The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has allowed its citizens and residents to perform Umrah at 75 percent capacity as part of its second phase of gradual resumption of the pilgrimage, said the Saudi Press Agency, SPA.
Citizens and residents on Sunday performed Al Fajr prayers at the Grand Mosque with the start of the second phase of gradually allowing citizens and residents to perform Umrah.
The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah, in cooperation with the relevant authorities, have stepped up the preparations to serve the pilgrims in accordance with the highest quality standards. The authorities have taken all precautionary measures, and used all technical systems and electronic programmes to ease the procedures and offer all services promptly and efficiently.
According to the executive plan drawn up by government agencies, the second phase of the resumption of Umrah and the visit will witness greater numbers than the first phase, by 15,000 Umrah performers and 40,000 worshipers per day as a maximum.
The pilgrims will also be allowed to pray at Al-Rawadah Al-Sharifah, inside the Mosque of the Prophet Muhammad by 75% of the capacity that takes into account the precautionary health measures at Al-Rawadah Al-Sharifah of the Prophet’s Mosque.
A Biden presidency is likely to be a huge win for the Middle East to gain back the market share as it restricts shale production and can be supportive for crude oil prices.
According to a report by Motilal Oswal Financial Services, for years, if not decades, OPEC members have been jousting for market share, which is, of course, the reason why the latest Saudi-Russia oil price war happened in the first place.
“A Biden presidency is likely to be a huge win for the Middle East to gain back the market share as it restricts shale production and can be supportive for crude oil prices,” the report said.
Talking about the OPEC approach, Trump would likely continue practicing Twitter oil diplomacy, which he started in his first term to urge OPEC plus producers to increase or cut supply during their meetings in Vienna. He takes credit for helping to negotiate an end to the March oil price war between Saudi Arabia and Russia.
“Under Biden, any US diplomacy toward OPEC might return behind the scenes. Antitrust legislation against OPEC would only see renewed interest if gasoline prices soar,” the report said.
Crude oil investors are facing a confused stance as US President Donald Trump’s presidency brings stability and Presidency under Joe Biden might bring uncertainty and more volatility in the market.
Prices can remain in levels of $45 as President Trump would like to keep prices at this level to make sure gasoline prices remain in control, which remains a main concern of taxpayers in U.S.
If U.S. voters decide to stay the course, the current push for energy dominance through increased drilling will continue. He is seen as a promoter of Shale which might put pressure as any stimulus and benefit to shale sector would lead to overproduction and more responsibility on OPEC plus to cut production and bring balance in the market.
Compared with a second term of the Trump administration, a Biden presidency could be a positive for U.S. oil and gas drillers because tougher regulations on hydraulic fracturing would likely reduce production, raising crude prices to levels of WTI $45-$55 in coming months after elections. If they elect a new president, the challenger has pledged to end new drilling on public lands and move toward a carbon-free future.
With his $2 trillion plan to cut greenhouse gas emissions, Joe Biden might seem a far-from-ideal president for the Texas oil and gas industry. Looks like for Crude oil to rally, markets are praying for Vice President Biden to win and bring back optimism in the market as demand recovery is stalling and it might take more months for crude demand to recover.
A Biden win will likely be an upward catalyst for oil prices because it will increase costs for shale patch and will likely result in a weaker U.S. dollar, the report said.
However, headwinds remains to this optimistic view that if sanctions are pulled off from Venezuela or Iran, they might re-emerge as a significant oil exporter, it might put pressure on prices and can force adjustment in production for the three big oil producers and likely a reduction in through cycle prices which can push additional pressure on prices and bring back glut fears and push prices to levels of $35.
Dr. Ahmed bin Mohammed al-Saidi, Minister of Health, Sultanate of Oman.
Dr. Ahmed bin Mohammed al-Saidi, Oman’s Minister of Health has reiterated his plea to all members of the public to stick to the decisions of the Supreme Committee and precautionary measures it has set for the management of the pandemic.
The Minister who is also a Member of the Supreme Committee tasked with tackling developments resulting from coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic, expressed his deep appreciation for the continuous support of His Majesty Sultan Haitham Bin Tarik to the health sector and departments dealing with the pandemic.
