Houthi Missile Attack on Mosque, Religious School Kills and Injures 29 Civilians in Yemen
Arab World
Asharq Al-Awsat
A pro-government tribal fighter sits in a position where he fights against the Houthis in Marib, Yemen October 2, 2020 (Reuters)
A Houthi ballistic missile attack on a mosque and a religious school killed and injured 29 civilians, including women and children, in the Yemeni province of Marib, the country’s information minister said in a statement on Twitter on Monday. Two ballistic missiles were used in the attack late on Sunday, Marib governor’s office said in a statement. Fighting between legitimate government forces and the Iran-backed Houthi militias has escalated in recent months. The United Nations says some 10,000 people were displaced in September by fighting in Marib. It is calling for a humanitarian corridor for aid.
from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/3278286/houthi-missile-attack-mosque-religious-school-kills-and-injures-29-civilians
Asharq Al-Awsat
Visitors wearing protective face masks pose for a picture at Shanghai Disney Resort in Shanghai, China May 11, 2020. REUTERS/Aly Song
Shanghai Disneyland was closed Monday over a single coronavirus case, as Chinese authorities pressed ahead with their zero-infection strategy ahead of the Winter Olympics. China had reduced most domestic cases to a trickle throughout the pandemic, but a flare-up in recent weeks has tested Beijing's determination to eliminate Covid-19 as much of the rest of the world opens up. There were 92 new cases reported Monday -- the highest since mid-September, AFP said. Shanghai Disneyland closed after a woman who visited the park tested positive after returning home to a neighboring province, state media said. Disneyland said it would be remain shut for at least Monday and Tuesday "to follow the requirement(s) of pandemic prevention and control". The reopening date was yet to be confirmed, it added. The park began barring new visitors from entering on Sunday, with everyone in the park required to take a Covid-19 test before leaving. Nearly 34,000 people had been tested by Monday morning, the city government said. All tests came back negative, it said, but added that those affected must stay away from work or school for at least two days and undergo further testing. State media footage showed scores of health workers in hazmat suits inside Disneyland, as masked visitors waited underneath fireworks at the park's landmark castle. The closure comes after Beijing's newly opened Universal Studios said Saturday that close contacts of infected people had been found among the previous weekend's visitors. All staff at the theme park -- which entered a "state of emergency prevention" on Friday -- have tested negative and no trace of the virus had been detected on the site, the park added. Chinese authorities have shown no sign of relenting on their strict zero-Covid policy. Beijing is due to host the Winter Olympics in under 100 days, and authorities have said eradicating the virus is their biggest challenge in the run-up. About six million people are under lockdown orders, mostly in northern parts of China. Mi Feng, spokesperson for the National Health Commission, said at a press conference Saturday that authorities would continue to "strictly prohibit people in locked-down communities from leaving their homes". Beijing introduced new curbs on Saturday, including closing all cinemas in one western district.
from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/3278281/shanghai-disneyland-closed-over-single-covid-case
Saudi, US FMs Discuss Efforts to Consolidate Peace
Gulf
Rome - Asharq Al-Awsat
Saudi FM Prince Faisal bin Farhan meets with Blinken in Rome. (SPA)
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah held talks on Sunday with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on the strategic and historic ties that bind their countries. Meeting on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Rome, they tackled means to bolster these relations in all fields to and to boost joint coordination. They also addressed several regional and international issues of interest, including efforts to bolster security and stability in the Middle East and the world. They tackled joint efforts to combat climate change and protect the environment in order to bolster international sustainable development. Prince Faisal and Blinken reviewed the Saudi Green and Middle East Green initiatives that will help in protecting the planet and achieve international goals to that end. The officials also reviewed the latest developments in Sudan and exchanged views on Iran’s nuclear program. While in Rome, Prince Faisal met with African Union Commission (AUC) Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat. They discussed Saudi Arabia’s ties with the AU and ways of bolstering them in various fields.
from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/3278261/saudi-us-fms-discuss-efforts-consolidate-peace
The UK Hopes for Ambitious and Innovative Targets in COP26
Interviews
Glasgow - Najlaa Habriri
James Cleverly
The crucial COP26 summit opened Sunday in Glasgow, on the backdrop of calls to grasp the world’s “last, best hope” to keep global temperatures from rising by more than 1.5 degrees Celsius in comparison with pre-industrial times. As 25.000 delegates from almost 200 countries descended on the Scottish city for two weeks of intense negotiations, the UK which is hosting the UN climate summit in partnership with Italy, is hoping that participating countries will present ambitious and innovative targets. “It is incredibly important that the international community takes steps now to green our economies, reduce our reliance on hydrocarbons and to hand the planet to future generations in good order. That is what we are hoping to achieve with our friends and partners around the globe in COP26”, asserts James Cleverly, Minister for the Middle East and North Africa. In an interview with Asharq Al-Awsat on the eve of the summit, Cleverly says it is really important that “the world comes together, and recommits itself to preventing the increase in temperatures to 1.5 degrees Celsius. Particularly in the Middle East and North Africa, where there are already issues of water scarcity, where the impact of climate is most acutely felt”. One of the main aims of COP26 is to sharply cut greenhouse emissions in the coming decades, and slow the heating of the planet. “The UK is very proud of the fact that we have the fastest reduction of greenhouse gases of all the countries in the G7”, says Cleverly. He explains: “We managed to do that, whilst still growing our economy. We made a commitment to net zero by 2050, and we are incredibly pleased that other countries around the world are making big commitments”. In fact, adds the UK Minister, “we are very pleased with Saudi Arabia making a very high profile commitment to move to net zero. And we really hope that all the countries who are participating in COP26 will be ambitious with their targets, that they will really push for new ideas and innovations, and really commit themselves to preventing climate change, to improving