Egypt plans to restore and renovate the shrines and tombs of the Prophet Muhammad’s family and surrounding roads and squares in a move expected to support religious tourism.
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: Egypt to renovate shrines in major boost to religious tourism
Terror groups utilized COVID-19 to spread ideology, false rhetoric: Saudi’s Etidal
Terrorist organizations took advantage of the COVID-19 pandemic to spread ideology and false rhetoric to undermine the seriousness of global outbreak, according to a senior official at Saudi Arabia’s Global Center for Combating Extremist Ideology (Etidal).Mansour al-Shammari, Secretary-General of Etidal, said that extremism and terrorism are the main enemy of the development and stability of all global societies and said countries must work to protect citizens from being exposed to ideology, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported on Thursday.For all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.Speaking during a joint press conference held with the Director of the UN Counter-Terrorism center (UNCCT) Dr Jehangir Khan, referred to the remarkable UN and international efforts in combating violent extremism and terrorism, al-Shammari stressed Etidal’s keenness to exchange expertise in a way that serves joint goals and strategies between the two centers.He said that Etidal works to expose the methods of extremist organizations in targeting young members of society by educating people about terrorist groups and warning them against the threats of ideology.He added: We at Etidal are fully aware of the dangers of this ideology and its organizations that utilize all possible means to spread it, which required us to draw specialized plans and strategies to refute and foil this ideology.”For his part, Khan commended Saudi Arabia’s efforts in combating extremist ideology as well as the Saudi government’s financial and moral support to UNCCT.He also added: “We face a global challenge; extremism has no religion, race or culture, warning from the new methods that extremists follow in spreading their ideologies, such as using videogames.”Etidal, UNCCT sign MoU to strengthen cooperationEtidal and UNCCT signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in April to “strengthen cooperation in preventing and countering terrorism and violent extremism as and when conducive to terrorism,” according to a statement at the time.The agreement will lead to the development of joint projects between Etidal and UNCCT, the statement added.The projects include capacity-building workshops in the field of strategic communications to prevent violent extremism and countering the use of the internet for terrorist purposes, as well as campaigns to raise awareness on youth engagement, tolerance and support for victims of terrorism.Etidal was established in 2017 in the Saudi capital Riyadh, under the patronage of Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz, with the aim of working to confront the phenomenon of extremist ideology. It works to raise awareness and promote a culture of moderation, tolerance and coexistence, and to support international efforts to achieve this.Read more:Saudi Arabia’s Etidal, UN Counter-Terrorism center sign MoU to increase collaborationSaudi role in countering extremist narratives highlighted at Riyadh forumTop Vatican cardinal visits Global Center for Combating Extremist Ideology
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Terror groups utilized COVID-19 to spread ideology, false rhetoric: Saudi’s Etidal
Israeli defense minister threatens to strike Iran after drone attack on tanker
Israel’s defense minister warned on Thursday that his country is prepared to strike Iran, issuing the threat against the Islamic Republic after a fatal drone strike on a oil tanker at sea that his nation blamed on Tehran.The comments by Benny Gantz come as Israel meanwhile lobbies countries for action at the United Nations over last week’s attack on the oil tanker Mercer Street that killed two people. The tanker, struck off Oman in the Arabian Sea, is managed by a firm owned by an Israeli billionaire.For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.The US and the United Kingdom similarly blamed Iran for the attack, but no country has offered evidence or intelligence to support their claims. Iran, which along with its regional militia allies has launched similar drone attacks, has denied being involved.Speaking to the news website Ynet, Gantz responded to whether Israel was prepared to attack Iran with a blunt “yes.”“We are at a point where we need to take military action against Iran," Gantz said. "The world needs to take action against Iran now.”Iran did not immediately respond to Gantz’s comments. However, in a letter Wednesday to the UN Security Council, its chargé d’affaires in New York described Israel as “the main source of instability and insecurity in the Middle East and beyond for more than seven decades.”