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Pentagon: Washington approves $2.8 billion logistics systems deal for Riyadh

by Alexandra Hartman Editor-in-Chief
written by Alexandra Hartman Editor-in-Chief

“This approved sale will increase the security of Saudi Arabia, an ally that is a force for political stability and economic progress in the Gulf region, and will support the foreign policy and national security objectives of the United States,” the Pentagon said in a statement.

He pointed out that the deal “will increase Saudi Arabia’s ability to deter current and future threats.”

The statement explained that the equipment and support approved for the deal will not change the basic military balance in the region.

According to an official US statement issued by the Defense Security Cooperation Agency, Saudi Arabia has requested the purchase of communications equipment, support equipment, engineering and technical assistance, training, and other elements related to logistics and program support.

White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said the two sides were “closer than ever to an agreement that is now almost final.”

Reports indicated that Washington and Riyadh were close to reaching an agreement on security guarantees and civil nuclear assistance.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman received US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan on Sunday, and they reviewed strategic relations and ways to enhance them in various fields.

They also discussed the semi-final version of the strategic agreements between the Kingdom and the United States, which are nearing completion, in addition to what is being worked on between the two sides regarding the Palestinian issue to find a credible path towards a two-state solution that meets the aspirations of the Palestinian people and their legitimate rights, in addition to discussing regional developments, including the situation in Gaza and the need to stop the war there and facilitate the entry of humanitarian aid.

Source: Swiss Info

#Pentagon #Washington #approves #billion #logistics #systems #deal #Riyadh
2024-07-25 02:34:57

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Yemen’s warring parties agree to implement new ceasefire – UN

by Alexandra Hartman Editor-in-Chief
written by Alexandra Hartman Editor-in-Chief

The announcement by Hans Grundberg, the UN special envoy for Yemen, is the latest step towards ending a nine-year war that has killed hundreds of thousands of people and created one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.

The new truce was announced after H. Grundberg’s recent meetings in Saudi Arabia and Oman with Rashad al-Alimi, the head of the Saudi-backed Yemeni Presidential Governing Council, and Mohammed Abdul Salam, the chief negotiator of the Iran-backed Houthi rebels.

Grundberg “welcomes the commitment of the parties to take measures for a nationwide ceasefire … and to participate in preparations for the resumption of an inclusive political process,” the envoy’s office said in a statement.

The envoy “will now work with countries to develop an action plan, under UN supervision, that incorporates these commitments and supports their implementation,” the statement said.

The conflict in Yemen has been simmering since Iranian-backed Houthi rebels seized control of the capital Sanaa in 2014, and a Saudi-led military intervention to prop up the government began the following year.

After a UN-brokered cease-fire came into effect in April 2022, the scale of hostilities decreased dramatically. The ceasefire expired last October, although hostilities remain largely suspended.

The action plan to end the fighting will include commitments to pay civil servants, open roads to the rebel-held city of Taez and other parts of Yemen and resume oil exports, according to the latest UN statement.

“The people of Yemen are watching and waiting for this new opportunity, which will bring tangible results and ensure progress towards lasting peace,” said H. Grundberg.

“The countries have taken an important step. Their commitment is first and foremost a commitment to the people of Yemen.”

Attacks in the Red Sea

The deal comes after Houthi rebels launched a series of attacks on key Red Sea shipping lanes in a show of solidarity with Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, where Israel is battling Hamas militants.

The Houthis have vowed to attack ships linked to Israel or sailing to Israeli ports if the war between Israel and Hamas, which began on October 7, is not ended.

According to the Pentagon, they conducted more than 100 drone and missile attacks, targeting 10 merchant ships.

Insurgent attacks threaten the transit route, which transports up to 12 percent of the world’s population. global trade, and this prompted the United States to establish an international naval task force to protect Red Sea shipping.

Mohammed Albasha, senior Middle East analyst at the US-based Navanti Group, told AFP news agency that the Houthis’ “military actions are hindering the pursuit of a peaceful solution.”

“The Houthis … have become aggressors who target civilian assets,” he said.

The announcement of the latest deal comes as Saudi Arabia seeks to withdraw from the conflict, although hopes for lasting peace are slim.

Many analysts are pessimistic about the likelihood that Riyadh’s plans to reduce its military role in Yemen will help bring peace to the country, which remains deeply divided along religious, regional and political lines.


#Yemens #warring #parties #agree #implement #ceasefire
2024-07-25 02:26:14

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Secret Service admits security lapses during Trump meeting

by Alexandra Hartman Editor-in-Chief
written by Alexandra Hartman Editor-in-Chief

WASHINGTON (EFE).— The U.S. Secret Service had identified the rooftop from which former president and Republican candidate for the White House Donald Trump was assassinated as a potential security risk days ago, according to NBC.

Agents who set up security days before the Butler, Pennsylvania, rally were aware of the risk that the building would pose, two sources close to the Secret Service admitted to NBC.

The roof belonged to a warehouse located about 135 meters from where Trump spoke, but outside the event’s security perimeter.

The Secret Service said security at the building was the responsibility of local authorities, although the county attorney denied that claim.

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, who heads the Secret Service, admitted yesterday that the incident was a security “failure.”

In a message on X, Republican Senator Ted Cruz called for the resignation of Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle.

Meanwhile, Republican Congressman James Comer, chairman of the House Oversight Committee, announced that he will summon Kimberly Cheatle to testify before the House next week, once the Republican National Convention is over.

Kimberly Cheatle announced in a statement yesterday that on Saturday, after the assassination attempt, she ordered changes to Trump’s security detail.

Meanwhile, the FBI announced yesterday that it had managed to access the phone of Thomas Matthew Crooks, the 20-year-old man accused of attempting to assassinate Trump.

In a statement, the FBI said that “FBI technical specialists successfully accessed Thomas Matthew Crooks’ phone and are continuing to analyze his electronic devices.”

The FBI stressed that its investigation into Saturday’s shooting, which it is treating as a potential act of domestic terrorism, is still in its early stages and it urged patience.

The FBI has already conducted nearly 100 interviews with law enforcement personnel who were at the rally where Trump was shot, as well as attendees at that event and other witnesses.

#Secret #Service #admits #security #lapses #Trump #meeting
2024-07-25 02:18:56

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Indian woman adopts method of cooking with sunlight – World

by Alexandra Hartman Editor-in-Chief
written by Alexandra Hartman Editor-in-Chief

Reva Jihangan Malik of the southern Indian city of Bangalore has not bought an LPG cylinder for four years. She is cooking with the help of solar energy in this supply. Reva Milk cooks on a solar cooker, reports TheBetterIndia.com. In this case, both time and money can be saved.

Rewa Malik’s day starts with cutting vegetables. She soaks pulses and cleans rice to make lunch. For this she goes to her terrace instead of the kitchen. Where they have installed a cooking setup based only on solar energy without gas, kerosene, electricity, coal or wood. Interestingly, Reva cooks everything in sunlight.

Reva gets her solar cooker ready to cook at 9am every day. In different trays she puts vegetables, pulses, rice and other items. All these items are cooked slowly by the sunlight ie in more or less two hours. Rewa Malik uses solar cookers to prepare many local dishes consisting of vegetables, pulses and rice. She also cooks bread on the solar cooker, boils milk and makes tea.

Reva Malik runs a consulting firm called Primalize in Bangalore. She is well aware of the damage to the environment, so she wants to avoid any method of cooking that produces carbon dioxide and harms the environment.