Middle East Experience

Maccabi Health Services reported that most children did not have symptoms after the shots. No myocarditis cases registered.
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: COVID-19 vaccine: No side effects in most children – Maccabi

Jordanian modern artist Rudaina Assia said in an interview that her paintings are inspired by the key themes of Palestine and women..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: Women and Palestine haunt the works of Jordanian artist Rudaina Assia

It is still unclear why the two pilots were unable to exit the helicopter and the exact cause of their deaths is yet to be determined.
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: Technical malfunction behind deadly IDF helicopter crash

"The move will prevent the continued spread of avian flu, while keeping hunters safe from the dangerous and contagious disease.”
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: Bird flu: Tamar Zandberg ends Israel's hunting season amid outbreak

The IDF needs to get the story out there fast because if it doesn’t, false information is going to circulate. That's what happened Monday night.
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: IDF must be quicker to combat unconfirmed news - analysis

A New York prosecutor said he could not prove the elements of a crime beyond a reasonable doubt.
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: New York prosecutor drops sex crime case against Andrew Cuomo

One of Saudi Arabia’s most senior clerics passed away after battling an undisclosed illness, his family announced on Twitter.For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.Sheikh Saleh bin Mohammed al-Luhain died at the age of 90 on Wednesday.Twitter users shared an outpouring of praise and grief using a hashtag bearing his name in Arabic.Al-Luhaidan was the head of the Kingdom’s judiciary for more than two decades until 2009.He was also a notable member of the Council of Senior Clerics since its inception in 1971. The council is the Kingdom’s highest religious body.At other times during his life, the cleric delivered sermons from Mecca’s Grand Mosque, oversaw publication of an Islamic magazine, and was a member of the Saudi-based Muslim World League.Al-Luhaidan was born in 1931 in the landlocked province of Qassim, in between Medina and Riyadh.His funeral is due to take place on Wednesday in line with Islamic tradition.With The Associated PressRead more: In pictures: 27 academics and religious scholars granted Saudi Arabian citizenshipSaudi senior clerics warn of religious associations based on partisanshipSaudi cleric tells Al Arabiya ‘it was my wife’s choice’ to uncover her face
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Top Saudi cleric dies after battling illness

Israel’s defense minister met with the Jordanian king on Wednesday, both sides said, part of a reset of ties between the two countries.For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.According to Benny Gantz’ office, the two discussed “security and policy topics.” Gantz “welcomed the expansion of relations between Jordan and the current Israeli government.”A statement from King Abdullah II said the two spoke about “the need to maintain calm in the Palestinian Territories,” and the measures necessary to lay the foundation for peace between Israel and the Palestinians. The two met in the Jordanian capital, Amman.The meeting is part of revamped ties between Israel and Jordan, which became strained under the leadership of former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. It follows a secret meeting last year between Abdullah and current Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, as well as a separate meeting between the countries’ foreign ministers.Israel and Jordan made peace in 1994 and maintain close security ties, but relations soured in recent years over tensions at a flashpoint Jerusalem mosque, Israel’s expansion of Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank and the lack of any progress in the long-moribund peace process. The countries also fell out over a shooting incident by a guard at Israel’s embassy in Amman.Both Jordan and the Palestinians were adamantly opposed to the Trump administration’s Mideast plan, which would have allowed Israel to annex up to a third of the West Bank. Israel captured east Jerusalem and the West Bank from Jordan in the 1967 war, territories the Palestinians want as part of their future state.Read more:Israel downed a Hezbollah drone from Lebanon: IDFIsrael will act alone against Iran if needed: Foreign MinisterIsrael can strike Iran ‘tomorrow’, Hezbollah might hit back: New Air Force chief
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Israeli defense chief meets Jordanian king in reset of ties

US Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa Jeffrey Feltman will step down from his post this month after more than nine months in the job, and David Satterfield, the outgoing US ambassador to Turkey, will take up the role, three sources familiar with the matter told Reuters on Wednesday.Feltman, a veteran US diplomat, assumed the post in April and quickly found himself in the middle of two major crises - Ethiopia’s deepening civil war between forces loyal to the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) and the army of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, as well as a military coup in Sudan in October.For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.The news of his departure, which was not previously reported, came before he heads to Ethiopia on Thursday to meet with senior government officials about the peace talks as part of Washington’s latest push to bring an end to the conflict.Feltman, 62, said a “sense of duty” brought him out of “quasi-retirement” following more than 25 years as an American diplomat with postings to the United Nations, Middle East and North Africa.Feltman took the role with an intention to serve for less than a year, a source familiar with the matter said. The source said Satterfield will provide continued US focus, necessary because of ongoing instability and inter-connected challenges in the region.The State Department declined to comment.Feltman has faced strong headwinds to progress. The year-long war between Ethiopia’s government and the leadership of the northern Tigray region, among Africa’s bloodiest conflicts, has killed thousands of civilians, displaced millions and sparked famine.In Sudan, protests have continued for weeks including on Tuesday, two days after the resignation of Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok. He served from 2019 until the coup and was reinstated on Nov. 21 in an agreement with the military widely rejected by protesters.Satterfield, a veteran of the US Foreign Service with more than four decades of experience, has had a challenging post as US ambassador in Turkey, where he navigated a strained bilateral relationship between the two NATO allies.Prior to Ankara, he served in Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Tunisia and Syria, among others, and worked twice as the top US diplomat at the State Department for Middle East affairs in an acting capacity.Turkey’s increasing drone exports, most recently to Ethiopia, will be a common thread in Satterfield’s old and new roles. Washington in December raised with Turkey its sales of armed drones to Ethiopia. Sources said there was mounting evidence the government used the weapons against rebel fighters.Read more: Sudan PM’s decision to resign throws country further into the abyss
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: US Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa Jeffrey Feltman to leave post

Defence secretary under Tony Blair claims he was told to burn legal advice written by attorney general..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: Geoff Hoon ‘told to burn memo that said Iraq invasion could be illegal’