https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/lapid-on-bidens-visit:-improvement-in-relations-with-saudi-a

Lapid on Biden's visit: Improvement in relations with Saudi Arabia

Israeli occupation Foreign Minister Yair Lapid touched on the expectations of US President Joe Biden's visit to the Middle East and the relationship between "Israel" and Saudi Arabia.

During a press conference, Lapid considered that Biden's visit to Saudi Arabia has a symbolic significance.

He said that "Everyone is looking at Saudi Arabia these days and the fact President Biden will fly directly from here to Saudi Arabia signals that there is a connection between the visit here and the visit there and the ability to improve ties" between "Tel Aviv" and Riyadh.

The Israeli Minister claimed that there will not be a breakthrough in Israeli relations with Saudi Arabia, but an improvement in relations will be witnessed, which will help in normalizing ties with more countries in the region.

Lapid told reporters that Saudi Arabia and Indonesia are two countries with which "Israel" is looking to strengthen relations, adding that he has a relationship with three foreign ministers from three countries that the Israeli occupation does not maintain diplomatic relations with.

He said that the US President will announce to the Israeli media the steps that will be taken, pointing out that "We are trying to put Iran under siege both security-wise and policy-wise."

The Israeli occupation Foreign Minister also revealed that his UAE and Moroccan counterparts are expected to visit "Israel" soon.

With regard to the Iranian nuclear file, Lapid mentioned that the Israeli occupation is pushing for a UN Security Council session on Iran and the imposition of all sanctions on Tehran.

“If there is no Iran deal soon, it has to happen,” he said.

Gil Tamari, the foreign affairs commentator of Israeli Channel 13 said that the essence of President Biden's visit is: Saudi Arabia, Saudi Arabia, Saudi Arabia, with small, symbolic steps to build confidence, adding that in the end, it paves the way for normalization between "Israel" and Saudi Arabia.

Tamari commented on FM Lapid's statements to journalists saying that despite the symbolic meaning of such a visit, he thinks that Biden's departure from "Ben Gurion Airport" to Saudi Arabia is not just mere symbolism.

It is noteworthy that Biden is expected to visit "Israel" on July 14-15 and Saudi Arabia on July 15-16. His visit to the latter will include a meeting with the Kingdom's de facto leader, Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman.

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/gazprom-to-cut-nord-stream-gas-deliveries-by-third

Gazprom to cut Nord Stream gas deliveries by third

Gazprom said on Wednesday that it had stopped the operation of another Siemens gas turbine at the Portovaya compressor station, adding that it will be able to deliver no more than 67 million cubic meters of gas per day via the Nord Stream pipeline starting from Thursday. Deliveries of gas through Nord Stream will be cut by almost a third following Gazprom's decision.

"The daily output of the Portovaya compressor station from 01:30 Moscow time on June 16 [22:30 June 15 GMT] will be up to 67 million cubic meters per day." Gazprom wrote in its Telegram channel, adding that it "shuts down another Siemens gas turbine engine."

Following Gazprom’s announcement, the European gas futures prices increased by 10% to over $1150 per 1,000 cubic meters.

Furthermore, according to new research, Russia earned $98 billion from fossil fuel exports during the first 100 days of its war in Ukraine, with the European Union being the top importer.

The report, released on Monday by the independent Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) in Finland, came as Russian forces continued to make slow but steady progress in their campaign to fully capture eastern Ukraine's Donbass region.

The US and the EU have sent weapons and cash to assist Ukraine in repelling the Russian advance, as well as punishing Moscow with unprecedented economic sanctions.

However, Kiev has called on Western countries to suspend all trade with Moscow in order to cut off its financial lifeline in the aftermath of the February 24 special operation. Prior to the war, Russia supplied 40% of the EU's gas and 27% of its imported oil.

Earlier this month, the European Union agreed to put an end to all Russian oil imports, keeping in mind that Europe is heavily dependent on Russian energy.

According to the report, the EU took 61% of total Russian fossil fuel exports, which amounts to $60 billion. The top importers were China, at 12.6 billion euros, Germany, at 12.1 billion euros, and Italy at 7.8 billion euros.

The revenues come mostly from crude oil sales, which amount to 46 billion euros. Next are pipeline gas, oil products, and liquefied natural gas and coal.

>>16451444

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/us-to-send-ukraine-1bln-package-with-harpoon-anti-ship-missi

US to send Ukraine $1bln package with Harpoon anti-ship missiles

The US is set to announce a $1 billion defense package for Ukraine, which will include Harpoon missile launchers, howitzers, and ammunition for high mobility artillery rocket systems (HIMARS), according to Politico.

