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https://english.almayadeen.net/news/economics/iraq-asks-turkey-to-allow-more-water-through-the-tigris-and
Iraq asks Turkey to allow more water through the Tigris and Euphrates
Due to droughts and disputes over resource management, Iraq, on Saturday, demanded Ankara to increase the flow of water downstream along the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. Baghdad had previously protested dams that have been constructed in neighboring countries as they impacted its river.
Iraqi Water Minister, Mehdi Al-Hamdani, and the Turkish president's special representative for Iraq, Veysel Eroglu, discussed "quantities of water arriving in Iraq through the Tigris and Euphrates" from Turkey, according to an Iraqi statement. In addition, Al-Hamdani asked Turkey via videoconference "to re-examine the amounts of water released, in order to allow Iraq to overcome the current water shortage.”
According to the statement, Eroglu said he would relay the request to the relevant authorities in Ankara to "increase the amounts of water released in the coming days, according to (Turkey's) available reserves.” Furthermore, both sides settled that an Iraqi "technical delegation" would visit Turkey and be permitted to "evaluate Turkish dam reserves on-site."
The UN classified Iraq "as the fifth most vulnerable country in the world" to climate change, having already witnessed record low rainfall and high temperatures in recent years. The issue of managing water resources has raised tensions between Baghdad and Ankara.
On Tuesday, Turkey's Ambassador to Iraq, Ali Riza Guney, sparked anger by accusing Iraqis of "squandering" water resources, calling on Twitter for "immediate measures to reduce the waste" including "the modernization of irrigation systems."
Al-Hamdani responded that Ankara was assuming "the right to reduce Iraq's water quota." For its 42 million residents, Iraq has suffered a halving of its cultivated agricultural regions due to three years of consecutive droughts.
According to Iraq’s INA news agency, a government official had already stated that "water reserves have dropped 60% compared to last year." According to the data, the Tigris and Euphrates had water levels that were around one-third of the century's average.
UN warns about Iraq droughts in 2021
According to the World Bank, Iraq's water supplies could see a 20% decline by 2050 as a result of climate change, posing a threat to growth and jobs.
Water is a critical issue for the 40 million-strong oil-rich country, which is dealing with an acute energy crisis exacerbated by more severe droughts and poor rainfall.
"Without action, water constraints will lead to large losses across multiple sectors of the economy and come to affect more and more vulnerable people," the World Bank's Regional Director of the Mashreq Department Saroj Kumar Jha said in a statement accompanying a new report.
https://english.almayadeen.net/news/miscellaneous/ukrainian-cargo-plane-crashes-in-greece-all-8-crew-members-d
Ukrainian cargo plane crashes in Greece, all 8 crew members dead
All eight crew members of a Ukrainian cargo plane that crashed near the Greek city of Kavala died in the accident, Serbia's Defense Minister Nebojsa Stefanovic confirmed on Sunday.
The Ukrainian-operated Antonov An-12 was carrying mines and around 11 tonnes of weapons to Bangladesh when it crashed on Saturday night, Stefanovic said.
Videos shared by eyewitnesses on social media showed the plane engulfed by a giant fireball as it hit the ground.
"I think the crew were Ukrainian but I don't have any information about that. They were not Serbian," Stefanovic told a news conference.
The plane had taken off from Nis airport in Serbia at around 8:40 pm (1840 GMT) on Saturday, carrying weapons owned by private Serbian company Valir, the minister indicated.
Greek media said that the plane had requested clearance to make an emergency landing at Kavala airport but had not managed to reach it.
Greek rescue services were using a drone on Sunday to monitor the wreckage of the aircraft as fears about the toxicity of the cargo were forcing them to keep at a distance.
State-run ERT TV channel said that the army, explosives experts, and Greek Atomic Energy Commission staff would approach the crash site once it was deemed safe.
"Men from the fire service with special equipment and measuring instruments approached the point of impact of the aircraft and had a close look at the fuselage and other parts scattered in the fields," fire brigade official Marios Apostolidis told reporters.
Search teams would go in when the area is deemed secure, Apostolidis added.
