NEWS OF THE DAY
_1 Mideast tensions: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he is confident he will be able to annex large parts of the occupied West Bank this summer, with support from the U.S. Speaking to an online gathering of evangelical Christian supporters of Israel on Sunday, Netanyahu said President Trump’s Mideast plan envisions turning over Israel’s dozens of settlements, as well as the strategic Jordan Valley, to Israeli control. Israeli annexation of West Bank territory would be highly controversial. The Palestinians, with wide international backing, seek the entire West Bank as part of an independent state. The European Union foreign policy chief said annexation would be a violation of international law. The U.N.’s Mideast envoy said such a step would “ignite” the region.
_2 Lightning deaths: Lightning killed at least 10 villagers during thunderstorms and heavy rain in eastern India. Pratay Amrit, a Bihar state disaster management official, said nine others suffered injuries after lightning struck them Sunday in the village of Khalpura. They were picking vegetables at farms about 35 miles north of Patna, the state capital. In July last year, lightning killed 39 people in Bihar state during the monsoon season.
_3 Iraq energy: The U.S. has granted Iraq a monthlong sanctions waiver enabling the government to continue importing gas and electricity from Iran, two Iraqi officials told the Associated Press. The U.S. issued the relatively small window of time for Iraq to prove it is making progress in becoming less reliant on Iranian imports, a key condition to qualify for the waiver. Earlier, a 30day waiver was granted for March and it expired on Sunday. Previous waivers had lasted three to four months. It comes as Prime Ministerdesignate Mustafa Kadhimi faces resistance to his proposed lineup of ministers. A constitutional deadline for him to present a Cabinet to Parliament runs out next week. Iraq depends on Iranian energy imports to meet one third of its energy needs, especially during the scorching summer months.
_4 Yemen fighting: A Saudiled coalition mired in the war in Yemen on Monday urged southern separatists to honor the terms of a peace deal and share control of the port city of Aden with the country’s internationally recognized government. The statement by Saudi Arabia comes after the separatists’ Southern Transitional Council claimed control on Sunday of Aden, a Red Sea port that serves as the seat of the internationally recognized government as Yemen’s Shiite rebels, known as Houthis, hold the country’s capital, Sanaa. The council’s move adds yet more complexity to the grinding war that has pushed the Arab world’s poorest nation to the brink of famine and killed over 100,000 people. The council’s backers often fly the flag of former Communist South Yemen and have pushed to split the country like it was from 1967 to 1990.
_5 Subdued birthday: There was no orange crush Monday as coronavirus restrictions reined in festivities marking the Dutch king’s birthday. Canals and streets in Amsterdam, normally choked with revelers wearing wigs, hats, fake feather boas and anything else they can find in the national color, orange, instead were eerily quiet as people largely stuck to government requests to stay at home. Those who did venture out observed social distancing guidelines even as people handed out free tulips. King WillemAlexander celebrated his 53rd birthday with his family at home in their palace in a forest on the edge of The Hague after a mass celebration in the southern city of Maastricht was canceled due to the restrictions. In a televised speech, the king paid tribute to health care workers.
Chronicle News Services