Female British MPs Support Meghan Markle in Battle with Tabloids
Varieties
London - Asharq Al-Awsat
The Duchess of Sussex arrives at the opening of Oceania at the Royal Academy of Arts in London, Britain September 25, 2018. Henry Nicholls, Reuters
Britain’s female lawmakers have addressed a letter to the Duchess of Sussex in which they expressed their support to her against the media scrutiny. Over 70 female MPs signed an open letter to express their solidarity with Markle against "the often distasteful and misleading nature of the stories printed in our national newspapers concerning you, your character and your family." The letter also reads that some stories about Meghan contain "outdated, colonial undertones." The MPs also wrote: "With this in mind we expect the national media to have the integrity to know when a story is in the national interest and when it is seeking to tear a woman down for no apparent reason." Meghan, 38, opened up about going through a "difficult time" in order to deal with media scrutiny over the past two years. The Duchess of Sussex talked about a lot of pressure she and her husband Prince Harry are facing because of the growing media attention. In an ITV documentary, Megan talked about the intolerable pressure caused by the non-stop spotlights. "She had no idea how much pressure she would face when she became a member of the royal family," she said. Meghan married Prince Harry, 35, in May 2018, and gave birth to their first child Archie in May.
from Asharq AL-awsat https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/1971196/female-british-mps-support-meghan-markle-battle-tabloids
S. Korea's Exports of Humanitarian Goods to Iran Halted
Iran
London - Asharq Al-Awsat
FILE PHOTO: People buy fruits and vegetables from Tajrish Bazaar in Tehran, Iran August 1, 2019. Nazanin Tabatabaee/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS
South Korea's exports of humanitarian goods to Iran have effectively been halted as US sanctions on the country have intensified, a source said Thursday. Financial transactions between Seoul and Tehran for shipments of food and medical items have become very difficult after Washington recently requested Seoul share the details of the exports, the source was quoted as saying by the South’s Yonhap news agency. Washington toughened the sanctions against the Central Bank of Iran (CBI) last month, requiring third countries to provide information on trade with Tehran. It's realistically impossible to share such trade details with Washington for every single case, the source said. The US decided in April this year to end sanctions waivers for imports of Iranian oil by South Korea and other countries. Since then, South Korean companies have faced difficulties in selling medicine, medical equipment and other humanitarian products to Iran through a bilateral transaction system using the Korean currency, the won. The Iranian central bank has won-based accounts at Woori Bank and the Industrial Bank of Korea in Seoul for payments of not just oil imports but also products that are not subject to sanctions. In June, Seoul officials visited Washington to ask for US cooperation for the exports of humanitarian goods to Iran.
from Asharq AL-awsat https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/1971191/s-koreas-exports-humanitarian-goods-iran-halted
London - Asharq Al-Awsat
A general view of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) headquarters is seen at dusk in Paris, France, October 12, 2017. REUTERS/Philippe Wojazer
UNESCO has designated six new Arab cities as Creative Cities, becoming part of a network coming from all continents and regions with different income levels and populations. The Lebanese capital Beirut, Iraq’s Sleimaniyah, Ramallah in Palestine, Essaouira in Morocco, Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain’s Muharraq have been added to the list along with 60 other cities. “All over the world, these cities, each in its way, make culture the pillar, not an accessory, of their strategy,” said UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay. “This favors political and social innovation and is particularly important for the young generations.” The UNESCO Creative Cities Network now counts a total of 246 cities.
from Asharq AL-awsat https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/1971186/unesco-designates-6-new-arab-creative-cities
Sources: US Withholding $105 Million in Security Aid for Lebanon
Arab World
Asharq Al-Awsat
US President Donald Trump. Reuters
US President Donald Trump's administration is withholding $105 million in security aid for Lebanon, two US officials said on Thursday, two days after the resignation of Prime Minister Saad Hariri. The State Department told Congress on Thursday that the White House budget office and National Security Council had decided to withhold the foreign military assistance, the two officials told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity. The officials did not say why the aid was blocked. One of the sources said the State Department did not give Congress a reason for the decision. The administration had sought approval for the assistance starting in May, arguing that it was crucial for Lebanon. The aid included night vision goggles and weapons used in border security. But Washington has also repeatedly expressed concern over the growing role in the Beirut government of Hezbollah. Following Hariri's resignation on Tuesday amid huge protests against the ruling elite, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo urged Lebanon's political leaders to help form a new government responsive to the needs of its people and called for an end to endemic corruption. One US official told Reuters he believed the security assistance was necessary for Lebanon, as it struggles with instability not just within its own government but in a turbulent region and houses thousands of refugees from war in neighboring Syria. The official said it was especially important to strengthen Lebanon's military, which he deemed one of the most capable institutions in the country now, largely because of support from Washington. The official said drawing aid away from Lebanon could pave the way for Russia to move in. Russia has expanded its influence in Syria since Trump announced he was withdrawing US forces from the northeastern part of the country. Lebanon has been arguing with foreign donors over international aid for months. Before he resigned, Hariri failed to convince foreign donors to release $11 billion in assistance pledged at the CEDRE conference held in Paris last year.
