Middle East Experience

Investigative judge Ghada Aoun questioned Raja Salameh for several hours before placing him under arrest..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: Lebanon arrests brother of embattled central bank chief

All four people on board a US military aircraft that crashed in northern Norway on Friday have died, local police said on Saturday.Earlier updateThe US Osprey aircraft “was reported missing at 18:26 (1726 GMT) south of Bodo” in northern Norway in bad weather, the regional emergency services (HRS) said in a statement.The four-person crew were taking part in the Cold Response military exercises involving 30,000 people from NATO and partner countries.For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the apps.The US Marine Corps confirmed “a mishap” involving a MV-22B Osprey during the exercises and said in a statement that Norwegian civil authorities were leading the search and rescue efforts.Rescuers searching from the air saw signs of the aircraft in the area where it went missing but the weather was too bad for them to land, the Norwegian emergency services said.Rescue teams and police were heading to the area, it added.“We are not at the site itself so we know nothing of the four people who were on board. But we know it is a crash site,” HRS spokesman Jan Eskil Severinsen said on the NRK television channel.Cold Response 2022 aims to test how Norway would manage allied reinforcements on its soil in the event that NATO’s mutual defense clause were triggered.This week’s exercises came amid high tension between Russia and NATO over Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, but they were planned long before that offensive began on February 24.Read more:Russian official sees progress with Ukraine on neutrality, not on ‘denazification’Hezbollah denies sending fighters to Ukraine in support of Russian invasionRussia blasted by West at UN for spreading bioweapons ‘nonsense’ over Ukraine
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: US military plane crashes in Norway during NATO exercise, four dead: Officials

Three Russian cosmonauts arrived at the International Space Station on Friday wearing yellow flight suits with blue accents, colors that appeared to match the Ukrainian flag. The men were the first new arrivals on the space station since the start of the Russian war in Ukraine last month.Russian space corporation Roscosmos cosmonauts Oleg Artemyev, Denis Matveyev and Sergey Korsakov blasted off successfully from the Russia-leased Baikonur launch facility in Kazakhstan in their Soyuz MS-21 spacecraft at 8:55 p.m. Friday (11:55 a.m. EDT). They smoothly docked at the station just over three hours later, joining two Russians, four Americans and a German on the orbiting outpost.Video of Artemyev taken as the spacecraft prepared to dock with the space station showed him wearing a blue flight suit. It was unclear what, if any, message the yellow uniforms they changed into were intended to send.For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the apps.When the cosmonauts were able to talk to family back on Earth, Artemyev was asked about the suits. He said every crew chooses their own.“It became our turn to pick a color. But in fact, we had accumulated a lot of yellow material so we needed to use it. So that’s why we had to wear yellow,” he said.Since the war started, many people have used the Ukrainian flag and its colors to show solidarity with the country.The war has resulted in canceled spacecraft launches and broken contracts. Roscosmos chief Dmitry Rogozin has warned that the US would have to use “broomsticks” to fly into space after Russia said it would stop supplying rocket engines to US companies.Many worry, however, that Rogozin is putting decades of a peaceful off-planet partnership at risk, most notably at the space station.NASA Administrator Bill Nelson played down Rogozin’s comments, telling The Associated Press: “That’s just Dmitry Rogozin. He spouts off every now and then. But at the end of the day, he’s worked with us.”“The other people that work in the Russian civilian space program, they’re professional,” Nelson told the AP on Friday. “They don’t miss a beat with us, American astronauts and American mission control. Despite all of that, up in space, we can have a cooperation with our Russian friends, our colleagues."NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei — who on Tuesday broke the US single spaceflight record of 340 days — is due to leave the space station with two Russians aboard a Soyuz capsule for a touchdown in Kazakhstan on March 30.In April, another three NASA and one Italian astronaut are set to blast off for the space station.Read more:Biden warns China of consequences if it helps Russia in UkraineEvacuation route in Ukraine’s Luhansk region to open: GovernorUS military plane crashes in Norway during NATO exercise: Officials
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Russia cosmonauts arrive at space station wearing Ukraine flag colors

Russia used its newest Kinzhal hypersonic missiles for the first time in Ukraine on Friday to destroy a weapons storage site in the country’s west, the defense ministry said.Russia has never before admitted using the high-precision weapon in combat, and state news agency RIA Novosti said it was the first use of the Kinzhal hypersonic weapons during the conflict in pro-Western Ukraine.For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.“The Kinzhal aviation missile system with hypersonic aero ballistic missiles destroyed a large underground warehouse containing missiles and aviation ammunition in the village of Deliatyn in the Ivano-Frankivsk region”, the Russian defense ministry said Saturday.A defense ministry spokesman declined to comment when reached by AFP.Russian President Vladimir Putin has termed the Kinzhal (Dagger) missile “an ideal weapon” that flies at 10 times the speed of sound and can overcome air-defense systems.The Kinzhal missile was one of an array of new weapons Putin unveiled in his state-of-the-nation address in 2018.Deliatyn, a village in the foothills of the picturesque Carpathian mountains, is located outside the city of Ivano-Frankivsk.The region of Ivano-Frankivsk shares a 50-kilometre (30-mile) long border with NATO member Romania.Read more:Evacuation route in Ukraine’s Luhansk region to open: GovernorRussian official sees progress with Ukraine on neutrality, not on ‘denazification’Hezbollah denies sending fighters to Ukraine in support of Russian invasion
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Russia used hypersonic missiles in Ukraine: Defense ministry

