Middle East Experience

The Palestnian residents of Beita in the northern West Bank have held off settlers who tried for the fourth time to establish an outpost on the top of a strategic mount near their town.
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: How these Palestinians thwarted settlers in northern West Bank

Saudi Arabia will limit this year's Hajj pilgrimage to 60,000 residents and nationals living in the Kingdom due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah announced in a statement Saturday.Read the latest updates in our dedicated coronavirus section.“In light of what the whole world is witnessing from the continuing developments of the coronavirus pandemic and the emergence of new mutations, Hajj registration will be limited to residents and citizens from inside the Kingdom only,” the ministry said in a Twitter thread.Those who are between the ages of 18-65 and are fully vaccinated, have received their first dose at least 14 days prior, or those who are vaccinated and have recovered from a COVID-19 infection are allowed to register, the ministry added.The registration portal will be launched on June 13 at 1 p.m., the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah said, adding that there is no priority for early registration.“The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah confirms that the government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia always prioritizes the safety, health and security of pilgrims,” the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.The Hajj pilgrimage this year is expected to begin mid-July. The link to register can be accessed here: localhaj.haj.gov.saFirst Hajj amid coronavirusLast year, the Kingdom only allowed a limited number of people who met certain criteria to participate in the Hajj pilgrimage, which is one of the five pillars of Islam and required for able-bodied Muslims at least once in their lifetime.As few as 1,000 people who were already residing in Saudi Arabia were selected to take part. Two-thirds were foreign residents from among the 160 different nationalities that would have normally been represented at the hajj. One-third were Saudi security personnel and medical staff.No further details were released on this year's safety and preventative measures. However, last year the group was required to self-isolate at home seven days prior to arriving in Mecca, as part of the requirements to participate in the pilgrimage.The participants were then quarantined in the designated hotel until the start of the rituals.The pilgrims were transported in assigned groups daily while every 50 individuals were accompanied by a health leader to ensure safety measures, including wearing a mask and social distancing, were implemented at all times.With the Associated PressRead more:Hajj 2020 photos: A look back at the pilgrimage amid coronavirus pandemicWatch: Hajj pilgrims arrive in Mecca for final Kaaba ritual amid COVID-19 measuresImmunized pilgrims perform Umrah in Saudi Arabia’s Mecca on first day of Ramadan
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Saudi Arabia to limit Hajj to 60,000 residents, nationals living in Kingdom

Saudi Arabia has launched a service to automatically extend the validity of visit visas for travelers without incurring additional costs, the official Saudi Press Agency reported on Saturday.Travelers from countries which were banned entry due to the Kingdom’s COVID-19 precautionary measures qualify to apply for the extension if their visas expired and were not used due to the suspension.Read the latest updates in our dedicated coronavirus section.The new service is being provided by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in coordination with the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Finance.The extensions will allow visas to be valid until July 31.For all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.Visitors from outside the Kingdom who are eligible will be able to access the service through the foreign affairs ministry’s e-visa services platform.In February, the Kingdom banned the entry of people traveling from: Germany, the United States, the United Kingdom, South Africa, Egypt, Brazil, France, India, Lebanon, Pakistan, Argentine, Indonesia, Italy, Portugal, Japan, Ireland, Sweden, Turkey and Switzerland.The General Directorate of Passports began to automatically renew residency visas for expats who were stranded abroad at no additional cost, the country announced on Tuesday.Saudi Arabia detected 1,175 new COVID-19 cases on Friday, bringing the Kingdom’s active cases to 10,112 – of which 1,559 were critical – and the total diagnosed cases in the country since the pandemic’s onset to 463,703.Read more:Saudi Arabia to extend visas for expats stranded abroad until July 31Saudi Arabia sees slight drop in daily new COVID-19 cases with 1,175 confirmedTravel to Saudi Arabia to resume Monday after year of restrictions
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Saudi Arabia launches online service to automatically extend validity of visit visas 

