Middle East Experience

The Egyptian security forces are deployed in Cairo’s streets and main squares, amid calls for protests by Egyptian whistleblower and former army contractor Mohamed Ali.
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: Egyptian police search citizens in Cairo ahead of June 30 anniversary

During the recent Israeli military attack on Gaza, misleading and fake news quickly spread, leading fact-checking platforms to work on debunking rumors and ensure fair access to information.
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: Fact-checkers face obstacles to bring news to Gazans during wartime

The owners of a giant container ship that blocked the Suez Canal in March have made a new offer in a compensation dispute with the canal authority, a lawyer for the authority said on Sunday, as a court ruling on the case was postponed for two weeks.The Ever Given container ship has been anchored in a lake between two stretches of the canal since it was dislodged on March 29. It had been grounded across the canal for six days, blocking hundreds of ships and disrupting global trade.For all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.The Suez Canal Authority (SCA) demanded $916 million in compensation to cover salvage efforts, reputational damage and lost revenue, before publicly lowering the request to $550 million.The Ever Given’s Japanese owners Shoei Kisen and its insurers have disputed the claim and the ship’s detention under an Egyptian court order.Negotiations had been continuing until Saturday, SCA lawyer Khaled Abu Bakr told a court hearing in Ismailia over the ship’s detention. The ship’s owners had put in a new offer, he said, without giving details.The SCA’s chairman previously said Shoei Kisen had offered to pay $150 million.A court ruling was due on Sunday after several delays, but Shoei Kisen’s legal team asked to allow more time for negotiations, one of their lawyers said.Judicial sources said the case was postponed until July 4 to allow for “friendly settlement” between the parties.This week UK Club, one of the ship’s insurers, said it was engaged in “serious and constructive negotiations” with the SCA, and was “hopeful of a positive resolution to these negotiations in the near future.”Read more:Suez Canal controlled speed of ship before it blocked waterway, insurer saysEgypt slashes millions off compensation claim to $550 mln over Suez Canal blockageEgyptian court upholds detention of Ever Given in Suez Canal: Lawyer
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: New compensation offer made over Suez Canal blockage dispute: Lawyer

Two people were jailed for three years in Saudi Arabia after the authorities exposed their $1.6 million (6 million riyal) money laundering operation, the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported on Sunday.For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.One of the pair, a Saudi national, set up a fraudulent company in order to open bank accounts which were then passed on to a foreign national who used the accounts to deposit money obtained through illegal means.The Saudi national was paid a monthly fee, and the foreign citizen transferred the money abroad.Neither of the individuals have been publicly identified.Authorities investigated the company and deduced that it had no actual business operations, and the two men were apprehended.The Saudi national will be banned from traveling abroad after serving the three years in prison, while the foreign citizen will be deported.Read more: Armed man attempts to attack Imam at Mecca’s Grand MosqueSaudi Arabia initiates 11 criminal cases against government employees over corruptionUK ‘steadfast’ in support of Saudi against Iran-backed terror: Foreign Secretary
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Saudi Arabia convicts citizen, expat in .6 mln money laundering scheme

Iran and six world powers have adjourned nuclear talks for consultations in their capitals, the European Union’s envoy to the negotiations said on Sunday.Speaking to reporters Enrique Mora gave no indication when the talks would resume, but said progress had been made and that the participants would have a clearer idea of how to close a deal when they return.For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.He added that he expected the international nuclear watchdog and Tehran to reach an agreement on extending a monitoring deal of Iran’s nuclear activities that ends on June 24.Russia’s envoy Mikhael Ulyanov told reporters nobody knew when the talks would resume.US says disagreements on key issues remain in Iran nuclear talksMeanwhile, US national security adviser Jake Sullivan said on Sunday that there are still disagreements between Iran and the world powers in talks to revive their 2015 nuclear deal, repeating that the ultimate decision on the issue lies with the Supreme Leader of the Islamic republic.“There is still a fair distance to travel on some of the key issues, including on sanctions and on the nuclear commitments that Iran has to make,” Sullivan said in an interview with broadcaster ABC News, adding that the question of which sanctions on Iran were to be lifted was still being discussed.On Saturday, Iran’s ultraconservative cleric Ebrahim Raisi won 62 percent of the presidential election votes counted so far, after Raisi’s rivals conceded defeat.Read more:Parties to Iran nuclear deal to hold formal meeting on Sunday, says EUIsrael says Iran’s new President Raisi extreme, committed to nuclear programUAE congratulates Iran’s Ebrahim Raisi for presidential election win
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Iran, world powers adjourn nuclear talks for consultations: EU envoy

