https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/un:-yemen-response-plan-only-26-funded-crisis-looming

UN: Yemen response plan only 26% funded, crisis looming

In a UN OCHA report, the deputy UN spokesperson, Farhan Haq, reported that aid agencies have expressed concern that the humanitarian crisis in Yemen will be deteriorating sharply in the coming months due to the economic problems that were caused by the Saudi-led war on the country. A weaker currency has affected millions of Yemeni livelihoods, in addition to inflation as a result of the Ukraine war.

Yemen's 2022 humanitarian response plan is only 26% funded, forcing essential programs to reduce effectivity or to completely come to a close, endangering millions.

Haq said that the aid cuts will also undermine political progress in the future, especially after a lot of hard work was put into extending the armistice.

Furthermore, unrest and insecurity are also arising in some areas because of accumulated frustrations of the depreciation of the local currency, in addition to rising commodity prices, lack of services and jobs, and decreasing aid, among other serious dilemmas.

Haq urged all donors to ramp up their contributions to the Yemen response plan as soon as possible to avoid a deteriorating situation.

He also welcomed the Senior Officials Meeting on Yemen, which is taking place in Brussels, Belgium, today and tomorrow, co-hosted by Sweden and the European Commission. He stressed that the aforementioned meeting is an important opportunity for donors and agencies to strategize on major challenges facing the Yemen response, including lack of funding, access problems, and insecurity.

UN warns of worsening humanitarian situation in Yemen

While the United Nations warned of worsening humanitarian conditions in Yemen, it noted that the fragile two-month truce that came into effect in early April could contribute to changing the situation.

"The worsening humanitarian crisis in Yemen is a reality that we need to urgently address," David Gressly, the UN humanitarian coordinator for Yemen said in a statement released in May, adding that "over 23 million people or almost three-quarters of Yemen's population now need assistance… an increase of almost three million people from 2021."

Gressly urged donors to benefit from the UN-brokered truce that has come into effect on April 2, considering the truce as "a vital opportunity for aid agencies to scale up life-saving assistance and to reach more people in acute need quickly, including in areas where access was limited due to armed conflict and insecurity."

"For aid agencies to immediately step up efforts, we count on sufficient donor funding. Otherwise, the aid operation will collapse despite the positive momentum we are seeing in Yemen today," he warned.

Talking about the 2022 humanitarian response plan for Yemen, he said the UN needs around $4.3 "to reverse a steady deterioration of the humanitarian situation."

The plan targets 17.3 million people, he added, and nearly 13 million people "are already facing acute levels of need".

More than half of Yemen’s people face acute hunger, with half of the children under five being at risk of malnutrition.

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/balkans-warn-ukraine-over-eu-illusions

Balkans warn Ukraine over EU illusions

Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama praised Ukraine's probable inclusion as a candidate for European Union membership on Thursday but cautioned against unrealistic expectations of a quick process.

Arriving at an EU summit with Western Balkan countries, Rama said “North Macedonia is a candidate for 17 years if I have not lost count, Albania since eight, so welcome to Ukraine."

Ukraine, Moldova, and Georgia were unanimously accepted as EU candidates by the European Parliament on Thursday.

In all, 529 votes were cast in favor of deferring the status of the three nations, while 45 votes were cast against the plan. 14 more MPs voted no.

“It’s a good thing to give Ukraine the status. But I hope that Ukrainian people will not make many illusions.”

The Balkan leaders are highly dissatisfied with their delayed EU ambitions, with Bulgaria preventing discussions with Albania and North Macedonia over a dispute with Skopje.

“It’s a disgrace that a Nato country, Bulgaria, kidnaps two other Nato countries, namely, Albania and North Macedonia, in the midst of hot war in Europe’s backyard with 26 other countries sitting still in a scary show of impotence,” Rama explained.

Rama and the presidents of North Macedonia and Serbia threatened to skip the EU summit in protest of the lack of progress but ultimately chose to attend.

Bulgaria's EU rivals have been pressuring the country to accept a compromise settlement in its long-running historical and cultural conflict with North Macedonia in order to pave the way.