According to the report, the package will include two truck-mounted Harpoon launchers, 18 howitzers, 36,000 artillery rounds, HIMARS ammunition, and optics.

The $1 billion in funding for the equipment comes from $650 million in congressional Ukraine assistance passed by the US Congress last month and $350 million in drawdown authority, the report says.

The Biden administration announced a military aid package for Ukraine last Wednesday, including 1,000 anti-tank Javelin missiles, 50 command launch units, four Mi-17 helicopters, and four HIMARS systems.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian troops have shelled civilian areas with some of the supplied weapon systems, specifically artillery. On Monday, the city of Donetsk was subjected to the most intense shelling by Ukrainian forces since 2015, with six civilians killed and more than 30 others injured.

Earlier on Wednesday, the Russian Ambassador to the United Nations Vassily Nebenzia stated that 155mm artillery rounds supplied to Ukraine by the United States, Canada, the Netherlands, France, and others killed civilians in Donetsk. The countries that supplied Ukraine with the weapons used to kill civilians will be held accountable, according to Nebenzia.

US will provide another $1Bln security aid package to Ukraine

President Joe Biden announced on Wednesday that the United States will provide Ukraine with a new $1 billion security aid package.

"I informed President Zelenskyy that the United States is providing another $1 billion in security assistance for Ukraine, including additional artillery and coastal defense weapons, as well as ammunition for the artillery and advanced rocket systems that the Ukrainians need to support their defensive operations in the Donbas," Biden said in a press release.

It is noteworthy that all the aid packages come while the US suffers from inflation. US market indexes fell to their lowest levels in more than three weeks. The S&P 500 index finished 2.4 percent lower, or 97.95 points, at 4017.82, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 1.9 percent, or 638.11 points, to 32272.79.

The Nasdaq Composite Index, which is centered on technology, fell 2.7 percent, or 332.05 points, to 11754.23. For much of the day, the major indices were in small drops until plummeting in the final hour of trade.

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/israeli-occupation-to-deny-prisoners-treatment-if-strike-not

Israeli occupation to deny prisoners treatment if strike not ended

The head of the Palestinian Prisoners and Ex-prisoners Affairs Commission, Qadri Abu Bakr, stated on Wednesday that the Israeli occupation threatens prisoners to deny them any access to medical treatment if they do not end their open-ended hunger strike.

While speaking to Al Mayadeen, Abu Bakr added that the prisoners need support and backing from the whole of occupied Palestine and from international institutions to pressure "Israel".

He stated that a number of prisoners were assaulted in "Hadarim" Prison, as part of a series of vicious attacks on prisons, leaving the striking prisoners with no choice but to win or be martyred.

It is noteworthy that the administrative prisoners in the occupation prisons continue to boycott the occupation courts for the 166th day to demand an end to the policy of administrative detention.

There has recently been increased fear and anxiety concerning prisoners in Israeli prisons, following the escalation of brutal measures used by the Israeli occupation.

On Monday, Palestinian factions and forces held an emergency meeting in Gaza, in which they discussed the Israeli escalation in the occupied territories, in addition to the seriousness of the deteriorating health situation of the prisoners on hunger strike.

The prisoner Khalil Awawdeh marks his 105th day of open hunger strike, as does prisoner Raed Rayan, who marks his 69th day in refusal of arbitrary administrative detention.

During the meeting, the factions affirmed "the right of the Palestinian people to defend themselves, and the right of the resistance, represented by the joint operations room, to confront the occupation," deciding to consider next Friday a day of popular action and open public confrontation with the Israeli occupation.

Palestinian prisoner Zakaria Al-Zubaidi, one of the prisoners behind Operation Freedom Tunnel, which saw six brave prisoners liberating themselves from the unjust prisons of the Israeli occupation, is also on hunger strike, which he initiated in solidarity with the hunger-striking prisoners, Muhjat Al-Quds Foundation reported.

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/israeli-lawmaker-wishes-for-arabs-to-disappear

Israeli lawmaker wishes for Arabs to 'disappear'

The Israeli occupation is not even trying to mask its racism toward Arabs and Palestinians, with a member of Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett's ruling political party, Matan Kahana, saying he wished he could make all Arabs and Palestinians vanish from occupied Palestine.

"If there was a sort of button you could push that would make all the Arabs disappear, send them on an express train to Switzerland, I would press that button," MK Kahana told students in the occupied West Bank.

"But what can you do?" he complained. "There is no such button. Therefore it seems we were meant to exist [together] on this land in some way."