The UAE reiterated its commitment to providing assistance to civilians affected by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine during a phone call between the foreign ministers of UAE and Ukraine, state news agency WAM reported on Friday.UAE’s foreign minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, discussed “the latest development in Ukraine” with his Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba, WAM reported.The UAE diplomat also reiterated the country’s “readiness” to support efforts being pursued to find a “peaceful solution to the dispute in Ukraine and to reach a political settlement to the crisis,” according to the WAM report.For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the apps.Russia launched a multi-pronged attack on Ukraine on February 24, which President Vladimir Putin claims is a special military operation.But the conflict has escalated to become the largest military invasion in Europe since World War II.The UN human rights office in Geneva said it had recorded more than 2,032 civilian casualties in Ukraine – 780 killed and 1,252 injured. The UN also said that at least 3.2 million residents have fled.Earlier on March 17, the UAE foreign minister said that the Gulf country is keen to cooperate with Russia to improve the global energy security.Read more:Russia used hypersonic missiles in Ukraine: Defense ministryEvacuation route in Ukraine’s Luhansk region to open: GovernorRussian official sees progress with Ukraine on neutrality, not on ‘denazification’
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: UAE offers civilian assistance amid Russia invasion of Ukraine: Foreign minister

Saudi Arabia’s investment arm has signed an agreement with the tech and e-commerce giant Amazon, the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported on Saturday.The new MoU is expected to boost opportunities for small and medium enterprises across the Kingdom, SPA reported.The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Investment (MISA) will also repotedly form a joint committee that will focus on “development of skills, technology and infrastructure, supporting knowledge and trust in online shopping and e-payments,” according to the same report.For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.The signing took place in the presence of the Minister of Investment, Khalid bin Abdulaziz al-Falih, and the Vice President of Amazon for the Middle East and North Africa, Ronaldo Mouchawar.The Minister of Investment Eng. Khalid al-Falih said: “In line with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030, our partnership with Amazon will open growth opportunities for SMEs and address the main challenges facing the sector, creating job opportunities across the Kingdom by harnessing new technologies,” WAM reported.The Kingdom’s Vision 2030 plan includes provisions to develop digital infrastructure with the aim of improving quality of life and attracting investment.Building and enabling local talent is another focal point of the MoU.Ronaldo Mouchawar, Vice President for Amazon MENA said: “This partnership underscores our commitment to the Kingdom and our customers in it, and will contribute to accelerating the growth of the e-commerce sector, as well as enabling businesses to take advantage of the great growth opportunities that the Kingdom offers.”Last year, Amazon announced a major expansion in Saudi Arabia that it says will create at least 1,500 new jobs across the Kingdom in 2021.The online retail giant plans to increase its storage capacity in the country by 89 percent with eleven new buildings.By the end of the year, Amazon says its storage capacity will reach more than 867,000 square feet – the equivalent of more than ten football fields.The expansion will also increase the geographical area Amazon is able to deliver to by around 58 percent, according to a statement.The company has had a presence in Saudi Arabia for several years, buying up souq.com in 2017.It officially launched in June of 2020 when user information on souq.com was transferred to amazon.sa. Amazon Prime was launched in Saudi Arabia in January 2021.Al Arabiya English’s Marco Ferrari contributed to this report.Read more:Saudi crude exports hit 21-month high in January: JODIBillionaire Adani explores partnerships with Saudi AramcoRally Jameel: Exclusive look into Saudi Arabia’s women-only motorsport event
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Saudi Arabia, e-commerce giant Amazon sign agreement to boost SME growth

Iran’s rulers have banned Googoosh from singing for 21 years and continue to this day to protest her performances..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: Iranian pop star Googoosh wows thousands in Dubai, brings back powerful memories

Israel’s prime minister and foreign minister said they “believe that the United States will not abandon its closest allies in exchange for empty promises from terrorists.”..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: Israel, US conservatives reject Iran Guards’ terror de-listing

Cholesterol generally gets a bad reputation, however, in reality, our bodies need it to function properly. Cholesterol is used by our bodies to make different hormones, vitamin D and to support in digestion. Whilst our livers generate enough cholesterol to take on these tasks, we don’t only get our cholesterol from our liver, we also ..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: What is the difference between 'good' and 'bad' cholesterol?

Many important archaeological sites and tourist landmarks in Yemen have been damaged and artefacts looted and smuggled abroad..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: War, neglect endanger Yemen architectural heritage