Boy Dead in Moroccan Well, 'Son of Us All', Is Buried: Sadness From The Pope, The King, The World
Good day from REEDNEWSARABWORLD for Monday, February 7, 2022! Five-year-old Rayan died in a deep well in Morocco before rescue workers could reach him, but his plight drew world-wide attention and Pope Francis praised the people of Morocco for their unity: "The people clung together as a whole to save Rayan, they worked together to save a child." King Mohammed VI of Morocco issued a statement of condolence to the boy's family. Social and print media reflected worldwide concern and then grief.
An Arab newspaper published an illustration of Rayan with angel wings, ascending from the dark well to heaven. The Arab News recalled the sad story of a six-year-old girl who fell into an abandoned well and died near Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, almost a decade ago. Saudi Arabia then ordered all disused wells buried or destroyed.
Meanwhile, children were killed last week in the U.S. raid in Syria on the house of the Islamic State leader. As many as 10 children working as laborers were killed in Egypt last month when a truck slid off an unlicensed ferry into the Nile River. Children are killed regularly in the Yemen war. Children were killed in the fighting in a Syrian prison for the Islamic State, and hundreds more children remain in that prison.
But it is the drama of a single little boy, trapped for four days in a dark and deep well as rescue workers tried frantically to reach him, that demonstrated, at least for the moment, a unity of concern that went beyond Morocco to the world.
Tunisia's controversial president, Kais Saied, stirred new crisis as he dissolved the Supreme Judicial Council. The council is an independent body that serves as a watchdog over Tunisia's judiciary, but Saied said it "is a thing of the past." The head of the U.S. Central Command is in the United Arab Emirates to help strengthen UAE defenses after missile attacks. Iraq's Supreme Court temporarily suspended the presidential candidacy of Hoshyar Zebari, one of the frontrunners, on the eve of a parliamentary vote for president. Iran puts on trial an Iran-born German national and U.S. resident it accuses of leading a U.S.-based opposition group, and Lebanon is returning 337 stolen artefacts to Iraq.
News from Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain, Denmark, Israel, Joe Biden, and More.
From the Pope to the King of Morocco and the President of France, world leaders and what seemed to be the world's population mourned the death of one little five-year-old boy in a small village in North Africa. Rayan Oram fell down a deep well, rescue workers strived frantically for four days to dig a tunnel and rescue him. Then when they emerged with the boy wrapped in a blanket and rushed to emergency care, a statement from Morocco's royal cabinet confirmed the worst.
"Following the tragic accident which cost the life of the child Rayan Oram, His Majesty King Mohammed VI called the parents of the boy who died after falling down the well."
Pope Francis praised the people of Morocco for their unity, and condolences poured in from around the world.
Associated Press, Morocco's king says boy, 5, trapped in deep well has died.
AFP, Morocco, world mourn 'little Rayan' after well rescue fails.
Al Jazeera, Save Rayan: Death of Moroccan boy sparks outpouring of heartbreak.
USA Today, 'He unified humanity': World mourns Rayan, 5, who died after falling into a well in Morocco.
Hundreds of Moroccans gathered to pay their last respects to "little Rayan," the five-year-old boy who died after being trapped in a well for four days and whose plight brought worldwide attention, then grief.
So many people in the small village attended Monday's burial that they could not all fit into the site at a hilltop cemetery. "I have never seen as many people in a funeral," one villager said. "Rayan is the son of us all."
BBC, Morocco holds funeral for five-year-old who died trapped in well.
Irish Times, 'The son of us all'; Hundreds gather for funeral of boy (5) who died in well in Morocco.
The United Nations said minors are still being held in a Syrian prison attacked by the Islamic State and that their condition is "precarious." Aged from 12 to 18, boys in the Ghwayran jail in Hasakah are relatives of IS prisoners or were transferred from nearby displacement camps. International human rights groups put the number of the detained youths at 700. UNICEF, the UN agency for children, said basic services are in place but that the situation for the children is "incredibly precarious."
AFP, Minors still detained in Syria prison attacked by ISIS: UN.
Associated Press, UNICEF: Children in NE Syria prison live in dire conditions.
Kurdish administrators of the IS prison in Syria say they aren't getting enough help to face the Islamic State as it regains strength. Kurdish troops remain busy, meanwhile, tracking down fugitive militants still hiding in nearby neighborhoods. "Everyone here will tell you the same. We are terrified," a mother of five said.
Associated Press, Stung by prison battle, Kurds say they need help against IS.
SPECIAL EVENT: The National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations presents an online briefing program, "Iran Nuclear Deal Negotiations: Policy Implications for Success or Failure."
Wednesday, February 9, 2022, 10:30 a.m. EST, 6:30 p.m. AST. Watch live on YouTube!
Norman Roule and Dr. Mohammed S. Alsulami will be the featured specialists for the discussion. Dr. John Duke Anthony will provide context, and David Des Roches will be moderator and discussant.