the environment and to making sure that we have a planet on which we are all able to live”. High profile targets In a meeting last week, people from civil society in the MENA region raised the alarm about the “the impact climate change is already having in the region, with regards to water shortages, the Eastern Mediterranean having record high sea temperatures, etc”. “That is why commitments made by countries in the region, as was the case with Saudi Arabia’s very ambitious announcement, are so important”, Cleverly says. He adds: “If countries which are famous for oil and gas production make such a powerful commitment to Net Zero, then that shows the world that all of us have a responsibility and all of us can play a part”. Economic opportunities Whilst climate change poses an existential challenge to the world, the UK has been asking its partners around the globe to also view it as “a fantastic opportunity for technology, and for countries and business to work together”. Cleverly considers that “there will be a whole range of new economic opportunities that come out of this agenda”, and adds: “We should be positive and excited about this, and we should see this as a way to grow our international bonds, our technology, and commercial links”. “We need to embrace this as an opportunity, and not just as a problem to be managed”. Commitments Vs Actions Critics and environmental activists are skeptical about COP’s chances of success, and call on leaders to do more to translate commitments into action. “A very important part of COP26 is building on the excellent work that took place in Paris (in 2015), to make sure that we turn those aspirations into real and meaningful actions, because that’s what is going to make a difference”, Cleverly said. However, he maintained that “commitments are important, we mustn’t ignore that. But we must now hold ourselves collectively to those commitments, and finds ways of turning those words into action”. And that can only be done collaboratively and internationally, in Cleverly’s view. “And that is why we are coming together physically (as opposed to virtually), so we can look each other in the eye, sit down around the table, and really make a difference”. The Minister also highlighted the incredibly wide engagement with the summit, and said: “I am really proud that so many world leaders are coming together. It is an incredibly well attended conference, in terms of countries that have committed to sending very senior delegations. And I am really keen that we take this opportunity to take genuine and meaningful steps forward”. Xi and Putin’s absence Despite the large international presence in COP26, the absence of two main players, namely Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin, has not gone unnoticed. In regards to that, Cleverly admits that “the commitment of countries like Russia and China is incredibly important”. But adds: “we should remember that a huge number of very senior leaders will be there. Obviously we want to make sure that the whole world is pulling in this direction. We will continue working with countries around the world, and we will continue pushing this agenda forward”. He adds: “Obviously, physical presence in Glasgow is incredibly important, but even if some world leaders are not there, we will continue pushing this agenda forward”. Global Britain In hosting COP26, and the G7 leaders summit last summer, the UK is asserting its role on the international stage as “Global Britain”. “The Prime Minister, the Foreign Secretary and the whole of the government are absolutely committed for the UK to be an engaged player on the global stage, to champion issues that we feel are important, like climate change and improving the environment”, Cleverly asserts. He continues: “As well as coordinating and convening, we are determined to take the lead on being a really effective global country, to drive forward economic advantage, but to do so in a way that protects the environment and is fair and underpinned with the UK’s principles”.
from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/3278256/uk-hopes-ambitious-and-innovative-targets-cop26
Asharq Al-Awsat
US President Joe Biden speaks at the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, US, March 30, 2021. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst
President Joe Biden said on Sunday that the United States will "respond" to actions Iran has taken against Washington's interests, including drone strikes. On Friday, the US issued a fresh round of Iran-related sanctions tied to a Revolutionary Guard Corps drone program that it said threatened regional stability. American officials have blamed Iran for a drone attack on a remote US outpost in Syria. Officials said last week the US believes Iran resourced and encouraged the attack, but that the drones were not launched from Iran.
from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/3278251/biden-says-us-will-respond-irans-actions
Saudi Arabia Strongly Condemns Terrorist Bombing in Aden
Gulf
Asharq Al-Awsat
Security personnel inspect the site of an explosion outside Aden international airport in Aden, Yemen, October 30, 2021. (Reuters)
Saudi Arabia strongly condemned the cowardly terrorist bombing that targeted the entrance to international airport in the interim Yemeni capital Aden on Saturday. The Foreign Ministry said the attack, which was carried out by “forces of evil”, was not only aimed against the legitimate government, but the entire fraternal Yemeni people, who are longing for security, peace, stability and prosperity. It expressed the Kingdom’s solidarity with Yemen and its people, as it has since day one of their crisis. It called on all parties to continue to implement the Riyadh Agreement to unite ranks, confront terrorism, achieve security and stability and restore their state. At least six people were killed and dozens injured in Saturday’s attack, according to Reuters.
from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/3278246/saudi-arabia-strongly-condemns-terrorist-bombing-aden
UAE Approves Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine for Ages 5-11
Gulf
Asharq Al-Awsat
A medical professional carries out a swab test for the COVID-19 virus at a drive-thru testing center in Abu Dhabi, UAE. (File/Reuters)
The UAE has approved for emergency use the Pfizer-BioNtech COVID-19 vaccine for children aged 5-11, the health ministry said in a statement carried by state media on Monday. Before this decision the only vaccine that had been approved for use in very young children was the Sinopharm vaccine which was approved for ages 3-17, with Pfizer shots being available to children above 12, according to Reuters. "The results of clinical studies indicated that the vaccine is safe and has given a strong immune response to children between the age of 5 and 11 years," the statement said of the Pfizer shots. It also said people with chronic diseases who previously received Pfizer-BioNtech or the Russia-developed Sputnik vaccinations can now get a third booster shot. Previously the government had been giving booster shots to people fully vaccinated with Sinopharm vaccines.
