Moscow, Aug. 18 (Xinhua) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin (Sputnik via Xinhua/IANS)
Russia closed its previous trade mission in Syria on January 1, 2006…reports Asian Lite News
Russia will reopen its trade mission in the Syrian capital of Damascus by the end of this year, according to a decree by Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin published Wednesday.
In the decree, Mishustin instructed the Ministry of Industry and Trade to approve the organizational structure and recruit staff of the trade office, the Xinhua news agency reported.
Russia closed its previous trade mission in Syria on January 1, 2006.
In another decree, Mishustin ordered the closure of Russian trade missions in Ukraine and Lithuania, without giving a reason.
The two sides discussed the foundations for cooperation and the ways to benefit from the commercial and investment opportunities provided by the UAE, the Emirate of Dubai and the free zone….reports Asian Lite News
Dubai Airport Freezone Authority (DAFZA) welcomed a senior economic delegation from Israel.
The visit aims to discuss the prospects for strategic relations in various fields to encourage and increase foreign investment flows. This initiative will enhance joint action to explore promising opportunities that await DAFZA and the Israeli economic and commercial entities represented in the delegation.
Dr. Mohammad Al Zarooni, Director General of DAFZA along with senior officials welcomed the delegation, which was led by Uriel Lynn, President of The Federation of Israeli Chambers of Commerce and President of the Tel-Aviv & Central Israel Chamber of Commerce.
DAFZA welcomed a high-level business delegation led by Uriel Lynn, President of The #FICC and President of the Tel-Aviv & Central Israel Chamber of Commerce. pic.twitter.com/IxKMtoxKwR
The Israeli delegation included also a number of high-ranking officials such as David Castel, President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Haifa and the North, Amir Shani, Vice President Federation of Israeli Chambers of Commerce and Ze’ev Lavie, VP International Relations & Business Development Federation of Israeli Chambers of Commerce.
It also includes Adiv Baruch, Chairman of the Israeli export and International Cooperation Institute, Gadi Ariely, Director General of the Israel Export & International Cooperation Institute, Ron Tomer, President manufacturers association of Israel, Hagai Edri, VP SME & Government Relations at Manufacturers Association of Israel (MAI) and Avshalom “Abu” Vilan, Secretary General, Israel Farmers Federation.
The two sides discussed the foundations for cooperation and the ways to benefit from the commercial and investment opportunities provided by the UAE, the Emirate of Dubai and the free zone. This initiative comes in line with the memorandum of understanding the Dubai Airport Free Zone Authority recently signed with the Federation of Israeli Chambers of Commerce.
Brunei reported no new cases of Covid-19 on Wednesday with the national tally of infections mounting to 148.
It marked the 20th consecutive day without new cases since October 22, when the country recorded an imported case from Kuala Lumpur, Xinhua reported.
According to Brunei’s Ministry of Health, there is no active case being treated at the National Isolation Center. The total number of recovered cases remained at 145.
Meanwhile, 338 individuals, who have arrived in the country after traveling abroad, are undergoing mandatory isolation at the monitoring centers provided by the government.
There have been three deaths that resulted from Covid-19 in Brunei.
A total of 62 members of the Knesset voted to endorse the US-brokered agreement, with just 14 against…reports Asian Lite News
Israel’s parliament voted Tuesday for the normalization of ties with Bahrain with a clear majority of lawmakers in favor. Arab News reports
A total of 62 members of the Knesset voted to endorse the US-brokered agreement, with just 14 against.The Arab-led Joint List opposes normalization of Arab states’ ties with the Jewish State as long as it continues to occupy Palestinian territory seized in the 1967 Six-Day war.
Speaking in the televised debate, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu chided the party for its attitude to the deal but said there would chances to “fix it” in future, implying more diplomatic accords in the pipeline.
“A strong Israel brings other Arab countries closer to it, including those that have not yet made public the normalization that is developing between us,” he said. “I am convinced that there will be more countries that will officially join the circle of peace.”