from Asharq AL-awsat https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/1971181/sources-us-withholding-105-million-security-aid-lebanon
US Conducts 1st Northeast Syria Border Patrol Since Pullback
Arab World
Asharq Al-Awsat
FILE PHOTO: US soldiers during a combined joint patrol in Manbij, Syria, November 1, 2018. Courtesy Zoe Garbarino/US Army/Handout via REUTERS /File Photo
US forces in armored vehicles patrolled part of Syria's border with Turkey on Thursday in the first such move since Washington withdrew troops from the area earlier this month. Five armored vehicles bearing US flags patrolled a strip of the frontier north of the town of Qahtaniyah, an area where regime forces were expected to deploy as part of a deal with Turkey, the correspondent said. The patrol was accompanied by Kurdish fighters of the Syrian Democratic Forces, the main US ally in the years-long battle against ISIS. A military source from the SDF said the patrols would "not be one-time" only. US forces used to patrol the section of border north of Qahtaniyah before Washington announced its pullback on October 6. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said it is part of an eastern stretch of the frontier where US forces are seeking to maintain a presence. "They want to prevent Russia and the regime from reaching parts of the border that lie east of the city of Qamishli," the de-facto capital of Syria's Kurdish minority, Observatory head Rami Abdul Rahman said. The patrol follows the arrival of US reinforcements in Syria from neighboring Iraq in recent days, in what has been seen as a reversal of US President Donald Trump's pullout order. Washington has begun reinforcing positions in Deir Ezzor province with extra military assets in coordination with the SDF to prevent ISIS and other actors from gaining access to oil fields in the area, a US defense official has said. The Turkish army and its Syrian proxies launched an offensive against Kurdish forces in northeastern Syria on October 9 with the aim of creating a buffer zone. The invasion left hundreds dead and displaced tens of thousands, prompting Ankara and Moscow to hold a summit in Sochi. Under the deal signed in the Russian Black Sea resort, Turkey is to assume control over one 120 kilometer wide section in the center of the border, while Syrian government forces are to deploy in sections to the east and west. Along the whole length of the border, a 10-kilometer-deep buffer zone is to be created on the Syrian side which will be jointly patrolled by Russian and Turkish troops.
from Asharq AL-awsat https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/1970106/us-conducts-1st-northeast-syria-border-patrol-pullback
Riyadh- Fatehelrahman Yousif
Local staff and delegates are pictured at the King Abdulaziz Conference Centre in Saudi Arabia's capital Riyadh to attend the Future Investment Initiative (FII) forum on October 29, 2019. (AFP)
Red Sea Development Company CEO John Pagano has pledged to transform the Red Sea coast to a world-class tourist destination. There will be one million employees in the project, receiving 100 million tourists annually by 2030. During the second day of the Future Investment Initiative in Riyadh, Pagano said that the Red Sea Project will start receiving the first batch of visitors and tourists by 2022. A total of 70,000 jobs will be secured, 50 hotels will be established in addition to 22 islands and six inland sites, he added. More than 30,000 persons will work there and in airports. This will be achieved through innovation and adopting a technique to serve nature. Further, the entire area will be carbon-neutral, and policies to ban single-use plastics will be set-- landfills will be prohibited on the site. Also, wind and solar energy turbines will be set up to generate renewable energy. On the level of current development works in the Red Sea Project, Pagano said that there will be six resorts in the mountain and desert regions by 2030. Also, an airport to receive the visitors will be established in addition to preparing infrastructure facilities and constructing a residential city to host 35,000 employees with their families. He noted that the Public Investment Fund is showing support as a shareholder partner, as well as the capital markets. Pagano vowed to partner with the private sector in the development.
from Asharq AL-awsat https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/1970086/%E2%80%98red-sea-project%E2%80%99-pumps-20b-saudi-economy
Lebanon: Hariri’s Resignation Has Put the Tenure in Trouble
Arab World
Beirut- Mohammed Shokair
Lebanon: Hariri’s Resignation Has Put the Tenure in Trouble
President Michel Aoun was the first to warn of the political scene that emerged out of the street protests and expressed his readiness to make ministerial reshuffling but later changed his stance, political sources close to the matter told Asharq Al-Awsat. The political source noted that the Director-General of the General Security, Major General Abbas Ibrahim, had informed Prime Minister Saad Hariri that Aoun had no objection to discussing the cabinet reshuffling. But the president changed his position due to several factors, including the protesters’ rejection of the reform plan announced by Hariri. According to the source, Aoun conducted a second reading of the popular movement, which came in contrast to his initial impression of this movement. He saw that external agendas were pushing the demonstrators to rebuff Hariri’s paper and continue their movement. Other factors have made the president abandon the option of ministerial reshuffling, mainly the removal of Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil, which would weaken the presidency, according to the source who spoke to Asharq Al-Awsat. Another reason is Hezbollah, which considered that there was no justification, at least in the foreseeable future, for involving the country in a ministerial reshuffle. Moreover, Hezbollah - according to the political source - believes that the mere approval on removing Bassil would constitute a blow to Aoun. As for Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, the political source said that he was avoiding being drawn into a sectarian problem and insisted on understanding with his ally, Hezbollah, to block the way for those who are expecting disagreements within the Shiite duo. All these facts combined were studied by Hariri, who objected to a call for the Supreme Defense Council to convene in order to request the army to open roads. He was also opposed to holding an emergency meeting of the Central Security Council, out of his conviction that the problem was political par excellence and that security solutions were useless. As for the political settlement that brought Aoun to the presidency, the political source said it has become outdated. The tenure is now in trouble, according to the source, who noted that any government of “one color” that would “retaliate” to the street movement, would face rejection and objection at the local, Arab, and international levels.
