News

New law qualitative leap in service of foreign Haj pilgrims: Benten

May 22 2019
Saudi Arabia
Source: 
Saudi Gazette
The Council of Ministers on Tuesday approved the Law for the Service Providers of Foreign Haj Pilgrims. The Council endorsed the law after examining an earlier decision of the Shoura Council and recommendation of the Council of Economic and Development Affairs (CEDA). There is a provision in the law for the institutional restructuring of the tawafa organizations so as to transform them into closed joint stock companies.
 

Can Oman pull the US and Iran back from the brink of confrontation?

May 22 2019
Iran
Oman
Source: 
TRTWORLD
Oman's goodwill and relationships with the Muslim world and the West could prove vital, as they have historically, to ensuring that US-Iran tensions don't boil over.
 
Against the backdrop of escalating tension in Iran’s relations with the United States, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the Sultanate of Oman’s Minister Responsible for Foreign Affairs Yousuf bin Alawi bin Abdullah went to Tehran on May 20. 
 

Qatar’s foreign ministry responds to Saudi criticisms

May 21 2019
Qatar
Saudi Arabia
Source: 
MIDDLE EAST MONITOR
Qatar’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Lolwah Al-Khater, has hit back and commented by Saudi Arabia’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Adel Al-Jubeir.
 
Al-Khater told Al Jazeera TV channel, Monday: Al-Jubeir’s statements are paradoxes. He started talking about the need for Arab unification … and then started attacking Qatar.
 
She wondered, “How can these two standpoints go together? He called for unity and then attacks a brotherly Arab country!”. Al-Jubeir claimed that Qatar has been a harming the GCC since 1995.

Kuwait’s Apprehension about Normalizing Relations with Syria

May 21 2019
Kuwait
Syria
Source: 
Atlantic Council
With the Syrian civil war winding down, politicians and observers alike recognize that President Bashar al-Assad has managed to retain his position as Syria’s head-of-state. Some countries have moved swiftly in acknowledging the outcome of the conflict by reinstating diplomatic ties with the Assad regime and reopening embassies in Damascus. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain, which, to varying degrees, opposed Assad after the civil war erupted, are two salient examples of this trend.
 

Syrian Government Documents Show Widespread Abuses, Rights Center Says

May 21 2019
Syria
Source: 
The New York Times
Thousands of Syrian government documents recovered amid the country’s civil war provide a paper trail showing widespread and systematic human rights violations by its powerful security agencies, according to a Syrian-led organization that analyzed the papers, the Syria Justice and Accountability Center.
 

Indonesian presidential candidate Prabowo rejects election result, vows to challenge it in Constitutional Court

May 21 2019
Indonesia
Source: 
THE STRAITS TIMES
Indonesian presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto on Tuesday (May 21) said he will not accept the election commission's (KPU) official result showing he lost to incumbent President Joko Widodo in last month's presidential election and plans to challenge it in the Constitutional Court, on the grounds of election fraud.
 
His comments came as Mr Joko expressed his desire to reach out to Mr Prabowo and his running-mate Sandiaga Uno in the spirit of democracy.
 

What Is Behind Protests Against US-Backed Forces in Eastern Syria?

May 21 2019
Syria
Source: 
Voz de América
For three consecutive weeks, residents in parts of the eastern Syrian province of Deir el-Zour have been protesting against U.S.-backed forces that recently defeated Islamic State in its last stronghold there.
 
With help from the U.S., Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a Kurdish-led military alliance, has controlled large parts of eastern Syria after removing IS militants from the region.
 

Mauritania: leaders of 12 parties press for release of political figure held in Saudi Arabia

May 20 2019
Mauritania
Saudi Arabia
Source: 
THE NORTH AFRICA POST
Leaders of the 12 parties aligned with the Mauritanian ruling regime have demanded authorities to intervene and secure the release of a political leader who has been held in Saudi Arabia for several months, Le360.ma reports.
 
Youssef Ould Horma Babana, leader of Temam [party close to the regime] has been held in custody for several months part of judicial processing on unknown charges, Le360.ma news portal reported.
 

Le budget de l’ISIE ne permet pas de prolonger les délais d’inscription

May 20 2019
Algeria
Source: 
HuffPost

Le budget “limité” de l’Instance supérieure indépendante pour les élections (ISIE) ne permet pas de prolonger les délais d’inscription des électeurs, a souligné, lundi, Anis Jarboui, membre de l’instance.

Le budget “limité” alloué à l’instance électorale pour organiser les scrutins législatif et présidentiel prévus, respectivement, en octobre et en novembre 2019 “pourrait entraver la prolongation des délais d’inscription”, a-t-il encore affirmé.

Kurdish lawmakers in Iraq want committee to monitor application of Article 140 on Kirkuk

May 19 2019
Iraq
Source: 
Kurdistan 24

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Kurdish lawmakers in the Iraqi Parliament have reportedly submitted a document requesting the formation of a committee to monitor the implementation of an article in the Iraqi Constitution related to contested regions between Erbil and Baghdad.

As tensions rise in Kirkuk, one of the disputed areas between the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and the Federal Government of Iraq, the leaders of Kurdish factions within the Iraqi government have called for the creation of a committee to monitor the application of Article 140, Iraqi media reported on Saturday.

Former Permatang Pauh Umno leader dies at the age of 68

May 19 2019
Malaysia
Source: 
The Star

GEORGE TOWN: Former Permatang Pauh Umno leader Datuk Ahmad Saad (pic) died early Sunday (May 19) morning at the age of 68.

Ahmad, who also used to be Penang Umno Youth chief, passed away due to old age after breathing his last at a private hospital in Bukit Mertajam.

Prayers were conducted for him before his body was buried at the Kampung Tok Panjang Cemetery, Berita Harian reported.

The former Umno leader reportedly suffered a stroke eight years ago that caused him to be bedridden, with half his body paralysed.

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