“This regime has a long dark record in attacking commercial navigation and civilian ships,” Zahra Ershadi wrote. “In less than two years, this regime has attacked over 10 commercial vessels carrying oil and humanitarian goods destined to Syria.”Ershadi’s comments refer to an ongoing shadow war being waged on Mideast waterways since 2019 that has seen both Iranian and Western-linked ships attacked.The attacks began a year after then-President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew from Iran’s nuclear deal with world powers, which saw Iran limit its enrichment of uranium in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions.President Joe Biden has said he’s willing to rejoin the accord, but talks over salvaging the deal have stalled in Vienna.Read more:Israeli PM Bennett blames Iran for tanker attackVictim of deadly tanker attack off coast of Oman was ex-British soldier: FirmBritain, US united in condemnation of Iran’s attack on tanker: British FM
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Israeli defense minister threatens to strike Iran after drone attack on tanker
Lebanese prosecutor requests documents from central bank chief Salameh, says source
A Lebanese prosecutor asked central bank governor Riad Salameh for documents relating to suspicions of embezzlement, money laundering, and tax evasion but did not question him on Thursday in the absence of a lawyer, a senior judicial source said.For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.Salameh has dismissed previous corruption allegations against him as a smear campaign. In response to a question from Reuters, Salameh said the deliberations were secret."You should not confuse suspicion with accusations. My case is still on suspicion. I am also not charged," Salameh said in a text message to Reuters.The judicial source said the prosecutor, Judge Jean Tannous, had set a new session for September 28.Salameh is under investigation in Switzerland on charges related to embezzlement and probes are under way or being planned in several other European countries.Lebanon’s public prosecutor launched an investigation into Salameh in April after a Swiss legal request alleged that more than $300 million had been embezzled from the bank through a company owned by his brother.Lebanon’s crippled banking system is at the heart of a financial crisis that erupted in late 2019. Banks have since blocked transfers abroad and cut access to deposits as dollars grew scarce.Read more:Lebanon summons central bank chief, Riad Salameh, over graft allegationsFrance opens investigation into personal wealth of Lebanon’s Riad SalamehLebanon central banker Riad Salameh pushes back against criticism, defends dollar peg
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Lebanese prosecutor requests documents from central bank chief Salameh, says source
Saudi Arabia’s new COVID-19 cases drop below 1,000
Saudi Arabia has recorded 986 new COVID-19 cases over the past 24 hours, raising the total to 530,981 on Thursday, the Ministry of Health announced.Read the latest updates in our dedicated coronavirus section. Of the new cases, 189 were detected in the city of Mecca, 177 in the capital Riyadh and 162 in the Eastern Region.The Kingdom’s COVID-19-related death toll increased to 8,297 after 13 people who had previously tested positive for the virus died due to complications.Meanwhile, 1,055 people recovered, raising the total recoveries to 512,373.As of August 5, Saudi Arabia has 10,311 active coronavirus cases and 1,424 are in critical condition, according to the health ministry’s latest report.On Wednesday, health authorities announced that Saudi Arabia plans to reach herd immunity and vaccinate at least 70 percent of its population against the coronavirus by October this year is on track as a quarter of people in the Kingdom have already received two doses.Eight million citizens and residents – the equivalent of 25 percent of the total population – have received two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine, while over 19 million people (56 percent of the population) have received their first dose.More than 28 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered around the country as of Tuesday in over 587 inoculation centers, the Ministry of Health said.Read more: Saudi Arabia vaccinates 25 pct of population, on track to reach herd immunity by OctSaudi Arabia permits entry with Sinopharm, Sinovac vaccines after booster shotsSaudi Arabia allows citizens from 49 countries to apply for e-visa: Full list
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Saudi Arabia’s new COVID-19 cases drop below 1,000
Bennett styles himself as Israel’s new Mr. Security
On the backdrop of the fatal drone attack against the oil tanker off Oman and of growing tensions on Israel’s northern border, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett is positioning himself as Israel’s new Mr. Security.