from Asharq AL-awsat https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/1970066/lebanon-hariri%E2%80%99s-resignation-has-put-tenure-trouble
Asharq Al-Awsat
Migrants on a wooden boat are rescued by "Save the Children" NGO crew from the ship Vos Hestia in the Mediterranean sea off Libya coast, June 18, 2017. REUTERS/Stefano Rellandini
Libya's coast guard said it intercepted 200 Europe-bound migrants, including seven women and three children, off the country's Mediterranean coast. The Libyan navy has issued a statement on Thursday saying that it rescued two wooden boats carrying mainly African and Arab migrants the previous day. The statement added that they received humanitarian aid before being sent to a detention center in the capital, Tripoli. Libya has emerged as a major transit point for migrants fleeing war and poverty to Europe. In recent years, the European Union has partnered with the coast guard and other Libyan forces to try to stop the dangerous sea crossings, the Associated Press. Rights groups, however, have criticized those efforts, saying they've left migrants at the mercy of armed groups or confined in squalid detention centers rife with abuses.
from Asharq AL-awsat https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/1970056/libyan-coast-guard-intercepts-200-europe-bound-migrants
Tug-of-War between Iraqi Political Parties on PM’s Resignation
Arab World
Baghdad – Hamza Mustafa
Protesters in Iraq's Basra. AFP file photo
The fate of Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi remains in the hands of lawmakers who are debating a no-confidence motion as protesters, who took to the streets early this month, continue to call for “overthrowing the entire regime”. Protesters gathered on Wednesday in Baghdad’s Tahrir Square and in several southern cities, breaking the curfew of the past two nights in a clear message to political parties that they will not accept anything less than the resignation of all officials. Leader of Fatah bloc Hadi al-Amri, who has previously backed Abdul Mahdi, said he agrees to “cooperate” with influential Shiite leader Moqtada al-Sadr, who has been calling for the resignation of the government since the beginning of this month. However, Amri did not refer to any possible scenario for the resignation, which was interpreted by political observers in Baghdad that Fatah is still supportive of the Prime Minister. Sadr urged Amiri to push for the government’s resignation to avoid “turning Iraq into another Syria or Yemen,” two countries where revolts against the regime have erupted into civil war. Abdul Mahdi has been asked to appear “immediately” in parliament, which may turn into an accountability and a vote of no-confidence session, as confirmed by many deputies. It is not yet known whether the Iraqi parliament will approve the condition set by the PM to attend the council's sessions. MP of Saeroon bloc Burhan al-Maamouri said that the constitutional resignation of Abdul Mahdi can only be done by providing evidence on the responsibility of the authorities in the deaths of protesters. Maamouri said dozens of people have died in the protests, which is enough evidence to condemn the PM. Bloodshed cannot be tolerated, he told Asharq Al-Awsat. The MP said that certain parties are still supporting Abdul Mahdi to stay in office. This is dangerous, he added. In related news, the head of the National Wisdom Movement, Ammar al-Hakim, asserted that protesting is a constitutional and legal right. In a statement issued by his office after a meeting with the outgoing British ambassador in Baghdad, John Wilkes, Hakim called on the security services to shoulder their responsibility in maintaining security and protecting demonstrators, and public and private properties. He reiterated his call to meet the people’s rightful demands, urging the government, parliament, the judiciary and political parties to be responsible. Meanwhile, in an unprecedented move, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Iraq (SRGC) Jeanine Hennis Plasschaert visited Tahrir Square and joined the demonstrators. Rather than holding talks with Iraqi political leaders, Plasschaert arrived at the Square with little protection, riding a tuk tuk. The tour comes after the UN condemned the use of violence against demonstrators by the Iraqi authorities. The SRGC called for a national dialogue to identify prompt and meaningful responses to break the vicious cycle of violence, and to unite against the perils of division and inaction. “Standing together, Iraqis can find the common ground needed to shape a better future for all.”
from Asharq AL-awsat https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/1970031/tug-war-between-iraqi-political-parties-pm%E2%80%99s-resignation
Kuwait - Asharq Al-Awsat
King Abdullah II of Jordan holds talks with Emir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmed on bilateral relations and the latest regional developments on Wednesday (Photo courtesy of Royal Court)
Emir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmed and King Abdullah II of Jordan held talks on Wednesday on bilateral relations and the latest regional developments. The two sides stressed the importance of maintaining cooperation and coordination on issues of mutual concern in the best interest of the two peoples and in service of Arab and Islamic causes, stated Minister of Amiri Diwan Affairs Sheikh Ali Al-Jarrah Al-Sabah. The talks were attended by Kuwaiti Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah, Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, and senior state officials from both countries. The Jordanian king arrived in Kuwait on Wednesday and was received by the emir of Kuwait. King Abdullah II is accompanied by a delegation of Jordan's foreign minister Ayman Safadi and a number of seniors. Further, envoy of Sheikh Sabah, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah delivered Wednesday a message from Kuwait’s Emir to Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. The message handles fraternal relations and ways of promoting and developing them in all fields, issues of mutual interest and the latest regional and international developments.
