Middle East Experience

by Claudia Prettner (Legal/Policy Advisor, Amnesty Tech), Alia Al Ghussain (Campaigns and Communications Officer, Amnesty Tech) and Nienke Palstra (Senior Campaigner, Global Witness) Tracking-based advertising has become all pervasive in the digital world. Our new research shows that small businesses know very well how harmful these practices are to human rights but have little alternative. ..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: Don’t let Big Tech fool you: Small businesses don’t want surveillance advertising.

MKs demanded to establish a commission of inquiry following reports Israel Police used NSO's cell phone hacking software Pegasus on citizens.
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: Knesset asked to probe Israel Police spying with NSO spyware

Iran's foreign ministry commented on what it described as “recent Yemen-linked developments” by saying military attacks were not the solution, a day after Yemen’s Houthi militia launched a drone attack on the UAE which killed three people.“Military attacks are not the solution to the crisis in Yemen and such actions will increase tensions in the region,” ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said in response to a question described by Iran’s official state news agency IRNA as “recent Yemen-linked developments.”He added: “Iran has always emphasized that the solution to any of the regional crises is not resorting to war and violence, and only in a calm atmosphere and away from the continuation of tensions and cycles of violence can there be peace and stability in the region.”For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.Khatibzadeh did not refer directly to the Houthi attack on the UAE.The UAE’s capital Abu Dhabi was rocked on Monday when drone attacks led to a fire breaking out and resulted in the explosion of three petroleum tankers, killing three people and wounding six others. There was also another fire that broke out in the area of the new construction site of Abu Dhabi International Airport.Yemen’s Houthi militia claimed responsibility for the attack saying it conducted an operation “deep in the UAE”.Iran has long supplied the Houthis with financial and military support. However, it is not yet clear if Iran sanctioned the attack, or if it was completely a Houthi singular decision. Daniel Byman, senior fellow for foreign policy at the Brookings Institution’s Center for Middle East Policy told Al Arabiya: “Iran often pretends that it is not working closely with the Houthis. Tehran probably seeks to avoid complicating relations with the UAE while ensuring its local proxies can operate effectively.”On the other hand, Sanam Vakil, deputy director of the Middle East North Africa program at Chatham House, told Al Arabiya English: “These events will no doubt strain relations across the Gulf but can also reveal the limited influence Iran has in curtailing Houthi attacks.”Read more:Houthis attacked UAE in retaliation for Arab Coalition gains in Yemen: AnalystsIsrael offers security, intelligence support to UAE after Houthi attack on Abu DhabiIraq’s Iran-backed Asaib Ahl al-Haq militia ‘congratulates’ Houthis on UAE attackUAE foreign minister says Houthi attack on Abu Dhabi ‘will not go unpunished’
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Iran comments on ‘recent Yemen-linked developments’: Military attacks not a solution

PFLP secretary-general Ahmad Sa’adat was sentenced to 30 years for leading the PFLP and masterminding the assassination of Tourism Minister Rehavam Ze’evi.
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: Terror-designated NGO and Jewish NGO rally to release PFLP terrorist head

