Middle East Experience

The legislation states that it is US policy to prevent Iran and Iranian-aligned groups from acquiring UAVs that can be used in attacks against the US or allies.
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: Stop Iranian Drones Act introduced by House Foreign Affairs C'mtee reps

The Omicron variant of the coronavirus has probably been rampant in Europe for a while, according to a report from the Dutch health institute.
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: COVID Omicron variant was in Europe earlier than first detected

Asked when a UAE delegation would hold talks in Iran, Anwar Gargash, diplomatic adviser to the UAE president said, “the sooner the better.”..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: Despite concerns, UAE picks up positive signs from Iran

Opened in 1924, the Jerusalem International Airport, also known as Atarot Airport or Kalandiya Airport, was the first airport in the British Mandate for Palestine.
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: PA: Jerusalem airport symbol of Palestinian sovereignty

At its London headquarters, Amnesty International has a large sign emblazoned in a hallway encouraging you to “Take Injustice Personally”. For activists, this means not becoming hardened or cynical, but allowing the suffering of others to touch us personally. It is this personal sense of injustice that should motivate us to speak out on behalf ..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: Osman Kavala: Taking injustice personally

The commanders discussed regional operational cooperation, discussed common challenges facing the two militaries, and deepened their operational readiness and strategic dialog.
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: Senior IDF officials in Tampa to meet with CENTCOM generals

Researchers said on Wednesday a thorough new examination of the fossil footprints has shown that they were made not by a bear, as once believed, but by a hominin.
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: Tanzania footprints offer clues on origin of human upright walking

The Arab military alliance in Yemen said on Tuesday it had destroyed a ballistic missile launch site in overnight air strikes in the Iran-backed Houthi militia-controlled capital Sanaa, where residents reported big explosions.For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.There were no immediate reports of casualties.In a statement reported by the Saudi state news agency (SPA) on Twitter, the coalition said air strikes had been conducted against “legitimate military targets” in Sanaa.It described the ballistic missile sites as “secret”, and said one of “high-value” had been destroyed.The coalition said it had taken measures to spare civilians any collateral damage, adding that “the secret positions” had used hospitals, organizations and civilians as human shields.The coalition asked civilians not to gather around or approach the positions that had been attacked.Residents told Reuters the explosions had rocked the northern neighborhoods of the city, and said two military sites had been attacked.The Houthis have repeatedly launched cross-border attacks on Saudi Arabia using drones and missiles since the Arab coalition intervened in Yemen in March 2015 after the movement ousted the internationally-recognized government from the capital.The Houthis said on Saturday they had fired 14 drones at several Saudi cities, including at Saudi Aramco facilities in Jeddah.The conflict is widely seen as a proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran. The Houthis are pressing an offensive in Marib, the internationally-recognized government's last northern stronghold, as well as in other areas in Yemen.Read more: US envoy to Yemen heads to Saudi Arabia to discuss Houthi actions, concerns over IranIran-backed Houthis continue to detain US, UN employees: State DepartmentBiden nominates new US ambassador to Yemen
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Arab coalition strikes sites in Yemen capital Sanaa