from Asharq AL-awsat https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/1970006/kuwait%E2%80%99s-emir-holds-talks-jordan%E2%80%99s-king
Asharq Al-Awsat
FILE PHOTO: Turkish-backed Free Syrian Army fighters are seen in Maryamayn in eastern Afrin, Syria March 11, 2018. REUTERS/Khalil Ashawi
At least eight people were killed on Thursday when a car bomb exploded in a vegetable market in the northwest Syrian city of Afrin, under control of Turkey-backed opposition groups, witnesses and a rescuer said. They said the blast also wounded at least 30. The Turkish military helped by its Syrian allies seized Afrin, a mainly Kurdish city, from the Kurdish YPG in March 2018 in a major offensive. Turkish forces have since carved out a buffer zone inside northern Syria that extends along most of the country’s border. Videos posted on social media showed extensive damage to the market area with fires burning. Similar car blasts frequently hit crowded civilian areas in the mainly Arab populated towns near the border with Turkey under the control of Turkish-backed forces. Turkish forces launched their offensive inside Syria this month with a view to setting up a safe zone in mainly Arab populated border areas east of the Euphrates that the Kurdish-led forces control. It has pushed Kurdish fighters out of parts of the strip.
from Asharq AL-awsat https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/1969991/car-blast-kills-8-syrias-afrin
Algeria: Army Chief Insists on Holding Elections as Scheduled
Arab World
Algiers - Boualem Goumrassa
Algerian Army Chief of Staff Ahmed Gaid Salah (File Photo: AFP)
Algerian Army Chief of Staff Ahmed Gaid Salah affirmed that the presidential elections will take place on December 12 as scheduled, and reiterated his rejection for releasing individuals who were detained for carrying the Amazigh flag. "All guarantees related to the elections have been provided and everything is fine," said the army chief, adding that conditions are favorable for elections to be held on time. The Army Chief asserted at the headquarters of the Air Defense Command in Algiers that the elections will be held as scheduled because this is what the people want, except the “gang”, in reference to figures of the regime of former President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, most of whom are currently in prison. Salah, who is the de facto ruler in the country, was responding to the protesters who called last Friday for changing the date of the election. In his speech published by the Ministry of Defense, Salah said that Algerian youth, “have reached a high degree of awareness and are determined to go to the presidential elections.” The whole Algerian people, except for the “gangs”, realized that all the conditions are ready for electing a new president, who will implement a program suitable to build a new Algeria, where there is no place for illegal and obsolete practices. Army Chief stressed that the army was committed to protecting the people until the end of the sensitive stage of presidential elections. He pointed out that the youth will not respond to the propaganda led by the enemies aiming to obstruct the course of the elections, asserting that they will not back down especially after all they have achieved in this short period. The army chief responded to human rights activists demanding the release of 20 protesters who had been imprisoned for raising the Amazigh flag. In his speech, Salah noted that what they did is considered an insult to the “national flag” which is a symbol of national sovereignty and their demands are rejected, adding that the judicial system is handling their case without any pressures or dictations.
from Asharq AL-awsat https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/1969986/algeria-army-chief-insists-holding-elections-scheduled
The oil industry faces an uncertain future. The world is rapidly waking up to the severity and immediacy of the threat from climate change. At the same time, electric vehicles are getting cheap enough to compete with internal-combustion engines. This doesn’t mean the petroleum industry will die. Plastics, most of which are derived from oil, will continue to be important for a huge variety of consumer and industrial applications. And aircraft and ships will take longer to shift from oil-based fuels. But it does mean that consumption will shrink. Where a decade ago people talked fearfully of oil supplies running out, now some are predicting that demand for the black stuff will peak in just a few years. But the pain felt by these titans, and by smaller producers, will only be the beginning. Those companies lie at the center of a vast network of suppliers and oil-services companies, which all will feel the sting of reduced demand. And regions that depend heavily on oil-related industries will see their economies suffer. Biggest and richest among these regions is Texas, which still produces more than a third of the country’s oil and has benefitted tremendously from the fracking boom. Houston has become a superstar city, attracting talented people from all over the globe to work on the advanced technologies that sustain the petroleum industry. Although the state has diversified its economy quite a lot since the 1980s, by some estimates 1 out of 8 jobs in Texas are supported by oil. A big structural contraction in the oil industry won’t destroy the Texas economy, but it would be a stiff headwind for decades. Jobs are already being lost as the industry retrenches, thanks to low prices. Meanwhile, the nearby states of Oklahoma and Louisiana are just as exposed, as are many lightly populated states such as North Dakota and Wyoming. Workers in the energy industry need to be prepared for this shift. For knowledge workers, such as geologists, chemists, and software engineers, this means cultivating technical skills that can be useful in other fields such as information technology, pharmaceuticals, health care or finance. For managers, it means establishing a network of professional contacts outside the oil and gas industry. Transitioning out of the industry might mean relocating, but chances are that a city such as Houston will be able to leverage existing concentrations of human capital to lure in new industries. In two decades, Houston might be known as a biotechnology hub. Lower-skilled workers and fracking boom towns, however, will have a much harder time landing on their feet. In contrast to the coal industry, which has shrunk over the years to only about 50,000 miners, the oil and gas industry employs more than 700,000 blue-collar workers. Just like manufacturing workers who lost their jobs to Chinese competition in the 2000s or construction workers laid off in the Great Recession, these workers are going to have difficulty finding new jobs for similar pay. The problem will be compounded for those who live in the small towns and cities that grew up around oil-extraction sites. Americans have been less willing to move from place to place in search of work in recent decades, and big cities are no longer lands of opportunity for those without an advanced education. The decline of the oil industry may leave the country dotted with yet more decaying half-empty ghost towns, unable to pay for the upkeep on their infrastructure, afflicted with drugs and alcoholism and suicide. (Bloomberg)
