Middle East Experience

After the boy who survived the cable crash was brought to Israel illegally, his aunt and guardian petitioned a court to return him to family in Italy.
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: Eitan Biran’s grandfather questioned, sent to 5 days of house arrest

Foreign forces being deployed in Syria without a decision by the United Nations are a hindrance to the country’s consolidation, Russian President Vladimir Putin told Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Monday..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: Putin meets Assad in Moscow, takes swipe at Turkish forces in Syria

Two young women were killed and another injured in a car accident in the Gaza Strip, which sparked a wave of angry reactions among citizens toward reckless drivers and laxity in applying laws and punishing lawbreakers.
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: Road accidents increasingly common in Gaza Strip

The Syrian Demographic Forces moved 300 families of extremist women from al-Hol camp to Roj camp in Hasakah countryside, to confine them to one camp and control security in al-Hol camp.
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: SDF transfers extremist IS women to Roj camp in Hasakah

Companies in Saudi Arabia have been named among the top 10 Best Workplaces in the Middle East 2021, in a new ranking by “Great Place to Work,” the global authority on workplace culture.In the largest collection of employee experiences in the Middle East, thousands of employees from across the region were surveyed to determine the best workplaces.For all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.More than 450 private and public organizations competed to be on the list which assessed employee experiences of trust, innovation, company values and leadership.Companies were also evaluated on how well they are creating a ‘For All’ workplace experience, inclusive of all employees no matter who they are or what they do. This year, COVID-19 brought physical and mental well-being to the forefront for both employers and employees.Companies this year rank in three size categories: small, medium, and large. Multinational organizations are also assessed on their efforts to create great workplaces across multiple countries in the region.While several multinational companies won places across the lists, several homegrown companies in the Kingdom were awarded for their efforts to create a “people-first approach to business.”In the small company category, Saudi’s Ministry of Tourism ranked fourth on the list, while on the large company ranking Dar al-Riyadh, a services and solutions company in the Kingdom, was ranked as the best eighth company to work.A spokesperson for Great Place to Work said that the chosen companies were selected out of stiff competition for putting employees at the heart of their business.“This past year has brought about many challenges that business leaders had to face with no guidebook to follow; the process of which brought about creativity as leaders found new ways to communicate with their employees across all levels of their organizations,” the spokesperson said.“The impact of COVID-19 on all organizations across the Middle East continues to be uncompromising, even for seemingly successful organizations experiencing concealed struggles… Moreover, the heroic actions taken by the organizations have not gone unnoticed during this critical time as companies got creative with their people-first approach to business.”Topping the lists for this year by prioritizing constant internal communication and transparency across all levels in the organization are Dubai Police, The ONE, and Westford University College in the large, medium, and small size categories, respectively.Read more:Through the looking glass: Gender diversity and inclusion in the workplaceSaudi Arabia has world’s third-highest share of female entrepreneurs: ReportIMF praises Saudi COVID-19 economic response and 13 pct increase in female workers
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Saudi companies among ‘best places to work’ in Middle East in 2021