A private jet operator in Saudi Arabia has said that it is witnessing booming demand for luxury travel from wealthy customers as privatized aviation recovers from the COVID-19 slump.Majid Alshammary, the VP of flight support and in-flight services at Sky Prime, a private jet company operating in the Kingdom, told Al Arabiya English it is witnessing a rise in bookings for private charter flights, saying that it has not only recovered from the fallout of COVID-19 – but is improving on its pre-pandemic figures.For all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.“It is undeniable that since COVID-19 has struck the world, the private aviation industry has witnessed an operational decline along with other industries, especially the worldwide decline,” he said. “As main players in the industry in KSA, we were affected by a decline by almost 45 percent.”“However, starting from February 2021, there was a noticeable recovery on demand post-COVID that reached pre-pandemic levels up-to-date, with the market being projected to grow to between 10 and 15 percent in the coming few months.”Sky Prime is one of several private jet companies in the Kingdom, and charters aircrafts, including the Airbus A319, 320, 330 and 340-200, and various Gulfstream private jets including the G450 and G550. Clients are flown around the world, with the UK and US being popular destinations.Prices for chartering a private jet vary based on aircraft size, passenger number, destination and the kind of service sought, said Alshammary“It is worthy to mention that Saudi Arabia is undergoing a major progressive change in society thanks to 2030 vision and is expected to become a key player in aviation in the region, and currently represents 50 percent of the private jet market in MENA region.”He added that the governmental expenditures and support for private jet infrastructure is expanding and “new business entrants are competing to be part of this booming market share.”“If we take Sky Prime as a model, due to its excellence in safety, health and service standards, we would say that once the COVID-19 wave is over, we are absolutely positive that more demand on our services will happen, mainly if we take into consideration all the activities, campaigns and events taking place in Saudi Arabia and as more tourists, artists and business partners are flooding from all over the world.“Sky Prime has been conceived with the idea to be the leader of luxurious travel in the middle east catering for Saudi royalty, ministers, dignitaries VVIPs and elite individuals.”Chartering a private plane can cost anywhere from $1,300 to over $13,000 per flying hour, depending on the size and type of plane, fuel surcharges, various fees, inflight accommodations, and taxes, according to Linear Air. Plane type and size is the biggest cost factor.The private jet trend in Saudi Arabi echoes a global one.Private jet use is forecast to rise five percent this year compared with 2019, according to data from US industrial group Honeywell.This is in contrast to the number of passengers flying first or business class on commercial flights.According to data from the International Air Transport Association, premium class journeys were 56 percent lower this summer compared with the same period in 2019.However, the aviation industry - one of the hardest-hit sectors during the pandemic - have been showing positive signs of recovery across the Gulf.Speaking ahead of the 2021 Dubai Air Show, held in the United Arab Emirates in November, aviation analysts at consultancy Accenture predicts a 13 percent growth year-on-year in 2022 for commercial aerospace globally.Dubai’s flagship carrier Emirates Airline have reported a strong recovery, narrowing its previous losses with an 86 percent surge in revenue for its half-year earnings for the 2021-2022 financial year. It has announced a huge recruitment driver with plans to hire more than 6,000 staff over the next six months.Read more:Private jet companies see spike in animal, pet passengers over past two years: ReportAirfares soar, private jets in demand as rich Indians flee COVID-19Coronavirus: Wealthy seek immunity with private planes, chefs
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Private jet market recovers in Saudi Arabia, as demand for luxury travel rises

A newly discovered plant-based antiviral drug has proven to be quite effective against all COVID-19 variants, even the Delta strain, scientists claim.While the emergence of each new COVID-19 variant poses a global health concern, the Delta variant in particular has been deemed one of the most contagious strains of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.For more coronavirus news, visit our dedicated page.A single dose of thapsigargin (TG) effectively blocks all single-variant infections and every co-infection, with an effectiveness rate of over 95 percent, scientists from the University of Nottingham have reported in a new study.They deduced that TG can largely inhibit every single COVID-19 variant.Of the three dominant COVID-19 variants (Alpha, Beta and Delta), the Delta strain showed the highest ability to multiply in cells, and was most able to spread directly to neighboring cells at an amplification rate (withing a 24-hour period) that was four times higher than the other two variants.Co-infections with Alpha and Delta or Alpha and Beta conferred multiplication synergy, where total new virus output was greater than the sum of corresponding single-variant infections, according to a statement released by the university on Friday.“Our new study has given us better insights into the dominance of the Delta variant. Even though we have shown that this variant is clearly the most infectious and promotes production of other variants in co-infections, we are pleased to have shown that TG is just as effective against all of them,” lead study author Professor Kin Chow Chang said in a statement.“Together, these results point to the antiviral potential of TG as a post-exposure prophylactic and an active therapeutic agent,” he added.Delta seen to be the most dangerous variant yet The new study builds off a previous one that was authored by the same team of scientists. They discovered TG and found that it could initiate a “highly effective broad-spectrum host-centered antiviral innate immune response” against an array of respiratory viruses (including SARS-CoV-2) when taken in small doses.The latest study investigated and compared how efficiently Alpha, Beta and Delta variants were able to multiply within host cells.The scientists concluded that the Delta variant was by far the most infectious version of the virus to date.Their findings can be found in the journal Virulence.Read more:Merck’s COVID-19 pill partner in India sees a short-lived boomDelta variant dominates the world, but scientists watch for worrisome offspringAdults with ADHD at higher risk of developing generalized anxiety disorder: Study
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: New plant-based drug effective at blocking all COVID-19 variants, even delta