Middle East Experience

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu interjected that the policy is “simply wonderful.”
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: Pompeo: US to recognize BDS movement as antisemitic

'PA will accept tax revenues from Israel'
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: Palestinians slam Pompeo move labeling West Bank goods as 'made in Israel'

President Donald Trump, with two months left in office, last week asked for options on attacking Iran's main nuclear site, but ultimately decided against taking the dramatic step, a US official said on Monday.For all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.Trump made the request during an Oval Office meeting on Thursday with his top national security aides, including Vice President Mike Pence, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, new acting Defense Secretary Christopher Miller and General Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the official said.Trump, who has refused to concede and is challenging the results of the November 3 presidential election, is to hand over power to Democratic President-elect Joe Biden on January 20.The official confirmed the account of the meeting in The New York Times, which reported the advisers persuaded Trump not to go ahead with a strike because of the risk of a broader conflict.“He asked for options. They gave him the scenarios and he ultimately decided not to go forward,” the official said.The White House declined comment.Trump has spent all four years of his presidency engaging in an aggressive policy against Iran, withdrawing in 2018 from the Iran nuclear deal negotiated by his Democratic predecessor, Barack Obama, and imposing economic sanctions against a wide variety of Iranian targets.Trump's request for options came a day after a UN watchdog report showed Iran had finished moving a first cascade of advanced centrifuges from an above-ground plant at its mainuranium enrichment site to an underground one, in a fresh breach of its 2015 nuclear deal with major powers.Alireza Miryousefi, spokesman for Iran’s mission to the United Nations in New York, said Iran's nuclear program is purely for peaceful purposes and civilian use and Trump's policies have not changed that. “However, Iran has proven to be capable of using its legitimate military might to prevent or respond to any melancholy adventure from any aggressor,” he added.Iran's 2.4 tonne stock of low-enriched uranium is now far above the deal's 202.8 kg limit. It produced 337.5 kg in the quarter, less than the more than 500 kg recorded in the previoustwo quarters by the International Atomic Energy Agency.In January, Trump ordered a US drone strike that killed Iranian General Qassem Soleimani at Baghdad's airport. But he has shied away from broader military conflicts and sought to withdraw US troops from global hotspots in keeping with a promise to stop what he calls “endless wars.”A strike on Iran's main nuclear site at Natanz could flare into a regional conflict and pose a serious foreign policy challenge for Biden.Biden's transition team, which has not had access to national security intelligence due to the Trump administration's refusal to begin the transition, declined comment.Read more:Trump is a target of Iran for ‘life’ for Soleimani killing: Supreme leader Rep.On public radio, Trump warns Iran not to ‘f*** around’ with USTrump vs Biden: Iran anxiously awaits the result of the US Election
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: President Trump asked for options for attacking Iran nuclear site, held off: Official

The Monastery of the Temptation, where Jesus allegedly spent 40 days, is under consideration for UNESCO's World Heritage List as local officials push sites for religious tourism.
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: Jericho entices tourists with Mount of the Temptation

Saudi Arabia is home to one of the most resilient reefs in the world, one marine science professor said at a media briefing in Riyadh on Tuesday.Carlos M. Duarte, a professor in Marine Science at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), noted the “the amazing resilience of the corals of the Red Sea.”Even though the reef is 30 million years old, Duarte said it was akin to an infant ocean, adding that it was about “five years old” if it were scaled to an average human life span.For all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.The professor was discussing “Securing a Future for the World’s Coral Reefs” at the G20 International Media Center in Riyadh.Conservation of coral reefs is important because they help protect coastlines from tropical storms, and they offer shelter to many marine organisms as they contain a diverse ecosystem.The professor said typical coral reef restoration is hard to achieve and costly, however a new technique of coral reef restoration has been developed by scientists at KAUST.The technique, known as “Maritechture,” grows and plants corals like a garden that can be shared with the public, or surrounding area in a coral reef, as elements of landscape. The technique’s mission is to restore, educate, and enhance.In the technique, live corals are 3D scanned and 3D coral skeletons are printed. The technique enables new corals to be grown in months rather than decades.The Red Sea Development CompanyThe Red Sea, according to the professor, has extensive coral reef banks and a unique biodiversity.“The Red Sea Development Company has a unique commitment to conserving coral reefs,” Duarte said.“Their mission goes beyond that [conserving coral reefs]; their development for tourism is not just about leaving the area untouched, but also developing it,” he added.In 2018, Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Culture Prince Badr bin Abdullah Al Saud said: “The pristine coral reefs, thriving marine life and untouched landscapes are what make this region so special, and The Red Sea Collection is committed to ensuring these features are given the utmost protection.”The minister, representing the Red Sea Collection by the Public Investment Fund, and Prince Albert II of Monaco signed a Framework Agreement of shared interests and objectives regarding sustainable development and conservation.Read more:PIF’s Red Sea Collection signs marine conservation pact with MonacoSaudi Arabia’s Red Sea project plans 16 hotels by 2023, expects tourism recoverySaudi Arabia’s Red Sea signs deal with ACWA Power to build renewable utilities
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Saudi Arabia is home to most resilient coral reefs in the world