from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/3278241/uae-approves-pfizer-covid-19-vaccine-ages-5-11
Pools and tools were hot sellers at the peak of Covid-19 as forced time at home made many people want to upgrade their living space. Some 18 months into the pandemic, case counts are trending down in the US; restaurants, movie theaters and concert venues are open again; and demand for domestic leisure travel has surpassed 2019 levels at times. But consumers just keep spending on their homes. Pentair Plc, a maker of pool pumps, lights and filters, this week reported a 32% jump in sales for that part of its business in the third quarter. The robust growth is on top of a tough comparison to the period a year ago, when pool-related revenue surged a whopping 50%. Pool manufacturers typically run early order promotions during the off-peak winter months to try to keep factories busy, but Pentair already has more demand than it can handle because, like most manufacturers, it’s battling supply-chain snarls. There’s little need to drum up extra sales with discounts this year. Dealers of Pentair equipment are booked well into the third quarter of next year, and homebuilders have backlogs of pool projects that stretch into the latter half of 2022 as well. Asked on a call with Wall Street analysts whether there was anything that might prevent the pool business from growing next year, Pentair Chief Executive Officer John Stauch had a succinct answer: “No.” It was a similar story at Hayward Holdings Inc., which makes pumps, cleaners and automation equipment. Sales jumped 56% in the third quarter, and Hayward this week raised its guidance for the full year to as much as 62% growth. The company projected overall demand for pool construction in the US would be at or above the 35-year median through the next few years and bounce back by 2025 to a level not seen since the housing glut that fueled the 2008 financial crisis. Hayward CEO Kevin Holleran pointed to a shift in preference toward suburban areas, particularly the pool-rich Sun Belt region, and a need to upgrade existing pools in the US, where the average age is now more than 22 years. When consumers build or renovate pools, they also increasingly want them to be digitally connected and operating on a saltwater system. That translates to more dollars and recurring demand. It’s not just pools: Organic sales of Stanley Black & Decker Inc.’s tools and storage products were up more than 25% in the third quarter relative to pre-pandemic levels as consumers continue to invest in home renovations. CEO Jim Loree called it “the strongest demand environment in our history.” The company has $200 million of innovation and growth investment projects in process to help keep it that way, including an expansion of its lineup of electric and autonomous lawn equipment. Air conditioners had a moment during the pandemic as the airborne nature of Covid reinforced the importance of good filtration and ventilation. That trend is showing no signs of abating. Global warming is also aging equipment faster as consumers crank up the AC, and an Environmental Protection Agency ban on sales of an ozone-depleting refrigerant will force many homeowners to replace their systems. Barclays Plc analyst Julian Mitchell estimates residential HVAC sales at Lennox International Inc. are on track to top 2019 levels by 24% next year. Credit-card data tracked by Bank of America Corp. shows that spending at home-improvement stores has actually picked up in recent weeks and is trending about 35% above 2019 levels, despite a recovery in airline bookings and entertainment purchases as the effects of the delta variant fade. “This suggests that the reengagement of leisure services did not come at the expense of goods,” BofA’s US economists Michelle Meyer and Anna Zhou wrote in a report this week. What’s most interesting about this continued boom in home improvement spending is that it’s happening even as these companies push through multiple rounds of price increases to offset rising commodity and logistics costs. Pools in particular are the peak of discretionary purchases: They are large investments that take multiple quarters to complete. So if consumers are still splashing out, they must be feeling pretty good about their finances and fairly confident that their future lifestyles will entail a good amount of time in their backyards. Sales growth isn’t always going to be this gangbusters. But fears that residential spending would fall off a cliff in the back half of 2021 as habits normalized are proving to be unfounded. Bloomberg
from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/3278236/brooke-sutherland/covid-lifestyle-shift-keeps-pool-demand-afloat
A "complex, coordinated and deliberate attack" was how John Kirby, the Pentagon press secretary, on Monday described a recent drone assault on a US military outpost in Syria that helps train local allies to fight ISIS. It was conducted with as many as five Iranian drones, launched by Iranian proxies, and conducted with Iran's aid and blessing. We'll see if there's any kind of US response. The Biden administration is still desperate to get Iran back to the negotiating table to sign a nuclear deal that would free up billions of dollars in funding that Iran can use to conduct more such attacks. Also on Monday, The New York Times' David Sanger reported that a Russian intelligence agency, the SVR, is once again engaged in a campaign "to pierce thousands of US government, corporate and think tank computer networks," according to Microsoft cybersecurity experts. This comes just a few months after President Joe Biden personally warned Vladimir Putin against renewing such attacks — while also going easy on the penalties the US imposed for previous intrusions. Around the same time, Biden announced that "now is the time to de-escalate." It would seem his Russian counterpart doesn't agree. Then there is the sharp and worrying uptick of Chinese military flights approaching Taiwan's airspace. The idea that Beijing may seek to seize the island democracy by force has moved, in a matter of weeks, from a remote prospect to a distinct possibility. Biden has claimed repeatedly that the United States has a treaty obligation to come to Taiwan's defense in the event of an attack, most recently at his CNN town hall last week. Subsequent clarifications from the White House have acknowledged that the United States is obligated by the Taiwan Relations Act only to provide sufficiently for Taiwan's self-defense, without an explicit guarantee of US military intervention. In other words, on one of the central foreign policy challenges of our time, the president can't get his facts straight. On another, he can't seem to get his message across. On the third, it's unclear whether there's any coherent policy at all. America's position in the world as a credible ally to embattled friends and a serious foe to adventurist enemies is visibly crumbling. Biden was elected on a promise of wisdom, experience and competence. Can anyone seriously say that we've gotten that? And it's not just about Taiwan, Iran and Russia. The administration entered office with a sense of where it thought the world was heading. Donald Trump's exit would dramatically improve relations with our allies and at least facilitate diplomacy with our adversaries. A more humane policy on the Southern border would ease the humanitarian crisis. The burden of the pandemic would substantially ease by the Fourth of July. We would make a safe and popular exit from Afghanistan by Sept. 11. The economy would prosper. Now every expectation has gone sideways. Even the administration's one genuine strategic accomplishment — the US-British-Australian nuclear submarine deal, signed at France's expense — was botched. Expect Paris to serve its diplomatic revenge cold the next time we need its help. All of these errors are unforced. And all of them ultimately lie at the feet of the president — a painful reminder, as former Defense Secretary Robert Gates said pithily in 2014, that Biden has a long history of being on the wrong side of major foreign policy and national security issues. But it's also true that the president is being badly advised. Bottom-line advice to the president: Assemble a new national security team now. Be the bigger man and invite people like Gates to join it. The New York Times
from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/3278231/bret-stephens/americas-crumbling-global-position
Asharq Al-Awsat
Arab Coalition spokesman Maj. Gen. Turki al-Malki. Asharq Al-Awsat
Saudi air defenses intercepted and destroyed an explosive-laden drone launched by Houthi militias toward the Kingdom’s southwestern region, the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen said on Sunday. The Arab Coalition added that the drone was targeting a populated area in the city of Khamis Mushait. The Coalition says the Iran-backed militias are committing huge violations of international humanitarian law by attempting to attack civilians.
