 90 minutes conducting checks aboard the Sierra Leone-flagged Razoni, which was carrying Ukrainian corn and anchored off Istanbul, Turkey's defense ministry said.

China blocked imports of citrus and fish from Taiwan in retaliation for a visit by Nancy Pelosi, a top American lawmaker, to the self-ruled island but has avoided disrupting one of the world's most important technology and manufacturing relationships.

The two sides, which split in 1949 after a civil war, have no official relations but multibillion-dollar business ties, especially in the flow of Taiwanese-made processor chips needed by Chinese factories that assemble the world's smartphones and other electronics.