People around the world looked on in awe at the spectacular satellite images of an undersea volcano erupting in a giant mushroom cloud in the Pacific. Many wondered why the blast was so big, how the resulting tsunami traveled so far, and what will happen next. New Zealand scientists Shane Cronin, a volcanology professor at the University of Auckland, and Emily Lane, a tsunami expert at the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, help explain.For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.Explosive but briefThe eruption on Saturday was incredibly explosive but also relatively brief. The plume rose into the air more than 30 kilometers (19 miles) but the eruption lasted only about 10 minutes, unlike some big eruptions that can continue for hours. Cronin said the power of the eruption of the Hunga Tonga Hunga Ha’apai volcano ranks among the world’s biggest over the past 30 years, and the height of the plume of ash, steam and gas was comparable with the huge 1991 eruption of Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines, which killed several hundred people.Why so big?The magma inside the volcano was under enormous pressure and had gasses trapped within it. A fracture in the rock likely induced a sudden drop in pressure, allowing the gas to expand and blast the magma apart. Cronin said the crater was sitting about 200 meters (650 feet) below the sea surface, a kind of Goldilocks depth for a big explosion in which seawater pours into the volcano and turns instantly into steam, adding to the rapid expansion and energy of the explosion. Any deeper and the extra pressure of the water would have helped contain the eruption.Farflung tsunamiMany scientists were surprised that a single eruption could produce a Pacific-wide tsunami of about 1 meter (3 feet) that smashed boats in New Zealand and caused an oil spill and two drownings in Peru. Lane said that oceanwide tsunamis are usually triggered by earthquakes that extend across huge areas rather than from a single volcano, essentially a tiny dot in the ocean. She said other factors may have been at play, such as an underwater flank of the volcano collapsing and displacing water. She said one interesting theory is that the shock wave, or sonic boom, from the volcano that traveled twice around the world may have pumped more power into the tsunami waves.Tonga mainly sparedAnother mystery is why the tsunami wasn’t bigger and more destructive in Tonga, which sits almost on top of the volcano.“That’s the million-dollar question,” Cronin said. “Looking at the images so far, the level of devastation is less than I was fearing.”Authorities by Wednesday had confirmed three deaths in Tonga, with concerns remaining about people on some of the hard-hit smaller islands. Dozens of homes were destroyed.Lane said that Tongans at least got some warning, both from the increased activity at the volcano the day before the eruption and from the incredibly loud bang when it erupted but before the tsunami hit, allowing many to scramble to higher ground. She said reefs, lagoons and other natural features may also have protected parts of Tonga, while amplifying the waves in certain areas.Falling ashThe ash that has coated Tonga is acidic but not poisonous, Cronin said. Indeed, he has been advising Pacific responders that people may still be able to drink from their rainwater supplies even if some ash has fallen in, which will make the water more acidic and salty. He said it was a question of applying the taste test and if water became scarce, it would be better drinking ash-tainted water than stagnant water that might be contaminated with bacteria. New Zealand and other nations are trying to get water and other supplies to Tonga as quickly as possible. Cronin said all of Tonga’s soil comes from volcanic ash and the latest dump of ash would quickly wash into the ground and make the nation more fertile.No global coolingHuge volcanic eruptions can sometimes cause temporary global cooling as sulfur dioxide is pumped into the stratosphere. But in the case of the Tonga eruption, initial satellite measurements indicated the amount of sulfur dioxide released would only have a tiny effect of perhaps 0.01 degree Celsius (0.02 Fahrenheit) global average cooling, said Alan Robock, a professor at Rutgers University.What’s nextCronin envisions two main scenarios for the volcano. The first is that it has exhausted itself for now and will go quiet for the next 10 to 20 years as magma slowly returns. A second scenario is that new magma rises up quickly to replace that which exploded, in which case there might be ongoing eruptions. But he believes the cracks and rifts caused by Saturday’s big explosion will allow more gas to escape, and subsequent eruptions won’t be as big, at least for now. Both Cronin and Lane agree there needs to be much better monitoring of the volcano — and others in Tonga — to help better predict future events.Read more: Another ‘large eruption’ detected at Tonga volcano: MonitorAll homes on one Tonga island destroyed, three dead as government shares first updateScientists struggle to monitor Tonga volcano after massive eruption
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Why Tonga eruption was so big, how tsunami traveled far, what’s next