However, the collapse of the Bulgarian government following a no-confidence vote on Wednesday has cast more doubt on the plan.

According to German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, “The states and citizens of the Western Balkans have been waiting for almost 20 years for the possibility of becoming members of the European Union."

“In my view, it is of the utmost importance that this promise becomes credible.”

EU chief Charles Michel said there was “a will to re-energize” the accession process for the Balkan countries.

However, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic stated unequivocally that he expects "nothing" from Thursday's meeting of the EU's 27 leaders.

Brussels is concerned that the Balkans' lack of development would drive the region closer to Russia and China.

Some EU members have attempted to exploit the campaign for candidate status for Ukraine — and its neighbor Moldova — to re-energize efforts to bring the Balkans on board.

However, Serbia has expressed dissatisfaction with the EU sanctions imposed on its partner Russia in response to the war in Ukraine.

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/ukrainian-mod:-himars-arrive-in-ukraine

Ukrainian MoD: HIMARS arrive in Ukraine

Ukraine received, on Thursday, a delivery of precision artillery from the US. The weapons came in response to Kiev’s plea to the allies to support its military with advanced artillery in the war with Russia.

Ukrainian Minister of Defense Oleksiy Reznikov stated via his Twitter account that the "HIMARS have arrived in Ukraine,” adding, “Thank you to my colleague and friend Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III for these powerful tools! Summer will be hot for Russian occupiers. And the last one for some of them.”

NATO partners and the US are pumping Ukraine with heavy armaments, however, the Ukrainian officials believe that what they have received so far is merely a fraction of what is needed to sustain their fight against the Kremlin.

Previously regarding the HIMARS

According to the Russian Ambassador to the United States Anatoly Antonov, the Pentagon's remarks on HIMARS deliveries to Kiev show a willingness for escalation.

On June 14, Pentagon policy chief, Colin Kahl, stated that Ukrainian forces have nearly completed training on High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) delivered by the United States and the United Kingdom.

In response to that statement, Moscow sent a formal diplomatic note to the United States warning that Washington and Brussels' arms shipments were adding fuel to the fire of the war in Ukraine, stressing that this matter could bring upon "unpredictable consequences".

Earlier in the month, the Head of the Russian Delegation to the Negotiations on Military Security and Arms Control in Vienna, Konstantin Gavrilov, told the Rossiya-24 TV channel Thursday that Russia will respond immediately in the event that it is attacked with long-range weapon systems.

"We particularly put the spotlight on the delivery [to Ukraine] of long-range howitzers and HIMARS MLRS that threaten not only Donbass but Russia as well. We have clearly laid out Russia’s stance: if the Russian Federation is attacked with these long-range systems, the response against the decision-making centers will be immediate," he said, adding, "I think, this is happening not without the involvement of Ukraine’s military and political leadership. I am not ruling out anything anymore," Gavrilov stressed.

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/iranian-fm:-nuclear-agreement-within-reach-if-us-side-realis

Iranian FM: Nuclear agreement within reach if US side 'realistic'

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian stated that if the Americans dealt "realistically" in the final round of negotiations in Vienna, the two parties would have been "closer to an agreement than ever."

In an interview for the Croatian newspaper Večernji list, Amir-Abdollahian underlined that the Americans raised new issues to add an appendix on the possibility of re-imposing non-nuclear sanctions.

After eight rounds of negotiations to return the JCPOA to its original form and bring the US back into the accord owing to external considerations, a pause was taken in Vienna on March 11, 2022. The Vienna negotiations had already neared their conclusion and were anticipated to be finished by the end of February prior to that.

The wording of the agreements achieved, which is roughly 20 pages long and outlines additional procedures to resume the nuclear accord in its original form, was agreed upon.

Earlier today, Amir-Abdollahian reiterated his hope for the resumption of the nuclear negotiations in the near future.

During a joint press conference with Sergey Lavrov, Russia's Foreign Minister, said, “I hope we could reach the final point of an agreement in the near future with the American party’s realism.”