The comments were caught on video, and the footage was broadcast by the Israeli Kan channel.

The Israeli occupation official also underlined his opposition to a "two-state solution", denying the occurrence of the Nakba and the Naksa by claiming that "the Arabs are telling themselves a different story […] They are telling themselves that they are the ones who always lived here, and we came and expelled them."

Lawmakers from the United Arab List (Ra'am) party, a part of the ruling Yamina coalition, commented on the video. "Matan Kahana, we are here because this is our homeland," lawmaker Walid Taha said.

"You, and those who think like you, will continue to bear your frustration because we simply won't disappear," he added.

The Israeli occupation has long been trying to alienate the Palestinian people from their land of occupied Palestine in a bid to uproot them. Those bids have manifested in the Israeli occupation forces carrying out arbitrary aggression against Palestinians, assaulting, arresting, and murdering them.

The onslaught of indiscriminate aggression is also accompanied by systemic racism and discrimination within the Israeli occupation's prison system, as prisoners face unprecedented injustice and are required to go on hunger strike in a bid to obtain their rights stolen from them by the occupiers.

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/economics/saudi-investment-king-who-no-longer-rules-alone:-reuters

Saudi investment king who no longer rules alone: Reuters

Saudi wealth fund bought nearly 17% of Prince Alwaleed's firm for $1.5 billion.

The prince, who is the international face of Saudi business, may no longer have complete control.

For years, Saudi Arabia's Prince Alwaleed bin Talal has made hundreds of millions of dollars by investing in companies ranging from Citigroup to Uber and Twitter with almost complete autonomy.

According to sources familiar with the matter, his Kingdom Holding investment firm now has Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) as a minority shareholder, and the powerful sovereign wealth fund is unlikely to sit on the sidelines.

Two sources familiar with the Kingdom's business told Reuters that the wealth fund, which is at the heart of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's plan to diversify the Saudi economy, will want Kingdom Holding's investment committee to be more powerful in terms of making decisions than before.

"(PIF) will want to be an active investor," said a sovereign wealth fund investor in the Gulf. "The investment committee of Kingdom Holding is essentially Alwaleed, and I can't imagine the PIF being at the whims of the prince."

When contacted by Reuters, the PIF, Kingdom Holding, Prince Alwaleed, and his spokesperson all declined to comment on what the PIF's minority stake means for future investments.

Alwaleed, 67, had long held a tight grip on the Kingdom's shares, owning all but 5% of those traded on the Saudi stock exchange until PIF paid $1.5 billion for a 16.87 percent stake last month.

The agreement came more than four years after Prince Alwaleed was arrested in a crackdown ordered by the Crown Prince and held for nearly three months at Riyadh's Ritz-Carlton along with scores of royals, senior officials, and business leaders.

Most detainees were released after so-called "financial settlements were reached," and Prince Alwaleed announced in March 2018 that he had reached a confidential deal with the government.

The PIF agreement was reached at Kingdom Holding's lowest share price of the year, with no premium. Bankers who typically work with the PIF or Alwaleed were not hired for this transaction, according to two sources familiar with the situation.

'Change of tack'

As part of the settlements securing their release, the Saudi state took direct controlling stakes in the businesses of some Saudi entrepreneurs detained in 2017, including the Binladen construction group and the media company MBC.

Alwaleed rose to international prominence in the 1990s after making a large successful bet on Citigroup, and he was an early investor in Apple.

A $300 million joint investment in Twitter was made by the prince and Kingdom in 2011, and his stake was increased in 2015. He agreed last month to roll a stake now worth $1.89 billion into Elon Musk's takeover deal rather than cash out.

>> Dopey & 17%

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/russia-calls-for-lifting-food-restrictions-on-yemen

Russia calls for lifting food restrictions on Yemen

Dmitry Polyansky, the first deputy of the Russian Federation's Permanent Representative to the UN, welcomed on Tuesday the Yemeni-Yemeni agreement to extend the truce for another two months.

After thanking the United Nations' special envoy, Hans Grundberg, for his role in facilitating the truce, Polyansky pledged Russia's continued support for him, adding that it is necessary to fulfill all the provisions of the agreed-upon truce while refraining from "unilateral provocation" to bring about a comprehensive political settlement.

On May 5, the Spokesperson for the Yemeni Civil Aviation Authority, Mazen Ghanem, said the failure of the Saudi-led coalition to abide by the terms of the UN-brokered armistice, including the opening of Sanaa airport, "caused the death of a number of patients who were scheduled to travel on the first commercial flight from the airport to the capital of Jordan, Amman."

