During Operation Guardian of the Walls, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Benny Gantz put aside their differences and bitterness.
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: Gaza war puts Netanyahu, Gantz back on same team
Can Egypt avoid being harmed by second filling of Nile dam?
Egypt’s foreign minister says Cairo can compensate for the second filling of Ethiopia’s controversial dam on the Blue Nile as a result of the projects the Egyptian government is implementing to confront water scarcity, but other officials beg to differ.
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: Can Egypt avoid being harmed by second filling of Nile dam?
Rafik Hariri tribunal runs out of funds as Lebanon’s crisis spills over
A UN tribunal set up to prosecute those behind the 2005 assassination of Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri has run out of funding amid Lebanon’s economic and political crisis, threatening plans for future trials, people involved in the process said.Closing the tribunal would dash the hopes of families of victims in the Hariri murder and other attacks, but also those demanding that a UN tribunal bring to justice those responsible for the Beirut port blast last August that killed 200 and injured 6,500.Last year the UN Special Tribunal for Lebanon, located outside of The Hague, convicted former Hezbollah member Salim Jamil Ayyash for the bombing that killed Hariri and 21 others.For all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.Ayyash was sentenced in absentia to five life terms in prison, while three alleged accomplices were acquitted due to insufficient evidence. Both sides have appealed.The court had been scheduled to start a second trial on June 16 against Ayyash, who is accused of another assassination and attacks against Lebanese politicians in 2004 and 2005 in the run-up to the Hariri bombing.A spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday said he was aware of the court’s financial problems.“The Secretary-General continues to urge member states and the international community for voluntary contributions in order to secure the funds required to support the independent judicial proceedings that remain before the tribunal,” UN Deputy spokesman Farhan Haq said.The court’s financial trouble comes as Lebanon faces its worst turmoil since Hariri’s assassination, with the country deeply polarized between supporters of Iranian-backed militant group Hezbollah and its allies and supporters of Hariri’s son, prime minister designate Saad Hariri.Finances “very concerning”“If you abort the tribunal, if you abort this case, you are giving a free gift to the perpetrators and to those who do not want justice to take place,” Nidal Jurdi, a lawyer for the victims in the second case, told Reuters.Scrapping a new trial would not only harm victims who waited 17 years for the case to come to court, but would undermine accountability for crimes in Lebanon in general, Jurdi said.It would be “a disappointment for the victims of the connected cases and the victims of Lebanon”, he said, appealing for international funding.“Lebanon needs full accountability,” he said.Created by a 2007 UN Security Council resolution and opened in 2009, the tribunal’s budget last year was 55 million euros ($67 million) with Lebanon footing 49 percent of the bill and foreign donors and the UN members making up the rest.“The Special Tribunal for Lebanon is in a very concerning financial position,” court spokeswoman Wajed Ramadan told Reuters. “No decision has yet been taken on judicial proceedings and there are intense fundraising efforts going on to find a solution,” she added.UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres extended the mandate of the tribunal from March 1, 2021 “for a further period of two years, or until the completion of the cases before the Special Tribunal, if sooner, or the exhaustion of available funds, if sooner.”Guterres warned in February that due to the financial crisis in Lebanon, the government’s contribution was uncertain and “without additional funding, the Special Tribunal may not be able to carry out its mandate beyond the first quarter of 2021.”The 2021 budget had been trimmed by nearly 40 percent, forcing job cuts at the court, but the Lebanese government has still been unable to pay its share, according to UN documents.Guterres requested an appropriation of about $25 million from the UN General Assembly for 2021. The General Assembly approved $15.5 million in March.Read more:Lebanon: UN seeks funds to extend tribunal investigating Rafik Hariri assassinationHezbollah fugitive can't appeal over Hariri murder: CourtSaudi Arabia: Rafik Hariri tribunal verdict beginning of steps to seek justice
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Rafik Hariri tribunal runs out of funds as Lebanon’s crisis spills over
US envoy for Yemen to travel to Saudi Arabia, Oman: State Department
US Special Envoy for Yemen Tim Lenderking will travel to Saudi Arabia and Oman on May 25, the US Department of State said on Tuesday.Lenderking will meet with senior government officials, as well as UN Special Envoy for Yemen Martin Griffiths, the state department said in a statement. For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app. “Attempting to forestall the devastating consequences of the Houthi offensive on Marib, US Special Envoy Lenderking’s discussions will focus on achieving an urgent comprehensive, nationwide, and sustainable ceasefire to ensure the regular and unobstructed delivery of essential commercial goods and humanitarian assistance throughout Yemen and a transition to an inclusive political process,” the statement said. Lenderking’s talks will also focus on the Iran-backed Houthi’s offensive in Yemen’s Marib governorate, which the state department said is “the main obstacle to ongoing peace efforts and threatens one million already vulnerable internally displaced people, as well as countless others who call Marib their home.”Iran backs the Houthi militia in its fight against the internationally-recognized Yemeni government and supplies the groups with weapons and artillery. In recent months, the Houthis have launched dozens of attacks on different areas in Yemen and towards Saudi Arabia, most of which the Arab Coalition has intercepted. Last week, Lenderking said the US will sanction two Houthi officials for their leading roles in the offensive on Yemen's Marib.