Middle East Experience

An earthquake struck off the Greek island of Karpathos early on Tuesday, shaking towns and cities across the eastern Mediterranean, witnesses and media said.There were no immediate reports of casualties or major damage, however.For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.“Really felt that one... Lasted for 30 seconds,” a witness in Lindos, Rhodes, said in a posting on the European Mediterranean Seismological center’s website.The tremor, whose magnitude the US Geological Survey measured at 6.0 and depth at 37.8km (23.5 miles), was also felt on several other Greek islands including Crete and Santorini, state TV said,It also shook the Cypriot capital Nicosia, Beirut, Cairo and other cities in Egypt, parts of Israel and the Palestine, and the region around southern Turkey’s Antalya, Reuters witnesses said.Two powerful quakes rattled Crete in recent weeks, killing one person and damaging buildings.A Greek seismologist said Tuesday’s quake came from a different African fault and no aftershocks were expected.Read more: Powerful earthquake rattles Greek island of Crete, no immediate reports of damageEarthquake shakes northern, eastern TaiwanBali earthquake kills three, injures seven
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: USGS reports magnitude 6 earthquake in Eastern Mediterranean felt in Egypt, Lebanon

A new report has shed light on the rise of online sexual abuse against children, with almost half of under-18s in the Middle East and North Africa experiencing virtual exploitation.The WeProtect Global Alliance, a global movement of more than 200 governments, private sector companies and civil society organizations working together to transform the global response to child sexual exploitation and abuse online, published its 2021 Global Threat Assessment on Tuesday.For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.The report was based on a global survey of more than 5,000 children and adolescents across 54 countries between May to June 2021.They were quizzed on a number of factors, including their exposure to online sexual harms, being sent sexually-explicit content from an adult or someone they did not know before they were 18, being asked to keep part of their sexually-explicit online relationship with an adult / or someone they did not know before a secret, having sexually-explicit images of them shared without consent (by a peer, adult, or someone they did not know before) or being asked to do something sexually-explicit online they were uncomfortable with (by a peer, adult, or someone they did not know before).The assessment’s findings show the scale of child sexual exploitation and abuse online is increasing at such a rapid rate that a step change is urgently required in global response to create safe online environments for children.Pandemic conditions fueled rise in child sexual exploitationIt also found the COVID-19 pandemic - and the increased amount of time children and teenagers spent online – created a “perfect storm” of conditions that fueled a rise in child sexual exploitation and abuse across the globe.In the past two years, the reporting of child sexual exploitation and abuse online has reached its highest levels which evidence indicating an increase in the incidence of online grooming, the volume of child sexual abuse material available online, the sharing and distribution of child sexual abuse material and “livestreaming” child abuse or exploitation for payment.According to the assessment, the reporting of child sexual exploitation and abuse online has reached its highest levels to date in the past two years, with the US National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) alone processing 60,000 reports of child sexual abuse online every day.Arab world: 44 pct reported childhood online sexual harmIn the Arab world, almost one in two respondents (44 percent) from the Middle East & North Africa that WeProtect Global Alliance’s international Economist Impact surveyed reported experiencing an online sexual harm in childhood.This included globally, 57 percent of female and 48 percent of male respondents having reported at least one online sexual harm while 57 percent of disabled respondents experienced an online sexual harm, compared to 48 percent of non-disabled respondents.More than one in three respondents (34 percent) had been asked to do something sexually explicit online they were uncomfortable with during their childhood.Social media ‘double-edged sword’ for childrenDuring a briefing to discuss the report, Iain Drennan, executive director of WeProtect Global Alliance, described the internet and social media as “often a double-edged sword for children, providing important places for learning and but also used to facilitate the sexual abuse of children.”He said, “This kind of abuse can take many forms, from grooming to sharing videos of abuse or live streaming.”A case study in the report revealed a real-life story of a 10-year-old girl, Olivia, who was groomed online.She was approached via a gaming app initially, before being encouraged into a more private online chatroom.The main offender shared Olivia’s details with other abusers who began to contact her directly, sending links to pornagraphic videos to normalize their sexual behavior.Men from several different countries were communicating via the dark web.Olivia eventually disclosed the abuse by leaving her mobile phone unlocked with images of the abuse for her father to see.She was receiving hundreds of emails from different men and was unable to keep the secret any longer.Olivia was scared and wanted the abuse to stop, it had a huge impact on her mental health and sense of self.“This story is not one in isolation,” said Drennan“Our research over the last nine months has shown a sustained threat of sexual abuse online and it is increasing at an unprecedented rate.”According to Drennan, “the past two years have seen highest ever report rates for online sexual abuse, with an increase in sharing images, grooming and live streaming for payment.”He added, “COVID-19 and the rise of self-generated material that is exploited for sexual purpose or shared without their consent are major contributing factors to this rise… Rates of abuse may be even higher that current data suggests, as figures are not globally representative and skewed towards counties where detection and reporting are higher in the US and UK.”‘Capping’ particular trend of concern“Capping” was a particular trend of concern raised by the report.It involves grooming and coercing children into performing sexual acts on camera. It has been described by police as problematic trend fueling the proliferation of sexual abuse of children.Self-generated sexual material has become more common during the pandemic, posing particular challenges for police and policy makers.Cases range from age-appropriate sexual exploration between consenting teenagers, to grooming-coercion and non-consensual sharing of images.Evidence of monetization is also increasing, with increased use of subscriber online platforms.Lt Col. Dana Humaid, director general of the International Affairs Bureau at the Ministry of Interior of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) said “a global fight” was needed to ensure governments work together to improve child protection.“This needs to be reflected in our region on a smaller scale, everyone has a role to play from governments, policy makers, justice, industry, media, social education and the religious sector,” she said.“Unfortunately, there is still exists ignorance and a lack of understanding that these crimes although involve no physical contact between the victim and offender, the damage is still grave,” Humaid added.“From our experience, we have gained so much from doing this in the UAE so we want other countries to also benefit.”“No one should be left out and prevention is the most important aspect of this to stop children seeing abuse online and create a safer environment for them.”Humaid continued, “This region can do more to tackle this complex global issue. Key recommendations are greater regulation and tech companies to deliver more transparency in online safety tools and great investment in law enforcement.”The report found that the scale and complexity of child sexual exploitation and abuse is increasing and is outstripping the global capacity to respond.While a strong law enforcement and judicial response is essential, the authors behind the report called for “a truly sustainable strategy must include active prevention of abuse”, saying that there is a need to ensure the creation of safe online environments where children can thrive.The report concluded that to tackle this complex, global issue, everyone with a role to protect children online needs to work together to dramatically improve the response. There is reason to be hopeful with child sexual exploitation and abuse moving up the global agenda, online safety technology becoming more accessible and advanced, and governments doing more to act.Read more: Pope expresses ‘shame’ at scale of clergy abuse in FranceUK eyes ‘walk me home’ phone-tracker to protect lone women, after recent slayingsPolice arrest 29 men in India, accused of repeatedly gang-raping 15-year-old girl
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Half of children in MENA experience online abuse, sexual exploitation: Report