The Dubai Ruler highlighted the secret behind people’s happiness in the UAE in a new TikTok video..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: Video: We are an authority to serve people, says Sheikh Mohammed

MP Gebran Bassil Sunday escalated his stance on the already-stalled Cabinet formation process, saying that the government impasse has exposed “more dangerous and deeper crises” relating to the country’s sectarian-based ruling system and the Constitution..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: Bassil rejects Berri’s initiative, seeks Nasrallah’s help over Christian rights

Saudi Arabia’s ministry of industry will offer industrial licenses that last five years instead of three to ensure the sustainability of the sector, Saudi state news agency (SPA) reported on Sunday.The longer duration will come into effect when investors apply for new industrial licenses or renew their existing ones, after fulfilling necessary requirements, SPA said.- Developing
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Saudi Arabia will offer five-year industrial licenses to ensure stability of sector

The United States is preparing fresh sanctions against Russia over the near-fatal poisoning of Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny, a top White House advisor warned Sunday.Jailed opposition figure Navalny, President Vladimir Putin’s most prominent opponent, was arrested in January upon returning to Russia after recovering from a poisoning he says was orchestrated by Moscow.For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.“We have sanctioned Russia for the poisoning of Alexei Navalny... We rallied European allies in a joint effort to impose costs on Russia for the use of a chemical agent against one of their citizens on Russian soil,” US President Joe Biden’s national security advisor Jake Sullivan told CNN’s “State of the Union.”The United States in March imposed sanctions on the director of Russia’s FSB security agency after finding it carried out the poisoning of Navalny.“We are preparing another package of sanctions to apply in this case, as well. We’ve shown along the way we’re not going to pull our punches,” Sullivan added.He spoke days after Biden and Putin met in Geneva for their first summit, where the leaders sought to cool tensions in the combustible US-Russian relationship.Diplomatic relations between Moscow and Washington had all but broken down since Biden took office in January.After Biden likened Putin to a “killer,” Russia in March took the rare step of recalling its ambassador Anatoly Antonov. The US envoy, John Sullivan, likewise returned to Washington.Putin rejected criticism of his treatment of opponents - many high-profile critics have been killed in Russia during his rule and the media is almost entirely muzzled - saying that the United States had bigger problems.A day after the summit, the Kremlin was guarded about future dialogue with Washington.“We are ready to continue this dialogue to the same extent as the American side is,” Putin said in televised remarks.The Russian leader said the meeting was “quite friendly” and that he and Biden “were able to understand each other on key issues.”Read more:Russian envoy returns to US optimistic, hopes for ‘equal’, ‘pragmatic’ tiesKremlin pleased with Putin-Biden summit, singles out pledge to never wage nuclear warRussia’s Putin says satisfied with Biden explanation for calling him a ‘killer’
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: US says preparing new Russia sanctions over Alexei Navalny poisoning

Here are the stories making headlines in Qatar on #TheRoundUp this Sunday: 🇦🇪 Emirati dissident Alaa AlSiddiq dies in car crash 🇮🇷 Amir congratulates new Iranian president 💉 Qatar to provide one million Covid-19 vaccines for World Cup fans 🕊️ Qatar most peaceful country in the region..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: The Round Up | 20 June 2021 – Doha News | Qatar