Middle East Experience

Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Greece’s Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis “no longer exists” him, accusing the PM of trying to block the sales of F-16 fighter jets to Ankara during his visit to the US, state news agency Anadolu reported on Monday.“I spoke [with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis] In that discussion, we agreed to not let third countries come between us. But despite this, just last week he went to the US and to the US Senate [and said]… ‘[Do] whatever is needed against Turkey’,” Erdogan said at a press conference.“Not only did he say these things, he said ‘don't you dare give Turkey the F-16s,’ essentially giving this recommendation to the US. This year we were supposed to have a strategic council meeting. There's no longer anyone called Mitsotakis in my book. I will never accept having such a meeting with him because we walk on the same path as politicians who keep their promises, who have character and who are honourable.”However, the Turkish president said he did not anticipate the US would take into account Mitsotakis’ opinion when making its decision on the F-16s sale.For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.Ankara had made a request to Washington in October to buy 40 Lockheed Martin F-16 fighter jets. The State Department wrote a letter to Congress last month saying it would serve US national interest and NATO unity to approve the sale.Erdogan also announced cancelling the strategic council meeting with Greece, Anadolu reported.Tensions between neighbours and fellow-NATO members Greece and Turkey increased since 2020 thanks to Ankara’s plans to explore for oil and gas in the eastern Mediterranean.The two countries have also had a series of air and sea border disputes.Last month, Athens and Ankara traded accusations of over airspace violations with fighter jets.Read more:Turkey rejects Greece’s charges of illegal military flights: Athens ‘started tension’Greece formally protests Turkey’s military flights over inhabited Greek islandsDefense minister warns Greece not to test Turkey's patience
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Turkey's Erdogan says Greek PM Mitsotakis ‘doesn’t exist’ for him after his US visit

The US government issued an advisory on Monday warning American companies and individuals from doing business with Sudanese state-owned companies and military-controlled companies.“These risks arise from, among other things, recent actions undertaken by Sudan’s Sovereign Council and security forces under the military’s command, including and especially serious human rights abuse against protesters,” State Department Spokesman Ned Price said in a statement.For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.The business advisory, which was issued by the Departments of State, Treasury, Commerce, and Labor, said some of the risks predated the October 2021 military coup. But they criticized the Sudanese military’s actions for “exacerbat[ing]” the risks.Monday’s warning called on American individuals and companies to take extra precautions related to human rights issues and to be aware of the risks of dealing with state- or military-owned companies.Price also said that US businesses and individuals should beware of working with any sanctioned individuals or entities.“The United States remains committed to supporting the Sudanese peoples’ aspiration for a civilian-led transition to an elected government. We continue to support the Sudanese-led, UN-AU-IGAD facilitated dialogue around the transition process,” he added.Violence by the military amid an anti-democracy crackdown by the Sudanese junta has marred Sudan’s democratic gains in recent months. The military, led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, overthrew the civilian-led transitional government led by now-deposed PM Abdalla Hamdok in October 2021.Read more: Frustration growing among US diplomats at the State Department
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: US warns American companies against business in Sudan, assails military for violence