from Asharq AL-awsat https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/1969976/noah-smith/future-oil
Lebanon: Bank Employees Are Back to Work, Doors to Open on Friday
Arab World
Beirut- Ali
Lebanon: Bank Employees Are Back to Work, Doors to Open on Friday
Coordination between banking and financial authorities have increased, with the aim of adopting procedures to alleviate the currency crisis ahead of the resumption of activities at the financial markets and institutions. In remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat, a senior banking official said that reassuring the internal or external markets would begin with the adoption of the right political track, mainly the beginning of parliamentary consultations and the nomination of the new prime minister. He also said that clear directions must be set in order to overcome uncertainty obscuring the objective vision. Just as Prime Minister Saad Hariri’s resignation led foreign investors to abandon Lebanese bonds, his reassignment or the appointment of another figure with his approval would automatically reverse the expectations. The senior banking official told Asharq Al-Awsat that the market balance would likely be restored beginning of next week, with the resumption of the financial market activity. He added that Banque du Liban (BDL), with the support of the Lebanese Banks Association, would obviously play a pivotal role in re-establishing financial stability and controlling liquidity during the process of forming a new government. The financial sector would also urge political officials to accelerate this phase in order to prevent a further decline that could lead to economic and monetary disasters. Meanwhile, bank employees were asked to return to work on Thursday to complete internal preparations and logistics before opening the doors to customers on Friday. Clearly, banks will be fully prepared to meet the potential withdrawal of deposits. Exceptional liquidity has already been provided from their reserves and from the Central Bank. These topics topped the agenda of Wednesday’s meeting between BDL Governor Riad Salameh and the head of the Association of Banks, Salim Sfeir, during which an agreement was reached to continue pumping cash through ATMs, raise the ceilings of withdrawals to a minimum of one million LBP per day, and reduce the restrictions of operations that prevent customers from withdrawing from all ATMs.
from Asharq AL-awsat https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/1969971/lebanon-bank-employees-are-back-work-doors-open-friday
Khamenei Accuses US, Allies of Backing ‘Turmoil’ in Lebanon, Iraq
Iran
London - Tehran - Asharq Al-Awsat
A handout picture released by the official website of Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei shows him (L) during the graduation of military cadets in Tehran on October 30, 2019. (Photo by HO / Iranian Supreme Leader's Website / AFP)
Iran's supreme leader Ali Khamenei has contradicted himself by saying that the demands of protesters in Iraq and Lebanon are rightful while accusing the US and its allies of being behind the unrest. The Americans and Western intelligence services "backed by the money" of some countries in the region "are causing turmoil... to destroy security", said Khamenei on Wednesday. "The people of Iraq and Lebanon have some demands that are rightful, but they should know these demands can only be realised within the legal frameworks," he said in remarks aired on state television. "The enemy wants to disrupt the legal framework. When in a country there is no legal framework and a vacuum is created, no positive action can be taken," he was quoted by his official website as telling graduating army cadets. In an apparent warning, Khamenei praised Iran's crackdown against street protests at home that started in December 2017 and lasted till mid January 2018. At the time, he said Iran’s foreign enemies were seeking to overthrow the country’s regime. The editor-in-chief of the daily Kayhan, believed to reflect Khamenei’s views, on Wednesday renewed his call on Iran-backed militias mainly Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) to storm the US and Saudi embassies in Baghdad. He said the two missions were responsible for the recent turmoil in Iraq. Earlier this month, the newspaper urged in an article the PMF to close “the house of spying,” in reference to measures needed to be taken similar to the storming of the US embassy in Tehran in 1979, which cut diplomatic relations between the US and Iran.
from Asharq AL-awsat https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/1969961/khamenei-accuses-us-allies-backing-%E2%80%98turmoil%E2%80%99-lebanon-iraq
Football’s Diverse Landscape Remains Polluted by Racists Despite Our Outrage
Sports
London - Andrew Anthony
Napoli fans hold up photographs and a banner in support of Kalidou Koulibaly after the Senegalese defender was racially abused in December 2018. Photograph: Cesare Abbate/AP
Taiz - Asharq Al-Awsat
Sign of mines. (AFP Photo/KARIM SAHIB)
The Yemeni National Army’s Joint Forces Engineering Team has announced clearing a Houthi minefield south of Hodeidah. Engineer Anis Hussein Saif said that the engineering teams were able to detect and clear the mines planted by the Houthi militias before being expelled from the neighborhood of Mandhar and its vicinity, farms and roads, which prevented many citizens from returning home. Saif pointed out that the presence of large numbers of mines and improvised explosive devices planted by militias in villages and farms in Hodeidah province has caused the death and injury of many innocent citizens, especially women and children. This week, the insurgents have suffered human and material losses in their battles with the Yemeni National Army, which is backed by the Saudi-led Arab Coalition. Clashes erupted in Naham directorate, the eastern gateway to Sanaa, al-Jawf, and Hajjah province in which the militias cleared their fleeing members. In Taiz, which has been besieged by the insurgents for five years, Colonel Abdul Basit Al Bahar, the deputy spokesperson for Yemen's army in Taiz, told Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper that several insurgents were killed. The fifth military region announced Tuesday repelling a new offensive by the Houthis on army sites in Al-Tina village of Hajjah in northwestern Yemen. In its statement, the region said that a Houthi offensive was thwarted in the early hours of Tuesday following a three-hour battle.
