Middle East Experience

At least 14 million worshippers have attended prayers at the Prophet’s Mosque in Medina since the beginning of the holy month of Ramadan, the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported on Saturday.The organizing authority said they worked with “auxiliary agencies” in addition to in-house staff to enhance the operational capacity of the mosque during the high-influx month.For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.The team worked 24 hours a day and “doubled efforts” to host the millions of visitors who flocked to the place of worship, the Adviser and Under-General for Executive and Field Affairs Abdulaziz al-Ayoubi said, according to SPA.Meanwhile, as the Kingdom ramped up safety measures in light of this visitor influx, the country’s minister of health confirmed that there were no “epidemic outbreaks, diseases, or events threatening public health,” SPA reported.Minister Fahd al-Jalajil also said that the authority “continues to provide preventive, curative and ambulatory services” for Umrah attendees through hospitals and primary health care centers.Preventive measures, epidemiological examination procedures and rapid infection response have also been planned, he added, according to SPA.To achieve the scale of this operation, al-Jalajil said that the Ministry had recruited more than 18,000 people to serve visitors in the holy month.As of April 22, more than 7,200 Umrah visitors were served through emergency centers and the hospitals, while 36 emergency surgeries, 291 dialysis and 20 catheters were conducted, SPA reported.Read more:Michael Ratney tapped to be next US ambassador to Saudi Arabia: White HouseSaudi Arabia’s PIF-owned ROSHN hits 10 million man-hours without lost-time injuriesEid al-Fitr holiday dates announced for UAE private sector
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Saudi Arabia safely welcomes 14 million visitors to Prophet’s Mosque during Ramadan

UAE Minister of State for AI Omar bin Sultan al-Olama stressed the importance of a “responsible” rollout, with impacts potentially reverberating for decades..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: UAE sees AI as a tool ‘to unleash quality of life aspect’

The Iraqi government is dependent on oil revenues to cover its costs and pay the salaries of civil servants..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: Iraq expects billion in revenues due to oil price rise

A highlight, Al-Ikhtiyar trailers for the TV show promised, was to be a series of leaked videos purportedly exposing Muslim Brotherhood leaders including Morsi..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: Blockbuster TV series portrays Egypt president as hero

Russia said on Saturday it plans to deploy its newly tested Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missiles, capable of mounting nuclear strikes against the United States, by autumn.The target stated by Dmitry Rogozin, head of the Roscosmos space agency, is an ambitious one as Russia reported its first test-launch only on Wednesday and Western military experts say more will be needed before the missile can be deployed.For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.The Sarmat is capable of carrying 10 or more nuclear warheads and decoys, and of striking targets thousands of miles away in the United States or Europe.This week’s test, after years of delays due to funding and technical issues, marks a show of strength by Russia at a time when the war in Ukraine has sent tensions with the United States and its allies soaring to their highest levels since the 1962 Cuban missile crisis.Rogozin said in an interview with Russian state TV that the missiles would be deployed with a unit in the Krasnoyarsk region of Siberia, about 3,000 kilometers (1,860 miles) east of Moscow.He said they would be placed at the same sites and in the same silos as the Soviet-era Voyevoda missiles they are replacing, something that would save “colossal resources and time.”The launch of the “super-weapon” was an historic event that would guarantee the security of Russia’s children and grandchildren for the next 30-40 years, Rogozin added.Western concern at the risk of nuclear war has increased since Russian President Vladimir Putin launched his invasion of Ukraine on February 24 with a speech in which he pointedly referred to Moscow’s nuclear forces and warned that any attempt to get in Russia’s way “will lead you to such consequences that you have never encountered in your history.”“The prospect of nuclear conflict, once unthinkable, is now back within the realm of possibility,” United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said last month.Read more:Russia says it shot down Ukrainian fighter jet in Kharkiv regionRussia says one sailor died, 27 missing after missile cruiser sankRussia says Ukrainian fighters ‘securely blockaded’ at Mariupol steel plant
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Russia to deploy Sarmat missiles by autumn in ‘historic’ nuclear upgrade

Another political assassination in this country would be the equivalent of throwing a lit kerosene-soaked rag into a combustible house.  
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: It's time to tone down the incitement - editorial

The Association of Banks in Lebanon said on Saturday it “completely rejects” the government’s latest draft of a financial recovery plan meant to pull the country out of an economic meltdown.In a statement shared with Reuters, the ABL called the plan “disastrous” and said it would leave banks and depositors shouldering the “major portion” of losses.The government estimates that the financial sector’s losses amount to $72 billion.For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.“ABL has assigned its legal advisers to examine and present a range of judicial measures that will allow the preservation and recovery of the rights of the banks and the depositors,” the association said.Lebanon’s banks have been a major lender to the government for decades, helping to finance a wasteful and corrupt state that went into financial meltdown in 2019.The collapse has resulted in depositors being shut out of their savings and the local currency losing more than 90 percent of its value. The banking association rejected an earlier draft of the plan in February, saying it would cause a loss of confidence in the financial sector.The ABL’s approval is not required for the government to begin implementing a plan, but experts say support from the banking sector could contribute to solving the crisis.The current draft lays out a series of financial reforms, including an overhaul of the banking sector and caps on how much depositors would be able to recover from their accounts.Earlier this month, Lebanon signed a staff-level agreement with the International Monetary Fund for a 46-month extended fund facility, under which Lebanon has requested access to the equivalent of around $3 billion.But access to those funds is contingent on enacting a slew of economic reforms and financial sector restructuring.Read more:New Lebanese parliament will act on IMF deal, PM adviser saysLebanon disburses funds to temporarily avert bread crisis, minister saysLebanon judge orders seizure of properties belonging to cenbank’s detained brother
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Lebanon banking group rejects latest draft of financial recovery plan

The Darkenu poll also found that 28% of Israeli youth don't know what the Final Solution or Auschwitz is.
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: 56% of Israeli youth don't know who Mordechai Anielewicz is - poll

Captains of Zaatari is now available on Hulu, the first Arab film to be featured on the streaming service. Sports has long been a topic of conversation that gathers enthusiasts…..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: 'The world without sports would be violent': a conversation with Captains of Zaatari filmmaker

Watch the official state opening ceremony in Warsaw Ghetto Square at Yad Vashem, on the Mount of Remembrance in Jerusalem.
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: Holocaust Remembrance Day opens with ceremony at Yad Vashem - watch