An increasing number of pet owners are choosing to give away their pets or abandon them on the side of the road due to an inability to afford the costs of caring for them. As Lebanon's economic crisis continues to worsen, further strain is being placed on NGOs that take in these animals.Operating in northern Lebanon Refq, takes in stray and abused animals to put them up for adoption. The NGO has felt the full weight of the crisis, and is now dealing with rocketing inflation.For all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.Founded in 2017, Refq’s founder, Nuhad Sheikh, said that its aim was to establish a shelter where animals could heal - both physically and mentally – with adoption the ultimate goal.“We do mostly work with just dogs because dogs are highly targeted in this part of the world,” Sheikh told Al-Arabiya English. “It is now getting more difficult for both [cats and dogs]. It's difficult for human beings let alone dogs and cats.”While Refq takes in dogs that are abandoned, many of the animals at the shelter have been severely abused and require medical treatment. Many take months to recover mentally, and socialize.These dogs stay at the shelter for extended periods of time. One has lived there since the shelter was established, making it harder for the staff to cope as the number of animals being cared for grows.Dogs arriving at Refq are spayed or neutered, but with increased costs for these operations, they can’t do this for all of the animals.“We have almost half or a bit more [that are spayed and neutered]. We have a few puppies that were even born at the shelter,” Sheikh said. “Whenever we get a single donation, we either take it to rescue another case that needs medical help, it's medical help that is on top of our list, and then comes the spay and neuter. If there's an animal in terrible need of basically surviving, this is where the money goes.”Struggling veterinarians witness declining animal healthIn addition to NGOs, veterinarians have also been hit with rising costs.Dr Haitham Safar, the owner of Canicat Veterinary Hospital in Beirut, explained that because of the current situation in Lebanon, pet owners can no longer afford to pay for normal checkups, and are instead focusing on emergency treatments.“Most of the customers are bringing their pets in the case of emergencies,” Safar told Al-Arabiya English. “From our records we noticed that we do less vaccinations, deworming and operations such as neutering.”Vets themselves are also struggling to keep their practices open because equipment and supply costs are increasing.“We don't have access for many basic and important medication, spare parts for our equipment, we are struggling with the shortage of electricity due to the fuel crisis, many of our colleagues from the clinic staff left the country,” Safar explained. “The rental fees and general expenses for the clinic has increased and our income has deteriorated. We work continuously in huge amount of stress due to the above-mentioned reasons.”Because of the rising costs, Safar added that he has seen many people forced to give up their pets since they can no longer afford them.Safar has relationships with several NGOs in Lebanon, and in these situations tries to help find these animals new homes. Often they are left on the side of the road to fend for themselves.A cry for helpSheikh sympathizes with those forced to abandon their pets, saying that she “understands the vet bills,” and notes that “there is also the food factor.” Pet food prices are rocketing too.Pet owners finding themselves in the predicament of no longer being able to afford an animal is very difficult, but Sheikh revealed that she doesn’t understand how people can dump their animals on the side of the road or even abuse them.“We had a case the other day of someone who has a dog, of course it is only tied in front of the house, but then they cut its ears off,” she recalled. “When we heard about it, it had probably just freshly happened. The dog was in extreme pain and extreme mistrust that he wouldn't let anyone near him. We had to fight to take the dog away from that person. We were just saying that we had enough rescues for the year, like we weren't going to take any more rescues, but he was a five-month-old puppy.”Expensive care for the needyLife inside these shelters has steadily gotten harder for the animals because the NGOs can no longer give them the same level of care.“The big thing is, unfortunately, it is the quality [of care] that the dogs are receiving or that anything is receiving,” Sheikh stated solemnly. “Now they are getting second-grade food as opposed to when we first started when buying a bag of 20kg of dry food of very good quality was still not an issue. $20 was nothing as opposed to what it is now. It's quite unfortunate. We're still lucky if we get any donations at all mainly with foreign currency.”Donations have largely dried up and receiving any money from abroad, while desperately needed, has become a challenge, making it almost impossible to keep up with the number of animals entering their care.“Donations are less and the problem is that dogs that are being dumped are much more,” Sheikh said. “I think that people have a lot on their plate right now that are more important than just caring for animals. It is on top of our list but it is, unfortunately, not on top of everyone else's' lists. It's probably not on the list for some people.”There is no end in sight for Lebanon's debilitating crisis, making those who work with animals worried about what the future might hold.Should things continue to get worse, Sheikh explained that, as much as it would pain her, she will need to start turning away animals because Refq is running at capacity.“For the dogs that we already have, I would rather go hungry than to keep them hungry. That's on a personal level. The NGO needs funding. I personally would go to every end to not reach a situation where I have to give up the dogs that we already have.”Read more:Saudi Crown Prince, UAE’s Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed discuss bilateral tiesSaudi Arabia's Red Sea Company finds 600-year-old coral colony in Al-Waqadi IslandAn eyewitness account of a failed state: Lebanon
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Stranded and abused: It really is a dog's life in Lebanon