For further information, visit the National Council's website at:
https://ncusar.org
Marine General Kenneth McKenzie, head of U.S. Central Command, said the purpose of his visit to the United Arab Emirates is "assurance." He will "make sure that they know we're a reliable partner," he said of the UAE, following a U.S. announcement that the USS Cole and a squadron of jet fighters were dispatched to the Middle East to help protect the UAE after missile attacks. McKenzie is expected to offer sharing of information and intelligence to the UAE and hear out requests for assistance.
Washington Post, U.S. looks to build on security guarantees to UAE after Houthi missile attacks.
Yemen government troops and the Saudi-led coalition pushed deep into the strategic northern city of Haradh in Yemen as retreating Houthi forces planted land mines, deployed snipers, and dug trenches in heavy fighting. Brig. Gen. Abdu Abdullah Majili said government troops "liberated some neighborhoods in Haradh and are battling their way into the city's center." Haradh, in Hajjah province, would offer a path for the Yemen forces to reopen the Al-Tewal border crossing with Saudi Arabia and cut supply routes in Hodeidah.
Yemen forces also claimed progress in Marib province, where they pushed to liberate Al-Juba and Abedia districts.
Arab News, Yemen army seizes parts of Haradh city from Houthis.
Iraq's parliament cancelled a planned vote for a new president of the country, lacking a quorum. The move prolongs a standoff in Iraq, after one of the two leading candidates for president, Hoshyar Zebari, saw his candidacy suspended by Iraq's Supreme Court because of allegations of graft. Only 58 members out of 329 were present for Monday's session of parliament.
Reuters, Iraq parliament fails to elect new president - lawmakers.
Iraq's Supreme Court said it was temporarily suspending Hoshyar Zebari's candidacy for president on the eve of parliament's vote for leader. Zebari is one the front-runners, opposing incumbent president Barham Saleh who is seeking reelection. The court cited allegations of corruption against Zebari, which he denied. The court said it had received a complaint from lawmakers that Zebari's candidacy was "unconstitutional" because of the graft claims and said it was acting temporarily while it considered the case.
AFP, Iraq presidential vote in question after boycotts, court ruling.
Tunisian police locked the doors of the Supreme Judicial Council a day after President Kais Saied dissolved it. Staff were stopped from entering the building
After Saied's order, the council said it would continue working. "The president has moved to the stage of seizing institutions," council head Youssef Bouzakher said.
"What is happening is very dangerous and illegal."
Reuters, Tunisian police close Supreme Judicial Council offices.
Tunisia's president announced a plan to dissolve a national judiciary body, the Superior Council of the Judiciary, but the council said it intended to carry on its duties. President Kais Saied acted overnight to dissolve the council, an independent body that oversees Tunisia's judiciary. Saied has for months been critical of the judiciary for delays in rulings on corruption and terrorism cases.
Al Jazeera, Tunisia's president moves against judges.
Associated Press, Tunisian leader seeks to dissolve nation's top judiciary.
Tunisia's judicial council said it would continue carrying out its duties and rejects a decision by President Kais Saied to dissolve the council. The council is a rare body that can still exert influence independent of Saied, and it said it was rejecting pressure from him and accusations against the council and judges.
Reuters, Tunisia's supreme judicial council refuses dissolution by president.
The Biden administration notified members of Congress it has restored a waiver for Iran to continue work on its civil nuclear program. A senior State Department official said "this is not a signal" that the U.S. is about to reach agreement with Iran on returning to the 2015 nuclear agreement, but that the waiver allows technical discussions with third parties about disposition of stockpiles and other non-proliferation activities.
UPI, Biden administration restores Iran sanctions waiver.
Kashmir Observer, US grants sanctions relief to Iran, inches closer to nuclear deal renewal.
Iran says the U.S. sanctions waiver isn't enough. "Everyone knows that this is not enough," the spokesman for Iran's foreign ministry said. "What the U.S. needs to do is to lift all the sanctions, including the nuclear sanctions." The part removed by the U.S. allows civil nuclear projects with international bodies.
IANS, Iran says US sanction waiver 'insufficient' to restore nuke deal.
Iran said it's ready for more direct negotiations with Saudi Arabia, providing talks are in "an atmosphere of mutual understanding and respect." Tehran and Riyadh have held four rounds of talks in Iraq, with Baghdad mediating. Saudi Arabia has described the talks as cordial but exploratory; Iran says they have gone a "good distance."
Reuters, Iran open to more talks with Saudi in atmosphere of respect.
Xinhua, Iraq, Saudi FMs discuss delays in holding Iranian-Saudi talks in Baghdad.
Iran put on trial a man it accuses of leading a U.S.-based "terrorist group" and being behind a deadly mosque bombing in 2008. Jamshid Sharmahd was born in Iran, is a German national, and is a United States resident. He has been under arrest in Iran since 2020, charged with leading a group called Tondar. Iran does not recognize dual nationality and has not said how, where, or when Sharmahd was seized.
