Latest News from Observer
Observer
7 hours ago
- Observer
First expatriate group from Oman arrives at holy land
Muscat: The first group of expatriates who left for the holy land of Mekkah for Hajj 2025 by air arrived in Madinah and was given a cordial welcome by people from different walks of life on Thursday. The group comprising 52 expat pilgrims who secured permission to perform Hajj from Oman's Ministry of Endowments and religious Affairs (MERA) through the Muscat Sunni Center left for the airport by bus from Ruwi near the Sultan Qaboos Mosque premises on Wednesday. The group proceeded on a Saudi Airlines flight to Madinah would resume their journey to Makkah on May 31 after staying in Medina for three days. Speaking to the Observer, Zakir Hussain Faizi, the Ameer of the Hajj group said that the group will return to Muscat from Jeddah on June 11 after completing the rituals of the holy Hajj. As many as 14,000 people are going to Hajj from Oman this year. Of these, 13,530 are native citizens and 470 are expatriates. Of these, 235 are expatriates of Arab origin. Out of the 235 who got a chance in the remaining non-Arab expatriate quota, made the group to Saudi. Since the new moon was sighted on Tuesday, Eid al-Adha will be celebrated in Oman along with other Gulf countries on June 6. Prominent personalities from the socio-cultural scene in Oman participated in the pilgrimage. Prior to the pilgrimage, exclusive training for the selected pilgrims was given last week at the Manbaul Huda Madrasa in Ruwi. The five-day study class and camp, which was conducted from 8 pm to 10 pm, was attended by many people from different parts of Oman, both those going to Hajj and those not going to Hajj. Anwar Haji, Ghafoor Haji, Salim Corniche, Umar Wafi, Sulaimankutty, PAV Abubakar Haji, Rafeeq Sreekantapuram and Shuhaib Pappinissery, N Muhammadali Faizi, Doctor Muhammad Ali from Al Abeer Hospital and Akhil Rahman, along with Shajudeen Basheer B Muhammad Panniyur were also present at the flag off ceremony.
Observer
7 hours ago
- Business
- Observer
Iran President hails HM's role in regional peace
MUSCAT: Dr Masoud Pezeshkian, President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, expressed his deep gratitude to His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik for his role in supporting peace efforts in the region, and his valuable efforts in mediating between Iran and the United States, with the aim of achieving a satisfactory and just agreement that is respected by both sides and meets their aspirations. In an exclusive interview with Oman News Agency and Oman TV, Dr Masoud said that bilateral relations between the Sultanate of Oman and the Islamic Republic of Iran are old and long-standing, and that they share common bonds. He described his meeting with His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik as 'positive and constructive.' The President emphasised that his official visit to the Sultanate of Oman reviewed aspects of joint cooperation and developments in the region and the world, noting that his country's policy is based on establishing strong relations and cooperation with various neighbouring countries. He added that the visit witnessed meetings between officials from both sides, and the signing of a number of agreements, memoranda of understanding and executive programmes in various fields, including health, energy, renewable energy, economics and trade. He emphasised the need to move forward with implementing what was agreed upon on the ground. The President said: "The Islamic Republic of Iran and the Sultanate of Oman are in advanced stages of consultation and coordination at the political and economic levels on many regional and international issues through joint meetings and gatherings. They share common and convergent positions on issues of concern to the region, foremost among the Palestinian issue. There is coordination to overcome some of the challenges resulting from the sanctions imposed on Tehran and resolve them through air and maritime cooperation, and to increase the volume of trade exchange between the two friendly countries to more than $20 billion." He pointed out that the Sultanate of Oman will be a hub for the exchange and export of goods and commodities between the two friendly countries, and through them to all countries in the region, to various countries in Central Asia, and from Oman to African countries, to achieve cooperation and partnership with all. Regarding reaching a fair agreement in the nuclear talks between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States, the President noted that international laws are the just and equitable conditions, as any country can conduct scientific and specialised research related to uranium enrichment and benefit from the use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes. He emphasised that his country does not seek to possess nuclear weapons at all, but rather to benefit from enrichment in the fields of medicine, energy and economy. He called on the international community to assume its responsibilities in stopping the war of extermination and massacres committed by the Israeli occupation army against innocent civilians in the Gaza Strip, which has been under siege for nearly two years. - ONA
Observer
9 hours ago
- Climate
- Observer
Switzerland monitoring for flood risk after huge glacier collapse
GENEVA: Swiss authorities were on Thursday monitoring for possible flood risk in a southern valley, following a massive glacier collapse that created a huge pile of debris after destroying a small village. On Wednesday the Birch glacier in Switzerland's southern Wallis region collapsed, sending tons of rock, ice and scree hurtling down the mountain slope and into the valley below. The barrage largely destroyed the hamlet of Blatten, which had been home to 300 people and was evacuated last week due to the impending danger. One person, a man aged 64, believed in the affected zone at the time, remained reported missing. On Thursday authorities declared a local state of emergency as they monitor the situation after the huge pile of glacier debris, stretching some two kilometres (1.25 miles), blocked the river Lonza. "There is a serious risk of an ice jam that could flood the valley below," Antoine Jacquod, a military security official, told the Keystone-ATS news agency. "We're going to try to assess its dimensions today," added Jacquod. With the area too unstable to approach, authorities said an assessment would be made at 6:00 pm from the nearby village of Ferden. As a precaution, 16 people were evacuated late on Wednesday from two villages located downstream from the disaster area. "It's like a mountain, and