Speaking at the 17th press conference held by the Supreme Committee at the Ministry of Education, the minister said that all segments should refrain from gatherings and to report any violations. “Failure to report a crime is a crime in itself,” said the minister, who described crime reporting as a national duty.
Dr. Ahmed also pointed out that doctors and other health undergo tremendous stress as they watch young people dying from the disease. He explained that COVID-19 mortality rate in the Sultanate is still within the mark of 1% from total infection cases, “but any such death represents a disaster and great pain that could be limited if we follow proper preventive measures.”
Last week, COVID-19 death rate at Intensive Care Units (ICUs) reached 83% (Mortality rate in cases admitted to ICUs ranges from 75%-85%), said the minister, noting that the percentage of death among men is higher than women and that the disease damages a lot of organs in the body.
He added that all should understand that this virus spreads fast, with imminent risk looming from a third wave of infection, which already began in many countries, not only in our region. “The more we cooperate and rally efforts as a government, citizens and residents, the more we could cut down the number of infection cases and ease pressure on health establishments,” said Dr. Ahmed.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (Yoav Dudkevitch/JINI via Xinhua/IANS)
Israel’s parliament approved the normalization deal signed last month between Israel and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The peace agreement was approved in an 80-13 vote in a special session of the Knesset, or the parliament on Thursday, Xinhua news agency reported.
During speeches ahead of the vote, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called for peace with Lebanon, Israel’s neighbor in the north. The two countries have recently launched US-brokered negotiations to end a long-time dispute over their maritime border.
“I call on the government of Lebanon to continue and complete these talks,” Netanyahu said, adding that the move could “one day, in the future, lead to true peace.”
Israel and the UAE signed an agreement to normalize their relations in Washington on September 15. During the ceremony, a peace deal was also signed between Israel and Bahrain.
The UAE and Bahrain became the first Gulf countries to agree to form official relations with Israel.
Previously, two Arab countries, Egypt and Jordan, had signed peace agreements with Israel.
Nablus (Palestine): A Palestinian protester throws stones at Israeli soldiers during a protest against the expanding of Jewish settlements in Kufr Qadoom village near the West Bank city of Nablus on December 5, 2014.(Xinhua/Ayman Nobani/IANS)
According to the Palestinian Basic Law, any citizen whose rights are violated has the right to file a lawsuit at the Palestinian courts….Reports Asian Lite News
In a first, Palestinian courts will start within days to consider cases related to violations committed by Israeli settlers against Palestinian citizens, a Minister said.
Speaking to the state-run WAFA news agency on Wednesday, Justice Minister Mohammed al-Shalaldeh said that his Ministry in cooperation with other government agencies and civil society institutions, will facilitate the task of victims of Israeli settlers to take legal actions against the settlers.
According to the Palestinian Basic Law, any citizen whose rights are violated has the right to file a lawsuit at the Palestinian courts.
He indicated that work is underway to collect criminal evidence and affidavits to file the first lawsuit against known settlers for committing crimes and violations against the Palestinians citizens of the old town of Hebron and in Burin village, south of Nablus.
The Minister said that the Palestinian cabinet has decided “to form a national team to hold accountable and prosecute settlers who commit crimes against the Palestinian people before the Palestinian courts following the decision by President Mahmoud Abbas to forgo the Israeli and American agreements and understandings”.
The Minister said that “according to the national legislation in Palestine, and based on the Code of Civil and Commercial Procedure, there are provisions for the prosecution of a foreigner, which applies to the settler who resides within the Palestinian territorial jurisdiction over the occupied land”.
“Therefore we have the right to sue him based on the notion that settlement is a war crime, punishable by law in accordance with the Fourth Geneva Convention, and based on the statute of the International Criminal Court,” he told WAFA news.
Israeli media reported that it would be the first time since the Palestinian Authority was established in 1994 that Palestinian courts look into cases against Israeli citizens.
107 medical staff have succumbed to the disease so far.said Koca…Reports Asian Lite News
More than 40,000 healthcare professionals have tested positive for the novel coronavirus in Turkey since the pandemic hit the country, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said.
Addressing a press briefing on Wednesday, Koca also said that so far 107 medical staff have succumbed to the disease, reports Xinhua news agency.
“The number of deaths (among healthcare professionals) has also increased recently,” Koca said at a press conference.
