via themedialine.org04/11/2021

Biden Administration Restoring Hundreds of Millions in Aid to Palestinians - The Media Line

The administration of US President Joe Biden is restoring hundreds of millions of dollars in aid to the Palestinians cut during the Donald Trump years. Supporters of the move say it’s the right thing to do, both humanely and politically. Opponents say it’s morally wrong, and is pushing, if not overstepping, legal boundaries set by Congress.

via arabnews04/08/2021

Turkey grapples with COVID-19 surge ahead of tourism season - Arab News

ANKARA: On April 7, Turkey reported 54,740 new COVID-19 cases and 276 deaths — the highest daily level since the beginning of the pandemic. The number of tests per day is currently around 302,000, meaning that over one-fifth of tests were positive. The country currently ranks fifth globally for the reported number of daily cases based on a seven-day average. “Monthly COVID-19

via voanews04/07/2021

US Resumes Aid to Palestinians With $235 Million - Voice of America

The United States said Wednesday it is restarting assistance to the Palestinians, announcing $235 million in new humanitarian, economic and development support, reversing a Trump-era decision to cut such funding. The bulk of the money will go through the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees – United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) – which received $150 million. Another $10 million will be disbursed through USAID for peace-building programs; and $75 million will fund economic and development assistance in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Security assistance programs also will restart.

via arabnews04/07/2021

El-Sisi warns 'all options' are open after Nile dam talks falter - Arab News

CAIRO: After delegations from Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia failed to reach an agreement during Tuesday’s talks in the Democratic Republic of Congo on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi said on Wednesday that “all options are open if a drop of water belonging to Egypt is touched.” Both Egypt and Sudan blamed Ethiopia for the failure

via arabnews04/07/2021

Iran sets new record for coronavirus infections amid holiday surge - Arab News

TEHRAN: Iran has shattered its daily record for new coronavirus infections for the second consecutive day, with 20,954 new cases reported on Wednesday. The country is in the midst of one of the most severe surges of the coronavirus to date, following a two-week public holiday for Nowruz, the Persian New Year, which drove millions to travel to vacation spots across the country

via lutheranworld.org04/07/2021

COVID-19: “Tree of Life” initiative launched by Palestinian bishop - The Lutheran World Federation

Prompted to remember those who have died of the virus, Bishop Sani Ibrahim Azar of The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land launched a memorial to plant an olive or native tree for every person lost to COVID-19. The Tree of Life initiative was announced in December and launched in late March. The initiative is managed the Environmental Education Center, an

via arabnews04/06/2021

Italy PM calls for rebuilding 'longstanding friendship' with Libya - Arab News

ROME: Italy’s prime minister has said it is time for his country and Libya to rebuild their “longstanding friendship,” but a condition for cooperation is that the ceasefire in the North African state continues. Mario Draghi visited Tripoli on Tuesday on his first international trip as head of Italy’s government. He had a long meeting with Abdul Hamid Dbeibah, prime minister of

via deccanherald04/09/2021

Jordan marks muted centenary after palace crisis - Deccan Herald

Jordan will mark 100 years of survival Sunday as a resource-poor country in a war-ravaged neighbourhood, but the worst palace crisis in decades and the coronavirus pandemic threaten to overshadow any celebrations. "Nobody would have bet a dinar on the survival of the state, created in the desert and with almost no natural resources," said Jalal al-Husseini, a researcher at the

via arabnews04/08/2021

UAE reports 2112 new COVID-19 cases, 3 deaths in last 24 hours - Arab News

DUBAI: The UAE reported 2,112 new coronavirus cases and three deaths overnight even as health officials continue with the mass inoculation program for citizens and residents in the country. The latest figures bring the country COVID-19 caseload to 478,131, including 1,523 deaths, of which 463,032 have fully recovered since the pandemic began. The Ministry of Health and

via arabnews04/07/2021

Lebanon's dollar crisis dims future of students abroad - Arab News

BEIRUT: Lebanon’s economic crisis seems to be getting those studying abroad expelled from colleges like Mohammad Sleiman, who studies medicine at Belarus hoping to become his family’s first doctor. “I’ve got a future and I’m working toward it,” 23-year-old Sleiman said from his bedroom in the capital Minsk, a dream catcher hanging on the wall behind him. “But if they throw me

via arabnews04/07/2021

Dubai will offer covid vaccines to country representatives at Expo 2020 - Arab News