When asked about the Iranian-Saudi relationship during his interview with the Croatian newspaper Večernji list, Amir-Abdollahian said that an agreement with Saudi Arabia has been reached to exchange logistic teams prior to visits to each nation’s embassies.

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/putin-urges-the-brics-to-face-exceptional-sanctions-imposed

Putin urges the BRICS to face exceptional sanctions imposed by West

Russian President Vladimir Putin urged the leaders of Brazil, India, China, and South Africa (BRICS) to increase cooperation in the face of the “selfish actions” of the West.

In televised remarks at the BRICS leaders’ virtual summit, referring to the Western sanctions that pummeled Russia, Putin said that "only on the basis of honest and mutually beneficial cooperation can we look for ways out of this crisis situation, which developed in the global economy because of the ill-conceived, selfish actions of certain states."

He said the countries "using financial mechanisms, in fact, shift their own mistakes in macroeconomic policy onto the whole world," adding that "we are convinced that now, more than ever, the leadership of BRICS countries is needed to develop a unifying, positive course towards the formation of a truly multipolar system of inter-government relations."

Furthermore, the Russian President noted that BRICS nations "can count on the support of many Asian, African and Latin American states striving to pursue an independent policy."

Washington and Brussels have hit Moscow with exceptional sanctions since the beginning of the Russian operation in Ukraine on February 24. This pushed Moscow to seek new markets to satisfy its needs for both, exports and imports, in countries distant from the collective West such as Asia and Africa.

On the eve of a virtual BRICS summit

Russian President Vladimir Putin called for closer ties with the influential BRICS club of emerging economies on Wednesday, June 22, amid unprecedented Western sanctions imposed over Ukraine.

"Businessmen of our countries are forced to develop their business under difficult conditions where Western partners neglect the basic principles of market economy, free trade, as well as the inviolability of private property," Putin told a BRICS business forum via video link.

Russian President Vladimir Putin condemned "the permanent implementation of new politically motivated sanctions" that contradict "common sense and basic economic logic."

It is worth noting that the Russian President has been defiant in the face of Western sanctions, seeking new markets, not to mention strengthening ties with African and Asian countries.

Elsewhere in his remarks, Putin stated that talks were ongoing regarding the "opening of Indian chain stores in Russia and increasing the share of Chinese automobiles" on the Russian market.

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/lapid-visits-turkey-mending-strained-relationship-amid-israe

Lapid visits Turkey, mending strained relationship amid Israeli fears

As Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid makes his way to Turkey, the two entities have reportedly begun working on restoring ambassador-level diplomatic representation, according to Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu on Thursday, as the two attempt to end more than a decade of a strained relationship.

In a joint news conference with Lapid, the Turkish Foreign Minister said that Turkey and "Israel" are in close contact regarding "threats" to Israeli settlers in Turkey. Ankara promised that it would not allow any attacks on the latter on Turkish land.

In 2018, the two expelled ambassadors, and "Israel" lost Turkish support over its colonial project; however, that may be about to change.

Energy has become a main issue for potential cooperation in mending relations - the United States has recently set some of its differences aside to cooperate with Venezuela and Saudi Arabia to ameliorate the energy crisis.

Furthermore, the Turkish Foreign Minister was speaking alongside Lapid after months of talks and indications of warming ties - however, this came along with claims by Israelis that they would come under attack by Iranian agents in Turkey.

"Israel" has been warning its settlers against traveling to Turkey, warning of assassination or abduction plots launched by Iran. Tehran has recently promised to avenge the assassination of Colonel Hassan Sayyad Khodaei, a slain IRGC head, which "Israel" is responsible for.

Cavusoglu visited "Israel" last month to promote economic cooperation in the first such visit by a senior Turkish official in 15 years.

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/ecuador-protests:-3-dead-92-wounded-94-arrested

Ecuador protests: 3 dead, 92 wounded, 94 arrested

On Thursday, a rights group reported that the death toll in indigenous demonstrations over rising fuel prices in Ecuador has risen to 3.

In the nationwide protests, which are concentrated in Quito, the capital, dozens have been injured. Indigenous groups have stood their ground, promising that they will continue to voice their grievances until their demands are met.

