Middle East Experience

The hacks hit U.S. officials either based in Uganda or focused on matters concerning the East African country.
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: NSO used to hack US State Department phones - report

The US criticized Iran on Friday after the seventh round of indirect talks over the now-defunct 2015 nuclear deal, saying Tehran did not come to Vienna with constructive proposals.“The first six rounds of negotiations made progress, finding creative compromise solutions to many of the hardest issues that were difficult for all sides. Iran’s approach this week was not, unfortunately, to try to resolve the remaining issues,” a State Department spokesperson said in a statement.For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.“The new Iranian administration did not come to Vienna with constructive proposals,” the official added.Iran’s top diplomat was quoted as saying the Europeans and Americans were not serious in their efforts to reach an agreement on a return to the deal, also known as the JCPOA.But senior European diplomats said Friday they were concerned over Iran’s new proposals, which were seen as a reneging on previous agreements reached in earlier rounds of talks.Asked about this week’s talks in Vienna, led by the US Special Envoy for Iran Rob Malley, the State Department official said Washington’s delegation was returning to the DC.Citing Iran’s “new round of nuclear provocations,” the State Department official said Tehran had still failed to reach an understanding with the UN atomic watchdog to restore transparency “they have degraded in recent months.”As has been customary under the new US administration, the spokesperson blasted the Trump administration’s decision to withdraw from the JCPOA that has led to a “dramatic and unprecedented expansion of Iran’s nuclear program.”“That cannot continue. It will inevitably lead to a crisis,” the spokesperson said.Nevertheless, the State Department official said Washington was still committed to returning to the deal if Iran does the same. “If Iran is equally committed, a solution is at hand. If they are not, then we will have no choice but to pursue other options.”Read more: Iran’s recent moves don’t give room for optimism on new deal: Blinken
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: US hits out at Iran for not coming to Vienna with constructive proposals

French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in Jeddah on Saturday where he was received by Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as part of his Gulf tour which began on Friday from the UAE.Macron and the Saudi Crown prince are expected to discuss regional issues, including the Iran nuclear matter and Lebanon, where Macron has so far failed to convince Gulf Arab states, wary of Iran-backed Hezbollah’s heft, to engage on trying to find a solution.For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app. Speaking to the press in Dubai, Macron said Saudi Arabia, the most populated and most powerful country in the Gulf, held the key to preserving peace and stability in the Middle East, and also in the French endeavor to assist Lebanon.Macron also considers Saudi help vital to help forge a region-wide peace deal with Iran.Earlier on Tuesday, a French presidential source speaking about Macron's upcoming tour to the Gulf states, a French presidential source had said in a statement to Al Arabiya: “It is not possible to imagine an ambitious French policy without dialogue with the Kingdom.”Macron will fly to the Saudi Red Sea city of Jeddah on Saturday after an overnight stay in Qatar, the Gulf country where France will defend their World Cup football title next year.A business delegation of about 100 companies including TotalEnergies, EDF, Thales and Vivendi is due to attend an investment forum during Macron’s trip.Macron’s visit comes at a time when Gulf Arab states have voiced uncertainty about the US focus on the region even as they seek more weapons from Washington.- With Reuters, AFPRead more:Cementing ties with France, UAE places $19 bln order for 80 Rafale, helicoptersFrance’s Macron says hoping for progress on Lebanon ‘within next hours’Lebanon’s information minister resigns after Saudi Arabia comments
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: French President Macron holds talks with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman

Amnesty International responds to reports that the Pakistani human rights defender has been declared guilty of treason and faces 14-year sentence..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: Pakistan: Family of enforced disappearance victim Idris Khattak must be given clarity

Turkey accused Cyprus of violating its continental shelf by awarding an exploration licence to the two companies..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: Cyprus defies Turkey, says will continue East Med gas exploration

The talks had resumed in Vienna on Monday after Iran paused them in June following the election of ultraconservative President Ebrahim Raisi..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: Iran's attitude brinks Vienna talks to the brink, US talks of 'other options'

