Middle East Experience

Israelis should all be alert but carry on their normal lives and let the police and security forces do their jobs to break the wave of terror.
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: Terror attacks call for vigilance, not vigilantes - editorial

Two fuel ships have entered war-torn Yemen’s port of Hodeidah, the first shipment in months, the militia who control the city said Monday, after a UN-brokered truce went into effect.Yemen has been embroiled in conflict between the government, supported by an Arab coalition, and the Iran-backed Houthi militia since 2014, when the insurgents seized the capital Sanaa.Since 2016, the coalition has enforced an air and sea blockade, with exemptions for aid flights, accusing Tehran of smuggling weapons to the Houthi militia. Iran denies the claims.For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.“The fuel ship, Ceasar, has now arrived to the port of Hodeidah after being held up for 32 days,” the Yemen Petroleum Company (YPC), which is under Houthi militia control, said in a statement.On Sunday, it announced the arrival of the first boat after it had been “held up for 88 days.”Areas under Houthi militia control -- which include much of the country’s north and parts of the west -- have suffered a fuel crisis for months, with the Houthis accusing the coalition of detaining oil ships since the start of January.But a two-month truce took effect on Saturday, the first day of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, bringing a glimmer of hope.Essam al-Moutawakel, a spokesman for the YPC, told AFP that the latest fuel shipments “will not end the fuel crisis, as the demand is very high... but it could alleviate its severity.”Under the UN-brokered agreement, all ground, air, and naval military operations, including cross-border attacks, should cease.In addition, 18 fuel ships are to be allowed into Hodeidah port, a lifeline for Yemen, and two commercial flights a week can resume in and out of Houthi-held Sanaa airport.David Gressly, the UN humanitarian coordinator for Yemen, said he welcomed the commitment to allow fuel ships through the ports of Hodeidah province.“These ports are critical entry points for fuel, food, and other essential commodities into Yemen,” he said.“The resumption of some commercial flights into and out of Sanaa International Airport will be welcome news to many Yemenis, including those who have been waiting for an opportunity to seek medical treatment or education abroad and for families who hoped to reunite” over the holy month of Ramadan, Gressly added.Read more: US special envoy says Yemen truce paves way to end conflictSaudi Arabia welcomes UN announcement of ceasefire agreement in YemenYemen govt to help with release of prisoners, open Sanaa airport in truce moves
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Following Yemen truce, first fuel ships enter Houthi-held Hodeidah port

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday visited the town of Bucha outside the capital Kyiv where dozens of corpses, some with their hands bound, were discovered after Russian forces withdrew.“Every day, when our fighters enter and retake territory, you see what’s been happening,” the Ukrainian leader told reporters in the town devastated by fighting, wearing a bullet-proof vest and accompanied by military personnel.For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.Zelensky said the deaths of dozens of people in a town outside the capital Kyiv reclaimed from Russian forces would be deemed as “genocide” by international leaders.“These are war crimes and it will be recognized by the world as genocide,” Zelensky said during a visit to Bucha, where bodies were discovered strewn throughout the town after it was reclaimed by Kyiv’s army.Read more:Russia’s Putin imposes visa restrictions on citizens of ‘unfriendly’ countriesUN rights chief Bachelet ‘horrified’ by Bucha massacre, evokes possible war crimesExplainer: How could Russia's Putin be prosecuted for war crimes in Ukraine?
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Ukraine’s President Zelenskyy visits Bucha where dozens of corpses were found

Russia plans to end restrictions on flights to and from 52 countries after April 9, part of its plans to reduce measures taken to slow the spread of COVID-19, Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said on Monday. Russia plans to resume flights to and from Argentina, South Africa and other “friendly countries,” Mishustin said, meaning those that have not joined the latest wave of Western sanctions on Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine, which Moscow calls a “special operation” to demilitarize its neighbor.For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.Russia imposed broad travel restrictions at the start of the coronavirus pandemic in March 2020, many of which remain in force, but has gradually expanded the list of countries deemed safe for air travel. Other countries with which Russia will resume flights after April 9 include Algeria, China, Lebanon, Peru and Pakistan, Russia’s coronavirus task force said. Mishustin also said Russia would be lifting restrictions on travel across the land border between Russia and China. Russia has closed its airspace to airlines from 36 countries, including all 27 members of the European Union, in response to Ukraine-related sanctions targeting its aviation sector. Punitive measures imposed by Western powers have also forced Western firms to terminate leasing contracts with Russian airlines for over 500 aircraft. The sanctions also prevent Russian airlines from buying aircraft parts or maintenance services from Europe or the United States, adding to the pressure on the world's 11th largest aviation market from a ban on using North American and European airspace. Read more:Ukraine’s President Zelenskyy visits Bucha where dozens of corpses were foundRussia’s Putin imposes visa restrictions on citizens of ‘unfriendly’ countriesFrance’s Macron says wants new sanctions against Russia
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Russia to resume flights with 52 ‘friendly’ countries after April 9