from Asharq AL-awsat https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/1969916/houthi-minefield-cleared-yemen%E2%80%99s-hodeidah
Robbie Fowler: 'At Times You Can Never Win When You Go Into Management'
Sports
London - Ben Smee
‘I’m a person that has had a relatively good career as a player, so people will always have an opinion.’ Photograph: Dan Peled/AAP
Brisbane Roar’s coach on wanting to be taken seriously as a manager, being a ‘test case’, and staying up into the early hours to watch Liverpool on TV ‘I’m a person that has had a relatively good career as a player, so people will always have an opinion.’ Photograph: Dan Peled/AAP Half the world away from Merseyside, Robbie Fowler’s porcelain white face has flushed red in the Australian morning sun. The former Liverpool striker, now head coach of the A-League’s Brisbane Roar, has been buzzing around the training pitch, running drills in a way some managers might think undignified. When the ball falls to his feet, just like it did as an 18-year-old on his debut, Fowler can still make football seem an effortless caper. In retirement, a striker’s eye for goal is about as useless as a Tuesday yard sale. Fowler knows the same raw talent that propelled his playing career won’t help him as a manager. Which partly explains the reason he has spent the past decade away from the scrutiny of top-flight football; relearning the game by studying for coaching badges and honing the craft by working with academy players. “I think back on myself as a player, I was maybe pushed right in at the deep end and I did well,” Fowler says. “But now as a manager I’m not pushed in at the deep end and I feel comfortable, I feel competent and more than equipped.” Fowler spent two seasons playing in Australia at the end of his career, before he briefly took charge of Thai side Muangthong United in 2012. After Thailand he decided to pursue a patient path into management, even as his contemporaries began to find themselves in thrust into prominent roles, armed with ambition rather than experience. Fowler, 44, is two years younger than Ole Gunnar Solskjær, now in charge at Manchester United. Frank Lampard quit playing only three years ago, and has taken the reins at Chelsea. “Like any player, you want to be the best you can at whatever level you can reach,” Fowler says. “I was never going to start in the Premier League straight away, so for me it was a case of starting somewhere which was a good level. It has been years of hard work in terms of coaching. I knew I wanted to go through all the coaching badges and get to the level required because I wanted people to take me seriously. “When you stop playing you want to go straight into the next chapter of your life as soon as possible. Of course I would have liked to have done it a little bit earlier but in a way I’m so glad it worked out the way it did because I’ve got … the Fifa pro licence. When you’ve got that people think ‘well, maybe he is a little bit serious’. “When you have been quite a good player, at times you can never win when you go into management because people maybe expect a little bit more. If you don’t get things right it’s always the case of ‘I told you so’.” Fowler’s decision to make career strides in Australia, rather than the English lower leagues, certainly does not reflect a lack of ambition. It also has some distinct advantages. Brisbane shipped a record 71 goals and won just four games last season, finishing second last. Fowler has a remit for a bottom-up rebuild of the club, which was once the league’s powerhouse, and he has brought in nine players from various lower league sides back at home. The scenario feels like a test of his abilities as a football league manager, but without the same in-your-face scrutiny he would experience in the football league. “Sometimes you pick up your paper and you don’t even read about football, which to me is really strange,” Fowler says. “[But] I don’t think [there will be a lack of scrutiny in Australia]; I’m a person that has had a relatively good career as a player so people will always have an opinion anyway. “The good thing for me coming here is that I can get my own blueprint. You saw Brisbane last year and without being disrespectful they definitely struggled. They had an ageing team who needed change and a different mentality, a different mindset. We’re a new team and we want to do well. The players we’ve brought in, some of them from the lower leagues of the the UK, are doing really well.” Fowler’s first match in charge, against reigning champions Perth Glory – an away trip roughly the distance between the UK and Kazakhstan – brought back a creditable point with a side featuring nine debutants. On the Monday before his second match in charge, having been forced to park the momentum of the result against Perth during the league’s newly-introduced bye-week, Fowler looks slightly weary as he trudges off the training pitch after a morning session, but for good reason. Liverpool’s late equaliser at Old Trafford went in about 3.20am. Fowler is quickly remembering what it means to be serious about football in a backward timezone. “I’m not a great sleeper anyway so I actually stayed up and watched it,” Fowler says. “It’s what you do with football isn’t it?” In spite of the horrendous kick-off times, Fowler says the laid-back Australian experience might help shape his management style, and also help to encourage potential managers and players to find career opportunities off the beaten track. “I wanted to be as successful and to do as well as what I can. For me it didn’t really matter where it was. We could be a little bit of a test case, if you like, for managers or players at clubs. The lifestyle is a big thing because you don’t play as many games so you can go through a season without all the aches and pains and niggles, and enjoy the fact we play one game a week. “I want the players to enjoy it. The enjoyment comes with winning games right through to training sessions. We are trying to get them to enjoy the ball, to get them to love it a little bit more. That doesn’t mean we don’t want to be competitive. I think we will be competitive.” The Guardian Sport
