A second flotilla carrying humanitarian aid to Palestinians in Gaza was due to set sail on Sunday from the Spanish port of Barcelona to try to break the Israeli blockade. About 30 boats planned to leave the Mediterranean port city laden with medical aid and other supplies on the Global Sumud Flotilla, and more vessels are expected to join along the route towards Palestine. The Israeli military halted the roughly 40 boats assembled by the same organisation last October as they attempted to reach blockaded Gaza, arresting Swedish activist Greta Thunberg and more than 450 other participants. Mission to 'open humanitarian corridor' Israel, which controls all access to the Gaza Strip, denies withholding supplies for its more than 2 million residents. Yet Palestinians and international aid bodies say supplies reaching the territory are still insufficient, despite a ceasefire reached in October, which included guarantees of increased aid. Liam Cunningham, an actor who starred...
Saudi Arabia has restored full oil pumping capacity through the East-West pipeline to about seven million barrels per day (bpd), it said on Sunday, days after providing an assessment of damage on its energy sector from attacks during the Iran conflict. The ministry said energy facilities and the pipeline affected by attacks during the conflict have recovered and restored operational capacity. Saudi did not specify who launched the attacks, but the kingdom has intercepted many Iranian missiles and drones in recent weeks. The strikes also disrupted operations at key oil, gas, refining, petrochemical and electricity sites in Riyadh, the Eastern Province and Yanbu Industrial City. Output recovery to help supply continuity Saudi said on Thursday the attacks had cut its oil production capacity by around 600,000 barrels per day and throughput on its East-West Pipeline by about 700,000 bpd. The East-West Pipeline has been Saudi Arabia's only crude export route amid the closure of the Stra...