AFP, Iran tries alleged leader of US-based 'terrorist group.'
A judge in southern Iraq was driving home in his car when assailants blocked his route and sprayed his vehicle with bullets, killing him. Judge Ahmed Faisal Khasaf was shot 15 times with a Kalashnikov and died on the spot. He had specialized in drug-related cases, and drug trafficking has been growing in Iraq. The head of Iraq's Supreme Judicial Council called the assassination a "cowardly and terrorist act that was carried out by criminal gangs."
The National, Judge in charge of southern Iraq drug cases killed by militant gunmen.
Security sources in Lebanon say dozens of young men have disappeared from the country and are suspected of joining the Islamic State in Iraq.
One family said it had a phone call saying, "Mama, I'm in Iraq in an ISIL camp. I don't know where it is exactly, but I'm trying to come back. Please help me."
Al Jazeera, Dozens escape security crackdown, poverty in Lebanon to join ISIL.
A court in Denmark has found three members of an Iranian opposition group guilty of spying for Saudi Arabia. One of the men is a Danish citizen, and prosecutors said that between 2012 and 2020 they obtained information about Danish organizations and individuals as well as about Iranian military affairs and passed the information to Saudi Arabia intelligence officers in exchange for payment. They were then said to have used the money to support an Iranian opposition group, the Saudi-backed Arab Struggle Movement for the Liberation of Ahvaz. The men face sentencing in March and could be given prison terms up to 12 years and be deported.
BBC, Saudi-backed spies found guilty in Denmark.
Al Jazeera, Danish court finds Iranian trio guilty of spying for Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Arabia plans to export military products and technologies to other countries. Investment minister Khalid Al-Falih said the localization rate in the military industries --building within Saudi Arabia -- was only 2% when the program started, is now at 10%, and the kingdom targets a rate of 50% in the next eight years.
Argaam, Saudi Arabia seeks to export military products, tech to other countries: Al-Falih.
Saudi Aramco will be pumping more oil even as Saudi Arabia's crown prince wants to zero out carbon emissions by 2060. Saudi Arabia's energy minister, Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, said the kingdom, as the world's largest exporter with 15% of world oil reserves, can roll out multibillion-dollar solar, wind, and hydrogen projects and still remain a giant oil producer. He called choosing between the two "absurd."
Time, Despite Saudi Arabia's net-zero goals, its energy minister says it will pump more oil.
Dubai plans to cut carbon emissions by 30% by the end of 2030. The plan is part of a broader United Arab Emirates strategy to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.
Reuters, Dubai plans to cut carbon emissions 30% by 2030 - govt media office.
Saudi Arabia plans to list more shares in Saudi Aramco and is targeting a sale of as much as $50 billion. The state-owned oil company has been in talks with outside advisers about selling more shares on the Riyadh stock exchange, as well as a secondary listing possibly in London or Singapore.
Reuters, Saudi Aramco mulls up to $50 bln stake sale via fresh share listing: WSJ.
Lebanon handed over to Iraq 337 ancient artifacts, believed to be part of antiquities that were looted from Iraq during decades of war and instability.
The artifacts had been on display in a Lebanese museum for years and were returned at a ceremony held at the National Museum of Beirut. A Lebanese committee has been investigating the items since 2018, and Iraq's ambassador to Lebanon said the handover will not be the last one. Iraq has been slowly recovering its stolen antiquities.
Associated Press, Lebanon returns 337 artifacts of different eras to Iraq.
Bahrain launched its first-ever satellite into orbit from the International Space Station. The Light-1 satellite is a joint project with the United Arab Emirates and universities and it was launched in cooperation with Japan. The satellite arrived at the space station at the end of 2021, and it is designed to monitor and study terrestrial gamma ray flashes from thunderstorms and lightning.
Trade Arabia, Bahrain's first-ever satellite launched into orbit.
MORE: Sudan army supporters in new show of force in Khartoum, AFP... Deadly clashes erupt in Sudan’s Darfur region, Al Jazeera... SABIC fourth quarter profit more than doubles to $1.31 bln on higher prices, volumes, Reuters... Libya output down by 100,000 bpd over weather, storage problems, Reuters... Syrian opposition groups make new bid to unite against Assad, AFP... Thailand moves to resume flow of workers to Saudi, Phnom Penh Post... Turkey's inflation rate surges to two-decade high of 48.7%, Reuters.
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Council on Foreign Relations, Killing of Islamic State leader signals why U.S. presence in Mideast will continue.
True Promise Brigades is a little-known Iraqi group that claimed responsibility for the latest attacks on the United Arab Emirates. Before last week, the group's only other claimed attack was in 2021 when it said it launched drones targeting the Yamama Palace in Saudi Arabia's capital of Riyadh. True Promises Brigades is reported to have ties with Iraq's Kataib Hezbollah, an Iran-backed group listed by the United States as a terrorist organization.
Al Jazeera, Who is the shadowy Iraqi militia that attacked the UAE?