Lebanon’s crucial parliamentary elections held on May 15 saw wins for 13 reform-minded candidates from the “change forces” and civil society groups standing against entrenched political parties.But, despite being blamed for the country’s economic collapse, for the political class overall the elections allowed many politicians to consolidate their positions.The consensus is that these elections will bring little change while maintaining a prolonged political stalemate.An associate professor of political science at the Lebanese American University also predicted a prolonged political impasse in Lebanon due to the election outcome.“For the first time since independence, the Lebanese political system has provided access to non-confessionally affiliated political groups and independent candidates. This reflects the deepening crisis of confessionalism and its corresponding political economy that has paved the way for a growing dissent,” Dr Imad Salamey told Al Arabiya English.For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.“Now parliament is driven by a new divide while split between confessional and non-confessional forces. This is bad news for Iran and its proxies as they confront a growing resentment against the Mullah’s regional influence. Their resistance against change will, most likely, prepare the ground for a prolonged state of political deadlock,” he added.Salamey pointed out that the coming days will test whether Iran, which wields great influence in Lebanon through its proxy Hezbollah, will choose to pursue an “open confrontation” in Lebanon or, alternatively, choose to navigate its way through making “limited concessions.”“This will be first unraveled in a new government formation, which is unlikely to be achieved before the presidential election, which is another critical battleground. Given all odds, I believe Iran and allies will choose political vacuum over making concessions,” he added.No fundamental changes afootThe May 15 vote did not lead to a significant overdue change to help steer Lebanon out of its worst economic meltdown in decades while undercutting the grip of the ruling political elite. But, the election results pointed to a shift in the balance of power as Hezbollah and its allies lost the parliamentary majority they had held since 2018 when they grabbed 71 of the 128 seats in parliament. It was in itself viewed as a significant victory by Hezbollah’s opponents.According to results announced by the Interior Ministry, Hezbollah, the Shia Amal Movement, the Christian Free Patriotic Movement, and several other allied MPs now hold 62 seats that fell short of the 65 needed to retain a majority. Despite the setback to their allies, mainly the FPM, who lost several seats, Hezbollah and the Amal group led by Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri retained the 27 seats reserved for the Shia sect.Notwithstanding the defeat Hezbollah and its allies suffered in the polls, experts warn of further turmoil in the crises-ridden country. They note that the election results herald a sharply polarized parliament split between pro and anti-Hezbollah blocs. It will find it difficult to cooperate to form a new government and pass the laws needed to enact vital reforms for putting the debt-ridden nation on the road to economic recovery.The new parliament is divided between two main blocs – the Iran-backed Shia Hezbollah group and its allies and the Lebanese Forces and its partners. Analysts voiced fears that the election outcome would plunge Lebanon into a prolonged political vacuum similar to that in Iraq, where rival factions have failed to form a new government since last October’s elections, where Iranian supported parties suffered a setback.“Lebanon is headed for political and sectarian tensions as a result of the election outcome, which has split the new Parliament into two diametrically opposed camps: One is led by Hezbollah and its allies, and the other is headed by the Lebanese Forces and its allies,” Ibrahim Byram, a veteran political analyst with Beirut’s An-Nahar newspaper, told Al Arabiya English Monday.Byram added that the “escalatory statements” made since the elections mainly by the two rival Christian parties – the Lebanese Forces and the Free Patriotic Movement – over the role of the new Parliament and the formation of a new government “have raised fears of a prolonged political paralysis similar to the Iraqi scenario.”The feared stalemate would subsequently paralyze the new parliament in Lebanon and prevent it from implementing a string of critical reforms needed for unlocking billions of dollars in promised international aid and a bailout package with the International Monetary Fund to help the country overcome its devastating economic crisis.Warnings from IraqOn May 17, the United Nations envoy to Iraq urged leaders there to end a political deadlock that has kept parliament from forming a new government for over seven months, warning that the delay could spark civil unrest. “The streets are about to boil over in Iraq,” Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert said after addressing the UN Security Council. More than seven months after parliamentary elections, Iraqi institutions remain at a standstill over legislators’ inability to elect a president, who selects the largest bloc in parliament to form a government.A former member of Prime Minister Saad Hariri’s parliamentary Future bloc warned that Lebanon faced the threat of sliding into prolonged political paralysis similar to what happened in Iraq.“There is new blood that has been injected into the Lebanese political life and is manifested in a group of new faces either from some parties or from the civil society,” former MP Mohammad Hajjar told Al Arabiya English. Like many Future MPs, Hajjar did not run in the May 15 elections in line with Hariri’s decision to withdraw from political life.Noting that the election results have deprived Hezbollah and its allies of the parliamentary majority, Hajjar said: “I hope that the fate of the Lebanese parliament will not be similar to what happened in Iraq, that is, not to reach the time when parliament, the government, and the presidency are unable to exercise their roles. I hope that constitutional institutions will be able to exercise their work in a complete and normal manner to lift Lebanon out of its crises, even though initial indications do not point to this.”Read more:Turkey's Erdogan threatens new incursion into SyriaLebanon’s new parliamentary line-up a ‘double-edged sword’ for economy: ExpertLebanese passports are exits to nowhere
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Lebanon’s election results set to bring little political change