In the southern town of Tarqui, on Wednesday, a 38-year-old Indigenous protester died, according to the Alliance of Human Rights Organizations, who have accused the Ecuadorian security forces of killing the protester and generally using violent tactics.

"A tear gas canister was found" next to the body of Marcelino Villa, the organization said. The police claimed that Villa died of a medical condition and that according to a medical report, bruises to the man's stomach and right knee were days old.

On Monday and Tuesday, two other people were killed, according to the Alliance, which reported 92 wounded and another 94 arrested since the start of the demonstrations on June 13.

Quito has been saying that 117 policemen and soldiers have been injured.

Protesters have barricaded roads and burned tires in a state of mass discontent, across 6 provinces. Quito is currently under a night-time curfew.

Ecuador has recently been experiencing rising inflation, unemployment and poverty, affecting the livelihoods of millions.

The protesters demanded that fuel prices be cut down as they had experienced price hikes in recent months. They are also demanding jobs, controls on food prices, and more public spending on healthcare and education.

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/drc:-four-children-among-13-civilians-dead-in-m23-army-confl

DRC: Four children among 13 civilians dead in M23, army conflict

Amid increased clashes between rebel groups and army forces, several civilians, including four children, were killed in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo this week, said the UN.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said that 13 civilians died in the fighting between June 19 and 21 in Rutshuru territory in North Kivu.

As a result of the renewed fighting, which intensified after the M23 rebels accused the government of violating the conditions of the 2009 agreement, tens of thousands of locals have been forced to flee.

The ongoing violence adds pressure on humanitarian organizations in the region as "several villages in Rutshuru territory have been practically emptied of their inhabitants, some of whom have fled to Uganda," OCHA said. 158,000 people, at least, have been forced from their homes since March in Rutshuru and Nyiragongo, and according to the OCHA, the increasing need for humanitarian aid was being "hampered by continuing violence."

Some history on M23 and the DR Congo

The M23, a mainly Congolese Tutsi group of militants, is one of more than 120 other armed groups active in eastern DRC.

In 2012, a joint offensive by UN troops and the Congolese army put an end to the rebellion, but the M23 resumed fighting last year, accusing the government in Congo of not respecting a 2009 agreement under which its fighters were to be blended with the army.

Local sources reported in April that M23 rebels have taken control of several villages in eastern DR Congo after fighting with government troops in the Rutshuru region.

At the end of May, the DRC army confirmed that it was holding two Rwandan troops, a day after Kigali accused it of supporting the rebels who seized them.

Rwanda claimed that the two soldiers were kidnapped by a Hutu rebel group operating in eastern DRC. However, the DRC army, on the other hand, claimed the soldiers were trespassing on its territory and had been apprehended by civilians.

Relations between the DRC and Rwanda have been strained since the overwhelming entry of Rwandan Hutus suspected of slaying Tutsis during the 1994 Rwanda genocide in the eastern DRC.

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/us-billionaire-tom-barrack-fails-to-dismiss-uae-agent-charge

US billionaire Tom Barrack fails to dismiss UAE agent charges

Founder of Colony Capital Tom Barrack was unsuccessful in his plea to have a US judge dismiss accusations that he improperly attempted to influence Trump administration policy on behalf of the United Arab Emirates.

In September 2021, a report by Bloomberg revealed that the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and other Emirati officials led an illegal influence campaign on the administration of former US President Donald Trump.

Tom Barrack, an American billionaire, was greeted royally in the United Arab Emirates just weeks after Donald Trump's election in November 2016, according to the same report.

Prosecutors in court papers described how Barrack also provided inside information on how Trump administration officials viewed a UAE-led blockade of neighboring Qatar.

Furthermore, Bloomberg reported US prosecutors divulged that the meeting was part of a covert effort to influence the foreign policy positions of the Trump campaign and incoming administration, as well as to increase the Gulf State's political clout.

US District Judge Brian Cogan ruled on Wednesday that Barrack and his former assistant, Matthew Grimes, must stand trial in Brooklyn, New York, on charges that they failed to register as foreign agents with the US Attorney General. Separate charges have been filed against Barrack, a longtime friend of President Donald Trump, for making false statements to the FBI.

