Middle East Experience

An equitable resolution to the crisis with Greece and France would be great for Turkey, but even that may not help the Turkish president’s approval ratings.
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: Why Mediterranean tensions may not benefit Erdogan at home

US President Donald Trump said Friday that Kosovo and Israel had agreed to normalizing ties and establishing diplomatic relations in Washington's latest push for countries around the world to warm ties with Tel Aviv. Former rivals Kosovo and Serbia also committed to economic normalization, Trump said.“Serbia and Kosovo have each committed to economic normalization,” the US president said alongside officials from Kosovo and Serbia.For all the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.After two days of meetings with Trump administration officials, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Kosovo’s Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti agreed to cooperate on a range of economic fronts to attract investment and create jobs.Ethnic Albanian-majority Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008 after a NATO-led bombing campaign to curtail ethnic warfare. Serbia, backed by its large Slavic and Orthodox Christian ally Russia, does not recognize Kosovo’s independence, a precondition for Belgrade’s future membership in the European Union.Ties with IsraelTrump revealed that Serbia, which recently designated Iran-backed Hezbollah as a terrorist organization, would move its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem. Kosovo, meanwhile, has agreed with Israel to normalize ties and establish diplomatic relations.Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu thanked “my friend, the president of Serbia.” Netanyahu said the embassy move would take place by July of next year.- With Reuters
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Kosovo, Israel agree to normalize ties; Serbia to move embassy to Jerusalem

Antonio Guterres, the UN secretary-general, said 22% of those detained in Libya's holding facilities for migrants are children.
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: UN chief urges Libya to shut migrant detention centers

Lionel Messi has walked back his demand for a move away from Barcelona after “brutal drama” ensued his announcement that he would leave the Camp Nou, he said in an interview published Friday.“When I communicated my wish to leave to my wife and children, it was a brutal drama,” Messi told Goal.For all the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.“The whole family began crying, my children did not want to leave Barcelona, nor did they want to change schools,” Messi said.Arguably one of the greatest footballers to ever play the game, the Argentine Messi said he wanted to move to compete for a Champions League title and a desire to “compete at the highest level.”“At least compete for it and let us not fall apart in Rome, Liverpool, Lisbon. All that led me to think about that decision that I wanted to carry out,” he said.Messi, 33, is a six-time world player of the year.Jorge Messi, the Barcelona star’s father and agent, recently traveled to Barcelona to hash out differences with the club over Barcelona’s claims that he was not free to leave.“I thought and was sure that I was free to leave, the president always said that at the end of the season I could decide if I stayed or not,” Lionel Messi said.But Barcelona’s management says there is a buyout clause close to $850 million.For his part, Messi said that he could have taken Barcelona to court but he would “never go to court against Barca because it is the club that I love, which gave me everything since I arrived. It is the club of my life, I have made my life here.”Read more:Messi contract valid, says La Liga, after he fails to turn up for COVID-19 testLionel Messi unwilling to renew Barca contract, ready to leave in 2021: Report
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Lionel Messi says he will stay at the ‘club of my life,’ Barcelona

Iran has been breaching the 2015 nuclear deal in response to Washington's withdrawal from the deal in 2018 and reimposition of sanctions against Tehran.
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: IAEA: Iran’s uranium stockpile is 10 times over limit set by Iran deal

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was aware of a US proposal to sell the advanced F-35 fighter jet to the United Arab Emirates amid negotiations with the Gulf country over normalizing ties with Israel, the New York Times reported Thursday.
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: Intel: Netanyahu knew of US proposal to sell arms to UAE, says NYT

Egypt’s prestigious Al-Azhar institution has ruled that children of unknown parentage can take the names of their foster families, a landmark decision that experts say will help shield minors from social stigma..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: Al-Azhar allows children to take names of foster families

Tunisian Minister of Public Service Mohamed Abbou, a member of the outgoing caretaker government charged with combating corruption, has once again brought to the fore the controversial topic of the Islamist Ennahda party’s financing and the source of its huge spending on election campaigns..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: Tunisian minister files lawsuit against Ennahda for ‘money laundering’

To date only the United States and Guatemala have embassies in Jerusalem.
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: Kosovo to open embassy in Jerusalem, Serbia promises to move its embassy

Non-citizens and non-residents are now allowed to enter Bahrain, but passengers must undergo a PCR test at their own expense on arrival, the Bahrain International Airport announced Friday.Bahrain had previously limited who could enter the country following the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic earlier this year.For all the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.As of Friday, new measures were announced. “Entry is restricted to Bahraini citizens, residents, GCC citizens who do not need a visa, passengers eligible to obtain a visa on arrival, passengers with a valid eVisa, diplomats, military personnel, airline crew, or holders of official, service or UN passports,” an airport statement said.Last week, Bahrain reopened all mosques across the island nation for Fajr prayers after months of closures due to the pandemic.Read more:Bahrain’s government revenue down 29 percent in first half of 2020Coronavirus: Bahrain’s Jaffaria Waqf Directorate issues measures for upcoming Ashura
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Coronavirus: Bahrain now allowing non-citizens and non-residents to enter country