A sandstorm blanketed parts of Kuwait, disrupting flights and leading to the cancelation of large-scale public events on Monday.It was the latest in a series of sandstorms to hit the Gulf, following similar storms in Saudi Arabia and the UAE.For all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.For the second time this month, Kuwait International Airport suspended all flights because of the sandstorm on Monday as the massive plume of dust reduced visibility to almost zero across the country.It led to the Kuwait Football Association announcing on Monday the postponement of the final match of the Amir Cup due to bad weather.The match, which was scheduled to bring together the Kazma and Salmiya clubs Monday evening, was put off after the Kuwait Meteorological Department forecasted a heavy sandstorm.Kuwaiti residents took to social media to document bright orange skies and a thick veil of grit over the Gulf country’s skylineOn Twitter, one wrote: “Visibility fading away in a matter of seconds. Everyone, please be very careful, drive slow and stay inside.”Another said: “Currently in Kuwait. It is my first time seeing this and this sandstorm looks orange in color.”An embassy worker in Kuwait wrote: “Early release from the embassy today due to the heavy sandstorm sweeping through Kuwait. Hope everyone stays safe and indoors.”In the UAE, experts warned of the health impacts of the dusty conditions caused by sandstorms which blanketed large parts of the country this week.Forecasters issued a countrywide alert of hazardous weather due to sandstorm-related dust conditions.As winds blow dust and sand into the atmosphere - affecting not only visibility - it also acerbates existing health conditions among residents, say doctors.Meanwhile, in Saudi Arabia, a sandstorm engulfed the Kingdom’s capital and other regions of the country last week, hampering visibility and slowing road traffic.A thick grey haze made iconic Riyadh buildings such as Kingdom Centre nearly impossible to see from more than a few hundred meters away, though there were no announced flight delays or cancelations.Sandstorms also hit Iraq on Monday, leading to officials to close public buildings and temporarily shut airports as the latest sandstorm -- the ninth since mid-April -- hit the country, authorities said.The capital Baghdad was enveloped in a giant dust cloud that left usually traffic-choked streets largely deserted, an AFP correspondent said.Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhemi ordered all work to cease in public institutions, with the exception of health facilities and security agencies.He cited “poor climatic conditions and the arrival of violent sandstorms” in a statement issued by his office. Read more:Sandstorm blankets Saudi Arabia’s capital RiyadhSandstorm forces closure of Iraqi airports and public buildingsExperts warn of health effects from dusty conditions as sandstorm blankets UAE
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Sky turns orange as sandstorm blankets Kuwait, grounds flights

The Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), oil major BP, and Abu Dhabi future energy company Masdar have joined forces to develop clean hydrogen and technology hubs. Announcing their new-energy partnerships on Monday, ADNOC said the H2Teesside low-carbon hydrogen project with BP had moved into the design phase.For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app. Other partnerships include a feasibility study for a low-carbon hydrogen project in the UAE and an expanded ADNOC-BP-Masdar partnership to explore the production of sustainable aviation fuels from municipal waste and green hydrogen in Abu Dhabi. Masdar and BP will also explore potential collaboration on HyGreen Teesside, BP’s green hydrogen project powered byoffshore wind in the UK’s Teesside industrial cluster. The new partnership builds on framework agreements signed during a September 2021 visit to the UK by UAE President SheikhMohammed bin Zayed al Nahyan.Read more: Abu Dhabi’s Borouge petrochem firm secures anchor investors including India’s Adani
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: UAE’s ADNOC, BP, and Masdar forge clean energy partnership

