Iran seized Saudi boats that lost their way

Source: Arab News (Read full story)

 A spokesman for the Saudi Coast Guard in the Eastern Province has confirmed news reports that two fishing boats from Saudi Arabia were seized by Iran.
Speaking to Arab News, Khaled Al-Arqubi said: “They were fishing vessels … Fishermen do lose their way in the high sea because of sudden change in wind direction and weather … They then find themselves in a foreign country; this is quite normal.”According to him, there is a general convention to deal with such issues. “The intruding boats are seized, investigated and then released,” Al-Arqubi said. “This can and does happen to any vessel in the Arabian Gulf.”

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Better GCC health services on way

Source: Gulf Daily News (Read full story)

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GCC health ministers yesterday announced plans to increase patient safety, ensure more money is pumped into the sector and exchange expertise. The declaration was made at the conclusion of the 74th GCC Health Ministers’ Meeting at the Sofitel Bahrain Zallaq Thalassa Sea and Spa. Bahrain also called for specialised medical and research centres to be set up across the Gulf. The first centre will focus on cancer treatment, said GCC Health Minister’s Council executive office director-general Dr Tawfik Khoja.  We welcome this suggestion by Bahrain, backed by its Prime Minister and Health Minister, to establish specialised centres in each GCC states,” he said. “There could be lots of these specialised centres which we could set up in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia or neighbouring GCC states.

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Oil Heads for Fifth Weekly Gain on Saudi Production Cut, Economy

Source: Bloomberg (Read full story)

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Saudi Arabia’s production slid 4.9 percent to 9.025 million barrels a day last month as booming U.S. output and recovering shipments from Iraq threaten to oversupply the global oil market, the Persian Gulf person said, asking not to be identified because the information is confidential. The 465,000 barrel cut is the biggest monthly drop since November 2008, when the country and other members of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries reduced supplies amid a global recession.

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NA holds ‘secret session’ to discuss ‘security chaos’ – Opposition warns police as new protest called

Source: Kuwait Times (Read full story)

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The call came as the organizers of the demonstrations warned that riot police has used excessive force against protesters in last Sunday’s rally, insisting the extent of police violence was not to apply the law but to “humiliate” the Kuwaiti people. The organizers warned that if the extent of police violence continued at such level, there is no guarantee protesters would remain peaceful endlessly, the first such warning since protests were launched around two years ago. Also, veteran opposition leader and former assembly speaker Ahmad Al- Saadoun denied yesterday that there were any contacts between the opposition and the government.

Yemen-US ties must go beyond drones

Source: The National (Read full story)

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Yemen’s president, Abdrabu Mansur Hadi, is in a difficult position but has openly sided with the United States against his own citizens – he has praised the strikes and said he personally approved all attacks. And to be sure, death from the air has limited Al Qaeda’s gains. But these are short-term tactical victories that cannot replace strategies for long-term stability. For a fragile Yemen, drones could be catastrophic, stoking anger and resentment against the United States and the Yemeni government. No one likes their people killed with impunity. Former president Ali Abdullah Saleh made the mistake of allowing the US to operate with impunity inside Yemen, and over it. Mr Hadi risks creating conditions of huge mistrust that could bubble over in unexpected ways if he continues to do the same.

Khalifa orders assistance to Palestinian flood victims

Source: Khaleej Times (Read full story)

Shaikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Ruler’s Representative in the Western Region and President of the Red Crescent Authority (RCA), ordered emergency humanitarian assistance for Palestinians whose houses and properties were destroyed by floods in the last few days. The initiative came on the directives of the President, His Highness Shaikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and is followed up by General Shaikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces. The directives of Shaikh Khalifa followed reports by the Red Crescent Authority’s office in Palestine on severe damage in Jerusalem and other Palestinian cities, villages and camps.

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