Middle East Experience

"Before I got sick, I was above average, not huge, but definitely bigger than normal. Now I've lost about an inch and a half and become decidedly less than average."
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: Man claims COVID-19 caused his genitalia to shrink

New Covid-19 restrictions in Tunisia banning all public gatherings effectively impose a blanket ban on public demonstrations, and thus impede people’s rights to free expression and peaceful assembly, Amnesty International said today. The restrictions came into force on 13 January, amid signs of growing intolerance for dissent and one day before planned demonstrations against President ..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: Tunisia: Amend excessive Covid-19 restrictions banning all public gatherings

Arab youth express their hopes and wishes for the New Year, spanning everything from civil and political rights, to education, to arts and culture. By Rafiah Al Talei..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: Arab youth: Aspirations for the New Year

A former head of the IDF Operations Division warned that Israel will lose the Negev unless it acts strongly.
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: 'In another year or two, we will lose the Negev' warns fmr. IDF official

The UAE reported 3,116 COVID-19 infections in 24 hours from 410,949 tests.The virus claimed three more lives, amounting to 2,188 COVID-related deaths since the beginning of the pandemic. For more coronavirus news, visit our dedicated page. The daily reported recovery is 1,182, while the total recovery count is 759,213.The UAE boasts a 92.8 percent fully vaccinated population, with 22,997,534 doses administered since the beginning of the pandemic.However, in light of these recent developments, UAE schools and universities are expected to extend remote learning for an additional week after COVID-19 cases in the country surged past the 2,500 daily infected mark.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.Read more:Saudi Arabia reports 5,281 COVID cases in 24 hours, two new deathsDowning Street apologizes to Queen over COVID-19 lockdown parties
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: UAE reports three new COVID deaths, 3,116 cases in 24 hours

The UAE are “betting on Turkey as a country which is going to open up for us new markets,” said Zeyoudi..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: In sign of improving ties, UAE plans to ramp up trade with Turkey

The slow fall of the nation state’s monopoly on violence will shape future conflicts..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: America Doesn’t Control the Forever Wars

Chief negotiators from Iran and Europe returned home for consultations as talks to revive the 2015 nuclear deal reached a critical stage, state media in the Islamic republic said Saturday.“The negotiators will return to Vienna in two days” but expert-level discussions at the eighth round of talks would continue on Saturday and Sunday, IRNA news agency said.For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.The talks between Tehran and world powers resumed in late November after they were suspended for around five months as Iran elected a new, ultraconservative government.Iran agreed the nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), with Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States.It offered the Islamic republic sanctions relief in exchange for curbs on its nuclear program.But former US president Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew from the agreement in 2018 and imposed crippling sanctions, prompting Iran to begin rolling back its commitments.“We are now at a stage of the negotiations where we are discussing difficult issues and how we can translate the subjects that we agreed upon in principle into words and enter them into a document,” IRNA quoted an anonymous source as saying.“We are discussing the details,” the source said, adding that “this is one of the most tedious, long and difficult parts of the negotiations, but is absolutely essential for achieving our goal.”The main aims of the negotiations are to get the United States to return to the deal and lift sanctions, and for Iran to resume full compliance with the accord.Tehran is seeking verification of the sanctions easing, as well as guarantees that Washington will not withdraw from the deal again.“Regarding the three subjects (lifting of sanctions, nuclear commitments and implementation, sequencing and verification), there are still open issues and some of them are tough,” the source said.The return of the negotiators to their capitals came as EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said on Friday that a deal with Iran remained “possible,” and that the talks were advancing in a “better atmosphere” than before Christmas.Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said on Monday said the efforts by “all parties” to revive the nuclear agreement had resulted in “good progress.”French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian recently noted progress in the talks, but said it was “too slow.”US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Thursday that only “a few weeks” were left to save the 2015 deal, and that Washington would consider “other options” if the negotiations fail.Read more:Many unresolved issues remain in Iran nuclear talks: SourceUS grants South Korea an Iran sanctions exemptionMoscow welcomes ‘progress’ on Iran nuclear deal
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Chief negotiators head home as Iran talks hit critical stage

The blasts are seen as clear warnings from pro-Iran parties to Sadr that he will not be able to form a government without their consent or rule at their expense..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: Hashed intimidation attempt suspected in Baghdad blasts targeting offices of Sadr allies

The Arab Coalition conducted 33 military operations in 24 hours targeting Iran-backed Houthi’s in the Yemeni province of Marib, killing more than 190 militia members and 21 military vehicles, according to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA).The Coalition also conducted 27 targeted operations in Yemen’s al-Bayda, eliminating 150 Iran-backed Houthi members and 16 military vehicles, according to the same SPA report.For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.Following the announcement, an official statement warned against the Iran-backed Houthi’s continued attempts to attack civilian objects.They also added that these strikes “thwarted the systemic attempts to target civilians.”The targeted strike comes a little more than an hour after the Arab Coalition released a statement requesting travelers not to use the roads coming from Marib and al-Bayda towards the governorates of Harib, Ain, Bayhan, and Usaylan until further notice.All “movements on these roads will be targeted,” said the original statement.Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis launched dozens of cross-border attacks on Saudi Arabia throughout 2021.In September 2021, the Houthis intensified their efforts to take Marib, a provincial capital which is the government’s last northern stronghold.As hostilities escalated, the Houthis on January 3 seized a United Arab Emirates-flagged ship that the coalition said was carrying medical supplies.On January 15, an Iran-backed Houthi spokesperson rejected the UN request to release the vessel.The Iran-backed militia frequently target civilian areas and energy facilities in the Kingdom with explosive-laden drones and ballistic missiles.The Arab Coalition has been carrying out attacks against legitimate military Houthi targets in Yemen in recent months, warning civilians to not approach or gather around the targeted sites beforehand.The Coalition also stressed that the operations will be conducted in line with international humanitarian law.Read more:Iran-backed Houthis reject UN request to release seized UAE-flagged vesselArab Coalition strikes kill 150 Houthis, destroy 22 military vehicles in YemenUAE condemns Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia during Security Council meeting
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Arab Coalition strikes kill over 300 Iran-backed Houthi militia in Yemen: Statement