A 13-strong special team from the fire brigade, 26 firemen, and seven fire engines were deployed to the area but could not yet approach the crash site, local officials mentioned.
Video footage from a local channel showed signs of impact on a field and the aircraft in pieces scattered over a wide area.
Eyewitnesses said they saw the aircraft on fire and heard explosions.
Toxic fumes
Filippos Anastasiadis, mayor of the nearby town of Paggaio, told Open TV that the aircraft had crashed "around two kilometers away from an inhabited area."
People living within that two-kilometer radius of the crash site were asked to stay inside their homes and wear face masks on Saturday night.
Two firemen were taken to the hospital early on Sunday with breathing difficulties because of toxic fumes.
The Serbian Defence minister confirmed that the weapons shipment had been agreed upon with the Bangladeshi Defense ministry "in accordance with international rules."
https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/biden-meets-with-egypts-al-sisi-promises-50-million-in-assis
Biden meets with Egypt's Al-Sisi, promises $50 million in assistance
On Saturday, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi met with his US counterpart, Joe Biden, on the sidelines of the Jeddah Summit for Security and Development in Saudi Arabia.
Biden and Al-Sisi both reviewed numerous aspects of bilateral cooperation between Egypt and the US in several fields, especially dealing with the economic repercussions of COVID-19 and the Russia-Ukraine war on food and energy security.
In responding to these challenges, the US praised Egypt's pursuit of solutions through the International Monetary Fund, supporting the provision of additional funds to Egypt to ameliorate the consequences of the crises.
Biden said that Washington will be providing $1 billion in assistance to ease the food security situation in the Middle East, with $50 million provided to Egypt in particular.
From the Egyptian side, keenness was expressed regarding increasing partnership between Cairo and Washington - this was Biden's first meeting with Al-Sisi since he assumed office in January 2021.
Earlier on Saturday, Al-Sisi arrived at Jeddah Airport where he was received by the Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler Muhammad bin Salman (MBS).
Achieving "peace and stability" in the region was highlighted in the meeting between the two entities, with Egypt affirming its aspiration to coordinate with the US on various issues of mutual interest.
The meeting, furthermore, addressed developments regarding the Ethiopian Dam dispute. Al-Sisi cemented Cairo's position on the necessity of reaching an agreement on operating the dam in a way that preserves Egypt's water security, achieving common interests shared between Egypt, Ethiopia, and Sudan.
Egypt also gave positive affirmations regarding the revival of the Palestinian-Israeli negotiation process.
On his part, Biden expressed appreciation towards Al-Sisi's efforts to establish peace in the region, praising Cairo's role in achieving a truce between the Palestinian and Israeli sides and the Gaza reconstruction initiative.
https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/al-jubeir-didnt-hear-biden-say-mbs-responsible-for-khashoggi
Al-Jubeir 'didn’t hear’ Biden say MBS responsible for Khashoggi murder
The Saudi Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Adel Al-Jubeir said that US President Joe Biden did not tell Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman that he believed the latter was involved in the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
"I didn't hear that particular phrase," Adel al-Jubeir told Fox News' Alex Hogan after Biden departed Saudi Arabia.
White House correspondent Jacqui Heinrich first published the details of the discussion between Al-Jubeir's with Hogan on social media late Saturday night.
"The President mentioned that the US is committed to human rights because since the founding fathers wrote the constitution and he also made the point that American presidents - this is part of the agenda of every American president," Adel Al-Jubeir told Fox News.
When he returned to the White House, Biden told reporters that Al-Jubeir was not telling the truth. On Friday, Biden stated that he brought up the subject of Khashoggi during his meeting with the Saudi Crown Prince in Jeddah that day, claiming that Mohammed bin Salman was involved in the murder.
"With respect to the murder of Khashoggi, I raised it at the top of the meeting, making it clear what I thought of it at the time and what I think about it now," Biden said, adding "He basically said that he was not personally responsible for it.
I told him he was, and he replied he wasn't personally responsible, and he took action against those who were."