As US Secretary of State Antony Blinken visits Ukraine, the Biden administration said Wednesday that it’s providing an additional $200 million in defensive military aid to the country amid soaring fears of a Russian invasion.A senior US State Department official said the assistance was approved in late December as part of American efforts to help Ukraine protect itself. Until Wednesday, however, the administration had refused to comment on it. The official wasn’t authorized to discuss the matter publicly before Blinken’s meetings in Kyiv and spoke on condition of anonymity.For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.“We are committed to Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and will continue to provide Ukraine the support it needs,” the official said. The official did not detail the contents of the aid package.The announcement came as Blinken opened a hastily arranged visit to Kyiv as he and other administration officials step up warnings about a possible Russian invasion of Ukraine.After his meetings with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and other senior Ukrainian officials and a short trip to Berlin for talks with German and other European allies on Thursday, Blinken will see his Russian counterpart in Geneva on Friday. That meeting is aimed at testing Russia’s willingness to resolve the crisis diplomatically, officials said.“We’re now at a stage where Russia could at any point launch an attack in Ukraine,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Tuesday. “And what Secretary Blinken is going to go do is highlight very clearly there is a diplomatic path forward.”The administration and its European allies have accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of creating the crisis by amassing 100,000 troops along Ukraine’s borders and it is up to him and the Russians to decide whether to invade and suffer severe economic consequences.The US has not concluded whether Putin plans to invade or whether the show of force is intended to squeeze security concessions without an actual conflict. Russia has brushed off calls to withdraw its troops by saying it has a right to deploy its forces wherever it likes on its own territory.Blinken’s meetings follow inconclusive diplomatic talks between Moscow and the West in Europe last week that failed to resolve stark disagreements over Ukraine and other security matters.Instead, those meetings appear to have increased fears of a Russian invasion, and the Biden administration has accused Russia of preparing a “false flag operation” to use as a pretext for intervention. Russia has angrily denied the charge.From Kyiv, Blinken will travel to Berlin, where he will meet with his German, British and French counterparts to discuss a possible response to any Russian military action. In Geneva on Friday, Blinken will be testing Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Russia’s interest in a “diplomatic off-ramp” for the crisis, the State Department said.“The trip follows extensive diplomacy with our European Allies and partners about a united approach to address the threat Russia poses to Ukraine and our joint efforts to encourage it to choose diplomacy and de-escalation in the interests of security and stability,” the department said.CIA Director William Burns visited Kyiv last Wednesday to consult with his Ukrainian counterparts and discuss current assessments of the risk to Ukraine, a US official said, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss Burns’ schedule, which is classified. While there, he also discussed the current situation with Zelenskyy and efforts to de-escalate tensions.Blinken spoke by phone Tuesday with Lavrov, discussing the diplomatic talks and meetings held last week. The State Department said Blinken “stressed the importance of continuing a diplomatic path to de-escalate tensions” surrounding the Russia-Ukraine situation and “reiterated the unshakable US commitment” to Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.Russia has rejected the US allegations that it’s preparing a pretext to invade Ukraine. Lavrov dismissed the US claim as “total disinformation.”Lavrov reaffirmed that Russia expects a written response this week from the US and its allies to Moscow’s request for binding guarantees that NATO will not embrace Ukraine or any other ex-Soviet countries or station its forces and weapons there.Blinken underscored to Lavrov on Tuesday that any discussion of European security “must include NATO Allies and European partners, including Ukraine,” the State Department said.The Russian Foreign Ministry said Lavrov emphasized in the call with Blinken the key aspects of Russian draft documents envisaging “legally binding guarantees of Russia’s security in line with the principle of indivisibility of security approved by all countries in the Euro-Atlantic.” It said Lavrov stressed the importance for Washington to quickly deliver a written response to the Russian proposals.Washington and its allies firmly rejected Moscow’s demands during last week’s Russia-US negotiations in Geneva and a related NATO-Russia meeting in Brussels.The White House said Friday that US intelligence officials had concluded that Russia had already deployed operatives to rebel-controlled eastern Ukraine to carry out acts of sabotage there and blame them on Ukraine to create a pretext for possible invasion.Ahead of Blinken’s visit to Kyiv, a delegation of US senators was visiting Ukraine to emphasize congressional support for the country.Speaking Monday on a visit to Kyiv, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock warned that “any further escalation would carry a high price for the Russian regime - economic, political and strategic,” and she emphasized the need to continue negotiations.Russia in 2014 seized the Crimean Peninsula after the ousting of Ukraine’s Moscow-friendly leader and also threw its weight behind a separatist insurgency in eastern Ukraine. More than 14,000 people have been killed in nearly eight years of fighting between the Russia-backed rebels and Ukrainian forces in the country’s industrial heartland called Donbas.Putin has warned that Moscow will take unspecified “military-technical measures” if the West stonewalls its demands.Read more:US worries Russian troop arrival could lead to nuclear weapons in BelarusUS warns Belarus over role in aiding potential Russia invasion of UkraineTurkey’s Erdogan warns Russia against invading Ukraine
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: US confirms extra 0 million in Ukraine security aid following Blinken's visit

Saudi Arabia has recorded 5,928 new COVID-19 infections and two virus-related fatalities in the last 24 hours, according to the state's Ministry of Health.This brings the total deaths caused by the virus to 8,912, while the critical case count on Wednesday rose to 492 from 454 on Tuesday.For more coronavirus news, visit our dedicated page.Case numbers have been climbing rapidly in recent weeks as the more-transmissible omicron variant spreads globally.Saudi Arabia recorded its first omicron case in early December, thought to have come from an undisclosed north African country. The total number of cases in the Kingdom has now reached 632,736.Meanwhile, 4,981 individuals have recovered from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, adding to the total recovery tally of 578,812.So far, the Kingdom has administered 54,364,534 vaccine doses. Health authorities continue with the Kingdom’s vaccination plan in an effort to get the majority of the population vaccinated.In recent weeks, the Kingdom introduced new COVID-19 restrictions and fines of $266 (1,000 Saudi riyal) for those who break social distancing rules, and $266,000 (100,000 riyal) for repeat offenders.Social distancing is required at Mecca’s Grand Mosque and other public places. Masks are also required in public places, indoors and outdoors.Read more:COVID-19 pandemic ‘nowhere near over’: WHO chiefUK to scale back COVID measures introduced to limit omicron spread: Health ministerHong Kong orders culling of 2,000 hamsters after COVID-19 hits pets
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Saudi Arabia's daily COVID-19 cases near 6,000 as infections continue to rise