Polyansky also expressed regret that the negotiations to reopen the roads in Taiz have not led to the expected results, calling on all parties to find the "common denominator" in order to reach a solution to relieve the problems of the Yemeni people, expressing concern about the socioeconomic situation in Yemen and stressing that it is necessary to lift restrictions on the delivery of food, medicine, and other goods all across Yemen.

On June 2, the UN envoy to Yemen, Hans Grundberg, announced that the Sanaa government and the Saudi-led coalition had responded positively to the UN proposal to renew the armistice in force in Yemen for two additional months.

Grundberg said in a press statement that "the renewed armistice will enter into force when the current armistice expires on June 2, 2022, at 7 pm Yemen time," adding, "I will work with the parties to implement and consolidate the elements of the armistice in full and move towards a sustainable political solution that meets the aspirations and demands of Yemenis."

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/syria-remains-russia-priority-despite-ukraine:-envoy

Syria remains Russia priority despite Ukraine: Envoy

The Syrian settlement process remains a top priority for Russia despite the ongoing war in Ukraine, Russian special presidential envoy for Syria Alexander Lavretyev said at the beginning of the Astana format talks on Wednesday.

“Many now, you have probably heard, say that in connection with the special military operation, Russia’s attention to Syria has weakened," Lavrentyev said.

"A number of European countries want to see the development of the situation in Syria according to their patterns. I want to say that the Syrian conflict, the settlement still remains among the priorities of Russia's foreign policy," he explained.

He underlined that while the situation in Syria remained "difficult", Moscow would continue assisting Damascus.

The Russian diplomat's words came a day after Kazakh Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Aibek Smadiyarov confirmed that the Syrian government was participating in the Astana talks in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan.

Delegations from the guarantor countries, the Syrian government, and the US and Turkey-backed armed opposition will take part in talks on Syria in Nur-Sultan on June 15-16, Smadiyarov said.

The guarantor states that will be participating in the talks are Russia, Turkey, and Iran. The other parties will include the Syrian government and the armed Syrian opposition.

Turkey's possible operation in Syria 'unreasonable'

Lavrentyev also commented on the prospect of Ankara launching a military operation in Syria, stressing that his country saw the Turkish occupation's possible military action as unreasonable and calling on Turkey to resolve the issue peacefully.

"We believe this would be an unreasonable step that could lead to destabilization of the situation, escalation of tensions, and a new round of armed confrontation in the country," he told reporters in Nur-Sultan.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced on May 23 that the Turkish army intends to carry out military operations to "combat terrorism" at the Turkish state borders, explaining that his government "will start taking new steps to complete the safe zone 30 km north of Syria."

The Turkish occupation soldiers have already conducted four military operations in Syria since 2016, with the latest announced in late May.

On Monday, Turkish media reported that Ankara's troops have taken combat formation and are all set to start Turkey's fifth military operation on the northern Syrian border, which it claims is aimed at the Kurdistan Workers' Party and its military wing, the YPG.

Turkey's cross-border operation into Syria was reported as likely to kick off this week, with Ankara continuing to amass troops near the border and into the Tell Rifaat and Manbij region.

Moscow, on the other hand, according to its diplomat, will urge Ankara to try to resolve concerns peacefully through dialogue.

Lavrentyev also said that Russia saw it as necessary to choose a new venue for the Syrian constitutional committee, which was established by the United Nations to bring about a "peace process" between the Syrian government and the opposition.

"In principle, we raised the issue taking into account the existing logistical difficulties and the loss by Geneva of its neutral status - to choose some other, neutral venue for the next sessions of the constitutional committee," Lavrentyev said, noting that the issue will be considered with Iran, Turkey, and the United Nations.

Israeli aggression unacceptable

The Russian diplomat condemned the Israeli attacks waged on Syrian territories as "unacceptable".

"We will certainly consider the issue of intensified shelling of Syrian territory by Israel. We think that we will also need to focus on this. This is unacceptable," Lavrentyev said.

The Israeli occupation forces launched successive aggression throughout May, the last of which was reported as launched in the Southern countryside of Damascus on May 21. Then on June 7, the Israeli occupation forces launched another aggression that targeted Damascus International Airport, which was condemned by various regional forces and countries.

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/israeli-pm-welcomes-biden-visit-to-israel-saudi-arabia

Israeli PM welcomes Biden visit to "Israel", Saudi Arabia

The office of Israeli PM Naftali Bennett confirmed on Tuesday that he will host the US President during his visit to the region in July.

