Middle East Experience

It’s about time people hear those alarm bells and take heed – Israel has a problem.
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: Israel must take heed with the increasing amount of terror attacks - editorial

Subject of Netflix’s ‘Tinder Swindler’ documentary Simon Leviev went on Instagram Live on Monday where he revealed that he will soon be releasing his own documentary on the matter, entertainment news media E! News reported on Monday. For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.During the livestream, he interacted with people online by answering their questions about the documentary, his current lifestyle, future plans and accusations against him where he again insisted he was innocent.Leviev said that he never swindled anybody and that his life has changed since the Tinder Swindler documentary was released, claiming that he now has a “hell of a lot of money,” adding that his enemies were still after him, one of his most iconic statements since he rose to fame.The Netflix documentary debuted on the streaming service on February 2 and quickly rose to the top 10 most-watched movies of the week on the streaming service in several countries.The ‘swindler’ posed as the son of a wealthy diamond tycoon Lev Leviev and went by the name of Simon Leviev.Resorting to psychological tactics to lure women, he set up a profile on the world-famous dating app Tinder, where he picked up women and scammed them into lending him large sums of money, which he then spent on other women and never paid them back.Future plans According to E! News, Leviev announced on Instagram Live that he has been working on his own documentary, which is now in the final stages of production, where he will tell his side of the story.“You won’t believe what you’re going to see,” he said, arguing that it would be much more jaw-dropping than the Tinder Swindler documentary on Netflix.“…You really have no idea what’s coming up… you’re going to be shocked of your life seriously.”He said that he’s also been working on obtaining a US Visa so that he can record a song with Moroccan-American rapper French Montana and possibly 50 Cent and Snoop Dogg.“I have great things coming very, very soon,” he added.He also said that he will no longer be using Tinder and that he has not been on a dating app since 2018, claiming that any profile using his identity was fake and that he filed police reports against all the fake accounts.Leviev is now dating Israeli model Kate Konlin.Claims his wealth is from investing in Bitcoin Leviev also said that he fully supports himself financially, attributing his wealth to his investment in Bitcoin, a claim which he also made in a previous TV interview with Inside Edition in late February.In his interview with Inside Edition, he claimed to have bought Bitcoin in 2011 “when it was nothing.”“This is how you make the money in places that people don’t want to touch,” he said on Instagram Live, in reference to his investment in Bitcoin. “If I believe in it, I’m going for it.”He also flaunted his wealth by saying that his clothes and watches were worth thousands of dollars and that his security expenses per month cost “more than they say what I took allegedly.”Online news media The Times of Israel estimates that Leviev is believed to have stolen around $10 million over the years from scamming numerous women across Europe in a Ponzi scheme.Not afraid of prison When asked about if he was concerned about going to jail, he responded by saying “maybe those girls [who came forward in the documentary] will go to jail for defamation.”He insisted that he was not worried about going to jail, despite the number of fraud claims and accusations against him.“I’m not in prison and I’m not going to be in prison,” he said, adding that police have been actively “helping him” during this time and that the women who came forward in the Tinder Swindler documentary were “lame” and earned “millions from Netflix.”Originally named Shimon Hayut, the fraudster was born in Israel and had been actively scamming women all over the world into giving him money, most of which they took out as bank loans.Leviev was recently sued by the real Leviev family at the beginning of March for “making false representations as being the son of Lev Leviev and receiving numerous benefits [including material ones], cunningly and using false words, claiming to be a member of the Leviev Family, and that his family will pay and bear the costs of his benefits,” a lawsuit filed in Israel’s Tel Aviv Magistrate Court stated.Lev Leviev’s real daughter Chagit Leviev told NBC News that the lawsuit was the “first step” to ensure that Hayut gets what he deserves.“Shimon Hayut is a fraud who stole our family’s identity and has tried to exploit our good name to con victims out of millions of dollars. He has no relation to the Leviev family and has no affiliation with our company, LLD Diamonds,” she said.“I am relieved that his real identity and actions have been globally exposed, and hopefully this will bring an end to his unscrupulous actions,” added Chagit.Read more:Explainer: Everything you need to know about ‘Tinder Swindler’ Simon LevievLeviev family of LLD Diamonds sues ‘Tinder Swindler’ Shimon Hayut‘Tinder Swindler’ Simon Leviev denies fraud claims in TV interview
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Tinder Swindler Simon Leviev: New documentary, potential collabs with US rappers

Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, blockchain data platform Chainalysis tracked just over $62 million worth of cryptocurrency sent from Russian-based whales (any private crypto wallet holding $1 million or more) to other addresses, marking an 8-month record in transfer levels during the first week of the invasion.Some of these crypto payments were associated with over the counter (OTC) desks, Chainalysis Head of Research Kim Grauer told Al Arabiya English. OTC Desk acts as a dealer for anybody looking to trade a given asset and are generally used when a given trade would not be possible on exchanges.For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.“While spikes in this activity are common, Russian whale transfers hit its highest levels in roughly eight months during the week of February 28, soon after the invasion, reaching $26.5 million,” she said.“On-chain activity alone can’t tell us if these transfers constitute sanctions evasion, as we don’t know if the whale wallets are controlled by sanctioned individuals and entities. However, we will continue to monitor these transactions and provide updates as possible.”Grauer added that the firm has also seen the Ukrainian government call for donations in cryptocurrency.“This is surprising both due to the levels of crypto-literacy, but also due to the efficient and low-cost means of transferring crypto.”As of March 9, crypto enthusiasts across the world donated over $50 million worth of cryptocurrency to addresses provided by the Ukrainian government, not to mention hundreds of non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and donations to other charitable organizations accepting crypto. The amount could be much higher now, as the Russian invasion of Ukraine surpasses its first month.“Those donations stand not just as an example of the community’s generosity, but also of cryptocurrency’s utility as a cross-border value transfer mechanism in a time of emergency. We have seen reports that the government has used the donated crypto to buy supplies, including gas, food, and military equipment.”Both Russia and Ukraine are countries with very high levels of grassroots crypto-adoption, according to Grauer, with Ukraine ranking fourth in the world in the firm’s Global Crypto Adoption Index 2021.“In the early days of the invasion, many suggested that cryptocurrency may be a means for Russians to avoid the impact of sanctions. The reality is, however, that as in the traditional financial system, the cryptocurrency ecosystem can put measures in place to detect and monitor transactions from identified sanctioned entities and individuals, making it much harder to evade sanctions undetected,” she warned.As the invasion persists, cryptocurrency continues to play a huge role in the conflict amid sanctions from the West. Since the beginning of the invasion, western allies froze Russia’s central bank’s foreign currency assets, banned key Russian banks and wealthy elites from hard currency transactions and put restrictions on several parts of its supply chain.The West imposed sanctions on several Russian public figures and oligarchs in retaliation against the invasion in an effort to cripple Moscow’s economy.The US and its allies are planning to impose new sanctions on Russian supply chains, Deputy US Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo said, according to a Reuters report.Conti declared loyalty to Russian government Conti, the most active ransomware group of 2021, according to Chainalysis, declared its loyalty to the Russian government on the second day of the Ukraine invasion, promising to launch cyberattacks against anyone who moves against Russia.“The Conti Team is officially announcing a full support of Russian government. If anybody will decide to organize a cyberattack or any war activities against Russia, we are going to use all our possible resources to strike back at the critical infrastructures of an enemy,” the cybercriminal group declared in a blog post on February 25.“Soon after, an unknown party [ContiLeaks] retaliated by leaking sensitive information on Conti, including the group’s internal chat logs, source code, and more. The US and its allies must stay on high alert for possible retaliatory cyberattacks from Russian cybercriminal groups like Conti, as President Joe Biden recently warned,” said Grauer.Russian cybercrime: Darknet, money laundering, ransomware Russian cybercriminals were very active prior to the invasion, with the majority of ransomware revenues being made by Russia-affiliated cybercriminals, Grauer told Al Arabiya English.“We have also identified money laundering operations concentrating in Moscow City, specifically a tower called Federation Tower. This means criminals are not only carrying out attacks such as ransomware, but they are also successfully able to reintegrate those funds successfully into global markets through this money laundering operation,” she added.“Russia is also home to the world’s largest darknet market, Hydra.”Cybercrime traced to Russia before Ukraine invasion Russian cybercriminals were not always after money, according to Chainalysis head of research.“Even before the invasion, there was evidence indicating that attacks being carried out by cybercriminals traced to Russia were not just financially motivated,” said Grauer.“In cases where a ransomware strain contains no mechanism to collect payment or allow victims to recover their files, we can be more certain that money isn’t the attackers’ primary motivation. And that’s exactly what we saw in the January 2022 ransomware attack on Ukrainian government agencies by hackers believed to be associated with the Russian government.”As outlined by the Computer Emergency Response Team of Ukraine (CERT-UA) on January 26, the attack which occurred on January 13 disrupted several government agencies from being able to operate.“The attack came against a backdrop of increasing tensions between the two countries, we saw a similar situation unfold in 2017, when tensions between the two nations were also running high,” she said in reference to the January 13 attack on Ukrainian government entities.“At the time [of 2017 tensions], the Russia-based Notpetva ransomware strain, which contained no viable payment mechanism, targeted several Ukrainian organizations and was also widely judged to be a geopolitically motivated disruption attempt by the Russian military rather than a money-making effort,” she explained.Read more:Russian invasion: UN chief appeals for ‘immediate humanitarian ceasefire’ in UkraineTinder Swindler Simon Leviev: New documentary, potential collabs with US rappersBillionaire Abramovich, Ukrainian peace negotiators hit by poisoning: Reports
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Russian cybercriminals may be evading Ukraine war sanctions through crypto: Expert

