Middle East Experience

Iran is the greatest threat to the region and the world, said Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz on Tuesday.“It is not possible to remain neutral while Iran is advancing in its nuclear project,” he said.For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.Gantz added that the world must put an end to Iran and Hezbollah and Israel alone can determine the equation.Evidence has shown that drones used in the attack on the Israeli-managed tanker off Oman’s coast on Thursday were made in Iran, US experts say in a report released by the US Central Command.The report added that the tanker was targeted by two unsuccessful explosive drone attacks on the evening of July 29.Investigators found small remnants of at least one of the drones used in the attack, adding that one of the drones was loaded with a military-grade explosive.Read more:CIA chief heading to Israel, Palestine as Iran tensions simmer: ReportsIsraeli FM will fly to Morocco to cement ties following Abraham Accords
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: The world must put an end to Iran and Hezbollah: Israeli Defense Minister Gantz

Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has congratulated karate player Tarek Hamedi, the silver medalist in Tokyo’s 2020 Olympics, Saudi Press Agency SPA reported on Tuesday.The prince congratulated Hamedi for his distinguished skills in karate, wishing him to achieve many major titles in the future.Hamedi expressed his gratefulness and affirmed his support for all athletes in general and those interested in karate.The meeting was attended by Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki al-Faisal, Minister of Sports and President of the Saudi Arabian Olympic Committee.For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Sports and President of the Saudi Arabian Olympic Committee Prince Abdul Aziz bin Turki al-Faisal announced that karate player Tarek Hamedi will be honored and gifted 5 million Saudi riyals (US$1.3 million).Hamedi brought home a silver Olympic medal after being disqualified from the men’s over-75kg final when he threw a high kick and knocked out his opponent. Hamedi was leading on points when he threw the kick that struck Iranian athlete Sajad Ganjzadeh in the neck, leaving him motionless and having to be removed from the arena on a stretcher.Read more:Saudi Sports Minister says Olympic champion Hamedi will be awarded $1.3 mlnSaudi Olympic champion Hamedi greeted with surprise celebration in Jeddah airport
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince congratulates Olympic champion Tarek Hamedi

Saudi Arabia voiced its support for the Lebanese people during a cabinet meeting overnight Tuesday but warned that any aid would not be allowed to reach corrupt officials.The Kingdom restated what it had affirmed earlier during its participation in the international conference for Supporting Lebanon adding that any assistance provided to the current or future government depends on it carrying out serious and tangible reforms.“It must be ensured that aid reaches those who deserve it and avoiding the mechanisms that enable the corrupt to control the fate of Lebanon,” the statement released by Saudi Press Agency added.For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.This comes after Hezbollah and its allies nearly took Lebanon to war last week at a time when the country is facing unprecedented crises on all fronts.Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister said on Wednesday the insistence of the Iran-backed Hezbollah group on imposing its will in Lebanon was a main reason for the country’s crisis, according to Al-Ekhbariya TV and a foreign ministry statement.Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud also said Riyadh was concerned that no tangible results had been reached in investigations into the Beirut port explosion that devastated swathes of the capital a year ago. He said any assistance to Lebanon would be linked to serious reforms there.Saudi Arabia has previously banned the import of Lebanese fruits and vegetables in April after a reported increase in drug smuggling from Beirut.The move came after Saudi Customs foiled an attempt to smuggle over 5 million pills of Captagon stuffed inside fruit imported from Lebanon.Captagon is used by fighters at war because of the effects it can have to fight tiredness. It is an amphetamine that has widely been made and exported illegally from Lebanon.Ties between Beirut and Riyadh have soured in recent years following the steady rise of Hezbollah and its increased influence over the state and its institutions. Hezbollah continues to support Yemen’s Houthi militia, which attacks Saudi Arabia and civilians inside the Kingdom almost daily.Read more:Lebanon’s Aoun defends patriarch after he urged halt to Hezbollah rocketsMore than half of Lebanon’s migrant workers need ‘urgent humanitarian assistance’: UNAllowing Lebanon’s army to collapse will only benefit Hezbollah: US official
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Saudi Arabia says any support to Lebanon depends on carrying out serious reform

