Dubai carrier Emirates Airline will be resuming flights to Saudi Arabia starting from September 11, following the Kingdom’s announcement that it would lift COVID-19 travel restrictions on the United Arab Emirates.For more coronavirus news, visit our dedicated page.“From Saturday, 11 September, Emirates will begin operating 24 weekly flights to Saudi Arabia, including daily flights to the capital Riyadh, daily A380 flights to Jeddah, daily flights to Dammam and three weekly flights to Medina,” Emirates said. “Flights to Riyadh will increase to double daily from 16 September, and plans are underway to boost frequencies across the other gateways by the end of September,” the airline added on its website. Saudi Arabia on Tuesday announced it will begin allowing the resumption of flights between the Kingdom and the UAE, Argentine, and South Africa from September 8 after a ban was imposed to curb the coronavirus outbreak. Based on continuous monitoring of the epidemiological situation locally and globally, the Ministry of Interior decided to lift the travel restrictions on land and sea borders, as well as airports. Saudi Arabia had suspended travel to and from the UAE on July 3 for Saudi citizens after the neighboring Gulf country recorded hundreds of cases of the contagious delta variant. Emirates’ flights to St. Petersburg will also resume on September 11, the airline said. Read more:Saudi Arabia lifts COVID-19 travel ban to, from UAE, South Africa starting Sept. 8Mixing Saudi-approved COVID-19 vaccines safe, effective: Health ministryCOVID-19 travel: Abu Dhabi updates ‘Green list’ countries, rules
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Dubai’s Emirates to resume flights to Saudi Arabia after COVID-19 ban lifted
Mohammed bin Rashid charity establishment sends aid aircraft to Afghanistan
Food supplies and various items of clothing were flown down to Afghanistan..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: Mohammed bin Rashid charity establishment sends aid aircraft to Afghanistan
First post-evacuation flight from Afghanistan lands in Qatar after Taliban approval
The Taliban allowed a flight of foreigners, including American citizens, to finally depart Afghanistan on Thursday after the top US diplomat lashed out at the group for blocking charter flights from taking off.Qatar, which has emerged as a leading political interlocutor in Afghanistan, said the first commercial flight left Kabul since the chaotic US withdrawal ended its longest war last month.For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.Qatar’s foreign minister said, “we managed to fly the first plane with passengers just an hour ago.” Videos surfaced of the flight landing in Doha at around 5PM GMT.The United Kingdom said 13 British nationals were on the flight. Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab thanked Qatar for its efforts. Alongside Doha, Turkey has also been reported to be working with the Taliban to get the airport back up and running.On Wednesday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken criticized the Taliban and revealed that they were not allowing charter flights to evacuate US citizens and at-risk Afghans to depart the airport.“There’s been a fair amount of confusion surrounding the flights, and let me just clarify a few things. As of now, the Taliban are not permitting the charter flights to depart. They claim that some of the passengers do not have the required documentation,” Blinken said during a joint press conference with his German counterpart.An AFP correspondent reported that there were around 200 passengers on the flight that left Thursday.