from Asharq AL-awsat https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/1969891/robbie-fowler-times-you-can-never-win-when-you-go-management
Cairo Succeeds in Having Outside Mediator in Renaissance Dam Talks
Arab World
Cairo - Mohamed Nabil Helmy
Water flows through Ethiopia's Grand Renaissance Dam as it undergoes construction work on the river Nile in Guba Woreda, Benishangul Gumuz Region, Ethiopia September 26, 2019. REUTERS/Tiksa Negeri/File Photo
Egypt has succeeded in having an international mediation in the talks with Ethiopia and Sudan over the Renaissance Dam after it was agreed that the foreign ministers of the three countries would meet in Washington on Nov. 6 in the presence of US officials to bring their viewpoints closer. An international mediation in the negotiations over the giant hydropower dam that Ethiopia is building on the Blue Nile is seen as a success for Cairo, which had called for such mediation in the past few weeks. In a joint press conference with his German counterpart Heiko Maas, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said: "The US administration invited the three countries to meet in the United States on Nov. 6 in the presence of representatives from the American administration to discuss breaking the deadlock in the ongoing negotiations.” Shoukry said it was important to continue the efforts for reaching an agreement among the three countries based on the Declaration of Principles signed in 2015. "Demanding a mediator proves the good intention of Egypt to reach a solution in the dam crisis," the FM noted. He added that Cairo has recognized the rights of Addis Ababa in seeking development on condition that the rights "wouldn't negatively affect Egypt.” For his part, Maas called for resolving the dam crisis by reaching an agreement through dialogue. Last Thursday, the Egyptian and Ethiopian leaders agreed to the immediate resumption of the work by a technical committee trying to agree on the operating terms of the Dam, an Egyptian presidential spokesman said. For eight years, Ethiopia, Egypt and Sudan have been engaged in tripartite talks to reach a final agreement on the rules of filling and operating the dam, without reaching any result. In 2011, Addis Ababa announced the construction of the $4 billion dam to be the centerpiece of Ethiopia’s bid to become Africa’s biggest power exporter, generating more than 6,000 megawatts. Egypt fears that the dam will damage its limited share of the Nile water, about 55.5 billion cubic meters, which the country needs for more than 90 percent for its supply of drinking water, irrigation for agriculture and industry.
from Asharq AL-awsat https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/1969881/cairo-succeeds-having-outside-mediator-renaissance-dam-talks
Machines to Reduce Plastic Wastes in Moscow's Metro Station
Varieties
Moscow - Asharq Al-Awsat
People put plastic bottles into a recycling machine in San Giovanni metro station in Rome, Italy, on September 27, 2019. (REUTERS/Remo Casilli)
The plastic, metal, and glass bottles used in the soft and mineral drinks industry have become an annoying problem for citizens and authorities in most countries. The excessive use of these bottles has aggravated the waste crisis, and the scattered garbage in certain spots in metro stations and subways has distorted the clean image of these places. In order to encounter the environmental harms, and maintain hygiene in transportation facilities, the Russian capital plans to deploy special machines, similar to those selling soft drinks and snacks, but with a reverse role: buying plastic and metal bottles from citizens. According to the proposal, which is being considered by the Russian authorities in cooperation with the environment and transport ministries, the new machines will be deployed in metro stations and subways, so commuters can use them to dispose empty bottles. Based on a given mechanism, the machines would transfer a credit into transit passes to offer passengers one or more free trips. Experts are currently studying the implementation of the proposed project backed by the concerned official institutions, and mainly the environment ministry, which sees it as an opportunity to encounter the unwanted waste phenomenon, and a step towards endorsing a bill that ban the use of such types of containers. The project supporters agree that the idea could address the waste problem, because citizens would prefer to "throw wastes" in a machine that gives them some money in return, rather than throwing it anywhere else, without benefits. Therefore, they advise everyone "If you are a subway passenger, keep the bottles, and you will get a free trip."