Speaking to Al-Monitor, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities in Egypt Mustafa Waziri praised the efforts of the Egyptian missions unveiling major archaeological discoveries in the Saqqara area.
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: Egypt announces largest archaeological discovery yet

Turkey’s ambitious space program has made some concrete achievements, but Ankara has yet to resolve structural and financial problems snagging development in the sector.
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: Turkey's space program not yet ready for takeoff

The world’s energy supply has been “a force for good” and may be reliable and affordable, but it must also be sustainable, Saudi Aramco’s Chief Technology Officer Ahmed al-Khowaiter said on Tuesday, during a G20 Riyadh Summit live broadcast.For all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.He gave an example of a successful COVID-19 vaccine needing to be mass produced.“Fortunately, we have an energy system in place that can power the manufacture, transportation and safe storage of the billions of doses that are required to defeat the virus,” al-Khowaiter said.However, he also said that reduction of emissions is needed sooner rather than later, and it is not a question of “if” but “how,” in order to meet dual global energy and climate challenges.“The question is not if we reduce our emissions but how. For me, that starts with a fundamental rethink. We must stop thinking of the global energy system as a linear economy of infinite resource and limitless capacity to absorb waste,” al-Khowaiter said.Read also: NEOM set to be world’s largest carbon-free system, hub for renewable energyHe suggested inspiration for sustainability and emission reduction be taken from nature and have it be treated as a “circular system” instead of a linear one.“Each year as part of the natural carbon cycle, the earth recycles 20 times as much C02 as humans emit, locking it away in trees or plankton, where it becomes energy for other organisms, a source of life and growth, rather than a source of harm,” the CTO said during his live address.He also suggested a long-term sustained investment in science and technology as an “all of the above approach that moves us to a circular system.”Read also: Science, technology, innovation crucial to oil industry, Aramco Chairman saysSuch an investment would include energy efficiency, more renewables with energy storage, low emission fuel engine systems, e-fuels, mobile carbon capture, and converting C02 to valuable products like polymers, according to al-Khowaiter.“We need them all, and I’m proud that Aramco, my company, is investing in all of these technologies and more,” al-Khowaiter said.In recent months, Aramco has highlighted the low volume of greenhouse gases emitted from pumping Saudi crude, programs to boost gas production and plans to grow carbon-absorbing mangroves, according to Bloomberg.Read also: Saudi Arabia sends world-first shipment of blue ammonia to JapanDespite these significant steps, “technology alone is not the whole solution,” according to al-Khowaiter.“Having the right attitude, not despairing that this problem is too complex or difficult, not complacently assuming that some future generation will solve it on our behalf but real determination and realistic optimism about our shared capacity to face this challenge together.”Read more:What to expect from Saudi Arabia’s virtual G20 summitSaudi Arabia is home to most resilient coral reefs in the worldAt a glance: G20 Engagement Groups and their roles
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: World energy supply has been ‘force for good,’ must also be sustainable: Aramco CTO

The combat capability of the Russian navy in the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean would be significantly increased with a military base on Sudan’s Red Sea coast.
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: Russia to establish naval base in Sudan

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is still hoping to squeeze last-minute favors from outgoing US President Donald Trump at the expense of his relationship with the incoming administration.
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: Netanyahu goes for broke in Trump's last two months