In the past year, the United Arab Emirates has introduced long-term residence visas for different categories of residents, including investors, entrepreneurs and specialized talents.Read more: UAE ‘Golden Visa’: Eligibility now includes managers, CEOs, six more categoriesThe country debuted the “Golden Visa” last year, where specialists can be granted a ten-year permanent UAE visa. Earlier this week, the “Green Visa” was introduced, allowing highly skilled individuals to sponsor themselves without being tied to an employer. The government also announced a new “Freelancer Visa.”For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.The system allows UAE residents and foreigners with their families who wish to work, live and study in the country, to have a long-term residence visa without the need of an Emirati sponsor.“Projects of the 50”Earlier this week, the UAE announced it will launch fifty new economic initiatives to boost the country's economic competitiveness and attract $150 billion (AED 550 billion) in foreign direct investment in the next nine years.One of the key legislative changes being introduced as part of “Projects of the 50” is a restructuring of the entry and residency system, including the announcement of the Green Visa, the Freelancer Visa, and expanding the eligibility of the Golden Visa.Golden VisaAnnounced last year, the Golden Visa is a five or ten-year permanent UAE visa granted to doctors, scientists, innovators, researchers, outstanding students, humanitarian workers, investors, entrepreneurs, managers, CEOs, and specialists in the fields of science, engineering, health, education, business management and technology.The official Emirates News Agency (WAM) said Golden Visas are granted to specialists for “their contribution in enhancing the development of their respective sectors.”The Golden Visa aims to attract and encourage top international skillsets and talents in the UAE, Dubai Ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid had said.Eligibility for the visa was expanded earlier this week, and specialists from various fields can now apply for it.Green VisaThe UAE presented the new visa scheme, the Green Visa, which distinguishes between work permits and residency visas.The Green Visa targets highly skilled individuals, investors, entrepreneurs and top students and graduates. It will also ease visa restrictions for freelancers, widows, and divorced people, among other things.Individuals who hold Green Visas will be self-dependent and can sponsor parents and children up to 25 years instead of 18 yearsPreviously, the UAE tied residency status for expats with employment.Employers were considered the expat’s sponsor and if an expat lost his/her job, they were forced to leave the country or find new employment to stay in the UAE within one month.Additionally, a parent previously could sponsor their daughter’s residency visa until she is married, however, sons were only allowed to be sponsored until the age of 18.Freelancers VisaThe “Freelancers Visa” is the first federal scheme of its kind, and enables self-employers to sponsor themselves.Other specific regulatory changes include the extension of business trip permits from three months to six months, sponsorship of parents under the visa of direct family members, one-year residency extension for humanitarian cases, extension of children’s age limit on parents’ residency from 18 to 25 years and an extension of grace period upon job loss or retirement to 90-180 days.The UAE is issuing long-term residence visas to ease visa-related restrictions and attract foreign investors and talents to live, work and study in the UAE without a sponsor and with 100 percent ownership of their business, according to WAM.How to apply for “Green Visa,” “Golden Visa”UAE residents can access the Golden Visa application system through the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship website: https://smartservices.ica.gov.ae/In the “Golden Services” section, a qualified person can submit a “nomination request” if he or she has not yet been nominated to receive a long-term visa.People in the UAE can reach the authority’s call center by calling 600522222.The UAE has not yet announced the application procedures for the Green Visa.Read more:Dubai Ruler Sheikh Mohammed announces long-term golden visas for humanitarian workersUAE starts granting golden visas to resident doctors in recognition of their serviceUAE presents new ‘Green Visa’ for expats to sponsor themselves: New benefits
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: UAE ‘Golden Visa,’ ‘Green Visa’: Eligibility, application and requirements explained

The Taliban fired shots in the air Tuesday to disperse dozens of people protesting in Kabul against Pakistan’s involvement in Afghan affairs, AFP staff at the scene reported.Around 70 people, mostly women, rallied outside the Pakistani embassy, holding banners and chanting against what they said was meddling by Islamabad.For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.Pakistan’s military forces helped the Taliban in their fight to capture the Panjshir province, the last stronghold of the anti-Taliban resistance, by providing them with air support and sent special forces to fight the resistance, CNN-News18 reported.The Taliban successfully took over Panjshir on Monday morning after days of fighting. The leader of the province’s resistance movement, Ahmad Massoud, then called for a “national uprising”.In an audio message sent to media, National Resistance Front commander Ahmad Massoud said: “Wherever you are, inside or outside, I call on you to begin a national uprising for the dignity, freedom and prosperity of our country.”The Pakistani Taliban also claimed responsibility Sunday for a suicide bombing that killed four paramilitary guards in the southwestern city of Quetta.The attack targeted Pakistani Frontier Constabulary (FC) guards in the Mian Ghundi neighborhood of the city – around 140 kilometers (87 miles) from the frontier with Afghanistan – where Hazara Shia merchants were selling vegetables.With AFPRead more:Leader of Afghanistan’s Panjshir resistance movement calls for ‘national uprising’‘Taliban hunting Americans’: Pregnant US woman, Afghan husband stuck in KabulBlinken says Taliban renew promise to let Afghans 'freely depart'
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Taliban fire shots to disperse anti-Pakistan protest in Kabul