Also on Wednesday, Turkey reported 1,671 new Covid-19 cases and 57 fatalities, raising the total overall caseload to 340,450 and the death toll to 9,014, the Health Ministry announced.
Turkish health professionals conducted 115,328 tests in the past 24 hours, bringing the overall number of tests to 11,961,670.
A total of 1,396 patients recovered in the last 24 hours, raising the tally of recoveries to 298,368 in Turkey since the outbreak.
The rate of pneumonia in infected patients is 5.9 per cent and the number of seriously ill patients is 1,418.
Turkey reported the first Covid-19 case on March 11.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (Yoav Dudkevitch/JINI via Xinhua/IANS)
Israel approved more than 1,300 new settler homes in the occupied West Bank on Wednesday in the first such go-ahead since it suspended annexation plans in the territory, reports Arab News.
The decision has drawn an angry response from Palestinians, who seek to establish a state in the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem.
“We urge the international community to intervene immediately to stop this settlement madness, which destroys any chance for a genuine peace process,” said Nabil Abu Rudeineh, a spokesman for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
As for the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who faces protests from the citizenry, the construction could help mute criticism from settler leaders, who are traditional allies. They had expressed discontentment over the suspension of the annexation of occupied territories, which paved way for a diplomatic truce with the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.
Jordanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates also condemned the move to build thousands of housing units in the occupied Palestinian territories.
The ministry’s spokesperson Dhaifallah Fayez, affirmed Jordan’s rejection of the Israeli settlement policies in the occupied Palestinian territories breaching of international law and UN Security Council resolutions, according to Saudi Press Ageny.
The official stressed the need to stop all settlement practices, whether in the form of construction, expansion or confiscation of lands, in accordance with Israel’s obligations as an occupying power.
Fayez called on the international community to take “decisive” stances to pressure Israel to stop its practices that undermine peace efforts and opportunities.
The meeting was held remotely on Wednesday under the chairmanship of Suhail bin Mohammed Al Mazrouei, Minister of Energy and Infrastructure, and attended by relevant Arab ministers…Reports Asian Lite News
The UAE, represented by the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, chaired the 85th meeting of the Executive Office of the Council of Arab Ministers of Housing and Reconstruction.The meeting was held remotely on Wednesday under the chairmanship of Suhail bin Mohammed Al Mazrouei, Minister of Energy and Infrastructure, and attended by relevant Arab ministers.
In his opening speech, Al Mazrouei stressed the importance of ensuring the future of housing and urban development and the necessity of advancing this vital sector, affirming that the UAE is ready to share its housing and urban development plans.
He also highlighted the importance of holding the meeting amidst the exceptional conditions witnessed by the world caused by the coronavirus, COVID-19, pandemic, to discuss ways of achieving the sustainability of the housing sector, which is key to sustainable development.
He added that the majority of Arab countries are facing mutual challenges, in addition to the challenges resulting from the coronavirus pandemic, which requires everyone’s cooperation to achieve their desired objectives and the happiness of their citizens.
Al Mazrouei explained that the UAE Government, since the establishment of the Union in 1971, has always prioritised the housing sector, noting that its related plans include supporting, development and organising the sector, to enable all citizens to obtain suitable housing that will achieve family stability and quality of life, which are two key pillars of the UAE Vision 2021 and major features of the preparations for the next fifty years from 2021 to 2071.
UAE Inks Deal with IMF to Draw Policies; UAE developing plans for next 50 years; 8 Nations Join NASA’s Lunar Exploration Programme; UNHRC Slammed Over Election of China & Pak as Members; Drones Emerge As New Threat in Kashmir – all in Asian Lite Daily Digital – please click here to read.
UNRWA also praised the decades-long strategic relationship with Saudi Arabia …Reports Asian Lite News
Commissioner-General of United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) Philippe Lazzarini has commended the generous support that UNRWA receives from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Arabia represented by King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief),continues supporting Palestinian refugees in various countries worldwide.
This came in message addressed to KSrelief where the Commissioner-General also extended thanks to Saudi Arabia, represented by KSrelief, for its support and vital role that had a great impact on Palestinian refugees.
He also praised the decades-long strategic relationship between Saudi Arabia and UNRWA and looking forward to further cooperation between the two sides.
