Link to article: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/1/11/us-designating-yemens-houthis-a-terrorist-group Just ten days left until president-elect Joe Biden takes office, the Trump administration claims that the United States will designate Yemen’s Houthi rebels as a terrorist group. This announcement could complicate the new US administration efforts to restart diplomacy with Iran, which has ties to the Houthis. “The designations are intended to hold Ansar Allah accountable… Read more »
Link to article: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/1/12/ethiopia-warns-sudan-over-border-dispute Ethiopia and Sudan share a (994 mile) frontier, the al-Fashqa region. Both countries have funded over the region where Ethiopian farmers cultivate fertile land claimed by Sudan. Ethiopia has now accused Sudan of pushing their forces further into the contested border region that has been the site of deadly clashes in recent weeks. This comes after… Read more »
Link to Article: https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/sudan-officially-joins-abraham-accords-to-normalize-israel-ties-654461 Sudan has officially signed the Abraham Accords, thus meaning agreeing to normalization and peace with Israel. Sudan is now the third of four countries to agree to sign on to the Trump administration-brokered accords. Although Sudan announced that they were willing to join in October, the government would not proceed until the US removed Sudan off… Read more »
Link to Article: https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20201216-world-bank-approves-250m-loan-to-morocco/ To support local agriculture, as part of a joint operation with the French Development Agency, The World Bank has agreed to grant Morocco $250 million for support. The Loan will support the Generation Green programme, a government strategy for developing agriculture. The World Bank also announced that “The funding will also support the country’s economic response… Read more »
Link to Article: https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20201216-us-blacklists-chinese-uae-companies-over-sale-of-iranian-petrochemicals/ On Wednesday, the United States imposed sanctions on companies based in China and the United Arab Emirates. The United States is accusing them of supporting the sale of Iranian petrochemicals as Washington increases its pressure on Tehran. The US Treasury Department put out a statement saying it has blacklisted the four entities for facilitating the export… Read more »
Link to Article: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/12/16/irc-warns-yemen-at-risk-of-massive-deterioration-in-2021 Continued conflict, world hunger and collapsing international aid response puts Yemen most at risk of a humanitarian catastrophe in 2021. This is the third year in a row that Yemen has been put at the top of this grim list. In an interview with Al Jazeera from the capital, Sanaa, she called for “more commitment than… Read more »
Link to article: https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20201204-in-first-ever-female-academic-chairs-saudi-shura-council-meeting/ Dr Hanan Al-Ahmadi is an academic who specialises in economics and health management. She made history seven years ago by being one of the first women to be appointed to the Shura Council, and now, she has made history again. Al-Ahmadi, who was appointed as the new Assistant Speaker of the kingdom’s consultative body following a… Read more »
Link to article: https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20201202-sudan-will-not-normalise-with-israel-until-removed-from-us-terror-list/ Following the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, Sudan was set to be the third Arab government to normalise with Israel, encouraged by the US. Now, Sudan claims that it will not normalise with Israel until they are taken off the list of states which “sponsor” terrorism. This comes from the 1998 terrorist attacks on the Kenya… Read more »
Link to article: https: //www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/11/29/rocket-attack-causes-fire-at-oil-refinery-in-northern-iraq On sunday, November 29th, a rocket attack in northern Iraq caused a large fire at an oil refinery. The ISIL (ISIS) group claimed responsibility saying it used two Katyusha rockets to carry out the attack. The fire halted operations at the oil refinery, and hit a fuel storage tank at the small Siniya refinery in… Read more »