from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/3278226/saudi-defenses-intercept-houthi-drone
Lebanese Maronite Patriarch Bechara Boutros Al-Rai called on the authorities on Sunday to take a "decisive step" to defuse a crisis with Gulf Arab states over offensive comments made by Information Minister George Kordahi. Rai, who made the plea to President Michel Aoun and Prime Minister Najib Mikati in his Sunday sermon, did not suggest any specific measure. Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries expelled Lebanese envoys in a diplomatic spat following offensive comments against Saudi Arabia made by Kordahi. Saudi Arabia expelled Lebanon's envoy and banned all Lebanese imports on Friday, and Bahrain and Kuwait followed suit, giving the top Lebanese diplomats 48 hours to exit. The United Arab Emirates later said it would withdraw all its diplomats and banned its citizens from travelling to Lebanon. For his part, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah said on Saturday the latest crisis with Lebanon has its origins in a Lebanese political setup that reinforces the dominance of the Iran-backed Hezbollah armed group and continues to allow endemic instability.
from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/3276946/lebanon-rai-calls-authorities-defuse-crisis-gulf
Idlib – Firas Karam
Displaced citizens during the Russian raids north of Syria, near the Turkish border (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Russian jets raided areas in northern Syria, near the Turkish border, including Syrian displacements camps and former military headquarters of the armed Syrian opposition. Anas Kaddour, an official at the Idlib News Center, reported that the Russian warplanes carried out on Saturday eight airstrikes, with high-explosive missiles on Salwa and Qah, north of Idlib, which are about six kilometers from the Turkish border. He indicated that the area contains more than 14 camps for displaced persons, noting that shrapnel from one of the missiles fell on a tent, injuring a child. Kaddour also announced that the Russian fighters raided a mountain hill near the Salwa area, hosting the former headquarters of the Turkish-backed Syrian armed opposition factions without causing any casualties. Russia has expanded its bombing targets to include camp areas, housing thousands of displaced people from different regions of Syria who left their homes due to military operations by Russia and the regime. Opposition activist Samer al-Amin said that the Russian airstrikes over areas in northern Syria near the Turkish border aim to provoke Ankara, forcing it to make concessions. He also noted that these attacks against the military headquarters of Turkey-backed factions, vital centers in cities within the de-escalation zone, and refugee camps on the border show that Ankara is incapable of preventing attacks against civilians within its areas of influence. He pointed out that 45 air raids were executed over the de-escalation zone in northwestern Syria during October. Amin also reported that the regime forces and Iranian-backed militias carried out over 190 ground attacks in various areas of the Idlib governorate, killing 21 civilians, including seven children, six during the Jericho massacre, and a child in the attack over the “widows’ camp,” north of Idlib. Meanwhile, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said that the regime forces and Iranian militias exchanged shelling with the opposition factions at the axes of the al-Ruwaiha area, south of Idlib, accompanied by Russian reconnaissance. SOHR reported an exchange of shelling in the Idlib countryside with heavy weaponry, where Turkish artillery units stationed in the east of Sermin city shot regime positions in Saraqib. Regime forces responded by shelling the perimeter of a Turkish post in Saan village in western Saraqib city. Furthermore, ISIS carried out three sudden attacks targeting members of the Iraqi Hezbollah, the Lebanese Hezbollah, and groups affiliated with the regime forces in the eastern countryside of Hama. The attack resulted in the death of nine members and the injury of several others. A source told Asharq Al-Awsat that a sudden attack by groups affiliated with ISIS on Friday evening targeted a military site of the Iraqi Hezbollah militia near the Uqayribat and Hammadi el-Omr area, killing four of its members and wounding others. He also indicated that two other separate ISIS attacks targeted military vehicles belonging to the Lebanese Hezbollah and other vehicles belonging to the regime forces near Palmyra, east of Homs. Violent clashes erupted between the two, during which five were killed, and two cars were destroyed. He pointed out that Lebanese Hezbollah's military vehicles were targeted while transporting a number of its members, vehicles, and ammunition from the Sukhna area, east of Palmyra, towards Jabal al-Qalamoun on the Syrian-Lebanese border.
from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/3276936/russia-raids-camps-syrian-turkish-border
Iraq: OPEC+ to Meet Demand with Daily Increase of 400,000 Barrels in Oil Output
Business
Baghdad - Asharq Al-Awsat
Iraq says OPEC + daily increase of 400,000 barrels in oil output would be enough to meet demand - File Photo/Reuters
Iraq’s state oil marketing company, SOMO, said on Saturday Iraq sees no need to take any decision to increase its production capabilities beyond what has already been planned for OPEC countries. In the light of increased demand for energy, Iraq sees the OPEC+ agreement raising its output by 400,000 barrels per day (bpd) a month, sufficient to meet demand and stabilize the market, SOMO added in a statement. “Meanwhile Iraq seeks to increase gas production through increasing investment in gas fields,” SOMO added. An OPEC+ committee largely stuck to forecasts of a strong demand rebound this year and next ahead of a meeting next week, at which the group is expected to rubber stamp a planned output increase of 400,000 barrels per day (bpd) in December. The Joint Technical Committee (JTC), which met on Thursday, now expects oil demand to grow by 5.7 million bpd in 2021, 120,000 bpd below OPEC's forecast in its latest monthly report, two OPEC+ sources said, Reuters reported. The JTC left its demand forecast for next year steady at 4.2 million bpd, one of the sources said. OPEC+ forecasts are still higher than those of the International Energy Agency (IEA), which expects oil demand to grow by 5.5 million bpd in 2021 and 3.3 million bpd in 2022. Ministers from the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), Russia and their allies - collectively known as OPEC+ - meet on Nov. 4 to decide output policy. This week Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak told Reuters he expected OPEC+ to go ahead with its planned increase for December, as previously agreed. "Demand (for oil) can decline as there is still uncertainty. We also see there is yet another pandemic wave spreading across the world," Novak said. "The situation of the oil market indicates that the increase in December ... should not exceed 400,000 bpd," state news agency APS quoted Algerian Energy Minister Mohamed Arkab as saying on Thursday. Oil prices were trading above $84 a barrel on Friday, within sight of a three-year high of $86.70 hit this week. Saudi energy minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman twice dismissed calls this week by major consumer nations to speed the rate of OPEC+ production increases, saying the group does not expect crude oil shortages in the market. "With OECD commercial oil inventories 5.4% below the five-year average and demand rapidly normalizing, OPEC+’s preference to keep production policy unchanged reflects an alliance that is significantly more tolerant of higher prices," JP Morgan said in a note.