of course, it creates a small lake that gets bigger and bigger," explained Raphael Mayoraz, the cantonal official in charge of natural hazard management, Wednesday evening. An artificial dam was preemptively emptied to receive the water pushed back by the wall of ice, earth and rubble. Were that water to overflow from the dam, authorities would need to consider evacuating the valley. The Valais cantonal government has meanwhile asked the army to provide clearing equipment and pumps to secure the riverbed. "The deposit ... is not very stable, and debris flow is possible within the deposit itself (which) makes any intervention in the disaster area impossible for the time being," cantonal authorities stated, adding there was a risk on both sides of the valley. YouTube footage of the collapse showed a huge cloud of ice and rubble hurtling down the mountainside, into the valley, and partially up the mountain slope on the other side. The force was such that Swiss monitoring stations registered the phenomenon as a seismic event. According to Mayoraz, "three million cubic metres of rock fell suddenly onto the glacier, carrying it with them" down into the valley. Warming temperatures have both shrunk the Alps' glaciers and have made them more unstable. — AFP
Observer
9 hours ago
- Politics
- Observer
Israel announces creation of 22 settlements in West Bank
TEL AVIV: Israel announced on Thursday the creation of 22 new settlements in the occupied West Bank, risking further strain on relations with the international community already taxed by the war in Gaza. Israeli settlements in the West Bank are regularly condemned by the United Nations as illegal under international law, and are seen as one of the main obstacles to a lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians. The decision to establish more, taken by the country's security cabinet, was announced by far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, himself a settler, and Defence Minister Israel Katz, who is in charge of managing the communities. "We have made a historic decision for the development of settlements: 22 new communities in Judea and Samaria, renewing settlement in the north of Samaria, and reinforcing the eastern axis of the State of Israel," Smotrich said on X, using the Israeli terms for the southern and northern West Bank, which it has occupied since 1967. "Next step: sovereignty!" he added. Katz said the initiative "changes the face of the region and shapes the future of settlement for years to come". In a statement, Hamas condemned the move as "further confirmation that the criminal Zionist occupation continues to impose facts on the ground by accelerating steps to Judaize Palestinian land within a clear annexation project". "This is a blatant defiance of the international will and a grave violation of international law and United Nations resolutions," said the Palestinian militant group which rules Gaza. Western ally Jordan too condemned the Israeli move, calling it a "flagrant violation of international law" that "undermines prospects for peace by entrenching the occupation". The Jordanian foreign ministry warned that "such unilateral actions further erode the viability of a two-state solution by impeding the establishment of a sovereign Palestinian state". In a statement on Telegram, the right-wing Likud party of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the move a "once-in-a-generation decision", saying the initiative had been led by Smotrich and Katz. "The decision also includes the establishment of four communities along the eastern border with Jordan, as part of strengthening Israel's eastern backbone, national security and strategic grip on the area," it said. The party published a map showing the 22 sites spread across the territory. Human rights groups and anti-settlement NGOs say a slide towards at least de facto annexation of the occupied West Bank has gathered pace, particularly since the start of the Gaza war triggered by Hamas's October 2023 attack on Israel. "The Israeli government no longer pretends otherwise: the annexation of the occupied territories and expansion of settlements is its central goal," the Peace Now group said in a statement, adding the move "will dramatically reshape the West Bank and further entrench the occupation". Thursday's announcement comes ahead of an international conference to be led by France and Saudi Arabia at UN headquarters in New York next month, which is meant to resurrect the idea of a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Supporters of the blueprint, which was the basis of successive rounds of Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, say the prospects for a viable, contiguous Palestinian state alongside Israel are being undermined by the proliferation of settlements. The announcement also comes after US envoy Steve Witkoff said on Wednesday he had "very good feelings" about the prospects for a Gaza ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, adding that he expected to send out a new proposal imminently. Meanwhile, after a more than two-month blockade, aid has finally begun to trickle back into Gaza, but the humanitarian situation remains dire after 18 months of devastating war. Food security experts say starvation is looming for one in five people. The Israeli military has also recently stepped up its offensive in the territory in what it says is a renewed push to destroy Hamas, whose October 7, 2023 attack triggered the war. The centre, run by the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), is part of a new system for distributing aid that Israel says is meant to keep supplies out of the hands of Hamas, but which has drawn criticism from the United Nations and the European Union. — AFP
Observer
9 hours ago
- Business
- Observer
OCCI participates in Iraqi Franchise Expo in Baghdad
BAGHDAD: Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OCCI) is taking part in the second edition of the Iraqi Franchise Expo in Baghdad. OCCI delegation is led by Eng Hamoud bin Salim al Saadi, Second Deputy Chairman of the Board of Directors of Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Chairman of OCCI Commercial Franchise Centre Committee. Two franchise agreements were inked by Omani franchise firms during the first day of the exhibition. The first agreement was signed by Mohammed bin Sagheer bin Qassim al Maamari, owner of the 'Brothers of Silver' brand. The second agreement was signed by Issa bin Saleh al Aghbari, owner of the Omani brand 'Seven Fries'. The OCCI's pavilion at the expo featured more than 15 leading Omani brands that seek to explore franchising opportunities and enter the Iraqi market. — ONA