Russia has dismissed new US media reports about a possible Russian attack on Ukraine, accusing Washington of trying to aggravate the situation while blaming Moscow, the Kommersant newspaper said on Saturday, citing the Foreign Ministry.The Washington Post cited officials and an intelligence document on Saturday as saying US intelligence thought Russia could be planning a multi-front offensive on Ukraine as early as next year involving up to 175,000 troops.For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.“The (United) States is conducting a special operation to aggravate the situation around Ukraine while shifting the responsibility onto Russia,” Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova was quoted as saying by Kommersant.“It is based on provocative actions near Russia’s borders accompanied by accusatory rhetoric,” she said.The United States, its NATO allies and Ukraine have accused Moscow of massing troops near the Ukrainian border, and Kyiv says it fears Russia is planning an attack.Moscow has denied any plans to invade Ukraine, accusing Kyiv of building up its own forces to attack territory held by pro-Russian separatists.It has said it can move troops around on Russian territory as it sees fit and that they pose no external threat.Read more:Biden talks tough as US intelligence finds Russia planning Ukraine offensiveUkraine’s foreign minister urges NATO for ‘deterrence package’ against RussiaUS Blinken warns Russia on any renewed aggression in Ukraine
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Russia dismisses US media reports about possible Ukraine offensive

Abu Dhabi’s Mubadala pledged eight billion euros in investments in French businesses, while the licence of Louvre, Abu Dhabi was extended for 10 years to 2047..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: UAE, France sign strategic defence, investment deals

Kordahi's resignation could satisfy some of the Gulf countries, as it shows that their pressures on Lebanon have yielded results..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: Kordahi's resignation timed with Macron's Gulf tour but unlikely to sway Saudis

Higher hospital admissions among children during a fourth wave of COVID-19 infections in South Africa that is driven by the Omicron variant should prompt vigilance but not panic as infections have been mild, a health official said on Saturday.A large number of infants admitted with COVID-19 last month in Tshwane, the metropolitan area that includes the capital Pretoria, raised concerns that the Omicron variant could pose greater risks for young children than other coronavirus variants.Scientists have yet to confirm any link and have cautioned that other factors could be at play.For more coronavirus news, visit our dedicated page.Ntsakisi Maluleke, a public health specialist in the Gauteng province that includes Tshwane and the biggest city Johannesburg, said that out of the 1,511 COVID-positive patients in hospitals in the province 113 were under 9 years old, a greater proportion than during previous waves of infection.“We are comforted by clinicians’ reports that the children have mild disease,” she told Reuters in an interview, adding health officials and scientists were investigating what was driving the increased admissions in younger ages and were hoping to provide more clarity in the coming two weeks.Since only a small percentage of South Africa’s positive COVID-19 tests are sent for genomic sequencing, officials do not yet know which variants the children admitted to hospital have been infected with.Maluleke said healthcare workers could be acting out of an abundance of caution. “They would rather have a child under care for a day or two than having a child at home and complicating, ... but we really need to wait for the evidence,” she said.She said many COVID-19 patients in Gauteng were reporting “non-specific” flu-like symptoms like a scratchy throat, as opposed to more easily identifiable markers like a loss of taste or smell.But she urged parents and pregnant women, another cohort that has seen more hospital admissions recently, not to take flu-like symptoms lightly and to get tested in case intervention is needed further down the line.“The public needs to be less fearful but vigilant,” she added.Despite a recent influx of admissions, Gauteng’s dedicated COVID-19 bed occupancy was still only around 13 percent, Maluleke said, adding that contingency plans were in place should capacity become stretched.Scientists are still working to find out what severity of illness is caused by the Omicron variant, first detected in southern Africa last month and since seen in more than 30 countries, and whether it may be more resistant to existing vaccines.Read more:Gilead recalls 55,000 vials of COVID drug due to glass shardsMerkel urges Germans to get vaccinated in final podcastItalian man tries to evade COVID jab using fake armSaudi Arabia to mandate COVID-19 booster shot for ‘immune’ Tawakkalna status
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: South African official says number of children sick with COVID not cause for panic