Bennett's office said in a statement that Biden's visit to the occupied territories will deepen the "special relations and strategic partnership that exists between the two countries, in addition to deepening the American commitment to the security and stability of Israel and the region.”

After announcing on Sunday that he will visit Saudi Arabia, Biden said that this visit is primarily to address "Israel's security issues."

He dismissed claims that his visit to Saudi Arabia will have to do with the Kingdom's oil exports, rather, the US president said it is part of a larger meeting that will take place in Saudi Arabia, "That’s the reason I’m going. And it has to do with national security for them — for Israelis," Biden told reporters.

“I have a program — anyway. It has to do with much larger issues than having to do with the energy piece,” he added.

The statement released by Bennett's office stated that within the framework of Biden's upcoming visit, "steps will be revealed that aim to enhance Israel’s integration in the Middle East and enhance the prosperity of the entire region, along with understandings on consolidating security and civil cooperation between the United States and 'Israel' in a way that will launch the existing alliance between both countries to new heights."

As for the US President's visit to Saudi Arabia, the statement said "Israel" "welcomes the President’s visit to the region, including his very important visit to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and his efforts to promote the common interests of countries and to expand the circle of regional peace."

Biden is expected to visit "Israel" on July 14-15, and Saudi Arabia on July 15-16. His visit to the latter will include a meeting with the Kingdom's de facto leader, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/45-gaza-children-suffer-distress-after-15-year-blockade:-ngo

4/5 Gaza children suffer 'distress' after 15-year blockade: NGO

After more than 15 years since the blockade "Israel" imposed on Gaza in June 2007, crippling its vital sectors, Britain-based NGO Save the Children released a report on the toll the suffocating blockade has had on Gaza children.

In the report called "Trapped", the NGO said that since 2018, the number of those reporting symptoms of "depression, grief, and fear" has risen from 55 to 80%.

Jason Lee, Save the Children's director for occupied Palestine, said the children they spoke to in the making of this report described living "in a perpetual state of fear, worry, sadness and grief."

Check out: In numbers, the 2021 Israeli aggression on Gaza

These children were constantly waiting "for the next round of violence to erupt, and feeling unable to sleep or concentrate." Their distress has also manifested in physical symptoms, like bedwetting, the loss of the ability to speak, or even complete basic tasks, which he described as "shocking" and something that should serve as "a wakeup call to the international community."

Save the Children also said that children constitute around half of the 2.1 million people living in the Gaza Strip. Moreover, around 800,000 youths have "never known life without the blockade."

In a statement marking the anniversary of the blockade, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said that "Israel", with Egypt's help, "has turned Gaza into an open-air prison." HRW's director for Palestine and the occupied territories, Omar Shakir, told AFP that young people face the "brunt of the blockade because they don't know of a Gaza before the closure."

>> Save the children.

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/biden-top-lawyer-to-leave-office-after-midterm-elections—w

Biden top lawyer to leave office after midterm elections - White House

White House counsel Dana Remus, Joe Biden's top personal legal adviser, has resigned, joining an exodus of senior officials from the president's personal staff since December, according to a press release issued by Biden on Wednesday.

"I am immensely grateful for the service of Dana Remus, who has been an invaluable member of my senior staff for the past 3 years and helped reinstate a culture of adherence to the rule of law. I wish her the best as she moves forward," the president said.

Jen Psaki, Biden's press secretary, resigned in May to become a political analyst for the MSNBC news channel.

The list of those who have left or are planning to leave the White House staff soon includes National Security Council Senior Director Linda Etim, Digital Engagement Director Cameron Trimble, Associate Counsel Funmi Olorunnipa Badejo, Chief of Staff Ron Klain, Deputy White House counsel Danielle Conley and Council of Economic Advisers aide Saharra Griffin, according to published reports.

This comes after at least 21 Black White House employees have quit their position - or are planning to leave soon - mainly due to the lack of support from superiors in the work environment and the minimal chances of earning a promotion, according to remaining staffers.

Though some staffers have left their White House jobs on good terms with the Biden administration and in pursuit of better opportunities or further educational opportunities, many others have left with a lack of opportunities and mentorship in mind, Politico reported citing nine former and current White House officials.

Moreover, the press secretary for the White House, Jen Psaki, plans to leave the White House for an on-air job at a prominent US news channel, MSNBC, according to a source familiar with the matter to CNBC.

She is to host a show for NBC Universal's streaming platform, Peacock, and has been in talks with CNN and other networks.

>>16451729

Next, Fauci will catch the Tomato Flu.