Riyadh Winter Wonderland is set to make a comeback in Saudi Arabia’s capital with 40 percent more space during Riyadh Season, with added games, activities, and shows for all age groups.For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.Starting October 26 and lasting until the end of March 2022, Winter Wonderland will include more than 103 games and six areas: Dreamland Carnival, Snow Forest, Magic Box, Horror Adventures, Wonder Road, and Winter Festival.Visitors can expect games, a skating rink, shows, and entertainment and cultural experiences, to name a few.40 percent more spaceDue to the expected turnout, Riyadh Winter Wonderland has 40 percent larger space than last season’s carnival in 2019.There will be more games in the expanded area of 376,025 square meters.The festival also offers countless food and drink options.Riyadh Winter Wonderland includes international games held for the first time in the Kingdom, which are equipped according to the highest quality and safety standards.Saudi Arabia’s upcoming Riyadh Season 2021 will launch on October 20, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of General Authority for Entertainment (GEA) Turki Al al-Sheikh announced last month.The mega-event was first held in 2019, beginning in October and ending in January 2020. The inaugural event saw more than 10 million venue visits at the time.This year’s event is expected to run from October 2021 to March 2022.In August, the chairman announced on Twitter that Riyadh Season is scheduled to be held in an area of 5.4 million square meters with 14 different zones, each featuring a diverse array of events and experiences.He added that the season will include the establishment of 7,500 events, at least 200 restaurants and 70 cafes as well as 100 interactive experiences and 10 international exhibitions.Read more:Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh Season 2021 to launch on October 20Riyadh Season ads featuring Messi spotted in London, Newcastle, DubaiSaudi Arabia’s NEOM turns into winter wonderland
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Riyadh Winter Wonderland back in Saudi Arabia, 40 pct larger than previous season

The joint naval exercise Indigo Defender-21 between Saudi Arabia and the US kicked off earlier this week on Sunday, the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.The mixed bilateral naval exercise kicked off in the presence of Assistant Commander of the Western Fleet, Commander of the exercise, Admiral Mansour bin Saud Al-Juaid, and Naval Colonel Daniel Bailey of the US Navy, according to SPA.For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.The exercise maneuvers, which will last for ten days, aim to strengthen relations and military cooperation, raise the level of combat readiness between the Royal Saudi Naval Forces and the US Navy, and exchange experiences in the field of port protection, the exercise commander said.He added that among the exercise activities is removing mines on land and underwater, which will contribute to the development of security capabilities by protecting the safety of the seas and regional and international waterways, to ensure freedom of maritime in the Red Sea, SPA reported.Read more:Saudi Navy unveils latest warship ‘Jazan’ during ceremonial launch in SpainRoyal Saudi Air Force aircrafts arrive in Pakistan for Air Excellence exercise
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Joint naval exercise kicks off between Saudi Arabia, US

Head of Lebanon’s Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah said Monday that his Iran-backed movement has 100,000 “trained” and “armed” fighters at its disposal..
Source: Albawaba
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Shot, beaten to death or drowned: a demonstration by tens of thousands of Algerians ended in the..
Source: Albawaba
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Governments and donors must stop focusing solely on skills development and entrepreneurship—or risk more youth migration, unrest, and terrorism..
Source: Albawaba
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To the sound of drums, religious chants resounded on Sunday evening for the first ceremony of its kind at Iraq’s historic Al-Nuri mosque, which is being rebuilt after damage by jihadists..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: Al-Nuri mosque, a symbol of rebirth in Iraq city of Mosul

They will operate twice a week from November 4..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: Dubai: Flydubai announces new flights to Oman

Beginning next week, the Green Class outline will be expanded to yellow cities and preschools.
Source: Jerusalem Post
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