A senior US diplomat said Monday that Washington had provided Saudi Arabia and the UAE with “appropriate military sales” to prevent more attacks from Yemen and the Iran-backed Houthis.The relationship between Washington and its Gulf allies, specifically Riyadh and Abu Dhabi, has been hampered by the Biden administration’s efforts to “recalibrate” ties.For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.“The US has provided very strong assurances,” US Special Envoy for Yemen Tim Lenderking told Bloomberg TV.Lenderking added that this was “backed up by appropriate defensive military sales and that should serve as a strong deterrent for further attacks from Yemen.”Calling the US moves “a very strong positive for the region,” Lenderking said: “I think this step on Yemen definitely solidifies even further the US relationship with Saudi Arabia and the UAE, and I think that’s a very important dimension.”Lenderking was recently in the region and took part in the peace talks between warring factions in Yemen, which led to a two-month ceasefire.Shortly after taking office, US President Joe Biden and his top officials repeatedly called Saudi Arabia a “pariah” state, removed the Houthis from the terror blacklist, and froze arms sales to Saudi Arabia and the UAE.Biden said he was considering re-designating the Houthis as a terrorist organization after the group targeted the UAE and ramped up its attacks on civilian targets in Saudi Arabia and on Saudi Aramco.In recent months, the US president has dispatched senior officials to Saudi Arabia and the UAE, imploring Riyadh to increase oil output due to soaring energy prices in the US and across Europe.Both Gulf countries rebuffed these calls and voiced their commitment to agreements reached between oil-producing nations in OPEC+.Read more: Biden eased pressure on the Houthis one year ago; has it worked?
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Washington provided Saudi Arabia, UAE with ‘appropriate military sales’: US envoy

Prokhorov's name is not mentioned on the lists of sanctioned oligarchs compiled by the United States or any other Western nation.
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: Unsanctioned Russian oligarch Prokhorov flees to Israel, gets citizenship - report

A Sonatrach statement said the two sides discussed ways to increase gas supply to Italy in the short and medium term..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: Algeria’s Sonatrach discussing gas supply boost with Italy's ENI

The banking consortium includes Intesa Sanpaolo, Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank, First Abu Dhabi Bank and the National Bank of Oman..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: Oman raises billion in refinancing loan

The Pentagon said Monday that it could not “independently and single-handedly” verify the atrocities carried out by Russia against civilians in Ukraine’s Bucha but called the accounts “disgusting.”“The Pentagon can’t independently and single-handedly confirm that, but we’re also not in any position to refute those claims,” a senior US defense official told reporters.For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.Speaking on condition of anonymity, the official called the atrocities “clearly, deeply, deeply troubling.”“We certainly believe that that warrants further investigation. It’s sickening; it’s disgusting. And, and we certainly believe... that should be added to the allegations of war crimes and investigated,” the official added.While Russia has denied these accusations, images shared over the weekend showed corpses of civilians thrown around the streets of Bucha. Russia withdrew from the town after controlling it since it first invaded Ukraine last month.Russian forces withdrawing from around KyivThe same official also said that the US believed Russian forces were repositioning about “two-thirds of its forces from around Kyiv.” Those withdrawing are “consolidating’ in Belarus, the official said.Last week, the Pentagon assessed that Russia was turning its focus to the Donbas after failing to capture Kyiv and overthrow the Ukrainian government.On Monday, the senior defense official reiterated the belief that the forces repositioning from around Kyiv were likely to head to the east of Ukraine."We still assess that the vast, vast majority of the more than 125 battalion tactical groups that the Russians invested in this invasion are still in Ukraine," the official said.Read more: Ukraine’s President Zelenskyy visits Bucha where dozens of corpses were found
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Pentagon can’t ‘independently’ confirm images out of Ukraine’s Bucha: US official

Instead of making good on their promises to work towards calming the situation, the PA and Jordan continue to issue strong condemnations of Israel almost on a daily basis.
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: Palestinian-Israeli violence shows PA, Jordan powerless in Jerusalem - analysis