DUBAI: Dubai will offer coronavirus vaccines to all official representatives of countries participating in Expo 2020, state news agency WAM reported. Dubai’s Crown Prince Hamdan bin Mohammed Al-Maktoum made the announcement during an executive meeting, the report added. The decision was made “to ensure a safe experience for all participants, visitors and workers,” WAM quoted

via arabnews04/07/2021

Palestinian leader 'in good health' ahead of election - Arab News

JERUSALEM: The Palestinian president has received a clean bill of health ahead of the anticipated Palestinian elections next month, his office said Wednesday. The 85-year-old Mahmoud Abbas flew to Germany earlier this week for medical examinations and will return to the West Bank on Thursday, according to the official Palestinian news agency Wafa. Abbas’s office said he was

via news.yahoo04/07/2021

High school tennis: Palestine places first at Whitehouse Invitational - Yahoo News

Apr. 6—WHITEHOUSE — The Palestine Wildcats tennis team traveled to the Whitehouse Invitational Tournament Monday where they placed first overall as a team. Palestine earned four first place medals at the competition with mixed doubles tandem Dominick Gonzales and Monze Castillo claiming the top spot in their competition, Gage Concilio place first in boys singles, Monique Ybarra placing first ...

via arabnews04/06/2021

UAE's first nuclear power plant begins commercial operations - Arab News

DUBAI: The UAE’s first nuclear power plant commenced commercial operations on Tuesday, the country's leaders announced on Twitter. The Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant in Abu Dhabi was established as part of the UAE efforts to diversify its energy sector. “The first megawatt from the first Arab nuclear plant has entered the national power grid,” wrote Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al

via menafn04/08/2021

Palestine hasn't received Arab financial aid for over a yr - MENAFN.COM

Ramallah, April 8 (IANS) Palestine has not received financial aid from any Arab country for more than one year, Prime Minister Mohammed Ishtaye said.

Due to lack of Arab funds, the deficiency in the Palestinian budget climbed to $1 billion, Xinhua news agency quoted Ishtaye as saying at a press conference here on Wednesday.

The Arab coun

via arabnews04/07/2021

US to restore about $150 million in aid to Palestinians — sources - Arab News

WASHINGTON — The Biden administration plans to provide at least $235 million in US aid to the Palestinians, restoring a large part of the assistance that was cut off by then-President Donald Trump, people familiar with the matter said. The package, including humanitarian, economic and security aid, is expected to be announced by the State Department later on Wednesday as part

via arabnews04/07/2021

Israeli police block Palestinian election meeting in Jerusalem - Arab News

AMMAN: Israeli police have given their first public signal of opposition to the participation of Palestinians from East Jerusalem in the May 22 elections for the Palestinian Legislative Council. Authorities issued an order against the Ambassador Hotel, which was hosting an election-related event, demanding the hotel ensured that the event did not happen. Samer, a receptionist

via arabnews04/07/2021

Turkey's chair snub riles EU chief as she defends women's rights - Arab News

BRUSSELS: The European Commission hit out Wednesday after its chief Ursula von der Leyen was left without a chair as Turkey’s president sat down for talks with her male counterpart. Video from Tuesday’s encounter in Ankara showed von der Leyen flummoxed as Recep Tayyip Erdogan and European Council president Charles Michel took two chairs in front of the EU and Turkish flags.

via therepublic04/07/2021

'HOOSIERS WE'VE LOST': Couple lost to COVID-19 'touched so many lives' - The Republic

Editor's note: This is one of a continuing online series of profiles of the more than 12,000 Hoosiers who have died from COVID-19. The stories are from 12 Indiana newspapers, including The Republic, who collaborated to create the collection to highlight the tremendous loss that the pandemic has created. The series appears daily at therepublic.com.

via wam.ae04/06/2021

Emirates News Agency - Palestine confirms 21 deaths and 2,593 new coronavirus cases - WAM EN

RAMALLAH, 6th April, 2021 (WAM) -- Palestine recorded today 2,593 new coronavirus cases, 21 deaths, and 1,455 recoveries, according to Palestine's Minister of Health Mai Alkaila. She said in her daily report on the disease in Palestine that the recovery rate in Palestine stands at 88.6 percent, while the active case rate is 10.3 percent and the death rate is 1.1 percent.