Ankara defends its position on Moscow on the grounds that it has to manage its relationship with its powerful northeastern neighbor.
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: Turkey’s persistent watering down of anti-Russian language leaves NATO in bind
Turkey’s currency plummets to historic low
The lira’s drop coincided with changes at Turkey’s Central Bank, political tensions and a legal controversy involving a mobster.
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: Turkey’s currency plummets to historic low
Biden condemns anti-Semitic attacks against American Jews
The United States is facing an uptick on attacks on Jewish people in the wake of the Israel-Gaza conflict.
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: Biden condemns anti-Semitic attacks against American Jews
Indian, UK hybrid COVID-19 variant detected in Vietnam
Vietnam health minister Nguyen Thanh Long said on Saturday the country has detected a new variant of the coronavirus, a mix of the Indian and UK COVID-19 variants that spreads quickly by air, online newspaper VnExpress reported.Read the latest updates in our dedicated coronavirus section.After successfully containing the coronavirus for most of last year, Vietnam is now battling an outbreak that is spreading more quickly.Nearly 3,600 people have been infected in 31 of its 63 cities and provinces since late April, accounting for more than half of the country’s total infections.“After running gene sequencing on newly detected patients, we have discovered a new variant that is a mix of India and UK ones,” Nguyen Thanh Long was quoted as saying.“More specifically, it is an Indian variant with mutations that originally belong to the UK variant,” he said. VnExpress quoted Long as saying Vietnam would announce the newly discovered variant to the world soon.Vietnam had previously reported seven virus variants: B.1.222, B.1.619, D614G, B.1.1.7 (the UK variant), B.1.351, A.23.1 and B.1.617.2 (the Indian variant).Laboratory cultures of the new variant, which is much more transmissable than the previously known types, revealed that the virus replicated itself very quickly, explaining why so many new cases appeared in different locations in a short period, Long was quoted as saying.The Southeast Asian country has registered 6,396 coronavirus cases so far, with 47 deaths.Read more:India extends COVID-19 travel ban until the end of June Sinopharm vaccine: Chinese scientists publish world’s first report on clinical trialsCOVID-19 vaccine distribution ‘scandalously inefficient’ in Africa: Rwanda president
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Indian, UK hybrid COVID-19 variant detected in Vietnam
Iran’s Quds Force chief says Israelis should ‘return’ to US, Europe
Israelis should leave Israel and “return to their homes” in the United States and Europe, the commander of Iran’s Quds Force Esmail Ghaani said on Saturday.For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.“We recommend that the Zionists return and buy back their homes that they sold in Europe and America when they moved to the occupied territories before they become more expensive,” the semi-official Fars news agency quoted Ghaani as saying.The Quds Force is the foreign arm of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Ghaani succeeded top military commander Qassem Soleimani as head of the force following the latter’s US killing in January 2020.Ghaani said the Palestinian militant group Hamas could have targeted “many” infrastructure facilities in Israel during the conflict earlier this month but did not because “it will not be long before the Palestinians are the ones using them.”He also said the thousands of rockets fired from Gaza toward Israel during the conflict were all locally made.“The Palestinians should think about administering the whole of Palestine and the Zionist regime should think about leaving this land,” Ghaani added.Israel and Hamas reached a ceasefire on May 21 that ended 11 days of fighting.Iran, which does not recognise Israel, is a top backer of Hamas.Read more:Israeli forces kill Palestinian in West Bank clashes, says health ministryUS, again, reaffirms ‘ironclad’ support for Israel: PentagonUN Human Rights Council votes for probe into ‘crimes’ committed in Gaza conflict
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Iran’s Quds Force chief says Israelis should ‘return’ to US, Europe
Syria's Assad, Hamas weigh rapprochement
The Hamas movement seems divided as Syrian President Bashar al-Assad hosted a delegation of Palestinian factions leaders and praised all resistance factions, after years of estrangement with Hamas.
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: Syria's Assad, Hamas weigh rapprochement
UAE reports 1,812 new COVID-19 cases, five deaths in 24 hours
The United Arab Emirates has reported 1,812 new cases of COVID-19 and five virus-related deaths in the last 24 hours, according to the Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP).For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.Case numbers have begun to fall after a two-week spike in infections that began in the middle of May.The latest figures bring the UAE’s total number of recorded cases to 567,263, and the country’s total death toll to 1,673.Meanwhile, 1,779 people also recovered from the virus, bringing the total number of recoveries to 547,008.Authorities in the capital Abu Dhabi have approved an increase in workplace attendance to 60 percent effective from May 30.On Wednesday UAE officials announced the people who have received the COVID-19 vaccine and have a negative PCR test will be allowed to attend events starting June 6.Read more: UAE reports 2,236 new COVID-19 cases, four deathsSaudi Arabia to resume entertainment activities for vaccinated individualsUK approves single shot Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: UAE reports 1,812 new COVID-19 cases, five deaths in 24 hours
Saudi Arabia allows entry of travelers from countries including UAE, US
Saudi Arabia will allow the entry of travelers from countries including the United Arab Emirates, the US, the United Kingdom and others starting on May 30, following a suspension due to the coronavirus pandemic, the official SPA reported on Saturday, citing a Ministry of Interior source.Read the latest updates in our dedicated coronavirus section.According to SPA, the complete list of countries also includes Germany, Ireland, Italy, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland, France and Japan.The source reportedly said the decision to lift the travel ban was made based on information provided by the World Health Organization which showed they were able to effectively control the spread of the virus.Travelers arriving from the listed countries are still required to quarantine upon their arrival in the Kingdom, SPA added.In February, authorities had banned the entry of travelers from these countries except for Saudi nationals, diplomats, health professionals and their families.The Kingdom officially lifted its suspension on citizens traveling abroad and opened its land, sea, and air borders on May 17.On Thursday, Saudi Arabia's General Entertainment Authority (GEA) announced the resumption of entertainment activities for individuals who are vaccinated against COVID-19.Read more:Saudi airports, airlines resume international flights after COVID-19 suspensionSaudi Arabia plans to reopen to foreign tourists soon, tourism official confirmsOver 10,000 Saudi citizens traveled abroad in first 24 hours after flights resumed
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Saudi Arabia allows entry of travelers from countries including UAE, US
Saudi Arabia reports 14 COVID-19 deaths, 1,106 new cases in 24 hours
Saudi Arabia has reported 1,106 new COVID-19 cases and 14 virus-related deaths in the last 24 hours, the Ministry of Health announced on Saturday.For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.The latest figures bring the Kingdom’s total death toll to 7,334, and the total number of recorded cases to 448,284.The city of Mecca saw the highest number of new cases, with 325, while the capital Riyadh had the second-highest with 319.Saudi Arabia announced Saturday that a ban on entry would be lifted for travelers from the UAE, UK, US, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland, France, and Japan.Quarantine on arrival is still mandatory, according to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA).A Ministry of the Interior source said the decision was made based on information from the World Health Organization (WHO) showing that the countries were able to effectively control the spread of the virus, according to SPA.Read more: Lebanon ramps up COVID-19 fight with vaccination marathonSaudi Arabia allows entry of travelers from countries including UAE, USUAE reports 1,812 new COVID-19 cases, five deaths in 24 hours
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Saudi Arabia reports 14 COVID-19 deaths, 1,106 new cases in 24 hours
Is Muslim Brotherhood using Clubhouse app to mobilize Egyptian support?
Many security sources and social media activists fear the Muslim Brotherhood could exploit the Clubhouse app to promote its ideas and recruit new operatives in Egypt.
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: Is Muslim Brotherhood using Clubhouse app to mobilize Egyptian support?