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: First post-evacuation flight from Afghanistan lands in Qatar after Taliban approval
Lebanon registers 900 COVID-19 cases, 13 deaths in last 24 hours
Lebanon registers 900 COVID-19 cases, 13 deaths in last 24 hours..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: Lebanon registers 900 COVID-19 cases, 13 deaths in last 24 hours
Taliban demands Washington remove its interior minister from US blacklist
The Taliban demanded the US remove its newly appointed interior minister Sirajuddin Haqqani from its blacklist, group spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said on Thursday.Sirajuddin Haqqani was appointed Deputy Leader of the Taliban in 2015 and directed military operations, according to the Pentagon. He became one of the Taliban’s Supreme Leader Haibatullah Akhundzada’s two deputies in 2016.For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.Haqqani has now been announced as the acting interior minster of the Taliban’s government after it seized control of Afghanistan last month.According to the State Department, Haqqani admitted planning the January 2008 attack on Kabul’s Serena Hotel that killed a US citizen and five other people. He was designated as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist under Executive Order 13224 in March 2008.The US State Department has allocated a reward of $10 million for information on Haqqani.The Haqqani Network, founded by Sirajuddin Haqqani’s father Jalaluddin Haqqani in the late 1970s, is responsible for many high-profile attacks in Afghanistan, including the 19-hour attack on the US Embassy in Kabul and the nearby International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) headquarters in September 2011. The State Department designated the HQN as a Foreign Terrorist Organization on September 7, 2012.Read more:Taliban’s new acting Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani on FBI’s most wanted listWho are the members of the Taliban new all-male government?EU warns new Taliban govt not ‘inclusive and representative’
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Taliban demands Washington remove its interior minister from US blacklist
Court upholds convictions in Jordan coup plot
A Jordanian court on Thursday upheld the conviction of two former senior officials on sedition and other charges connected with an alleged plot against the kingdom involving the half-brother of King Abdullah II..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: Court upholds convictions in Jordan coup plot
US Navy launches drone task force in Gulf amid Iran tensions
The US Navy's Fifth Fleet launched on Thursday a new task force in the Gulf integrating drones and artificial intelligence after a series of maritime attacks blamed on Iran.The task force will rely on regional and coalition partnerships.For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.“The bottom line on why we’re doing this is so that we can develop and integrate unmanned systems and AI as a means to do two things,” said Vice Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of NAVCENT, US 5th Fleet and Combined Maritime Forces.“One, enhance our maritime domain awareness, and two, increase deterrence,” he added.Arch enemies Iran and Israel have exchanged accusations over responsibility for attacks targeting maritime vessels linked to each country in the waters of the Gulf since February.Western countries said Iran was behind the drone attack on Israeli-linked MT Mercer Street tanker off Oman’s coast which killed two people on board. Tehran denies the allegations.The maritime attacks come at a time when the nuclear talks between Iran and the US are stalled.The US fifth fleet’s area of operations encompasses approximately 2.5 million square miles of water area and includes the Gulf, Gulf of Oman, Red Sea and parts of the Indian Ocean.The Fifth Fleet is based Bahrain.Read more:Israeli defense minister threatens to strike Iran after drone attack on tankerIran-backed forces believed to have seized tanker off Fujairah: Maritime sourcesBritain, US united in condemnation of Iran’s attack on tanker: British FM
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: US Navy launches drone task force in Gulf amid Iran tensions
High Court hears NGO request to reopen Umm al-Hiran probe
Watchdog has rejected opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu's accusation of cover-up.
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: High Court hears NGO request to reopen Umm al-Hiran probe
New Zealand, Cyprus to also boycott Durban IV conference
The declaration passed by countries participating in the 2001 conference in Durban only mentions one country by name as a perpetrator of racism: Israel.
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: New Zealand, Cyprus to also boycott Durban IV conference
Taliban deliberating on inaugurating their government on 9/11 anniversary: Report
The Taliban is deliberating on inaugurating their newly appointed government on the upcoming anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on the US, CNN-News18 reported citing sources close to the group.The upcoming Saturday is the 20th anniversary of al-Qaeda’s attacks on US soil which led to the American war on terror in Afghanistan.For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.“We have concerns about the way the US State Department treats us. It’s not that we want to embarrass the US but for us it’s a big day,” a Taliban source told CNN-News18.According to media reports, the Taliban invited Qatar, Iran, Turkey, Russia and China to the inaugural ceremony.The Taliban seized control of Afghanistan on August 15 and the last US troops and officials vacated the country on August 31 in a final withdrawal.“We also feel embarrassed about our interior minister being on their sanctions list,” the Taliban source added.The Taliban demanded the US remove its newly appointed interior minister Sirajuddin Haqqani from its blacklist, group spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said on Thursday.According to the State Department, Haqqani admitted planning the January 2008 attack on Kabul’s Serena Hotel that killed a US citizen and five other people. He was designated as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist under Executive Order 13224 in March 2008.The US State Department has allocated a reward of $10 million for information on Haqqani.Read more:Taliban demands Washington remove its interior minister from US blacklistSaudi Arabia welcomes US release of classified documents related to 9/11 attacks9/11 artifacts share ‘pieces of truth’ in victims’ stories
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Taliban deliberating on inaugurating their government on 9/11 anniversary: Report