from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/3276836/iraq-opec-meet-demand-daily-increase-400000-barrels-oil-output
UN Chief to Sudan Army: Reverse Coup, Take Heed of Protests
Arab World
Asharq Al-Awsat
People chant slogans during a protest in Khartoum, Sudan, Saturday, Oct. 30, 2021.(AP Photo/Marwan Ali)
The UN secretary general urged Sudan's generals on Sunday to reverse their takeover of the country, a day after tens of thousands of people took to the streets in the largest pro-democracy protest since last week's coup. Antonio Guterres said the generals should “take heed” of Saturday’s protests. “Time to go back to the legitimate constitutional arrangements,” he said in a tweet. He was referring to a power-sharing deal that established joint military-civilian rule following the ouster of longtime autocrat Omar al-Bashir and his Islamist government in April 2019. Guterres expressed concern about violence against protesters on Saturday, calling for perpetrators to be held accountable. At least three people were shot dead when security forces opened fire on protesters in Omdurman, a city adjacent to the capital of Khartoum. A doctors' union also said more than 110 people were injured by live rounds, tear gas and beatings in Omdurman and elsewhere in the country, The Associated Press reported. With Saturday's deaths, the overall number of people killed since Monday's coup rose to 12, according to the Sudan Doctors’ Committee and activists. More than 280 others were injured over the past week. The coup came after weeks of growing tensions between the military and civilians, and the generals had repeatedly called for dissolving the transitional government. Gen. Abdel-Fattah Buhran, who led the coup, has claimed that the takeover was necessary to prevent a civil war, citing what he said were growing divisions among political groups. However, the takeover came less than a month before he was to have handed some power to a civilian. He also claimed that the transition to democracy would continue, saying he would install a new technocrat government soon, with the aim of holding elections in July 2023. But the pro-democracy movement in Sudan fears the military has no intention of easing its grip, and will appoint politicians it can control. Meanwhile, the UN mission for Sudan is working to facilitate dialogue between the military and civilian leaders. A Sudanese military official said that a UN-supported national committee began separate meetings last week with Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok and Burhan to find common ground.
from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/3276796/un-chief-sudan-army-reverse-coup-take-heed-protests
Syria Says Two Soldiers Injured in Israeli Missile Attack
Arab World
Damascus, London - Asharq Al-Awsat
Smog arise after the Israeli bombing of Damascus countryside (AP)
Syria's air defenses responded Saturday to Israeli missiles fired toward Damascus suburbs, injuring two soldiers, the official Sana News Agency reported. "The Israeli enemy fired a salvo of surface-to-surface missiles from northern occupied Palestine targeting positions near Damascus," SANA said, quoting an unnamed military official. "Our anti-aircraft defenses were activated and were able to hit some of the enemy missiles," the source said, adding that the attack wounded two soldiers and caused other damages. AFP correspondents in Damascus re[ported multiple explosions around midday, noting that it is rare for Israel to target Syrian sites during daytime. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported that the targeted area hosts weapons and ammunition warehouses that belong to Iranian-backed militias. Over the past years, Israel has launched dozens of raids in Syria against the Syrian army, Iranian, and Lebanese Hezbollah targets. Israel rarely confirms the strikes in Syria, but it reiterates that it will continue to confront "Iran's attempts" to establish its military presence there. Last week, Israeli jets bombed Hezbollah-controlled areas in the Quneitra countryside, causing material damage, days after Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Sochi to discuss the Iranian presence in Syria. Bennett hailed the meeting with Putin, describing it as in-depth, adding that "Russia is a very important player in our region, a kind of neighbor for us in the north." The Prime Minister also said that Putin was attentive to the security needs of Israel, and they both discussed the situation in Syria and reached good and stable agreements. Political sources in Tel Aviv said that the new understandings reached between Bennett and Putin include resolving the dispute over the Israeli raids on Iranian sites established by the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps and its militias. Russia had accused Israel of "carrying out unnecessary raids." Meanwhile, SOHR reported that Israeli warplanes dropped leaflets near the Qir al-Nafl hills west of Quneitra. The leaflets warned the regime forces against dealing with the Lebanese Hezbollah, saying that "Hajj Hachem" works for Hezbollah in Golan and Daraa. It warned that Hezbollah is using the Syrian army for personal gains. The publication cautioned the regime forces against assisting Hachem, saying this cooperation only brought destruction to Syrians, adding: "you are responsible for your actions, and Hezbollah is responsible for your suffering."