Cogan dismissed numerous defendants' claims about whether they acted under the direction and control of the UAE. Cogan, for example, has stated that he will not “wade into the murky waters of defining what exactly the degree of a foreign principal’s direction or control need be.”

A lawyer for Barrack, Daniel Petrocelli, declined to comment.

The court also rejected the prosecution's claim that there was no proof that Barrack and Grimes consented to serve as agents. "The government is entitled to present its evidence at trial," Cogan stated.

Cogan also dismissed Barrack's claim that prosecutors took too long to indict him, arguing that he can cross-examine witnesses at trial about how the amount of time altered their memory.

The judge, on the other hand, allowed Barrack to unseal handwritten notes of his comments to the FBI during his interview on June 20, 2019, as well as a redacted cover page to an agency document about the session.

He also denied Barrack's request for further conversations concerning Middle East policy between Barrack and the Trump campaign and administration. Prosecutors stated that they had previously turned over all relevant evidence in their possession. The judge found that asking for more is a "classic fishing expedition."

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/raisi:-us-nato-provocations-root-cause-of-ukraine-war

Raisi: US, NATO provocations root cause of Ukraine war

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi emphasized the significance of stopping the fighting in Ukraine as soon as possible and reiterated the Islamic Republic's willingness to assist in resolving the issue diplomatically.

Raisi warned against attempts to expand the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's (NATO) influence in various parts of the world during a meeting with visiting Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Tehran on Wednesday, blaming the US and the military alliance that it leads as the root cause of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

“There is no doubt that the US and NATO provocations have been the factor behind these conflicts (in Ukraine), and therefore it is necessary to be active in the face of attempts to expand NATO’s influence in any part of the world, including in West Asia, the Caucasus and Central Asia,” he declared.

The Ukraine conflict has heightened tensions between Russia and the West, with the US and its NATO allies slapping unprecedented sanctions on Moscow and supplying Ukraine with a vast cache of weapons.

Raisi further emphasized the necessity of collaboration among Caspian Sea littoral states and stated that foreign powers are not permitted to establish a military presence in this region.

He stated that the frequent meetings and conversations between Iranian and Russian officials demonstrate the two countries' unwavering willingness to begin a new chapter of successful and strategic collaboration, notably in the economic sector.

Raisi expressed that “Strengthening cooperation and coordination is an effective way to counter US sanctions and economic unilateralism against independent nations.”

Both Tehran and Moscow have massive oil and gas reserves but are limited in their capacity to export their products due to unilateral Western sanctions.

On Thursday, Lavrov will meet with his Iranian counterpart, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, according to the official news agency IRNA.

Russia has faced a massive Western campaign of sanctions since the war in Ukraine began, whereas Iran's economy has been battered by harsh sanctions reimposed by the US in 2018, following Washington's unilateral abrupt withdrawal from the nuclear deal reached between Tehran and international nations.

The Russian foreign minister emphasized the relevance of Iran's participation in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, adding that his country supports Tehran's engagement in regional and international organizations.

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/russia-received-us-request-regarding-mercenaries-captured-in

Russia received US request regarding mercenaries captured in Ukraine

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov confirmed Wednesday that Russia has received a US request regarding American mercenaries that were captured while fighting in Ukraine, noting that the matter is currently being discussed.

Declining to elaborate, Ryabkov indicated that "We do not disclose the content of diplomatic requests and do not comment on them."

"Anyway, we have received a signal from Washington and are discussing it now," he said.

The Russian diplomat noted that further comments on the matter would be "completely out of place" at the moment.

Last week, The Telegraph reported that these are the first two American mercenaries captured in Ukraine by Russian forces. The two captives, according to the newspaper, are former US servicemen, Alexander Drueke, 39, and Andy Huynh, 27.

Earlier on Wednesday, Kremlin Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov pointed out that the two Americans who were captured in Ukraine are mercenaries, therefore, they are not eligible for protection under the Geneva Conventions.

Peskov said that the two mercenaries' file should be investigated, adding that the two Americans might face capital punishment in the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR).