A COVID-19 trial among adolescents in the United Arab Emirates showed almost all children who received two doses of the Chinese-made Sinopharm vaccine generated antibodies against the deadly virus, health officials have said.The country’s National Crisis and Emergency Management Authority (NCEMA) announced the results of the trial on 900 children during a press briefing on Tuesday. Some members of Abu Dhabi’s ruling family participated in the trial.For more coronavirus news, visit our dedicated page.It found that 96.6 percent of children vaccinated with Sinopharm generated a good level of antibodies, while only a minor number of youngsters who received the dose experienced side effects from the vaccine.These minor symptoms were similar to those experienced with other childhood inoculations such as polio vaccines, the health body said.Among the total vaccinated children, 29.7 percent experienced pain in the place of injection, eight percent experienced headaches and 3.7 percent experienced fever or high temperature.These symptoms and side effects normally faded very quickly, the trial found.“Vaccine safety is considered high for children between three to 17-years-old, as there have been no positive cases for children who have received the vaccine,” NCEMA said.It was also announced on Tuesday that the UAE’s main contact tracing app - the Al Hosn app – has been revamped with new features.This includes a new display showing if someone has been vaccinated and had a recent PCR test.Tourists and new residents who were vaccinated against COVID-19 abroad will also be able to upload their vaccine certificates from August 15.NCEMA announced Tuesday that the UAE had recorded 1,334 new cases of COVID-19, 1,396 new recoveries and four virus-related deaths in the previous 24 hours.A total of 695,619 cases of COVID-19 have now been recorded in the UAE.For all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.According to NCEMA, 1,982 people have died from the virus in the UAE since the beginning of the pandemic.More than 80 percent of the UAE’s population of around 10 million has received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine, while 72 percent has been fully vaccinated, NCEMA said.Read more:Children of Abu Dhabi ruling family part of UAE vaccine trial for adolescentsSinopharm COVID vaccine available for children ages 3 to 17 in UAEVaccinating children against COVID-19: Everything you need to know
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: UAE COVID-19 trial: Almost all children had virus antibodies after Sinopharm vaccine

The Bedouin community in the Negev Desert region has been allocated far bigger budgets for development, health, education and transportation services.
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: Government report details how Israel has failed Bedouin community

Apart from his notoriety as the "butcher of the free media," Saeed Mortazavi has been implicated in multiple controversial cases, from torture and murder to corruption and embezzlement. 
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: Iran judiciary rules in favor of notorious ex-prosecutor

Dubai Police responded to 103 cases of child abuse and neglect last year, including adolescents who were physically harmed, denied an education and not given medical treatment.The Women and Children Protection Department at Dubai Police responded to the reports of child abuse under the United Arab Emirate’s Child Protection Law which aims to stamp out harm against minors across the Emirates.For all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.Anyone in breach of the law faces a hefty fine and up to 10 years in jail for physical or sexual abuse or the criminal negligence of children.Of those 103 cases, 39 of the incidents involved children under the age of five, said Maitha Mohammed al-Balushi, head of the child protection section at the Women and Children Protection Department.She said, of the 103 cases, 23 children who were physically abused, 20 were ill-treated, 17 were deprived of identity documents, 14 were deprived of their educational rights, nine were assaulted, nine were neglected, eight were abandoned and left unsupervised, and three were not given the medical attention they needed.Children in 60 cases were abused or harmed by their fathers, 16 by their mothers, 14 by someone known to the victim, six by outsiders, four by children themselves, and three at the school. The section has handled all cases with extreme delicacy while prioritizing children’s welfare, she added.Major General Dr Mohammad Abdullah al-Murr, director of the General Department of Human Rights, said: “All children must be provided with appropriate living standards, access to health services, education, equal opportunities in essential services and facilities without any kind of discrimination.”“The UAE law protects children against all forms of negligence, exploitation, physical and psychological abuses.”Police were given greater powers of arrest for offenders under revamped child protection laws after an eight-year-old Emirati girl was tortured to death by her father and his partner. Previously named Wadeema’s Law, named after the victim, this was renamed the Child Protection Law in 2013.Dubai Police have since launched several campaigns and programs aimed at raising awareness about children rights.In November 2019, the Ministry of Education launched a specialist Child Protection Unit comprising of trained experts who can intervene in cases involving children deemed at risk of abuse.A Safety Ambassadors’ program has since been launched by Dubai Police to support children and protect them against any harm or violence.Dubai Police’s ‘My Home, My Safety’ initiative has also delivered awareness messages and published eight short educational films.Fatima al-Beloushi, head of the awareness section at the Women and Children’s Department of Dubai Police, said: “The force is keen on enhancing its awareness-raising role on children rights, as per Wadeema’s law.”“We want to ensure that people who are directly involved in children’s welfare, such as parents and educational institutions, are enlightened and aware of the law to preserve and protect children’s rights.”Read more:Dubai announces new 24-hour hotline for reporting child abuseCOVID-19 pandemic fueled racism, child abuse: EU rights agencyTurkish man arrested for abusing daughter in TikTok video
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Dubai Police handle more than 100 cases of child abuse, negligence

Security forces affiliated with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham forced gas stations to close in areas controlled by Turkish-backed factions and set up a temporary checkpoint there.
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: Syrian jihadi group in Idlib goes after gas stations

The soldiers will receive medical care at a Russian military hospital for wounds they sustained in combat.
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: Syrian, 'supporting forces' head to Russia for medical care

CIA Director William Burns met with the new Israeli prime minister on Wednesday as talks to revive the landmark nuclear deal remained deadlocked.
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: CIA chief Burns, Israel's Bennett meet to discuss Iran