Riyadh Hosts Third International Yemen Health Coordination Group Meeting

Photo by SPA
Photo by SPA
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Riyadh Hosts Third International Yemen Health Coordination Group Meeting

Photo by SPA
Photo by SPA

Riyadh hosted the third meeting of the International Yemen Health Coordination Group, organized by the Saudi Development and Reconstruction Program for Yemen (SDRPY), the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, and the Yemeni Ministry of Public Health and Population. With over 20 representatives from international donors and UN agencies, the meeting aligned priorities and addressed funding gaps to strengthen Yemen’s health sector and national health strategy.

Yemeni Minister of Public Health and Population Dr. Qasim Buhaibeh thanked Saudi Arabia, the UK, and international partners for their steadfast support in sustaining essential services.

SDRPY Supervisor General Ambassador Mohammed Al Jaber emphasized that health is a pivotal pillar of development. He announced that the King Salman Medical and Educational City in Al-Mahrah will begin operations this year, alongside ongoing projects such as the Hadhramout University Hospital and various rural hospitals and maternity centers across several governorates, SPA reported.

UK Ambassador to Yemen Abda Sharif stated that the meeting embodies the strength of international partnerships supporting Yemen’s health system. She thanked the Yemeni government and Minister Buhaibeh for their leadership, as well as Saudi Arabia for its support via the new Yemeni health fund.

Affirming the UK's commitment to the Yemeni people, she noted that the announced £25 million in new funding will help strengthen primary healthcare for women and children, highlighting that such joint action achieves tangible progress despite ongoing challenges.

This collaboration builds on SDRPY’s extensive efforts, which include 50 health-related projects supporting 30 medical facilities across 13 governorates. Notable achievements include the Prince Mohammed bin Salman Hospital, which has provided over four million services, and specialized centers for cardiology and nephrology.

Beyond infrastructure, SDRPY focuses on building healthcare capacity through medical education, including equipping the College of Pharmacy at Aden University and establishing health colleges in Taiz and Al-Mahrah. These initiatives are part of a broader development system comprising 287 projects across eight vital sectors, including education, energy, and water, aimed at supporting the Yemeni government and its people.



Kuwait Court Orders Imprisonment of Former MPs, Including Musallam Al-Barrak

The defendants were charged with "contesting the rights and authorities of the Emir of the country and spreading malicious news". (Asharq Al-Awsat)
The defendants were charged with "contesting the rights and authorities of the Emir of the country and spreading malicious news". (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Kuwait Court Orders Imprisonment of Former MPs, Including Musallam Al-Barrak

The defendants were charged with "contesting the rights and authorities of the Emir of the country and spreading malicious news". (Asharq Al-Awsat)
The defendants were charged with "contesting the rights and authorities of the Emir of the country and spreading malicious news". (Asharq Al-Awsat)

The Kuwaiti Court of Cassation sentenced on Sunday a number of former MPs to prison, overturning the acquittals of 15 defendants, most of whom were former lawmakers in the dissolved National Assembly. The defendants were charged with "contesting the rights and authorities of the Emir of the country and spreading malicious news detrimental to the internal interests and stability of the nation."

The First Circuit of the Court of Cassation reversed the Court of Appeals' ruling that had suspended the sentence of former MP Muhannad Talal Al-Sayer, sentencing him again to three years in prison on charges related to contesting the rights of the Emir, interfering with his authorities, and spreading malicious news harmful to Kuwait's internal interests and stability.

The court also overturned the appellate ruling that suspended the sentence of former MP Saleh Mohammed Al-Mulla, ordering him to serve two years in prison for contesting the authorities and rights of the Emir.

It overturned the acquittal of former MPs Musallam Al-Barrak and Salem Al-Namlan, convicting them as repeat offenders and sentencing them to three years in prison for spreading malicious news detrimental to the country's interests.

It sentenced former MP Bader Al-Dahoum to one year of hard labor on charges of offending judges of the Constitutional Court.

The court also overturned the acquittals issued in favor of 15 defendants, finding them guilty while abstaining from pronouncing punishment on charges of spreading malicious news detrimental to the state's interests.