The UAE reported on Wednesday 2,902 COVID-19 infections in 24 hours after conducting 518,300 tests.The virus claimed two more lives, raising the country's death toll to 2,200.For more coronavirus news, visit our dedicated page.The daily reported recovery is 1,285, while the total recovery count is 763,664.The UAE boasts a 93 percent fully vaccinated population, with 23,126,629 doses administered since the beginning of the pandemic.In light of these developments, all in-person exams have been postponed to January 28, according to a statement from the government body, the UAE’s official WAM news agency reported.Meanwhile, entry into the UAE capital city of Abu Dhabi now requires a booster shot for the virus.Case numbers in the emirates and the wider Gulf have been climbing rapidly in recent weeks after the first cases of the omicron variant were recorded in December.Read more:Saudi Arabia's daily COVID-19 cases near 6,000 as infections continue to riseCOVID-19 pandemic ‘nowhere near over’: WHO chiefUK to scale back COVID measures introduced to limit omicron spread: Health minister
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: UAE reports 2,902 COVID cases, two new deaths in 24 hours

Major international airlines have rushed to rejig or cancel flights to the US ahead of a 5G wireless rollout on Wednesday that has triggered safety concerns, despite wireless carriers saying they will delay parts of the deployment.For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) had warned that potential 5G interference could affect altitude readings on some jets, with airlines citing the Boeing 777 among the models in the spotlight.Despite an announcement by AT&T and Verizon that they would pause the 5G rollout near airports, several airlines still canceled flights or switched aircraft models.Here is the background to the dispute:What happened?The US auctioned mid-range 5G bandwidth to mobile phone companies in early 2021 in the 3.7-3.98 GHz range on the spectrum known as C band, for about $80 billion.Why is that a problem?The FAA warned that the new 5G technology could interfere with instruments, such as altimeters, which measure how far above the ground an airplane is traveling.Altimeters operate in the 4.2-4.4 GHz range and the concern is that the auctioned frequencies sit too close to this range.United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby said last month the FAA’s 5G directives would bar the use of radio altimeters at about 40 of the biggest US airports.US airlines have warned the directives could disrupt up to 4 percent of daily flights.Kirby insisted if left unresolved it could mean that at major US airports in the event of bad weather, cloud cover or even heavy smog “you could only do visual approaches essentially.”What aircraft are affected?Airlines have announced plans to switch away from Boeing 777 and Boeing 747-8 aircraft, including Emirates, All Nippon Airways (ANA), Japan Airlines and Lufthansa. How can 5G interference issue be fixed?In the short-term, AT&T and Verizon agreed to temporarily defer turning on some wireless towers near key airports to avert a significant disruption to US flights.Longer-term, the FAA needs to clear and allow most of the US commercial airplane fleet to perform low-visibility landings at many airports where 5G C-band will be deployed. This means certifying altimeters to operate near 5G base stations.What difference does the frequency make?The higher the frequency in the spectrum, the faster the service. So, in order to get full value from 5G, operators want to operate at higher frequencies.Some of the C band spectrum auctioned had been used for satellite radio but the transition to 5G means there will be much more traffic.What do telecom companies say?Verizon and AT&T have argued that C band 5G has been deployed in about 40 other countries without aviation interference issues.They have agreed to buffer zones around 50 airports in the US, similar to those used in France, for six months to reduce interference risks.Why is 5G not an issue in other countries?The European Union in 2019 set standards for mid-range 5G frequencies in a 3.4-3.8 GHz range, a lower frequency than the service set to be rolled out in the US. The bandwidth has been auctioned in Europe and is in use in many of the bloc’s 27 member states so far without issue.The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), which oversees 31 states, said on December 17 the issue was specific to US airspace. “At this stage, no risk of unsafe interference has been identified in Europe,” it stated.FAA officials have noted the spectrum used by France (3.6-3.8 GHz) sits further away from the spectrum (4.2-4.4 GHz) used for altimeters in the US and France’s power level for 5G is much lower than what is authorized in the United States.Verizon has said it will not use spectrum that is closer to the higher band for several years.In South Korea, the 5G mobile communication frequency is 3.42-3.7 GHz band and there has been no report of interference with radio wave since commercialization of 5G in April 2019.Currently, 5G mobile communication wireless stations are in operation near airports, but there have been no reports of problems.“Wireless carriers in nearly 40 countries throughout Europe and Asia now use the C band for 5G, with no reported effects on radio altimeters that operate in the same internationally designated 4.2-4.4 GHz band,” CTIA, a US wireless trade group, wrote in a filing with the Federal Communications Commission.Read more:Dubai's Emirates suspends flights to several US destinations on 5G concernsNew 5G launch to affect Boeing 787 landings, warns US aviation authorityAirlines modify flight routes to US due to 'safety concerns' despite 5G launch delay
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: How serious is 5G flight interference, is there a threat to airline safety?

Israeli police demolish the building in the sensitive Sheikh Jarrah area after a two-day stand-off..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: Sheikh Jarrah: Israeli police evict Palestinians from East Jerusalem home