Middle East Experience

Sisi was one of at least four heads of state who met Xi after attending the opening of the Beijing Winter Olympics..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: In meeting with Sisi, Xi says China, Egypt hold ‘similar visions’

Five-year-old called Rayan fell and became trapped on Tuesday in hill town of Chefchaouen..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: Rescue workers in Morocco edge closer to boy trapped in well

Many Palestinian political activists took to social media to express strong opposition to the meeting and plans to fill the vacant positions with Abbas loyalists. 
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: Amid uproar, PLO poised to endorse Abbas loyalists to key posts

In his new comedy special, Carr joked about the genocide of the Roma and Sinti victims of the Holocaust, who were targeted for total extermination by the Nazis alongside Jews.
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: Comedian Jimmy Carr under fire for 'abhorrent' anti-Roma Holocaust joke

The US army has a secret method which helps people fall asleep in less than two minutes.
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: Having trouble sleeping? Try this strategy

Gantz was joined in Bahrain by Commander of the Israeli Navy Vice Admiral David Saar Salama. 
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: Gantz's visit to Bahrain important milestone to cement Abraham Accords - editorial

Social discontent in Iran has risen by 300 percent in the past year according to an IRGC document obtained from Edalat-e Ali.
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: Iran ‘set to explode’ while Biden unfreezes billion for regime

Tunisian President Kais Saied said on Sunday he has decided to dissolve the Supreme Judicial Council, the body that deals with judicial independence, a controversial move that will spark a struggle over the judiciary.For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.Saied’s decision caps months of his sharp criticism of the judges, when he repeatedly said he would not allow judges to act as if they are a state, instead of being a function of the state. Saied has frequently criticized the judiciary’s delay in issuing rulings in cases of corruption and terrorism.Saied said the council has become a thing of the past, adding that he will issue a temporary decree to the council. He gave no details about the decree.Saied, who dismissed the government and suspended parliament last July in a move that his opponents described as a coup, faces widespread criticism after he seized all power and rejected dialogue with all political parties.The Supreme Judicial Council is an independent and constitutional institution that was formed in 2016. Its powers include ensuring the independence of the judiciary, disciplining judges and granting them professional promotions.Last month, Saied revoked all financial privileges for council members.Read more:Economic pain threatens social and political chaos in TunisiaTunisia thwarts alleged terrorist attack targeting tourist areasTunisia police use water cannon on protesters
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Tunisian president dissolves Supreme Judicial Council

Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan met with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Saturday, after attending the Winter Olympics opening ceremony in Beijing the previous day.For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.Sheikh Mohammed discussed strengthening the partnership between the two countries, and promoting peace in the Middle East, according to a Tweet from his official account.On Saturday, the Abu Dhabi Crown Prince attended the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics in the Chinese capital Beijing.“I wish the organizers and competitors every success for the Games, which embody the power of sport to promote understanding and friendship among the people of the world,” he Tweeted.China is one of the United Arab Emirates’ most important trading partners, with World Bank data from 2019 placing the Asian powerhouse as the Gulf nation’s most valuable importer.Officials from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) met with Chinese leaders in Beijing to discuss economic and strategic partnerships, according to a statement published on January 10 by the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA).China’s economy is heavily reliant on Middle Eastern oil and gas, and the two sides have “provided each other with firm support on issues concerning their core interests, and have promoted practical cooperation in various fields with fruitful results,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said on January 10.Visitors to the Winter Olympics are being kept in tightly-controlled isolation bubbles to prevent the spread of COVID-19 as China emphasizes its ‘zero-COVID’ strategy.Official COVID-19 case numbers and deaths have been comparatively low in the Chinese capital, although numbers have risen as the Olympic Games have begun.On Friday, 45 new COVID-19 cases were detected, including 26 new arrivals who tested positive at the airport.With agenciesRead more: President Xi says China, Egypt hold ‘similar visions,’ ‘strategies’US says China ties will not make up for consequences of Russian invasion of UkraineGCC leaders in Beijing to meet with Chinese officials
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Abu Dhabi crown prince meets Chinese president after Olympics opening ceremony

United States intelligence assessments say Russia is stepping up preparations for a large-scale invasion of Ukraine and has now put in place 70 percent of the forces it would need for such an attack, US officials said.For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.Russia has assembled 110,000 troops along its border with Ukraine but US intelligence had not determined if President Vladimir Putin has actually decided to invade, according to officials who in recent days held briefings with members of Congress and European allies.The officials warned lawmakers that the assembled Russian force on the frontier with Ukraine is growing at a rate that would give Putin the force he needs for a full-scale invasion -- some 150,000 soldiers -- by mid-February.Instead, the officials said Putin wants to have all possible options at his disposal: from a limited invasion of the pro-Russian Donbas region of Ukraine to a full-scale, all-out invasion.Russia denies that it is planning to invade Ukraine.If Russia does opt for a full-scale attack, the invading force could take the capital Kyiv and topple President Volodymyr Zelensky in a matter of 48 hours, the officials said.Such an attack would leave 25,000 to 50,000 civilians dead, along with 5,000 to 25,000 Ukrainian soldiers and 3,000 to 10,000 Russian ones. It could also trigger a refugee flood of one to five million people, mainly into Poland, the officials said.A first contingent of US soldiers arrived Saturday in Poland, where President Joe Biden has decided to send American forces to protect NATO member states from what he calls any possible aggression, as diplomats work furiously to try to persuade Russia to pull its troops back from the border with Ukraine.Read more: US says China ties will not make up for consequences of Russian invasion of UkrainePull back from Ukraine if you’re not going to invade, Blinken tells RussiaLeave Ukraine now, US tells families of diplomats as Russia tensions boil
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: US says Russia preparing full-scale invasion of Ukraine