Russia promised at peace talks on Tuesday to drastically scale down its military operations around Kyiv and the northern Ukrainian city of Chernihiv, while Ukraine proposed neutral status with international guarantees to protect it from attack. Ukrainian negotiators said they had proposed a status under which their country would not join alliances or host bases of foreign troops, but would have its security guaranteed in terms similar to "Article 5," the collective defense clause of NATO.For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.They identified Israel and NATO members Canada, Poland, and Turkey as countries that could help provide such guarantees. The proposals would include a 15-year consultation period on the status of Russian-annexed Crimea, and could come into force only in the event of a complete ceasefire, the Ukrainian negotiators told reporters in Istanbul. Russian Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Fomin said Russia had decided to scale down fighting near Kyiv and Chernihiv to create the conditions for dialogue. Top Russian negotiator Vladimir Medinsky said he would examine the Ukrainian proposals and report on them to President Vladimir Putin. The talks held in Istanbul on Tuesday were the first face-to-face meeting between the sides since March 10. Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine on February 24, and has failed to capture any major Ukrainian cities after meeting fierce resistance. Ukraine's proposals were the most detailed and concrete that Kyiv has aired publicly. "If we manage to consolidate these key provisions, and for us this is the most fundamental, then Ukraine will be in a position to actually fix its current status as a non-bloc and non-nuclear state in the form of permanent neutrality," said Ukrainian negotiator Oleksander Chaly. "We will not host foreign military bases on our territory, as well as deploy military contingents on our territory, and we will not enter into military-political alliances," he said.Military exercises would take place with the consent of the guarantor countries. The Ukrainian negotiators said there was enough material in their proposals to warrant a meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin.Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told the delegations in Istanbul ahead of the talks that concrete results were expected. “An immediate cease-fire and peace is in everyone’s interest,” he said.Read more: Kremlin says billionaire Abramovich acting as go-between in Ukraine talks
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Russia says to sharply reduce military activity, while Ukraine proposes neutrality

The agreement coincides with the Qatari foreign minister's visit to Cairo..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: Qatar to pump billion in investments in Egypt

In less than five seasons, Qatar's shores saw an increase in its number of docked ships and passengers for more than six folds..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: Almost 58,000 cruise passengers recorded in first half of season

Hundreds of Iranian women were barred from entering a stadium in northeast Iran on Tuesday to watch their national team’s World Cup qualifying match against Lebanon, Iranian media reported.The women were not allowed entry into the Imam Reza stadium in the holy Shia city of Mashhad despite having tickets for the match, the semi-official Fars news agency reported.For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.Not being allowed to enter the stadium led to the women staging a protest outside the stadium, Fars said.One woman, speaking to Fars outside the stadium, said: “They said that women can get tickets and enter the stadium. We were on the website yesterday from 12 p.m. 8 p.m. so we could get tickets. All the ladies who are here have tickets. We took leave from work, we spent a lot of money, but now they are saying women can’t enter.”If women are not allowed to enter the stadium, “why did they sell us tickets?” asked another woman.Iran, which had already qualified for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, defeated Lebanon 2-0. Only male fans were present in the stands, photos from inside the stadium published by state media showed.Iran’s theocratic rulers have long been opposed to women attending men’s soccer matches.Iranian women have been banned from stadiums hosting men’s soccer matches since shortly after the 1979 Islamic Revolution.World soccer governing body FIFA ordered Iran in September 2019 to allow women access to stadiums without any restrictions.The FIFA directive came after a young Iranian woman named Sahar Khodayari – dubbed “Blue Girl” for the colors of her favorite team, Esteghlal FC – died after setting herself on fire outside a court where she feared being jailed for trying to attend a match disguised as a man.Iran in January allowed some women to attend Iran’s match against Iraq in the capital Tehran.Critics at the time said Iran only allowed a select number of women to attend the match under pressure from FIFA, describing the move as a propagandist effort to “appease” FIFA.Read more: US Iran envoy criticized for ‘parroting Iranian propaganda’ about women in stadiums
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Iranian women barred from attending soccer game despite promises

The Michelin Guide, developed at the beginning of the 20th century as a handy glovebox companion when on the road, is one of the world's most influential rankings for restaurants and hotels.
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: Dubai restaurants to become first in Middle East to get Michelin ratings

Barzani told an industry conference in Dubai that Kurdistan would soon become an important source of energy..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: Barzani says Iraqi Kurdistan has energy capacity to help Europe

Pfizer and BioNTech originally asked for the next booster doses to be authorized for people 65 and older in a submission citing data collected in Israel.
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: FDA green lights second COVID-19 booster shot for older Americans