Daily Archives: October 18, 2020

2020-10-18: News Headlines

news.un (2020-10-18). Yemen: Conflict parties 'have to find strength' to end fighting, says UN humanitarian official. news.un.org Parties to the conflict in Yemen must do more to protect civilians, a senior UN humanitarian official in the country has said, as the number of civilian deaths has witnessed a sharp rise over the last few weeks in the war-ravaged country.

Juan Cole (2020-10-17). America Is Complicit, as Yemen Spirals Toward Mass Starvation. commondreams.org Huthi rebel fighters inspect the damage after a reported air strike carried out by the Saudi-led coalition targeted the presidential palace in the Yemeni capital Sanaa on December 5, 2017. Saudi-led warplanes pounded the rebel-held capital before dawn after the rebels killed former president Ali Abdullah Saleh as he fled the city following the collapse of their uneasy alliance, residents said. (Photo credit should read MOHAMMED HUWAIS/AFP via Getty Images). | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/yemen_11.jpg

Mehr News Agency (2020-10-17). Iran's new envoy arrives in Yemen. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Oct. 17 (MNA) — The spokesman of the Iranian foreign ministry informed on Saturday that the country's new ambassador to Yemen has arrived in Sana'a.

MEE staff (2020-10-16). Amnesty urges participants at W20 Saudi summit to speak out for human rights. middleeasteye.net Amnesty urges participants at W20 Saudi summit to speak out for human rights | Rights groups says G20 women's summit is chance to hold Riyadh accountable for its treatment of women's rights activists | Fri, 10/16/2020 – 18: 17 | Loujain al-Hathloul, Nobel prize-nominated activist, has allegedly been tortured while in prison (AFP/File photo) | Amnesty International has urged participants at this year's Women 20…

MEE staff (2020-10-16). Saudi Arabia arrests 45 in latest 'anti-corruption' drive. middleeasteye.net Saudi Arabia arrests 45 in latest 'anti-corruption' drive | Authorities arrest dozens of people, including military officers, and seize $160m as part of kingdom's wide-ranging campaign | Fri, 10/16/2020 – 20: 31 | Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh (AFP/File photo) | Saudi authorities arrested at least 45 people, including military officers and public servants, as part of kingdom's so-called anti…

Peter Koenig (2020-10-16). Yemen — Prisoner Swap and What May be Behind it. globalresearch.ca Background | The fourth batch of Yemeni detainees has arrived the in Sana'a as part of the largest prisoner swap between the country's warring sides. The residents in the capital received 112 prisoners after their plane landed in the Sana'a international …

Peoples Dispatch (2020-10-16). Houthi rebels and Saudi-backed Hadi government begin prisoner swap deal in Yemen. peoplesdispatch.org The two sides had agreed to a prisoner swap deal in Switzerland last month, involving 1,081 prisoners, including 15 Saudi nationals. The deal is being implemented over Thursday and Friday…

William Hartung (2020-10-15). The Art of the Weapons Deal in the Age of Trump. counterpunch.org The United States has the dubious distinction of being the world's leading arms dealer. It dominates the global trade in a historic fashion and nowhere is that domination more complete than in the endlessly war-torn Middle East. There, believe it or not, the U.S. controls nearly half the arms market. From Yemen to Libya to

MEE and agencies (2020-10-15). Yemen's warring parties start massive prisoner swap. middleeasteye.net Yemen's warring parties start massive prisoner swap | Saudi-led coalition and Yemen's Houthi rebels agreed to exchange 1,081 prisoners in Switzerland last month | Thu, 10/15/2020 – 14: 55 | Freed Yemeni Houthi prisoners line up on a red carpet upon their arrival at Sanaa airport on 15 October 2020 (AFP) | Hundreds of fighters in Yemen have begun heading home after a massive prisoner swap b…

MEE staff (2020-10-15). Gulf states using coronavirus pandemic to crackdown on dissent: Amnesty. middleeasteye.net Gulf states using coronavirus pandemic to crackdown on dissent: Amnesty | Rights group accuses Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman of suppressing expression on social media | Thu, 10/15/2020 – 22: 08 | Amnesty says social media restrictions imposed by Gulf states not necessary to protect public health (AFP/File photo) | Gulf states are using the coronavirus pandemic as a pretext to crack down on free s…

Ali Harb (2020-10-15). Saudi minister defends kingdom over Khashoggi murder, Yemen war. middleeasteye.net Saudi minister defends kingdom over Khashoggi murder, Yemen war | Foreign minister Faisal bin Farhan also accuses jailed women's rights activist Loujain al-Hathloul of 'serious crimes' during visit to Washington | Thu, 10/15/2020 – 22: 38 | Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan defends incarceration of women's rights activists (File image/AFP) | Less than two weeks after the second anniversary of the mu…

teleSUR (2020-10-15). UN: Parties To Yemen Conflict To Protect Women From Violence. telesurenglish.net "In Yemen, as in all sub situations, women have worked tirelessly, mostly behind the scenes, always below the radar to stop the war, reduce violence, release detainees and build back peace. They do this against all odds with a courage we can only imagine and often under circumstances which threaten their lives, their livelihoods and their families," says UN Special Envoy for Yemen Martin Griffiths.

news.un (2020-10-15). An 'airlift of hope' in Yemen, UN envoy tells Security Council. news.un.org An "airlift of hope" agreed by Yemen's warring parties to return more than 1,000 detainees to their families has been welcomed by UN Special Envoy Martin Griffiths, who has urged both sides to agree to further peace-building measures.

news.un (2020-10-15). Rights experts urge UAE to halt repatriation of Yemeni nationals. news.un.org The repatriation of 18 Yemeni nationals previously held at the US military prison in Guantanamo Bay, should be halted, as their lives could be in danger, UN-appointed human rights experts said on Thursday.

Rabyaah Althaibani (2020-10-15). How a Future Biden White House Can End the War in Yemen. commondreams.org Yemeni children study in the rubble of their school, which was destroyed by the violent war in the city of Taiz, Yemen 23 Dec 2018 (Photo: Akramalrasny via shutterstock.com) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/screen_shot_2020-10-15_at_9.52.08_am.png

Areeb Ullah (2020-10-14). Rohingya fear deportation after Saudi Arabia calls on Bangladesh to give minority passports. middleeasteye.net Rohingya fear deportation after Saudi Arabia calls on Bangladesh to give minority passports | Riyadh threatens Dhaka with curbing migration if it fails to adhere to its request, which could be disastrous for Bangladesh's economy | Wed, 10/14/2020 – 12: 28 | Rohingya refugees living in Malaysia shout slogans during a protest against the treatment of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar, in Kuala Lumpur on 8 Septem…

MEE staff (2020-10-14). Pompeo encourages Saudi Arabia to normalise ties with Israel. middleeasteye.net Pompeo encourages Saudi Arabia to normalise ties with Israel | US Secretary of State thanks kingdom for assisting in normalisation deals between two Gulf Arab countries and Israel | Wed, 10/14/2020 – 17: 50 | Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan al-Saud and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo deliver remarks at State Department (AFP) | US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo urged Saudi Arabia to normalise…