from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/3276766/syria-says-two-soldiers-injured-israeli-missile-attack
EU to Resume Financial Aid to Palestinian Authority
Arab World
Ramallah - Asharq Al-Awsat
A Palestinian woman during protests at the entrance to Al-Aqsa (AFP)
The European Union office in Jerusalem said that financial aid provided by the EU to the Palestinian Authority will be resumed within weeks. Spokesman for the European Union office in Jerusalem Shadi Othman said the EU will spend in the coming weeks part of the financial pledges to the PA to help pay part of the salaries of public employees. The EU's support will now resume following months of suspension. Othman said that the Palestinian government is facing unprecedented financial difficulties. This step came following the visit of Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh to several European countries last week. Shtayyeh's visit included Brussels, the EU headquarters, Luxembourg, and Scotland. The EU usually provides €300 million in aid annually, but this has decreased drastically since last year. In the past weeks, the EU disbursed an essential payment of €92 million to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), which is also suffering from a financial crisis due to the siege imposed by the administration of former US President Donald Trump. The Palestine Liberation Organization and Head of the Refugee Affairs Department Ahmed Abu Houli said that the preparations are ongoing to guarantee the success of the UNRWA donors conference, which is scheduled on Nov. 16 in Brussels. The UN agency supporting Palestinian refugees announced Friday it was seeking $800 million at a donor conference, according to UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini. To fund UNRWA's "three core activities" -- education, health, and social services -- "we are seeking $800 million a year," he said. The funding would allow the agency to keep open the 700 or so schools it managed, catering to 550,000 children, as well as health centers and to provide social welfare to Palestinian refugees and their descendants. In addition to the $800 million, Lazzarini said there was also a need for funds for the humanitarian aid provided by UNRWA, which varies from one year to the next, depending on the crisis, but which the agency estimates will be around half a million dollars in 2022.
from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/3276756/eu-resume-financial-aid-palestinian-authority
Saudi Aramco Sees Third-Quarter Income Rise to $30.4 Billion
Business
Asharq Al-Awsat
The world’s largest oil company Saudi Aramco - File Photo/AP
The world’s largest oil company, Saudi Aramco, reported $30.4 billion in third-quarter net income on Sunday, bolstered by a surge in oil prices and recovery in demand as the coronavirus pandemic eases. Saudi Arabia’s majority state-owned oil giant Aramco said its net income more than doubled from $11.8 billion during the same three-month period a year earlier. Last year’s figure came after profits plunged dramatically as global lockdowns slammed oil prices. Net income refers to the amount left after taxes and preferred dividends have been paid. Aramco CEO Amin Nasser described the company’s third-quarter results as “exceptional,” a result of “increased economic activity in key markets and a rebound in energy demand." “We are optimistic that energy demand will remain healthy for the foreseeable future,” Nasser said. “Looking ahead, we are maintaining our strategy to invest for the long term, and we will build on our track record of low-cost and low-carbon intensity performance to advance our recently announced ambition to achieve net-zero Scope 1 and Scope 2 greenhouse gas emissions across our wholly-owned operated assets by 2050,” he added. Aramco said it continues to invest for the future with capital expenditure of $7.6 billion in the third quarter, representing a 19% increase, compared with the same period in 2020. "This increase was primarily due to ongoing crude oil increment and other development projects. Aramco maintains a flexible approach to capital allocation and continues to expect 2021 capital expenditure to be approximately $35 billion," it said in a statement.
from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/3276711/saudi-aramco-sees-third-quarter-income-rise-304-billion
Egypt Stresses All Foreign Forces, Mercenaries Must Leave Libya
Arab World
Cairo - Jamal Jawhar
Sameh Shoukry holding talks with the UN envoy to Libya in Cairo on Saturday (Foreign Ministry)
Egypt reiterated that all foreign forces and mercenaries must leave Libyan territories with no exceptions. This came during the meeting between Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry and United Nations Special Envoy for Libya Jan Kubis in Cairo Saturday. Shoukry asserted that Egypt attaches great importance to the exit of all foreign forces and mercenaries from Libya, according to Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Ambassador Ahmed Hafez. He reiterated warnings of the threat posed by their presence to the country’s sovereignty and national unity as well as the security and stability of its neighboring countries and the region. “All forms of foreign existence on Libyan territories must be brought to an end,” Shoukry said, noting that “no exceptions should be allowed”. He also called for taking “stricter action against all parties violating an international arms embargo on Libya”. In March 2011, the UN issued resolution number 1970 in which it demanded all Member States "to prevent the sale or supply to Libya of arms and related material of all types, including weapons and ammunition, military vehicles and equipment, paramilitary equipment, and spare parts." Talks between the two sides tackled holding the Libyan parliamentary and presidential elections on time on December 24 by a Libyan political roadmap and relevant UN resolutions, Hafez said, noting that Shoukry warned of the implications of failing to deliver on political commitments. For his part, the UN envoy briefed Shoukry on the outcome of his recent contacts with all the parties concerned with the Libyan situation. Kubis expressed his appreciation for Egypt’s efforts to consolidate the country’s stability.
from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/3276666/egypt-stresses-all-foreign-forces-mercenaries-must-leave-libya
Yemeni PM Calls for Urgent Investigation into Aden Airport Explosion
Arab World
Aden – Asharq Al-Awsat
Yemeni at the explosion site in Aden International airport (EPA)
Yemeni Prime Minister Maeen Abdulmalik directed the security committee to conduct an urgent investigation into the explosion that took place in the vicinity of Aden International Airport, south of the country, according to the German News Agency. Saba News Agency reported that Abdulmalik followed up "with the security committee in Aden, the circumstances of the terrorist attack that took place at Aden International Airport's gate at the Khour Maksar district," killing and injuring dozens, including children. Abdulmalik stressed the need to boost security vigilance and foil any attempt that undermines Aden's security and stability, indicating that the circumstances of the attack are being followed up and the results will be announced as soon as possible. At least 12 civilians, including children, were killed and more than 15 others injured Saturday near the airport of Aden when a car bomb was detonated near a checkpoint. No one has yet claimed responsibility for Saturday's blast.