A 'pariah state'
Biden told reporters that he did not regret labeling Saudi Arabia a "pariah state" because of its apparent complicity in the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
During his 2020 presidential campaign, Biden called Saudi Arabia a "pariah state" for the Crown Prince's alleged complicity in Khashoggi's death.
In 2018, a Saudi hit squad is suspected to have assassinated and dismembered Khashoggi inside the country's consulate in Istanbul.
The Saudi Crown Prince has denied ordering the assassination. After Biden's talks with the Crown Prince on Friday, a senior Saudi source informed Al Arabiya that Mohammed bin Salman addressed US "mistakes" to Biden at the Abu Ghraib jail in Iraq, as well as other cases, such as the shooting of veteran Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh.
In response to Khashoggi's murder, the Crown Prince informed Biden that it was "regrettable," but that Saudi Arabia had followed all legal procedures in the case.
According to Prince Mohammed, it is critical that all countries deal with their mistakes and put in place all required processes to prevent similar events in the future.
US reporters restricted in Jeddah
On another note, US reporters with pressing questions - in other words, questions that made the Saudi de facto Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman uncomfortable - were met with plenty of censorship.
Sensitive topics were brushed upon; analysts, according to the Wall Street Journal, are saying the Saudis have expressed outrage at some of the questions asked, such as the killing of Washington Post's journalist, Jamal Khashoggi, and whether Biden still considers Saudi Arabia a "pariah" state as it had in his political campaign.
One US reporter asked whether MBS would apologize to Khashoggi's family - after which Saudi officials expressed outrage, in private. Upon being asked this question, MBS forced a smile, though sour, which analysts are saying is an act of defiance. Bin Salman gave a response asserting that Biden came all the way to Jeddah to ask for the Kingdom's forgiveness, especially in light of his previous campaign promises to treat Riyadh like a pariah.
https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/50-of-germans-believe-sanctions-harm-more-than-russia-poll
50% of Germans believe sanctions harm more than Russia – poll
An opinion poll done by the INSA pollster for Bild am Sonntag recorded that nearly half of Germans believe that anti-Russian sanctions affect their own country more than Russia.
On July 15, 1,003 people took part in the survey. 47% say that the sanctions have harmed Germany more than Russia. Only 12% are of the opposite opinion. Another 36% believe the sanctions are painful for both countries.
Furthermore, 74% of respondents believe that Germany will soon face an economic crisis and unemployment. Consumer costs in the country are expected to rise by 83%. Meanwhile, 63% anticipate acute gas shortages resulting in gas supply limitations for enterprises and businesses, while 83% anticipate constrained gas supplies for residential families.
Earlier, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz acknowledged the impact of anti-Russian sanctions in his statement at the opening of the Hannover Messe trade expo.
"They [the sanctions] are hitting the Russian leadership and the Russian economy hard, and it gets harder and harder every day," the Chancellor stated.
He added that "simultaneously, we are making sure that they [sanctions] don't hit us and our partners in Europe harder than Russia."
The Chancellor acknowledged that economic losses are an issue for many companies that support sanctions, but claimed that more "serious damage" is being avoided by helping with loans, premiums, and aid packages. However, Scholz noted that despite this, the losses continue.
EU cuts Russian coal imports
As the European Union (EU) prepares to impose a total embargo on Russian coal in August, the bloc imported 48% less thermal coal from Moscow in June than in May, according to information provided to the Financial Times by CRU consultancy.
According to the commodity consultant, Russian coal exports to the EU increased steadily during the spring as the bloc depleted all available storage, before plummeting to 1.7 million tonnes last month.
After imposing a ban on seaborne oil imports from Moscow and reducing natural gas piped through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline, Europe has become increasingly reliant on Russian coal for electricity. The group is now attempting to replace Russian oil with oil from South Africa and Australia.
get well soon.
https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/europe-turns-into-top-us-oil-importer:-bloomberg
Europe turns into top US oil importer: Bloomberg
Due to EU limits on Russian petroleum, Europe has become the primary importer of US oil, Bloomberg reported on Friday, citing statistics from the US Census Bureau.