The UAE in August became the first Arab state to establish relations with Israel since Egypt in 1979 and Jordan in 1994. It was quickly followed by Bahrain, and later by Sudan.
Last month, The Israeli cabinet has approved the country’s normalisation accord with Bahrain, ahead of a vote in parliament on the historic agreement.
In a statement, the Prime Minister’s Office said that the cabinet approved submitting the accord, titled “The Establishment of Diplomatic, Peaceful and Friendly Relations between the State of Israel and the Kingdom of Bahrain” for Parliament’s approval, reports Xinhua news agency.
The agreement, signed at the White House on Septermber 15, was approved unanimously, Tzachi Hanegbi, the Minister of Settlement Affairs, told local media.The cabinet of Bahrain approved the deal on October 19.
The Israeli cabinet ratified the normalisation agreement between Israel and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the cabinet said in its statement. The accord was signed at the White House together with the Bahraini accord in September and approved by the Israeli Knesset in an 80-13 vote on October 15.
US President Donald Trump made the announcement at the White House with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Sudan’s Sovereignty Council chairman Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok on the phone with him.
But Palestine has slammed these peace deals, saying they were a “new stab in the back of the Palestinian people”.
Iraqi officials believe that such rates are widely acceptable with daily recoveries either higher than or equal to the daily COVID-19 infections….reports Asian Lite News
Sayf al-Badr, Iraqi Health Ministry’s spokesman, said that the COVID-19 pandemic is under control in the country and the ministry has followed plans to contain the increase in infections.
“Until now, the health situation is under control and we affirm the need for the citizens to adhere to the health-protective measures,” al-Badr told Xinhua in an interview on Tuesday.
The recovery rate from the coronavirus in Iraq is about 86 percent and the death rate is about 2 per cent, according to the Health Ministry’s reports.
Iraqi officials believe that such rates are widely acceptable with daily recoveries either higher than or equal to the daily COVID-19 infections.
In recent months, the Iraqi Health Ministry has followed a multi-pronged anti-COVID-19 plan despite the fragile health systems amid years of wars, conflicts, and corruption that left heavy damage to its health institutions.
The ministry has worked on increasing hospitals’ capacity, managing so far to provide more than 11,000 hospital beds after opening several makeshift hospitals across the country, and providing medical protocols to treat COVID-19 patients.
It is also working to bring in the coronavirus vaccines after being approved by international health organizations and is seeking to make Iraq one of the first countries to receive such vaccines.
The ministry on Monday said that 501,733 people had been infected with COVID-19 since the outbreak of the disease in the country in February, of whom 11,380 had died, while 432,233 patients had recovered.
The Iraqi health official repeatedly attributed the increase of COVID-19 infections to the public’s failure to comply with health instructions and to a stronger testing capacity with the increase of labs in Baghdad and other provinces.
From the beginning of the coronavirus outbreak, the Iraqi Health Ministry has struggled to increase its testing capacity. It has increased the number of laboratories to 70 and will open new labs in the coming days, in addition to training the health staff on working on PCR labs.
The ministry also plans to enhance health awareness by increasing health programs broadcast on Iraqi Health Radio that covers all Iraqi provinces.
Mohammed Ghanim Mahdi, director of the National Center of the Teaching Laboratories of the Medical City, said that the laboratory is well-equipped and is taking part in the ministry’s efforts to contain the pandemic.
The director said that the work is going on in the Chinese-donated and built laboratory and “our situation now is stable and much better compared with five or six months ago in terms of preparing and supplying laboratory materials for detecting infection with the coronavirus.”
Mahdi praised China’s early medical aid to Iraq, including the efforts made by the Chinese expert team at the beginning of the pandemic, saying that “the Chinese team helped us build and equip the PCR laboratory and we are still in constant contact with them (the Chinese experts).”
