Daily News Brief - 14/09/2022
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Please find below today’s daily news brief.
Egypt | Qatar: Egyptian president arrives in Qatar for the first official visit since the 2017 Gulf crisis
Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi has begun his two-day official visit to Doha on Tuesday evening, the first trip to the Gulf country since the 2017 crisis which saw Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the UAE, and Egypt imposing a blockade on Qatar. The visit signifies the improving ties between the two countries and follows a trip to Cairo by the Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. The discussions between the two leaders will cover bilateral relations as well as regional and international issues.
Iran | Greece: First crew member from Greek tankers seized by Iran returns home
The first crew member from one of the Greek tankers seized by Iran in May arrived safely in Athens on Tuesday. According to officials, the member is the first to reach home from the total of about 48 seafarers who are expected to be gradually released in the coming days.
Israel | Palestine: Two Palestinians and one Israeli soldier were killed in gunfire exchange north of Jenin
A senior Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) officer, identified as Major Bar Falah, the deputy commander of the elite Nahal reconnaissance unit, was killed while leading his troops during a military operation in the occupied West Bank. The two Palestinian gunmen, Ahmad Ayman Abed and Abdul Rahman Hani Abed, were subsequently killed by the Israeli army near Jalama checkpoint, north of Jenin. According to a statement by the IDF, soldiers spotted two suspicious persons in the so-called seam zone between the West Bank and Israel early on Wednesday. Troops dispatched to the location initiated the arrest procedures when “the suspects opened fire at the soldiers.”
Jordan: At least five people died after a building collapsed in the capital Amman
The death toll in the collapse of a building in Amman’s al-Weibdeh neighborhood reached five late on Tuesday as authorities say at least ten people are still trapped under the rubble. An investigation has been initiated in order to identify the cause of the collapse.
Kuwait | Saudi Arabia: Kuwaiti prime minister arrives in Riyadh on an official visit
Kuwait’s Prime Minister Sheikh Ahmad Nawaf Al Ahmad Al Sabah arrived in Riyadh on Tuesday on an official visit. He was welcomed by the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman with whom he discussed the bilateral relations between the two countries, and regional and international issues. Kuwait is scheduled to hold parliamentary elections on September 29.
Lebanon: Woman holds bank staff hostage to withdraw her own money
A Lebanese woman, identified as Sali Hafez, briefly took over a bank in Beirut on Wednesday morning in order to withdraw $13,000 of her own savings account to pay for her sister’s hospitalization and cancer treatment. The incident ended without victims after the woman received her money. Until now, no legal measures were taken by the Lebanese authorities against her. Since the beginning of the financial crisis, banks in Lebanon imposed draconian withdrawal limits on depositors, despite there being no legal basis for these informal capital controls. The institutions all but froze the bank accounts, causing millions of Lebanese to lose their savings.
Syria: Cholera outbreak leaves at least five dead so far as fear increases over potential spread in the region
At least five people died of cholera and more than two dozen cases were reported as Syria witnesses its first outbreak since the beginning of the war. Health officials said hospitals in the capital Damascus were put on alert on Monday. The UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Syria, Imran Riza, stated that the outbreak of cholera presents a serious threat to people in the country and the region, adding that urgent measures are needed to limit the spread. As of now, the source of infection is believed to be linked to people drinking unsafe water from the Euphrates River and using contaminated water for irrigation. Cases were reported so far in Aleppo, Latakia, Damascus, and Deir Ezzor.
UAE | Iran: Emirati ambassador to Tehran meets with Iran’s foreign minister
The Emirati ambassador to Tehran Saif Mohammad Al Zaabi was hosted on Tueday by the Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian after the return of the UAE envoy, following a seven-year break in diplomatic relations between the two countries. Iran’s foreign minister emphasized during the meeting the importance of enhancing regional cooperation and the need to use the current capacities to boost bilateral ties. On his part, the Emirati ambassador expressed satisfaction over his return to Tehran and referred to trade and economic capacities as an important factor in fosterin bilateral ties.