Taxation on tobacco products and price increases of cigarettes have helped slash the number of smokers in Saudi Arabia by more than a third, a new report has revealed.The Tobacconomics Cigarette Tax Scorecard (2nd edition) report examined country-by-country data between 2014 and 2020 on the prevalence of smokers and anti-tobacco measures in place, giving countries a rating of between zero and five.For all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.Those countries rated five had worked the highest to reduce tobacco prevalence within their borders.It found Saudi Arabia was among the highest-rated countries in the world in terms of its rating improvements between 2014 and 2020; the last year on record.In 2014, Saudi Arabia had ranked 0.75 out of five – but by 2020 now ranks 3.75 out of five, due to measures implemented in recent years.It scored five out of five for changes in the affordability of tobacco productsThese include a special tax on electronic cigarettes in 2019, extending similar taxes introduced in 2017 which saw a 100 percent tax levied on cigarettes – leading to tobacco prices to double.This led to a 37 percent reduction in tobacco consumption across the Kingdom, home to a population of around 35 million.The report said Saudi Arabia scored higher than the average score of countries in its region, income group, and the global average for its anti-tobacco measures.The report said: “Tobacco taxes are the most effective tobacco control intervention but the least implemented.“A sufficiently large tax increase will raise tobacco product prices—making them less affordable—thereby discouraging initiation, encouraging quitting, and driving down consumption.”The 2nd edition of the Tobacconomics Cigarette Tax Scorecard measures cigarette tax policy performance in 160 countries in four key areas – price, affordability change, tax structure, and tax share.These scores help policymakers to evaluate their success and provide a roadmap for improvement.The scorecard comes in conjunction with the release of the latest edition of The Tobacco Atlas report which revealed that tobacco companies “took advantage of COVID-19” to attract new smokers during the pandemic whilst progress to tackle the global tobacco epidemic is being threatened by the growing number of teenage smokers.It said while countries diverted their attention to the COVID-19 crisis, the tobacco industry took “the opportunity to increase market shares, attract new customers, retain smokers and polish their corporate reputations.”It found that although more people overall are being protected by effective regulatory interventions including tobacco taxes, smoke-free public areas, access restrictions, and education, these efforts must be much more robust to contend with an industry whose gross profits climbed to at least US $60 billion in 2020.Across the globe, the report reveals there are 1.1 billion smokers in the world and 200 million more who use other tobacco products.Read more:Tobacco companies took ‘advantage of COVID-19 ’ to attract new smokers: ReportSaudi Arabia introduces new tax on tobacco, raise prices by 100 percentGrowing number of teenagers are vaping, believe it is ‘fashionable’: UAE experts
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Taxation, inflated prices cut the prevalence of smokers in Saudi by a third: Report

Iran held a funeral procession on Tuesday in the center of the capital Tehran for Revolutionary Guards Colonel Hassan Sayad Khodai, who was shot dead by two people on a motorcycle, and his commander vowed to avenge the attack.For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.State television showed crowds surrounding a truck carrying Khodai’s casket, wrapped in Iran’s flag and strewn with flowers. Mourners held portraits of Khodai, who was gunned down in broad daylight in front of his home in central Tehran on Sunday.“Iran’s response to any threat or action will be harsh. But we will determine when and how it will be and in what circumstances. We will definitely take revenge on our enemies,” Revolutionary Guards commander Hossein Salami told reporters.Iran has blamed such attacks on Israel. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Saeed Khatibzadeh said US support was making Israel more brazen.“There is no doubt that the overt and covert support of ...the United States plays an important role in increasing the audacity of the occupying regime (Israel),” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Saeed Khatibzadeh told state media.Separately, state television said the Guards had arrested members of a network of “thugs” recruited by Israeli intelligence to carry out sabotage and attacks in Iran.The Israeli Prime Minister’s office, which oversees intelligence agency Mossad, has declined to comment on the events in Tehran.Israeli media said Khodai headed a unit of the Quds Force - the Revolutionary Guards’ overseas arm - planning attacks on Israelis abroad.Khodai was a “defender of the shrines,” Iranian state media said on Sunday, referring to military personnel or advisers who Iran says fight on its behalf to protect Shia sites in Iraq or Syria against groups such as ISIS.The forces have played a key role in backing Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, Tehran’s ally.The killing comes at a time of uncertainty over the revival of Iran’s 2015 nuclear deal with world powers after months of stalled talks.At least six Iranian scientists and academics have been killed or attacked since 2010, several of them by assailants riding motorcycles, in attacks believed to have targeted Iran’s nuclear program, which the West says is aimed at producing a bomb.Iran denies this, saying the program has peaceful purposes, and has denounced the killings as acts of terrorism carried out by Western intelligence agencies and Mossad. Israel has declined comment on such accusations.Read more: Iran will ‘avenge’ killing of IRGC colonel: PresidentIran says IRGC colonel assassinated in TehranFive dead, 80 trapped as 10-story building collapses in Iran
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Iran buries slain Revolutionary Guards colonel, vows revenge

Israeli Ambassador to the UN Gilad Erdan was positive that a week-long visit by an international delegation is for Israel's benefit.
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: Israel hosts 13 UN ambassadors in bid to 'change voting patterns'

The Jerusalem Post Podcast - Travel Edition, Episode 34

Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: Mystical Tzfat and historic Sarajevo

There was no immediate comment from Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip and is deemed a terrorist group in the West.
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: US sanctions Hamas officials and financial network - Treasury Dept