President Vladimir Putin on Friday denied a US media report that Russia is set to deliver an advanced satellite system to Iran that will vastly improve its spying capabilities.The Washington Post reported Thursday that Moscow is preparing to give Iran a Kanopus-V satellite with a high-resolution camera, allowing the Islamic republic to monitor facilities of its adversaries across the Middle East.For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.Putin, who is expected to hear a range of complaints from US President Joe Biden when they meet Wednesday in Geneva, dismissed the report as “garbage.”“We have cooperation plans with Iran, including the military and technical cooperation,” he told NBC News in an interview ahead of the summit.“It’s just fake news. At the very least, I don’t know anything about this kind of thing, those who are speaking about it probably will maybe know more about it. It’s just nonsense, garbage.”Biden, who is on his first foreign tour since entering the White House, is expected to raise a slew of complaints with Putin including over election interference and hacking purportedly linked to Russia.The Washington Post, quoting current and former US and Middle Eastern officials, said the launch of the satellite could happen within months, and is the result of multiple trips to Russia by leaders of Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guards.The satellite, while not of US capabilities, could allow the monitoring of Israeli bases and the US troop presence in Iraq, the report said.Iran has a tense relationship with many nations in the region including Israel, raising fears by its adversaries it could share imagery with proxies in Yemen, Iraq and Lebanon.The satellite could be launched in Russia, although Russian trainers have assisted ground crews who would operate the satellite near a new site near the northern Iranian city of Karaj, The Post reported.Details of the sale also come at a delicate time when world powers are meeting to bring the United States back to the Iran nuclear deal and Tehran back into compliance with it.The 2015 landmark accord has been hanging by a thread since the United States left it in 2018 and reimposed sanctions, leading to Tehran to step up nuclear activities long curtailed by the deal.Read more:UK hails ‘historic’ action plan by G7 in preventing future pandemicsUS expresses concern over Iranian ship that may be headed for VenezuelaPutin hopes Biden less impulsive than Trump
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: President Putin denies Russia preparing to give Iran advanced satellite system

Algeria is voting Saturday in a parliamentary election overshadowed by a crackdown on a long-running protest movement that has campaigned for a mass boycott..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: Algeria elects parliament as Hirak supporters call for boycott

Separate bombs hit two minivans in a mostly Shia neighborhood in the Afghan capital Saturday, killing at least seven people and wounding six others, the Interior Ministry said.For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.The explosions targeted minivans on the same road about 2 kilometers (1.25 miles) apart in a neighborhood in western Kabul, Interior Ministry deputy spokesman Ahmad Zia Zia, said.It wasn’t immediately clear what type of bombs were used and no one immediately claimed responsibility for the attacks.The ISIS group has carried out similar bombings in the area, including four attacks on four minivans earlier this month that killed at least 18 people.The first explosion killed six people and wounded two and the second explosion in front of Muhammad Ali Jinnah hospital, where a majority of COVID-19 patients are admitted, killed one and wounded four.The area where the explosions happened is largely populated by the minority Hazara ethnic group who are mostly Shia Muslims.Violence and chaos continue to escalate in Afghanistan as the US and NATO continue their withdrawal of the remaining 2,500-3,500 American soldiers and 7,000 allied forces. The last of the troops will be gone by September 11 at the latest.Read more:US shooting leaves 13 people injured in downtown Austin, Texas, suspect not arrestedUS begins shifting Afghan combat operations outside countryWashington says diplomatic presence in Kabul requires ‘functioning, secure airport’
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Separate bombs hit two minivans in Kabul killing seven people: Afghan official

Saudi Arabia confirms 1,077 new COVID-19 cases over the past 24 hours, raising the total number to 464,780, the health ministry announces.Read the latest updates in our dedicated coronavirus section.Of the new cases, 348 were detected in the city of Mecca and 225 in the capital Riyadh.The ministry also recorded 16 coronavirus-related deaths, raising the death toll to 7,553 as of June 12.Meanwhile, 906 people who had previously tested positive for the virus in the Kingdom recovered, taking the total number of recoveries to 446,960.Earlier in the day, the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah announced that this year's Hajj pilgrimage will be limited to residents and nationals living in the Kingdom due to the ongoing pandemic.Those who are between the ages of 18-65 and are fully vaccinated, have received their first dose at least 14 days prior, or those who are vaccinated and have recovered from a COVID-19 infection are allowed to register, the ministry added.Read more:Saudi Arabia to limit Hajj to 60,000 residents, nationals living in KingdomSaudi Arabia launches online service to automatically extend validity of visit visasBahrain says Sputnik V vaccine demonstrates 94.3 pct efficacy, ‘high safety profile’
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Saudi Arabia confirms 1,077 new COVID-19 cases, 16 deaths

People living in Abu Dhabi on expired residency or entry visas, including expired visit visas, can now avail of free Covid vaccines..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: UAE: 101,234 Covid vaccine doses administered in 24 hours

Lebanon recorded 206 coronavirus cases and five deaths in the last 24 hours, the Health Ministry said Friday, as the country prepared to ramp up its inoculation campaign..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: Lebanon reports 206 COVID-19 cases, five deaths in last 24 hours

Lebanon records 148 COVID-19 cases, 4 deaths..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: Lebanon records 148 COVID-19 cases, 4 deaths