from Asharq AL-awsat https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/1969866/machines-reduce-plastic-wastes-moscows-metro-station
New Technique to Help Restaurants' Owners Analyze Customers' Emotions
Varieties
Moscow - Taha Abdul Wahed
A waiter at Tony's Restaurant, part of the Casablanca Hotel, in Times Square in New York. | DON EMMERT/AFP/Getty Images
Recreational and service facilities such as restaurants, cafes, malls and shops spend large sums on "feasibility" studies to determine the turnout, and set mechanisms to improve services in order to attract more customers. To minimize these expenses, a research team from the Russian State University of Management has developed a new technique that monitors and analyzes people's emotions and behaviors in public places. The data provided by the new technique could help the owners of these places estimate the turnout, preferences among customers, and the fans of a given meal or a special ambiance in restaurant or cafe. Mikhael Sotolov, director of the university's digital economy and accurate technologies department, said the technology in question is a program or application that processes the images it receives from cameras installed around restaurants or cafes. The algorithms used in this technique analyze the reaction of customers sitting in a specific place, identify permanent customers who frequently visit the restaurant (mall or any other places) and analyze their behavior. Sotolov explained that for restaurants in particular, this new program helps assess the satisfaction and happiness of customers, as well as their emotions when tasting meals, and thus helps improve performance to meet the clients' demands, without having to ask them, but by reviewing the data after each update at work, whether on the level of service or menu. Sotolov stressed that the restaurants and cafes that adopt the "reward" system for permanent customers are interested in the new program, because it helps them identify those customers, and serve them additional services and special meals by monitoring their emotions. At the same time, managers of restaurant chains can benefit from the program, which enables them to "realistically" assess the quality of service, and the performance of staff in different branches across the city. The technique is not just a video surveillance feature, but a source of analytical facial expressions that help evaluate the mood and emotions of employees during working hours. This can contribute to addressing situations that workers may face, and to determine whether they are under stress, or face problems in their personal lives and help them when they need.
from Asharq AL-awsat https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/1969846/new-technique-help-restaurants-owners-analyze-customers-emotions
Bolsonaro Says from Riyadh he Wants Brazil to Join OPEC
Business
Riyadh - Mosaed al-Zayani
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro speaks during the Future Investment Initiative forum in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2019. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil)
Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro said Wednesday he was keen for his country to join OPEC, a move that would add the most significant new producer to the oil cartel for years. "I would personally like Brazil to become a member of OPEC," Bolsonaro said at the Future Investment Summit (FII) conference in Riyadh. But he said he would have to consult his economy and energy ministers to ensure they could follow through if a decision was made. The comments come ahead of a massive auction of oil rights in Brazil, which is boosting output rapidly. OPEC membership would likely require Brazil to limit oil production, potentially throwing future expansion plans into doubt. The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries groups top exporter Saudi Arabia and 13 other countries. Since 2017, OPEC has had a deal with several non-member producers, excluding Brazil, to limit supply in an effort to bolster prices. Bolsonaro said at the FII conference that Brazil had larger oil reserves than some OPEC members and that the country would help stabilize the global market as it becomes one of the top six producers in the world. Brazil would be the most significant producer in years to join OPEC, founded in 1960. The country's current output would make it OPEC's third-largest producer, far above that of recent new members such as Congo and Equatorial Guinea. OPEC delegates said membership talks with Brazil were ongoing, but it had made no formal request to join the group. Oil output has been rising rapidly in Brazil from offshore fields and production surged by 220,000 barrels per day (bpd) in August to a record 3.1 million bpd, according to the International Energy Agency. That would make Brazil the third-largest OPEC producer after Saudi Arabia and Iraq, pumping the equivalent of more than 10 percent of current OPEC output, Reuters reported. Brazilian authorities have approved 14 companies to participate in a huge oil bidding round next week, in which total signing bonuses are expected to set a new record above $25 billion, according to national oil regulator ANP. The so-called transfer-of-rights auction, scheduled for Nov. 6, has drawn interest from an array of global oil majors.
from Asharq AL-awsat https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/1969806/bolsonaro-says-riyadh-he-wants-brazil-join-opec
Protests renewed in Lebanon on Wednesday evening despite the calm the country witnessed a day after the resignation of Prime Minister Saad Hariri. A number of Lebanese protesters were seen demonstrating and blocking some roads across the country. At the so-called Ring bridge in Beirut, protesters cut one way of the road and said they demand that political parties agree on a cabinet of technocrats able to implement economic reforms. Other protesters blocked the highway linking Tripoli to the Lebanese capital in the north with metal barriers, saying that their protests should continue until all their demands are met. Despite a decision by Caretaker Education Minister Akram Chehayeb that schools reopen on Thursday, Lebanon’s National News Agency said many schools in Beirut and areas surrounding it decided late Wednesday to remain closed the next day. Separately, the Free Patriotic Movement, which is headed by caretaker Lebanese Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil, rejected that Hariri heads a nonpartisan government. “The FPM supports applying the same norms when forming the next cabinet,” Antoine Constantine, a senior adviser to Bassil, told Asharq Al-Awsat on Wednesday. Therefore, he said, if a decision is taken to form a nonpartisan government, the same norms should be applied on the Prime Minister. This means the FPM would not accept that Hariri heads a cabinet of technocrats. The Progressive Socialist Party (PSP) of Walid Jumblatt said it would support Hariri for being renamed prime minister if the circumstances allow. PSP media officer Rami Rayyes told Asharq Al-Awsat that it was still very early to say whether the party would join the new government. For its part, the Lebanese Forces said it does not object to Hariri being tasked in forming the new cabinet. “Currently, Lebanon needs a technocrat government, free of any political representation, capable of salvaging the economic and financial situation and to secure local and foreign support,” LF resigned minister Richard Kouyumjian told Asharq Al-Awsat on Wednesday.
from Asharq AL-awsat https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/1969776/protests-return-lebanon-day-after-hariri%E2%80%99s-resignation