According to the data, Europe imported approximately 213.1 million barrels of crude from January to May of this year. For the first time since 2016, the region surpassed Asia as the largest US oil importer during the same five-month period. According to data, Asia got only 191.1 million barrels from the United States at the time.
The rerouting of oil flows coincides with the imposition of severe sanctions on Russian oil by the United States, the European Union, and other Western countries in reaction to the war in Ukraine.
The EU recently imposed a partial embargo on Russian oil and has been reducing imports to reduce Russian oil earnings and, as a result, Moscow's ability to support its military operation in Ukraine.
Meanwhile, the United States has proposed a price cap, and its representatives are actively working to gain support for the plan, particularly from China and India. Both countries have recently increased their purchases of Russian oil, keen to take advantage of the significant discounts Moscow is making to divert shipments.
Europe 'shot itself in the lungs'
The European Union has "shot itself in the lungs" with imprudent economic sanctions on Russia, which risk destroying the European economy if not rolled back, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said earlier on Friday.
Since the outbreak of the Ukraine crisis and the application of Western sanctions, gas supplies to Europe have tightened and fuel prices have risen, leaving governments scrambling to replenish reserves and seek other supply channels.
The surge in prices pushed Orban to curtail a years-long cap on utility prices for higher-usage households, removing one of the prime minister's signature economic policies.
"Initially, I thought we had only shot ourselves in the foot, but now it is clear that the European economy has shot itself in the lungs, and it is gasping for air," Orban told public radio in an interview.
Resilient Russian economy
Western economic forecasters did not anticipate Russia's economy to show signs of improvement with the many sanctions imposed by the EU and US. Russia has managed to prevent the collapse of its currency and continues to benefit from the surge in hydrocarbon prices.
They intended to “punish Russia. Assets were frozen, and companies were punished. But they failed,” said Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday, June 17, during the Economic Forum of Saint Petersburg, once considered a symbol of openness to commercial relations with the West.
https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/sri-lanka-protests-reach-their-100th-day
Sri Lanka protests reach their 100th day
Protests in Sri Lanka have reached their 100th day on Sunday, forcing one President out of his office and now the protestors are after his successor as the economic crisis worsens.
Last weekend, Gotabaya Rajapaksa narrowly escaped his palace just before protesters stormed his residence. Rajapaksa is blamed by the protesters for Sri Lanka's financial turmoil, which has put 22 million people in suffering as they endure food, medicine, and fuel shortages.
Rajapaksa's ousting was organized mainly by Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok posts.
It all began as a two-day protest on April 9, when tens of thousands of people sat in front of Rajapaksa's office.
After Rajapaska's resignation, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe automatically became acting President and is looking for a vote next week to become the next President. However, his popularity among protesters isn't so high.
US eyes Sri Lanka crisis with twisted excitement
Sri Lanka has become the first country to announce default on its foreign debt in the 21st century as its government declared bankruptcy, in addition to living a political crisis that has seen its President announce resignation and an economic crisis which has crippled millions of lives in the country.
Sri Lanka grapples with record inflation rates, medicine, fuel and food shortages which came as a result of multiple factors, such as the COVID-19 pandemic that hit the country's lifeline, the tourism industry, and energy inflation, which came as a result of the war in Ukraine.
Sri Lanka's debt problem did not come from China as major Western news outlets are trying to portray. In fact, bilateral foreign debt to China only accounts for 10% of the country's outstanding foreign debt. Most of the debt is owed to commercial creditors and multilateral financial institutions from the West - those are largely responsible for the crippling debt, unpayable at this time. On its part, Sri Lanka sold the debt to vulture funds, which "exploited Sri Lanka's every penny."
Will Sri Lanka become a battlefield for exploitation? "Sri Lanka is already scarred and cannot bear the pressure and cost of becoming a geopolitical arena," The Global Times wrote. But, the US looks "at Sri Lanka which is in crisis not with anxiety, but with twisted excitement."
Genuine assistance to Colombo does not seem to be anywhere on the horizon.
it's part of the game