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: Bennett styles himself as Israel’s new Mr. Security
Turkish prosecutor investigates tweets calling for help with wildfires
Ankara claims that Twitter hashtags calling for international aid with the wildfires raging through the country were "organized abroad" with "ideological motivations" in what critics say is a panicked attempt to change the narrative of Turkish helplessness to contain the crisis.
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: Turkish prosecutor investigates tweets calling for help with wildfires
Violence down in Syria’s al-Hol camp but conditions remain 'horrifying'
The Islamic State has been smuggling boys out of displacement camps to train in the Syrian desert.
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: Violence down in Syria’s al-Hol camp but conditions remain 'horrifying'
Moderna says its COVID-19 vaccine 93 pct effective six months after second dose
Moderna Inc said on Thursday its COVID-19 shot was about 93 percent effective through six months after the second dose, showing hardly any change from the 94 percent efficacy reported in its original clinical trial. However, it said it still expects booster shots to be necessary ahead of the winter season as antibody levels are expected to wane. It and rival Pfizer Inc and BioNTech SE have been advocating a third shot to maintain a high level of protection against COVID-19.Read the latest updates in our dedicated coronavirus section. During a second-quarter earnings call, Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel said that the company would not produce more than the 800 million to 1 billion doses of the vaccine that it has targeted this year.For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app. “We are now capacity constrained for 2021, and we are not taking any more orders for 2021 delivery,” he said. Moderna shares fell 3.6 percent to around $403.87 in pre-market trading after closing at $419.05 on Wednesday. The Moderna data compares favorably to that released by Pfizer and BioNTech last week in which they said their vaccine’s efficacy waned around 6 percent every two months, declining to around 84 percent six months after the second shot. Both the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines are based on messenger RNA (mRNA) technology. “Our COVID-19 vaccine is showing durable efficacy of 93 percent through six months, but recognize that the Delta variant is a significant new threat so we must remain vigilant,” Bancel said. The comment comes as public health officials across the world debate whether additional doses are safe, effective and necessary even as they grapple with the fast-spreading Delta variant of the coronavirus. Meanwhile, Pfizer is planning to seek authorization for a third shot later this month, and some countries like Israel have begun or plan to start administering a booster shot to older or vulnerable people. Booster candidates Separately, Moderna said its studies of three different booster candidates induced robust antibody responses against variants, including the Gamma, Beta and Delta variants. It said neutralizing antibody levels following the boost approached those observed after the second shot. For this year, Moderna has signed vaccine contracts worth $20 billion in sales. It has agreements for $12 billion in 2022, with options for another roughly $8 billion in sales and expects to produce between 2 billion and 3 billion doses next year. The company, however, has not been able to keep pace with the much larger Pfizer, which expects to manufacture as many as 3 billion doses this year and 2021 sales to top $33.5 billion. Moderna’s vaccine was authorized for emergency use in adults in the United States in December and has since been cleared for emergency or conditional use in adults in more than 50 countries. The company expects to finish its submission for full approval with the US Food and Drug Administration this month. It posted second-quarter sales of $4.4 billion, slightly above expectations of $4.2 billion drawn from 10 analysts polled by Refinitiv. Its COVID-19 shot is the firm’s first authorized product and sales were just $67 million a year earlier. Moderna earned $2.78 billion, or $6.46 a share, beating quarterlyexpectations of $5.96 a share.Read more: EU regulator approves use of Moderna COVID-19 vaccine for teenagers
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Moderna says its COVID-19 vaccine 93 pct effective six months after second dose
Why Iraqi leaders cannot do what Saied did
Iraqis were more ecstatic than anyone else, East or West, over the recent decisions of the Tunisian president, which they considered to be a new, decisive and successful move to save his country from radical Islamist parties, especially when such parties dominate the government and spread injustice, oppression, conspiracy, fraud and exploitation. Without exaggeration, the Iraqi people’s enthusiasm for Saied’s decisions was greater than that of the Tunisian people itself. They reacted as if the Tunisian president’s decisions were a victory over Iraq’s enemies, as if Tunisia was Iraq and as if President Kais Saied was the president of Iraq..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: Why Iraqi leaders cannot do what Saied did