Middle East Experience

The Bennett-Lapid government broke the mold in coalition building. We hope the government's spirit seeps into the upcoming campaign.
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: Ahead of new elections, Israeli politicians must tone down rhetoric - editorial

Turkish Airlines won the “Best Food & Beverage in Europe” and “Best Seat Comfort in Europe” at the APEX 2022 Passenger Choice Awards, making the flag carrier the only airline…..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: Turkish Airlines 'most awarded European carrier' in APEX 2022 Passenger Choice Awards

The Algerian statement came after EU officials said the bloc was treating the dispute with the “utmost concern” and warned it was prepared to take action..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: In odd u-turn, Algeria backs down in dispute with Spain

Paisley: A Princely Pattern closes in April 2023.
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: History of the paisley motif shown at the Museum for Islamic Art

The A-Genre Festival shines a sharp entertaining light on the lessons of the pandemic and the way forward
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: 18th A-Genre Festival comes with message of return to normalcy

Italian tenor sings with his children – and with Israelis Shiri Maimon and Colin Schachat.
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli thrills 20,000 fans in Tel Aviv

Universities in Saudi Arabia claimed 16 spots on a world university ranking index by the globally renowned Quacquarelli Symonds (GS) for the year 2023, the official Saudi Press Agency reported on Thursday.The latest rating saw two more universities in the Kingdom join the list compared to 2022, and seven more compared to 2019.For all the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.King Abdulaziz University (KAU) topped the list at 106th out of nearly 1,500 universities worldwide.“With this new progress, the Kingdom is six places away to be included in the top 100 international universities list,” SPA reported.KAU is followed by King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals and King Saud University in the QS ranking. Al-Faisal and Northern Border Universities also entered the rankings for the first time in the 2023 list.“The QS classification evaluates universities per several criteria, mainly the university’s reputation, which is calculated in the largest survey of academic opinions around the world, by sending it to more than 130,000 experts,” according to SPA.For 2023, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in US, the University of Cambridge in UK, and Stanford University in the US claimed the top three spots.Saudi Arabia ranked first in the Arab world and 25th globally in the field of scientific publishing, SPA previously reported in April, citing the Scimago Index.Saudi universities have reportedly contributed 93 percent of the national output of scientific research.Read more:Saudi Arabia provides $30 million grant to Afghanistan Humanitarian Trust FundNew national training program in Saudi Arabia seeks to support booming tourism sectorSaudi wealth fund PIF makes second $1 billion bet on Swedish gaming
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Saudi Arabia’s universities take 16 places on QS ranking index

Saudi Arabia’s assistant minister of defense for executive affairs Khaled bin Hussein al-Biyari, met with China’s Defense Minister Wei Fenghe on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue, the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported on Saturday.The officials discussed bilateral relations in the defense and military sectors as well as topics of mutual interest.Al-Biyari led the Kingdom’s defense ministry delegation to the Shangri-La Dialogue which kicked off in Singapore on Friday.For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.The Shangri-La Dialogue, which concludes on June 12, involves top-level military officials, diplomats, and weapons makers from around the globe.It is the first time the event has been held since 2019 after it was postponed twice because of COVID-19.In March, Saudi Arabia strengthened energy ties with China, as the oil producer Saudi Aramco agreed to build a multi-billion-dollar refining and chemicals project that will tap into the Asian country’s future demand, Bloomberg reported.Read more:Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince, China’s President Xi Jinping discuss partnership growthAustin urges end to ‘bullying’ in Asia in speech aimed at China‘Ukraine today could be East Asia tomorrow’: Japan PM warns
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Saudi Arabia, China defense officials discuss relations at Shangri-La Dialogue

Rescuers have found the bodies of seven people, including four Turks and two Lebanese, killed in a helicopter crash in Italy, local authorities said on Saturday, two days after the aircraft disappeared from radar screens.The helicopter had taken off on Thursday from Lucca in Tuscany and was heading toward the northern city of Treviso when it was lost in bad weather over a remote area.“The rescuers have found dead the seven passengers from the helicopter, four of Turkish and two of Lebanese nationality, who were on a business trip to Italy. As well as the Italian pilot,” the prefect’s office in the city of Modena said in a statement.For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.The helicopter was found in a mountainous area on the border between Tuscany and the Emilia Romagna region, the statement said.Prosecutors have cordoned off the area as part of the investigation into the incident.“We got the coordinates, we went to the site and found everything burnt. The helicopter is basically inside a valley, near a stream,” a rescuer said in a video posted on the Italian Air Force Twitter account.The Turkish businessmen worked for Eczacibasi Consumer Products, a subsidiary of major Turkish industrial group Eczacibasi. They had been attending a paper technologies fair in Italy, the company said in a statement.The helicopter was an AW119 Koala manufactured by defense group Leonardo, a person close to the matter told Reuters.The ANSA news agency reported it was owned by transport and aeronautic maintenance company Avio Helicopters, based in Thiene, in northern Italy.Avio Helicopters was not immediately available for comment.Read more:Berlin driver’s ‘confused’ statements under investigationFour dead, one unaccounted for in US Marine aircraft crash: OfficialUS Capitol riot hearing shows Trump allies, daughter rejected fraud claims
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Four Turks, two Lebanese killed in helicopter crash near Italy’s Tuscany

Canadian pop singer Justin Bieber disclosed on Friday that he was diagnosed with a virus that left half of his face paralyzed and forced him to cancel some upcoming performances to focus on recovery.In a video posted on Instagram, Bieber said he had contracted Ramsay Hunt syndrome, which affected nerves in his ear and face.For all the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.He noted that his right eye was not blinking, adding “I can’t smile on this side of my face. This nostril will not move. So, there’s full paralysis on this side of my face.”Bieber added that he has been doing facial exercises to “get back to normal,” but that he does not know how long it will take to recover.He had been due to play in Washington DC and Toronto earlier this week, with concerts also planned in New York and Los Angeles in the coming weeks, BBC reported.The Mayo Clinic, cited by the BBC, said that for most people, the symptoms of Ramsay Hunt syndrome were temporary, but can become permanent.“The inability for patients to close one eyelid can also cause eye pain and blurred vision,” the organization said according to the BBC report, adding that it is most common in people over 60 years old.Derick Wade, a consultant in neurological rehabilitation and visiting professor at Oxford Brookes University in the UK told The Associated Press that recovery time can vary significantly.“If a nerve is damaged in this way, it can recover in some people very quickly, in a few days or a few weeks and in other people can take several months. So it’s a very unpredictable affair,” he said.With Reuters and The Associated PressRead more:Johnny Depp, Jeff Beck team up for album of cover songsDo genetics matter? Cancer not as heritable as once thought, study findsEye health may directly influence a person's lifespan: Study
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Watch: Justin Bieber down with partial face paralysis, shows canceled