Biden: "Americans should not be going to Ukraine"

US President Joe Biden said Friday that he had been briefed on the two Americans who had gone missing in Ukraine, urging Americans not to travel to the war-torn country.

Biden told reporters that he didn't know where the men were, stressing that "Americans should not be going to Ukraine."

The US State Department urged Russia on Thursday to treat any Americans captured while fighting alongside Ukrainian troops as prisoners of war who ought to be treated humanely.

It also stated that a third American, in addition to the two military veterans who were reportedly captured by Russian forces in a pitched battle last week, was believed to be missing in Ukraine.

While CNN reported on the identity of the third missing American as being the US Marine veteran Grady Kurpasi, based on information collected from his wife, US officials did not validate the information.

It is noteworthy that Ukrainian news agency Ukrinform reported on March 6 that about 3,000 US "volunteers" were to arrive in Ukraine, amid Russia's ongoing military operation in the country.

In late May, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu pointed to the presence of more than 6,000 foreign mercenary fighters in Ukraine.

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/us-planning-normalization-road-map-for-saudi-arabia-israel:

US planning normalization "road map" for Saudi Arabia, "Israel": Axios

The White House has been working on a “road map for normalization” between Saudi Arabia and the Israeli occupation ahead of US President Joe Biden’s visit to West sia in July, four informed US sources told Axios.

The report cited the sources as saying that "The White House last week held a briefing with think tank experts about Biden’s trip to the region and floated the theme of a 'road map for normalization' without elaborating."

The sources said that the White House claimed there will not be a normalization agreement before the US President's visit to West Asia, but pointed out that the US administration is preparing for the agreement and Biden will discuss it with the Saudis and the Israelis during his tour.

A different informed source said that the White House believes that any road map for normalization will be a long-term process, while another source described the strategy as a step-by-step approach.

US mediating normalization-leading agreements

Axios quoted a White House National Security Council spokesperson as saying that they "support broadening and deepening Arab-Israeli ties."

The website cited a senior Israeli official as revealing that an agreement to allow Israeli airlines to use Saudi airspace for flights to India and China is very close.

Earlier this year, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman said that “We do not view Israel as an enemy, but rather as a potential ally in the many interests that we can pursue together, but some issues must be resolved before we can reach that."

Axios reported that US President Joe Biden's administration "has been quietly mediating among Saudi Arabia, Israel and Egypt on a potential deal to finalize the transfer of two strategic islands in the Red Sea from Egypt to Saudi Arabia."

"If successful, the mediation efforts could lead to separate normalization steps," Axios said.

Five Israeli sources told Axios that a predeterminant for the coming normalization process is the transfer of authority of the strategic Tiran and Sanafir islands from Egypt to Saudi Arabia.

The islands hold significant strategic importance, as they engulf the passage into the Red Sea, up to "Eilat," "Israel's" bound-to-boom economic and trade hub, in addition to the port of Aqaba in Jordan.

Initiative between "Israel", the US, & some Arab states

The four informed US sources also told Axios that during his trip, Biden plans to discuss a vision for “integrated missile defense and naval defense” between the US, the Israeli occupation, and several Arab states, including Saudi Arabia.

It is noteworthy that during a hearing of the foreign relations and security committee in the Knesset on Monday, Israeli Security Minister Benny Gantz revealed that the US and "Israel" are working on an initiative called “The Middle East Air Defense," which Biden's visit to the region will boost.

According to Gantz, the so-called initiative will see the US, "Israel", and some other countries in the region working to counter drone, rocket, and cruise missile attacks by Tehran and its allies.

"A very big thing"

Israeli media outlets pointed out that Israeli occupation Prime Minister Naftali Bennett proposed the initiative during his visits to the Gulf states, aiming to establish a Gulf version of NATO, of which "Israel" would be a part.

Tal Kalman, Head of Military Strategies in the Israeli occupation forces, previously revealed in an interview for Al-Ayam newspaper about a possible establishment of an alliance similar to the NATO that would include “Israel", Bahrain, the UAE, Jordan, Egypt, Greece, and several other countries.

