Middle East Experience

With the date of Qatar’s historic Shura Council election fast approaching, here is your complete guide to everything you need to know about voting this Saturday..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: Vote explainer: Your complete guide to Qatar’s Shura elections – Doha News | Qatar

Fleur Hassan-Nahoum would be the first woman to head the agency and its first chair of Sephardi descent. Interviews with contenders begin next week.
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: Dark horse candidate aims to revamp Jewish Agency

The Palestinian Authority responded to the killing of three Palestinians by IDF fire, calling them "extra-judicial executions."
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: Israeli ‘extra-judicial executions' slammed by PA, demanding international protection

Early on Thursday morning, a Palestinian Islamic Jihad militant was shot dead after he opened fire towards Israeli troops operating near Jenin.
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: Israel steps up counter-terrorism operations in West Bank

Foreign Minister Yair Lapid met the king of Bahrain and dedicated the Israeli Embassy in the first official visit to Manama by an Israeli minister.
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: Lapid: Israel, Bahrain are partners against extremism

‘Operation Antigen 2’ keeps 30,000 Israeli students out of isolation.
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: Coronavirus in Israel: Health Min. considering clearing ‘red’ countries list

Israel’s Health Ministry has identified fewer than 10 cases of heart inflammation following a third dose of the Pfizer/BioNtech vaccine among millions administered, according to recently released data.For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.Israel began administering boosters to risk groups in July and by the end of August expanded its campaign to include anyone above the age of 12, five months or more after a second dose.Having kicked off its rapid vaccination drive relatively early, in December, Israel was one of the first countries to report that the vaccine’s protection diminished with time, and has since deemed its booster campaign safe and effective.The booster drive is being watched closely in the United States, where third Pfizer shots have been rolled out for those 65 and older, all people at high risk of severe disease, and others who are regularly exposed to the virus.In data published late on Thursday, the Health Ministry reported nine cases of myocarditis within four age groups that comprised more than 1.5 million people who had received a booster shot.All were male, three were between the ages of 16 and 29 and six were in the 30-59 group. Eight more possible cases were still being reviewed. Most myocarditis cases are generally mild, the ministry said.In total, out of all 3.2 million Israelis who have received a third jab, 25 reported serious adverse events that appeared within 30 days of the shot, including myocarditis, though a causal link had yet to be established among many of them.Employing a “living with COVID” strategy, the government is hoping that the boosters, so far administered to around a third of the 9.3 million population, will fend off an outbreak of the Delta variant while the economy is kept open.Since Delta began spreading in June, the government has reimposed indoor mask wearing and Israelis require a Green Pass - a digital document that confirms full immunization, including a third shot, or recovery from the illness - to enter most places of leisure. Teachers must either be vaccinated or get tested in order to enter schools.The number of COVID-19 patients hospitalized in serious condition has been dropping in recent days, as has the number of confirmed daily cases, which now stand at around 4,000, compared with around 8,000 a month ago.But experts are concerned that, with schools reopening this week after the Jewish high holiday season, illness will shoot up again. They have urged the government to take more steps to rein in infections, such as limiting large crowds, and not to rely on boosters alone.Read more: Israel’s new government gives green light to controversial Jerusalem marchWatch: Israeli airstrike flattens building housing AP, other media offices in GazaPro-Hamas activists launch incendiary balloons from Gaza into Israel
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Israel reports few heart inflammation cases after Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine boosters

China sent 25 fighter jets toward self-ruled Taiwan in a large display of force on China’s National Day Friday.For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.The People’s Liberation Army flew 18 J-16 fighter jets as well as two H-6 bombers, among other planes. Taiwan deployed air patrol forces in response and tracked the Chinese aircraft on its air defense systems, the island’s Defense Ministry said in a statement.China has sent planes toward the island it claims as part of its territory on a near daily basis in the last couple of years, stepping up military harassment with drills.Last week, the PLA flew 24 fighter jets toward Taiwan after it announced it would apply to join a Pacific trade group that China also applied to join.Taiwan and China split during a civil war in 1949, and China has not ruled out force to reunify with Taiwan. Beijing opposes Taiwan’s involvement in international organizations.Read more: British frigate sails through sensitive Taiwan StraitChina’s Xi warns of ‘grim’ Taiwan situation in letter to oppositionMagnitude 5.7 earthquake strikes Taiwan
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: China sends 25 fighter planes toward Taiwan on National Day

Oman’s Civil Aviation Authority said on Friday that tropical storm Shaheen was expected to intensify into a category 1 tropical cyclone in the next 24 hours and directly impact coastal areas including the capital Muscat from Sunday.For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.“The center of the storm is about 650 kilometer away from Muscat Governorate and the closest convective clouds band associated with the storm is about 500 kilometer away,” the authority said in a statement on Twitter.Shaheen continues to move towards the coastal areas from north Muscat and the governorate of Al Batinah, both of which it is expected to directly impact on Sunday, including strong winds and heavy rain causing severe flash floods.Rough seas are expected starting from Saturday evening between south Al-Sharqiya to Musandam with waves reaching heights of 8 to 12 meters, the Civil Aviation Authority said.The public was advised to take precautions, keep away from low lying areas and avoid crossing wadis, or valleys.Read more: Tropical Storm Odette slogs offshore of mid-Atlantic coastOman’s role in ongoing Yemen crisis is to help, mediate: FMIntense sandstorm engulfs several areas of Saudi Arabia; public urged to stay home
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Oman expects tropical storm Shaheen to intensify

The Iranian army’s ground forces began holding maneuvers near the country’s border with Azerbaijan on Friday, state media reported, despite criticism from its neighbor.The exercises took place in open areas in northwestern Iran, said state television, which showed tanks, howitzers and helicopters firing at targets on the ground.For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.“We respect good neighborly relations but we do not tolerate the presence of Zionist regime (Israeli) elements and ISIS terrorists in the region,” ground forces commander Brigadier General Kioumars Heydari told state TV.Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev had criticized the Iranian war games in an interview published on Monday.“Every country can carry out any military drill on its own territory. It’s their sovereign right. But why now, and why on our border?” he told Turkish news agency Anadolu.His comments were rebuffed by Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh.“The drills carried out by our country in the northwest border areas... are a question of sovereignty,” Khatibzadeh said in a statement on Tuesday.A major supplier of arms to Azerbaijan, Israel came under diplomatic fire from Armenia during last year’s conflict between the Caucasus neighbors.Iran and Azerbaijan share a border of around 700 kilometers (430 miles).Ethnic Azeris make up around 10 million of Iran’s 83 million people.Read more:Two Azerbaijani border guards killed in Iran border shootoutIran protests to Turkey over remarks by Erdogan in AzerbaijanAzerbaijani territories under Armenian control must be ‘liberated’: Iran’s Khamenei
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Iran begins war games near border, despite criticism from Azerbaijan