from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/3276646/yemeni-pm-calls-urgent-investigation-aden-airport-explosion
PA Says Israel Trying to Kill Hunger-striking Palestinian Prisoner
Arab World
Ramallah - Asharq Al-Awsat
Israeli forces detain a Palestinian following a protest in support of Palestinian prisoners on hunger strike [File: Ammar Awad/Reuters]
The Palestinian Commission of Detainees Affairs accused Israel of seeking to end the life of Kayed Fasfous, who has been on a hunger strike for 108 days. The Commission said reactivating the administrative detention means "an execution attempt of a slow death sentence." Seven prisoners in the Israeli Occupation prisons continue their hunger strike in protest of their administrative detention, including Fasfous, Miqdad Al-Qawasmeh (101 days), Alaa Al-Araj (83 days), Hisham Abu Hawwash (74 days), Shadi Abu Akar (67 days), Ayyad Al-Harimi (38 days), and Louay Al-Ashqar (20 days ago). Also, prisoner Rateb Hrebat has been on a hunger strike for 22 days in solidarity with the seven prisoners. The Commission warned that Fasfous's health was deteriorating. "At any moment, he could be transferred to the Ramleh prison clinic, despite his deteriorating health." Regarding Qawasmeh, the commission stressed that his condition is also worrying, as he suffers from blood poisoning, and problems in his heart, lungs, kidneys, and liver, which affect his ability to move, speak and see. The rest of the prisoners are in the Ramleh prison clinic. The Commission highlighted that the “possibility for the prisoners to become martyrs increases every moment with the oppressive measures of the Israeli Occupation against them.” There are around 450 detainees in the administrative detention out of 4,700 prisoners. Since 1967, the cases of administrative detention exceeded 54,000. The head of the Commission Qadri Abu Baker commenced a two-week visit to meet with international parties such as Egypt, France, and Belgium. Abu Bader would discuss the prisoners’ cause and the administrative detention in addition to putting an end to the prisoners’ agony.
from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/3276631/pa-says-israel-trying-kill-hunger-striking-palestinian-prisoner
Taliban Supreme Leader Makes First Public Appearance in Afghanistan
World
Asharq Al-Awsat
Until now, the Taliban leader had never made a public appearance and his whereabouts were largely unknown. Here, Haibatullah Akhundzada is seen in an undated photograph, posted on a Taliban twitter feed on May 25, 2016, and identified separately by several Taliban officials, who declined be named. - Afghan Taliban/AFP/File
Taliban supreme leader Haibatullah Akhundzada has made his first ever public appearance, officials announced Sunday, after he addressed supporters in the southern Afghan city of Kandahar. Akhundzada has been the spiritual chief of the movement since 2016 but has remained a reclusive figure, even after his group seized power in Afghanistan in August. His low profile has fed speculation about his role in the new Taliban government -- and even rumors of his death, AFP reported. On Saturday, he visited the Darul Uloom Hakimah madrassa to "speak to his brave soldiers and disciples", according to Taliban officials. There was tight security at the event and no photographs or video have emerged, but a ten-minute audio recording was shared by Taliban social media accounts. The speech did not touch on politics, but sought "God's blessing" for the Taliban leadership. Akhundzada was appointed leader of the Taliban in a swift transition of power after a 2016 US drone strike killed his predecessor, Mullah Akhtar Mansour.
from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/3276611/taliban-supreme-leader-makes-first-public-appearance-afghanistan
Blaming Climate Change, Turkish Farmers Count the Cost of Drought
Varieties
Asharq Al-Awsat
Men chat by the shores of partly dried-out waters near Alibeykoy Dam, north of Istanbul, Turkey September 16, 2020. REUTERS/Umit Bektas/File Photo
Rain fell on Bicar Icli's fields in southeastern Turkey for the first time in eight months last week, but he and other farmers are already counting the cost of a drought they blame on climate change. Icli has not been able to plant his winter wheat crops due to the parched soils. Unless there is more rain in the coming weeks, he fears it will be too late. "There is a serious problem here in my opinion, there is a much greater risk than in previous years," said Icli, who has been working his fields in Diyarbakir province for five years. As world leaders prepare to convene in Glasgow on Sunday for the UN COP26 climate summit, Icli's woes highlight the problems facing farmers in Turkey and elsewhere due to extreme weather linked to climate change. In an effort to limit their financial losses, Suleyman Iskenderoglu said he and other farmers were trying to make savings by skipping on fertilizer, Reuters reported. "How are we to produce under these conditions?" he said, as he looked over his sun-baked fields. Besides the lingering drought, Turkey was hit by flash floods in its Black Sea region and massive wildfires in southern regions during the summer. Environmentalists say climate change and aggressive farming methods have fuelled the risk of water shortages, which surfaced in late 2020 as official data showed water levels at dams had fallen to record lows due to a lack of rainfall. At Diyarbakir's agricultural chamber, Chairman Abdulsamet Ucaman said farmers had seen their output fall by 60-70% this year from 2020. "This has surpassed the level of concern, it is turning into a catastrophe," he said. President Tayyip Erdogan said last week data indicated the country's usable water supplies would keep shrinking. "Turkey is not a water-rich country," he said. "This data shows that our water potential, which we are already not rich in, will fall more in coming years." Earlier this month, Ankara became the last member of the G20 major economies to ratify the Paris climate accord. Icli said he feared action to tackle carbon emissions in line with the agreement would be too late. "Turkey signed the Paris climate agreement, but what will happen now?" he said. "We destroyed nature ... so I don't see the meaning of the climate accord after that."