Six Palestinians broke out of an Israeli prison Monday through a tunnel dug beneath a sink, triggering a massive manhunt for the group.For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.In footage that recalled the iconic 1994 prison escape film “The Shawshank Redemption,” the service released a video which showed agents inspecting a narrow tunnel beneath a sink and another showing a hole just outside the prison walls.Gilboa -- which opened in 2004 during the second Palestinian intifada, or uprising -- is a high security site where hundreds of Palestinians are detained among other inmates.The prison service said all those held at Gilboa over “security offenses” are being relocated in case additional escape tunnels have been dug beneath the facility.The six Palestinians who vanished Monday from a prison in the Hollywood-style escape were being held for attacks against Israel.Here is what we know about the escapees, who are members of extremist Islamic Jihad group and the Fatah movement.Zakaria Zubeidi, 46The former head of the Jenin branch of the al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades under Fateh, Zubeidi rose to prominence in the second Palestinian intifada, or uprising, from 2000 to 2005.He agreed in 2007 to lay down his arms in exchange for being removed from an Israeli wanted list.But Israel voided the agreement after its internal security service said Zubeidi had been involved in “several attacks.”It said Zubeidi and an accomplice had used an official Palestinian Authority vehicle in multiple shooting attacks on Israeli civilian buses near settlements in the Ramallah area between November 2018 and January 2019.Originally from the Jenin refugee camp in the north of the Israeli-occupied West Bank, he was arrested and jailed in 2019.The Palestinian Authority had previously accused Zubeidi of taking part in a deadly shooting attack on the residence of Jenin governor Qaddura Musa in 2002.While detained over that attack, he went on hunger strike to protest his conditions. He was freed in 2012.Mahmoud Abdullah Ardah, 45Hailing from Arraba, near Jenin, Ardah is a member of Islamic Jihad, one of the main Palestinian armed extremist groups.He spent time in jail in the early 1990s before being freed following the Oslo accords.A few months after being released, he was again imprisoned in 1996 for attacks on Israel claimed by Islamic Jihad, receiving a life sentence.Ardah, the author of several books, was held in solitary confinement in 2014 after an escape tunnel was found at Israel’s Shata prison, according to his Islamic Jihad biography.The group made him its “emir” in the Gilboa prison, from which the group escaped on Monday.Ardah had been in the prison the longest of any of the escapees.Some local media have reported he was the mastermind of the operation.Mohammed Qassem Ardah, 39Mohammad Qassem Ardah published a magazine for young Islamic Jihad supporters in the northern West Bank while still a teenager, gaining further notoriety for throwing Molotov cocktails at Israeli soldiers.In 2002, during the second intifada, he was arrested by the Israeli army for his role in Islamic Jihad’s armed wing and sentenced to life in prison.The group’s biography of Ardah says he completed a history degree from Gaza’s al-Aqsa university by correspondence, as well as earning a master’s in public administration from Cairo University.Yacoub Mahmoud Qadri, 48Also born near Jenin, in Bir al-Basha, Qadri was arrested in 2003 and jailed for life over an attack the previous year against Israeli settlers.AFP reported at the time that Palestinians killed an Israeli and wounded a Romanian driving on the road not far from the Shaked settlement in a gun attack.Ayham Kamamji, 35Originally from Kafr Dan, near Jenin, Kamamji is a member of Islamic Jihad who was arrested in 2006 and jailed for life for the kidnap and murder of a young Israeli settler, Eliahu Asheri.Islamic Jihad said he suffered from abdominal and intestinal illness in jail and was subject to “medical negligence” by prison authorities.Munadel Infeiat, 26Originally from Yaabad village near Jenin, Islamic Jihad says member Infeiat was arrested last year.Previously jailed multiple times for his role in the armed group, he was awaiting sentencing at the time of the escape.Read more: Israeli police search for six Palestinian prisoners who escaped prison through tunnelIsrael launches airstrikes against Gaza after incendiary balloon attacksIsrael’s IDF Chief: We have plans in place for when we decide to attack Iran
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: The six Palestinians who staged Hollywood-style escape from Israeli prison

The report documented human rights violations carried out by Syrian intelligence officers against 66 Syrians who returned to the war-torn country, including 13 children.
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: Amnesty report says Syrian refugees return to torture, rape