Israeli military affairs analyst Roi Sharon said that a report on the Saudi Elaph website revealed that Israeli Chief of Staff Aviv Kohavi met with the Qatari chief of staff, saying that if Qatar joins this alliance and the matter turns public, "this will be a very big thing."

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/germany-raises-alert-level-over-securing-gas-supplies

Germany raises alert level over securing gas supplies

Germany said Thursday it would raise the alert level under its emergency gas plan to secure supply following the recent reduction of pipeline supplies from Russia.

"Gas is now a scarce commodity in Germany," Economy Minister Robert Habeck told reporters.

Triggering phase two brings Germany a step closer to the third and final stage that could see gas rationing in Europe's top economy.

Habeck claimed that Russia was using gas "as a weapon" against Germany in retaliation for the West's support for Ukraine.

An "attack" by Moscow

Germany, like a number of other European countries, is highly reliant on Russian energy imports to meet its needs.

Russian energy giant Gazprom last week significantly reduced supplies via the Nord Stream pipeline to Germany by 60% due to what the company said was a delayed repair.

Habeck said that Gazprom's decision amounts to an "attack" by Moscow.

The second "alarm" level under the government's emergency plan reflected a "significant deterioration of the gas supply situation," Habeck said.

At the "alarm" level, Germany is still considered to be in a position to "manage" the situation for the time being.

Habeck said that households "can make a difference" by saving energy, as Germany launches a campaign to encourage gas-saving measures.

Germany reduced share of natural gas supplied by Russia

Germany has mandated that gas storage facilities be filled to 90% ahead of the European winter this year to mitigate the risks from a supply cut.

Currently, the country's stores stand just under 60% full.

Germany has reduced the share of its natural gas supplied by Russia from 55% before the war in Ukraine to around 35%.

In addition, Germany, Austria, and the Netherland were forced to reactivate some abandoned coal power plants following the decrease in Gazprom gas supply

Europe's largest economy has also sought new sources of supply and accelerated plans to import gas into the country by sea in the form of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG).

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/macron:-opposition-ready-to-work-on-major-topics

Macron: Opposition ready to work on 'major topics'

In his first speech since the election setback, French President Emmanuel Macron stated, on Wednesday, that opposition groups have expressed their readiness to work with his government on "major topics", having lost the parliamentary majority.

In a televised address, Macron added, "They are available to advance on major topics" such as the cost of living, jobs, energy, climate, and health.

The French President deemed any attempt to create a "government of national unity" unlikely after his Together party on Sunday fell short of the majority needed to legislate without others, stressing that such a move was "not justified" at this stage.

Elsewhere in his remarks, Macron approved that the parliamentary elections had exposed social problems in France, however, he urged opposition parties to "leave in-fighting behind" and move "beyond politics".

"Together we will have to learn a new way to govern and to legislate," he said.

He went on to say that urgent draft laws, most notably to lessen the impact of inflation and rising energy prices, would be succumbed to parliament over the summer.

Macron urged the opposition parties to "clarify in all transparency, in the coming days, how far they are willing to go".

He claimed that he himself had been re-elected in April on a platform of "ambitious reform", which he anticipated to carry out.

The French President concluded by saying that the parliamentary impasse should not lead to "stagnation", but to "dialogue and the willingness to listen to each other."

https://english.almayadeen.net/shortnews

Al Mayadeen correspondent: According to preliminary information, confirmed by his wife, the former Tunisian Prime Minister Hamadi Jebali was arrested.

>> Seems like the clean in Tunisia has started frens.

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/miscellaneous/afghanistan-quake-death-toll-reaches-1500-taliban-appeal-for

Afghanistan quake death toll reaches 1500, Taliban appeal for aid

A Taliban official said that the death toll of the 6.1-magnitude earthquake that struck Afghanistan’s Paktika and Khost provinces has reached 1,500.

According to the Taliban official, the earthquake left more than 2,000 people injured.

In the same context, the Taliban movement has appealed for international support, as rescue efforts are being hindered by heavy rain and a lack of resources.