from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/3276596/blaming-climate-change-turkish-farmers-count-cost-drought
Asharq Al-Awsat
Russian tourists are beginning to flood back to Egypt's Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh six years after a terror attack that downed a Metrojet plane killing 224 mostly Russian passengers Khaled DESOUKI AFP
Mussa al-Nahas sat outside his fragrance and spice shop overlooking the Red Sea beaming at the sight of Russian tourists, who are beginning to flood back to Sharm el-Sheikh six years after a terror attack. "Today is much, much better than three or four months ago because the Russians are back," he told AFP. "The return of Russian flights has spurred other countries to also open up," he added. Nahas, 42, has spent half of his life in the idyllic, sun-drenched Red Sea resort which was badly hit economically after the 2015 downing of a Metrojet plane that killed 224 mostly Russian passengers. The attack was claimed by the ISIS terrorist group, which has a presence in the restive North Sinai region. In the wake of the crash, Russia instituted a blanket ban on all flights to the Red Sea from 2015, and even to Cairo for a few weeks, AFP reported. The arrival of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 was a double blow driving away the remaining tourists -- the country's lifeline. Tourism represents about 10 percent of the GDP of Egypt where a third of the 100 million-strong population lives below the poverty line. "We used to say that Sharm el-Sheikh had become a ghost town," said Nahas. But in August, the fortunes of Sharm -- as it is affectionately known -- started to look up when the first plane from Moscow touched back down at the local airport. After years of diplomacy, the long-running ban was finally lifted. 'Like things used to be' Tour guide Abdelqader Abdel-Rahman, 30, who was preparing to take a group of Hungarian adventurers on a desert safari on quad bikes, was delighted to see the tourists milling around town. "Before 2015, there were about 120-150 flights coming from Russia weekly... We hope that things go back to what they used to be," he told AFP. Currently, there are about 20 flights from Russia landing in Sharm every week. Capitalizing on the appetite for tourism after months of global lockdowns, Egypt's tourism ministry has waived visa fees for 28 countries including many from eastern Europe. In April, the country welcomed half a million tourists alone, twice as many as January, according to official figures. "Since Russian planes have started coming back, the town has begun moving. Lots of people have gone back to their old jobs and have opened up their bazaars and restaurants again," Abdel-Rahman said. Tourists are also happy to be back in the largest Arab country with plenty to explore from the pyramids in the north to the beauty of the Red Sea corals. Sipping tea in a Bedouin tent in the desert before hitting the dunes, Hungarian Roland Juni, 41, said he had last visited a decade ago. "I don't feel too many differences. I liked it 10 years ago and I like it now," he said. "Now I see many, many Russians here. More than before," he added. In 2019, before the onslaught of the pandemic, Egypt's tourism revenues reached $13 billion. But they plummeted to $4 billion last year, a huge shock for some two million workers in the industry. 'We've missed it a lot' Russian tourists have also been lining up for Sharm's marine activities from snorkelling and diving to jet-skiing. Standing on the deck of a boat, Alexei Volnyago, 35, extolled: "We don't have seas like this in Russia... It's spectacular over here." "We haven't been to Sharm in five years... we've missed it a lot." At a major shopping center, another Russian tourist named Alexei was busy picking out juicy, ripe mangoes -- a delicacy to savour in hot Egyptian climes. "Prices are pretty good... and the people are kind," he told AFP, strolling the aisles. Shopkeeper Nahas recalled his Russian doctor friend who for 11 years spent six months annually in Sharm. "We used to call him Alexei the Sharmawi," Nahas said. "As soon as flights were back in the air, he also came back."
from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/3276566/russian-tourists-flock-back-egypt%E2%80%99s-red-sea
Tesla Inc. seems to have gotten it right. The usually fantastical Elon Musk is set to give the electric vehicle market and its various players a reality check. At its third quarter earnings call, Tesla said it’s switching to a less expensive type of battery – the central part of the vehicle – for the company’s standard-range cars globally. Tesla already had been using these in some of its cars in China, where sales have been soaring primarily because prices were kept down. That was a shrewd, prescient and realistic move. For one, these aren’t just cheaper batteries; they are safer and readily available. That means even if they aren’t going to take Teslas several hundreds of miles away on one charge, they will drive the company toward greater sales and, ultimately, wider adoption of greener vehicles. A Tesla Model 3 on these lithium iron-phosphate, or LFP, powerpacks can still go 468 kilometers (290 miles). That's really not that short a distance — these batteries will do the job. The LFPs in question are made by China’s Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., or CATL, now the world’s largest battery maker. Supply is ample: Over the past few months, installations of such batteries have surpassed those of the more favored nickel-cobalt-manganese variety, which are more advanced. CATL has managed to bring down prices, too – another barrier to adoption. What’s more, China effectively has a monopoly on the manufacturing of LFPs, with the highest capacity to produce them. That’s bad news for Tesla’s competitors. These batteries are helping solve the perennial problems and trade-offs with electric cars: range over safety, size over energy density. That's why automakers and their battery suppliers have been caught up with a type of battery made with nickel, manganese and cobalt, which are more energy-dense but haven’t yet proven to be the safest. They tend to be unstable and can combust. In addition, they’re expensive because the raw materials are largely in short supply. So even if Musk isn’t at the forefront of battery technology yet, with few other breakthroughs on the horizon, he is still getting more Teslas on the road – and sooner. For instance, as the company puts LFPs to use in its vehicles, it’s still working on an in-house 4680 1 cylindrical battery cell project, testing bigger numbers of these packs. For now, LFPs are the hedge to all the other types. It’s likely that over the next decade that they’ll lose their cost advantage as the higher-energy NCM battery production process is improved. That's a lesson for other carmakers. To deliver on big, bold promises of fleet electrification, they will be better off taking a realistic path. For now, they’ve been preoccupied with using less pragmatic batteries that have, in some cases, caught fire and led to multi-billion dollar recalls. Boasting the best car with the longest range that's going to be released a year or two from now isn’t really a sign of success. Instead, delivering a pretty good electric car today — that’s safe — would show that a company is on the right path. It also stands to provide an early-mover advantage. Think about the traditional cars we drive. They have gotten better over the last century. Every year, automakers come out with yet more updates and upgrades. They didn’t just find the one best model and technology. Years of iterations followed. That's what firms need to get real about: The latest battery technology isn’t the be-all, end-all of the electric car race. Better to step off the sidelines and just get going. Bloomberg
from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/3276561/anjani-trivedi/tesla-made-smart-bet-china-it%E2%80%99s-paying