Elvan, 58, served as the Transportation, Maritime and Infrastructure Minister between 2013-2015, Deputy Prime Minister from 2015-2016 and Development Minister between 2016 and 2018…reports Asian Lite News
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has appointed Lutfi Elvan as the country’s new Minister of Treasury and Finance, after his son-in-law Berat Albayrak resigned from this post, according to an official gazette published on Tuesday.
Elvan, 58, served as the Transportation, Maritime and Infrastructure Minister between 2013-2015, Deputy Prime Minister from 2015-2016 and Development Minister between 2016 and 2018, reports Xinhua news agency.
Albayrak posted a personal letter on Instagram on Sunday, saying that he was stepping down for health reasons.
Erdogan accepted his resignation on Monday night, and an official statement said the President appreciated his “successes”, as Turkey was able to “get less damage” in the wake of the Covi-19 crisis due to Albayrak’s efforts.
His resignation came amid an economic crisis in Turkey with the lira tumbling 30 per cent in 2020.
Albayrak announced his resignation a day after the head of Turkey’s central bank was replaced.
In the first phase, the new route will include two weekly flights starting from January 31, 2021…reports Asian Lite News
Israel’s Israir has announced that it will operate direct passenger flights to Bahrain, becoming the first airline to announce a regular direct route between the two countries after they agreed to fully normalise relations in September.
In a statement on Monday, the airline said that flights from the Ben Gurion International Airpor outside Tel Aviv, to the Bahrain International Airport near the capital Manama will take about two and a half hours, reports Xinhua news agency.
In the first phase, the new route will include two weekly flights starting from January 31, 2021.
The direct flights became possible after Saudi Arabia agreed in early September to allow Israeli planes to fly over its territory.
In September, Israir announced it will operate direct passenger flights to the United Arab Emirates, which also signed a normalization agreement with Israel.
Also last month, Arkia, Israel’s second-largest airline, had announced direct flight services to Dubai, which will begin from January 3, 2021.
In a statement on, the Taliban has assured the new US administration, which will come to power in January 2021, of remaining committed to the implementation of the Doha peace agreement, saying it was an “excellent document” to end the decades-long war in Afghanistan.
In the statement, the group said the implementation of the US-Taliban agreement “is the most reasonable and effective tool for ending the conflict with the US”, referring to their fight against American forces, TOLO News reported.
“We remain committed to the agreement on our part and view it as a powerful basis for solving the Afghan issue and we also give preference to solving our internal problems through dialogue and negotiations,” it added.
In a historic move, the Taliban signed the peace deal with the US on February 29, under which the militant group will not attack American forces inside Afghanistan.
The agreement also requires the withdrawal of American troops within 14 months since the intimation of peace process.
The peace negotiations were inaugurated in Doha on September 12 with the hope to end the four decades of war in the country.
Negotiating teams representing the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and the Taliban held more than 10 meetings. But direct negotiations were yet to begin.
Tuesday’s statement came two days after the Taliban said that Biden should respect the Doha Agreement because it was not made with a single person but with the American government, the media reported on Monday.
A spokesman for the Taliban told the media that when the new US administration comes in power, it will need to acclaim the agreement, reports Khaama Press.
Taliban hopes that the Biden administration will abide by the Doha Peace protocols, the spokesman said.
The two developments come amidst a sharp increase in Taliban attacks on Afghan forces in many parts of the country.
Moscow, Aug. 18 (Xinhua) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin (Sputnik via Xinhua/IANS)
Moscow has started deploying 1,960 peacekeepers to Nagorno-Karabakh, the Russian Defence Ministry said on Tuesday….reports Asian Lite News
Russia has deployed peacekeepers in the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region as a “complete ceasefire” which came into effect on Tuesday midnight was agreed by the two warring countries of Azerbaijan and Armenia, President Vladimir Putin said.
In a televised address on Monday night, Putin said that he signed an agreement with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan declaring a “complete cessation of fire and all hostilities” in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone, reports Xinhua news agency.