The earthquake struck areas that were already suffering the effects of heavy rain, causing rockfalls and mudslides that hampered rescue efforts.

Humanitarian and economic crisis

Abdul Qahar Balkhi, a senior Taliban official, said that Afghanistan is in the midst of a humanitarian and economic crisis, indicating that the government was "financially unable to assist the people to the extent that is needed."

The official acknowledged that aid agencies, neighboring countries, and some world powers were providing help, but stressed that "The assistance needs to be scaled up to a very large extent because this is a devastating earthquake which hasn't been experienced in decades."

On his part, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that the global agency has "fully mobilized" to help, deploying health teams and supplies of medicine, food, trauma kits, and emergency shelter to the quake zone.

"People are still trapped under the rubble"

"People are digging grave after grave," expressed Mohammad Amin Huzaifa, head of the Information and Culture Department in hard-hit Paktika, adding that at least 1,000 people had died in that province alone.

"People are still trapped under the rubble," he told journalists.

Sharan Hospital Director, Mohammad Yahya Wiar, said the medical staff was doing their best to treat everyone.

"Our country is poor and lacks resources," he told AFP. "This is a humanitarian crisis. It is like a tsunami."

Photographs and videos posted on social media showed scores of badly damaged houses in remote areas. The UN humanitarian coordinator for Afghanistan, Ramiz Alakbarov, told reporters nearly 2,000 homes are likely destroyed.

Anas Haqqani, a senior Taliban official, tweeted that "The government is working within its capabilities," hoping that the "International Community and aid agencies will also help our people in this dire situation."

Large-scale earthquakes

Afghanistan is frequently hit by earthquakes, especially in the Hindu Kush mountain range, which lies near the junction of the Eurasian and Indian tectonic plates.

Scores of people were killed in January when two quakes struck the western province of Badghis.

In 2015, more than 380 people were killed in Pakistan and Afghanistan when a 7.5-magnitude earthquake ripped across the two countries.

Afghanistan's deadliest recent earthquake killed 5,000 in May 1998, in the northeastern provinces of Takhar and Badakhshan.

The quake struck in the early hours of Wednesday at a depth of 10 kilometers (six miles), according to the United States Geological Survey.

It was felt as far away as Lahore in Pakistan, 480 kilometers from the epicenter.

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/miscellaneous/four-stabbed-after-random-attack-in-auckland-new-zealand

Four stabbed after random attack in Auckland New Zealand

Four persons were stabbed in what police characterized as a "random" knife assault on Auckland's North Shore in New Zealand.

According to witness accounts and police records, the suspected assailant was pursued and caught by construction workers, one of whom was on crutches.

New Zealand is seeing a spike in crime rates following the pandemic, and according to police statistics by RNZ, violent crime rates in Auckland, the country's largest city, were up 30% from pre-pandemic levels and stayed stable compared to the previous year — despite months of lockdown keeping people home.

During a media briefing, Waitematā District Commander superintendent Naila Hassan praised the members of the public for their bravery, emphasizing that “It absolutely could have been a lot worse and that’s why I really need to acknowledge the bravery of those members of the public.”

She also stated that there was no evidence of a hate crime, with victims being of all genders, nationalities, and ages.

Police described it as a "random attack" that did not appear to be premeditated.

According to authorities, the suspected assailant was hurt and was being treated at a hospital.

Hassan stressed that "This was an extremely fast-moving incident where our police staff responded quickly … I want to acknowledge the traumatic event this would have been for the victims.”

According to a lady who saw the event, one of the construction workers used his crutches to stop the suspect. At the scene, a big knife and a broken crutch were photographed lying on the road.

Melanie Sharma-Barrow, who lives in Murray's Bay, just a few minutes from the scene of the incident, reported her street had been closed off. “Everyone is just shocked,” she said. “This is a seriously safe community … That Murrays Bay spot where the stabbing happened … is seen as such a safe place.”

According to Sharma-Barrow, the area where the incident occurred was "a hub for children. The kids go down there and jump off the pier, the ice-cream van goes there – on a different date the destruction could have been massive.”

>>16495568

Yup! It has already started in some places.