The rulings included former MPs Adel Al-Damkhi, Mohammed Mosaed Al-Dosari, Osama Al-Zaid, Shuaib Ali Shaban, Mohammed Abbas Jawhar Hayat, Madi Al-Hajri, Falah Al-Hajri, Hamad Al-Mudlej, Ali Radan Al-Otaibi, Mohammed Haif, Saoud Al-Hajri, Khaled Mounis Al-Otaibi, Nasser Mohammed Al-Mutairi, and Nami Harab Mohammed Awad Obeid.


MWL Condemns Israeli Statements on Displacement of Palestinian People

The Muslim World League (MWL) logo
The Muslim World League (MWL) logo
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MWL Condemns Israeli Statements on Displacement of Palestinian People

The Muslim World League (MWL) logo
The Muslim World League (MWL) logo

The Muslim World League (MWL) strongly condemned statements by Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz concerning the displacement of the Palestinian people from the Gaza Strip, including proposed plans and mechanisms aimed at forcibly removing Palestinians from their land.

In a statement issued by the MWL General Secretariat, MWL Secretary-General and Chairman of the Organization of Muslim Scholars Sheikh Dr. Mohammed Al-Issa denounced the Israeli statements as unacceptable. He stressed that they come amid Israel's violations of international and humanitarian laws and norms in the occupied Palestinian territory and its undermining of peace efforts, the Saudi Press Agency said.

Al-Issa stressed the urgent need for the international community to fulfill its legal and moral responsibilities to bring an immediate end to all Israeli violations and attempts to impose a new demographic or geographic reality in the occupied Palestinian territory.

He also expressed strong support for the statement issued in this regard by the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Pakistan, Türkiye, Qatar, and Egypt.

He reaffirmed their unwavering solidarity with the Palestinian people and steadfast support for their legitimate rights, including the right to establish an independent Palestinian state in accordance with the two-state solution and relevant international resolutions, as the only path to achieving a just and lasting peace in the region.

Ben-Gvir and Katz on Thursday outlined a seven-year plan for removing Palestinians from the Gaza Strip through what Ben-Gvir described as "voluntary emigration."


Saudi FM Signs Strategic Dialogue MoU with Germany, Holds Calls with UK and Bahrain Counterparts

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan met German Federal Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul in Berlin. (SPA)
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan met German Federal Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul in Berlin. (SPA)
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Saudi FM Signs Strategic Dialogue MoU with Germany, Holds Calls with UK and Bahrain Counterparts

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan met German Federal Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul in Berlin. (SPA)
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan met German Federal Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul in Berlin. (SPA)

Saudi Foreign Minister met with his German counterpart in Berlin to sign a memorandum of understanding on strategic dialogue, while also holding separate phone talks with the UK foreign secretary and his Bahraini counterpart, the Saudi Press Agency said on Monday.

During his meeting with Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs of Germany Johann Wadephul, the two officials reviewed the bilateral and historical relations between the two friendly countries and discussed ways to further develop and strengthen them across various fields.

They also discussed the current situation in the region, stressing the importance of the security and safety of international waterways, ensuring freedom of maritime navigation, and restoring normal conditions in the Strait of Hormuz. They also reaffirmed their support for all efforts to find peaceful and diplomatic solutions to regional and international crises.

The two ministers also discussed economic and trade relations, including bilateral trade volumes and ways to boost them, reflecting the depth of their ties while creating new opportunities to expand cooperation and investment across various sectors.

During the meeting, Prince Faisal and Wadephul signed a memorandum of understanding between the governments of Saudi Arabia and Germany to establish a strategic dialogue at the foreign-minister level, strengthen consultation and coordination, and further advance bilateral relations across various fields.

The meeting was attended by a number of officials.

Earlier, Prince Faisal received a phone call from Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs of the United Kingdom Edward Miliband where they reviewed bilateral relations and ways to strengthen cooperation and coordination.

They also discussed regional and international developments, particularly the situation in the region and its implications for security and stability.

The two ministers stressed the importance of intensifying diplomatic efforts to de-escalate tensions, enhance the security of international waterways, and ensure freedom of navigation to help safeguard supply chains and international trade.

Prince Faisal also held a phone call with his Bahraini counterpart, Dr. Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani, during which they discussed regional developments and efforts to maintain security and stability.