Azerbaijan and Armeniaalso agreed to stop at their positions they have held, Putin said.
Moscow has started deploying 1,960 peacekeepers to Nagorno-Karabakh, the Russian Defence Ministry said on Tuesday.
A man shows a house damaged during the new round of Nagorno-Karabakh conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia in Fuzuli district of Azerbaijan, Sept. 30, 2020. (Photo by Tofik Babayev/Xinhua/IANS)
A Russian peacekeeping contingent is being deployed consisting of 1,960 military personnel, 90 armoured personnel carriers, 380 vehicles and pieces of special equipment, the Ministry said.
Meanwhile, Azerbaijan and Armenia will exchange war prisoners, other detained persons and bodies of the dead, while all economic and transport links of the region will be unblocked, according to the Russian leader.
Internally displaced persons and refugees will return to the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh and its surrounding areas under the care of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Putin said.
“We presume that the agreements will create the necessary conditions for a long-term and full-format settlement of the crisis around Nagorno-Karabakh on a just basis and in the interests of the Armenian and Azerbaijani peoples,” the President added.
This is the fourth ceasefire since last month.
(160405) — NAGORNO-KARABAKH, April 5, 2016 (Xinhua) — Houses damaged in recent conflicts are seen in Azerbaijan’s Gapanli village bordering Nagorno-Karabakh region, on April 5, 2016.
The Armenian and Azerbaijani Defense Ministries both confirmed Tuesday that a ceasefire agreement in the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region is currently being prepared. (Xinhua/Tofik Babayev)(dh)
The three others — two brokered by Russia (October 10, 17) and one by the US (October 26) — collapsed after Armenia and Azerbaijan traded accusations and attacks.
A new round of armed conflict broke out on September 27 along the contact line of the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region, which is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan but mostly governed by the Republic of Artsakh, a de facto independent state with an Armenian ethnic majority.
The area experienced flare-ups of violence in the summer of 2014, April 2016 and in July this year.
Armenia and Azerbaijan went to war over the region in 1988-94, eventually declaring a ceasefire.
“The lawsuit includes a claim for compensation for the material loss and moral damage caused by the settlers’ demolition of the house built in Area B,” Mansour added….reports Asian Lite News
For the first time since the establishment of the Palestinian Authority (PA) in 1994, a Palestinian man in the West Bank has filed a lawsuit against Israeli settlers who “vandalised” his home.
Muntaser Mansour, the 30-year-old owner of a 170-square-meter home under construction in the village of Burin, south of the West Bank city of Nablus, told Xinhua news agency on Monday that he demands compensation for the damage caused by the Israeli settlers.
“The lawsuit includes a claim for compensation for the material loss and moral damage caused by the settlers’ demolition of the house built in Area B,” Mansour added.
Under the Oslo peace accords signed between Israel and the Palestinians in 1993, the West Bank was divided into three areas: Area A under the full control of the PA, Area B under joint Israeli-Palestinian control, and Area C under full Israeli control.
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)
Mansour said that he demands compensation also because he has been deprived of the rights to build the house for eight years which forced his family to live in a rented house.
Mansour, whose house is located in an area between two Israeli settlements, accused the Israeli authorities and settlers of preventing him from rebuilding his house in a bid to link the two settlements.
Since the 1967 Middle East war, Israel has built dozens of settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories, which have been one of the major disputes between Israel and the PA that has stalled the peace process.
The Palestinian cabinet recently decided to form a national team to prosecute Israeli settlers accused of committing crimes against the Palestinian residents in the Palestinian courts.
Minister of Justice Mohammed al-Shalaldeh told Xinhua that the international law and international humanitarian law regulate the relationship between Israel and the Palestinians.
In the Oslo accords, there is a provision for civil jurisdiction over the Israelis’ damage caused to the Palestinians, he noted.
The Minister added that the legal basis of these lawsuits are not the Oslo accords, but the international law.