“The United States is dissatisfied with Houthi actions,” US Special Envoy for Yemen Tim Lenderking told reporters during a phone call.Read more:Hezbollah military expert killed in raid in Marib: Yemeni army sourceUS to sanction Houthi officials for their role in Marib offensive: LenderkingSaudi FM Prince Faisal says ball is in Houthis’ court for Yemen ceasefire
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: US envoy for Yemen to travel to Saudi Arabia, Oman: State Department
Blinken discusses Iran, US relations with Israel’s defense minister
Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken met Israeli Minister of Defense Benjamin Gantz in Jerusalem and discussed Iran, as well as Israel’s relations with the US, the Department of State said on Tuesday.The Secretary of State had promised continued close consultation with Israel about any potential US return to a nuclear deal between Iran and world powers following a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.After talks with Blinken in Jerusalem, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he hoped Washington would not sign back on to the deal, and that “whatever happens, Israel will always retain the right to defend itself” against any Iranian nuclear threat.Blinken and Gantz expressed their support for the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas that ended the 11-day fighting in Gaza and the West Bank, according to the state department’s statement. They also expressed gratitude to Egypt and other partners that helped bring the truce about, the statement added. The officials discussed their views on Iran, and the Secretary underscored the US’ strong commitment to Israel’s security as well as to the broader US-Israel partnership, according to the statement. Blinken also emphasized the need for Israelis and Palestinians to be able to live in safety and security, as well as enjoy equal measures of freedom, security, prosperity, and democracy, the statement added. Blinken is also due to visit Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, Cairo and Amman.(With Reuters)Read more:Blinken says US consulting with Israel on Iran nuclear deal Blinken arrives in Tel Aviv for talks with Israeli, Palestinian officialsNetanyahu: Israel’s response will be very powerful if Hamas breaks ceasefire
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Blinken discusses Iran, US relations with Israel’s defense minister
After years of war, Assad on path to new term in rubber stamp-rule
Campaign posters for Bashar al-Assad line the streets of Damascus, alongside those for two obscure rivals, but no one really doubts that Wednesday’s election will extend his presidency despite 10 years of war that has left Syria in ruins..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: After years of war, Assad on path to new term in rubber stamp-rule
Lebanon reports 323 COVID-19 cases, 6 deaths in last 24 hours
Lebanon registered 323 coronavirus cases and six deaths over the last 24 hours, the Health Ministry reported Tuesday..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: Lebanon reports 323 COVID-19 cases, 6 deaths in last 24 hours
Oman’s Sultan Haitham orders government to implement job schemes following protests
Oman’s Sultan Haitham bin Tarik has directed the country’s government to “quickly implement operational initiatives” that will lead to the employment of more than 32,000 jobs this year, according to an official statement following days of protests.According to the directives issued by the Sultan, 2,000 jobs will be given to citizens in the government sector, in addition to providing one million hours for part-time work in government institutions across various sectors.For all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.The Sultan’s directives also announced government subsidies for new employees entering the workforce for the first time.“Supporting the wages of Omani new entrants to the labor market in the private sector by an amount of 200 two hundred Omani riyals provided that the employer bears the difference in the salary agreed upon, for 15,000 job opportunities for a period of two years,” read one of the provisions under Sultan Haitham’s directives.The government said the Ministry of Labor will announce the necessary controls and operational mechanisms for the new directives in June.Rare protests in Oman have erupted over the past three days over job layoffs and poor economic conditions across the Gulf Arab Country. In some protests, protesters threw stones at police, who fired tear gas at them in return.
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Oman’s Sultan Haitham orders government to implement job schemes following protests
Battle station: the celebrity podcast that explains modern warfare
Carey Mulligan on Syria, playwright James Graham on the Troubles … the Imperial War Museums’ new podcast brings celebrities and experts together to understand recent armed struggles..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: Battle station: the celebrity podcast that explains modern warfare
Gen Z Reclaims the Palestinian Cause
Youth activists on both sides of the Green Line have taken up the mantle abandoned by their ostensible leaders..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: Gen Z Reclaims the Palestinian Cause