Middle East Experience

While there is “no golden rule," there are best practices for surviving a stampede.
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: After Meron tragedy: How to survive a crowd crush

Countries across the world should experience a drop in positive coronavirus cases during the summer months, and a resurgence when the colder weather reemerges, the researchers claimed.
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: Coronavirus affected by warm temperatures, may follow a seasonal path - study

Saudi Arabia’s health minister, Dr. Tawfiq Al-Rabiah, said during his speech in a Vision 2030 dialog session that the Kingdom has provided close to 9.5 million vaccines, stressing on the importance of the quality of vaccines, not the quantity.Al-Rabiah added that the health transformation program focuses on developing the sector.“There have been great achievements since the launch of the Vision 2030 programs, with regard to the health sector. Citizens used to struggle to get an appointment, but through Sehaty application this problem ended, as many remote services are provided. We receive 14,000 calls per day, medical services are provided remotely, and over 30,000 people receive electronic prescriptions, and 200,000 people are requesting daily to register for the coronavirus vaccination," he added.Read the latest updates in our dedicated coronavirus section.Al-Rabiah pointed out that the Wasfaty program has so far provided about 12.5 million prescriptions within 5 years.Regarding the health facilities that will be privatized, al-Rabiah assured that all of its employees will keep their jobs and may even improve their salaries.Vision 2030The Saudi Council of Economic and Development Affairs recently reviewed what had been achieved so far by the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 five years after its launch, which focused on: establishing and enabling infrastructure; building institutional and legislative structures; setting public policies, and enabling initiatives, while announcing that the focus of the next phase is to follow up implementation, advance achievements, and further enhance citizen and private sector participation.Since the launch of Saudi Vision 2030, the rate of foreign investment flows outside the Kingdom had decreased by 58 percent since 2015, while foreign direct investment flows into Saudi Arabia had grown to reach 17.625 billion riyals, an increase of 331 percent from 5.321 billion riyals before the launch of the vision. These initiatives also included the launch of projects that contribute to the welfare of society, providing jobs and attracting international investments, prominently NEOM, Qiddiya, the Red Sea projects, and others.Read more:Saudi Arabia’s FM, Abu Dhabi’s Crown prince discuss regional developmentsSaudi minister says 1000 companies have been established in the entertainment sectorSaudi Arabia’s VAT tax is expected to decrease to five percent
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Saudi Arabia has provided 9.5 mln COVID-19 vaccines: Health minister

A report by all intelligence agencies in the United States has identified Iran as the “primary state challenger” to Washington’s interests in the Middle East, the London-based Iran International reported on Sunday.Iran has been identified as the “primary state challenger to US interests in the Middle East because of its sophisticated military capabilities, broad proxy and partner networks, and periodic willingness to use force against US and partner forces,” according to the report.For all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.The report – which included contributions from the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – revealed that the death of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani pushed Tehran to increase “partner and proxy engagement… to maintain strategic depth.”In recent months, the Iran-backed Houthis have launched dozens of attacks on US ally Saudi Arabia and in Yemen.Soleimani was killed in a US airstrike on Baghdad Airport on January 3, 2020 alongside Iraq’s Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the deputy commander of Iran-backed militias known as the Popular Mobilization Forces. Their death fueled already rising tensions between the US and Iran.According to the intelligence report, Soleimani’s death led to a “significant increase in the threat to US interests in Iraq from Iran-backed Iraqi Shia militias seeking to secure a US drawdown.”However, according to the agencies, Iran “will seek to avoid escalation with the United States while it evaluates the direction of US policy toward Iran and the status of the US presence in the region.”Indirect nuclear talks between the US and Iran began in Vienna last month – with Iran, Russia, China, France, Britain, and Germany meeting in one hotel while the US is based in another.Iran has refused to hold direct meetings with officials from Washington.US President Joe Biden is planning to return to the nuclear deal after former president Donald Trump pulled out of the deal in 2018 and reimposed sanctions against Tehran.In response, Iran has breached many of the deal’s limits on its nuclear activities.Read more:Iran expects US sanctions on oil, banks to be liftedToughest issues still unresolved in Iran Nuclear JCPOA talks: SourcesIran nuclear talks make steady progress and will resume Friday, Russia says
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Iran identified as ‘primary challenger’ to US interests in Mid East: Intel report

Iran’s foreign minister apologized Sunday for recorded comments that were leaked to the public last week, creating a firestorm in Iran less than two months before presidential elections.The recordings of Mohammad Javad Zarif included frank comments on powerful late Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani, who was killed by a US drone strike in 2020. The attack at the time brought the US and Iran to the brink of war.For all the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.Soleimani’s funeral processions in Iran drew millions of people to the streets.In the recordings, Zarif criticizes Soleimani’s separate relations with Russia and for refusing to stop using the national carrier Iran Air for Syrian operations despite Zarif’s objections. Iran Air has been sanctioned by the US.Zarif said in an Instagram post Sunday he hoped Soleimani’s family would forgive him. “I hope that the great people of Iran and all the lovers of General (Soleimani) and especially the great family of Soleimani, will forgive me,” he said.Zarif’s leaked comments were highly controversial in Iran, where officials mind their words amid a cut-throat political environment that includes the powerful Revolutionary Guard, ultimately overseen by the country’s supreme leader.Besides the criticism of Soleimani, a top commander in the Guard, Zarif’s leaked remarks included cutting references to the limits of his power in the theocracy.Zarif can be heard saying at various points in the seven-hour tape that it was not meant for release.“If I had known that a sentence of it would be made public, I certainly would not have mentioned it as before,” he said in his Instagram post.Zarif has said he will not run for president in the upcoming election. Some had suggested him as a potential candidate to challenge hard-liners in the vote.Read more:IRGC searches offices of Iran’s president, foreign minister over audio leak: ReportTop advisor to Iran’s president resigns over FM Zarif’s leaked audioZarif’s leaked recording aimed to create ‘discord’ during Iran nuclear talks: Rouhani
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Iran’s foreign minister apologizes for leaked audio recording criticizing Soleimani

Saudi Arabia’s “Tawakkalna” application, the official application approved by the Ministry of Health to limit the spread of the coronavirus, has exceeded 20 million users, with three million users having joined in the past two months, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported Saturday.“The Tawakkalna application is a major participant in the Kingdom’s success in managing the coronavirus crisis and limiting its spread, which makes downloading and activating it an urgent necessity,” SPA reported.Read the latest updates in our dedicated coronavirus section.The app was launched in May by Saudi Arabia to initially manage issue permits to government and private entities during the curfew in place at the time. The application was developed through the close cooperation between the Ministry of Health and the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA).According to SPA, Tawakkalna is a pioneering experiment towards enabling digital transformation to achieve the goals of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030, as it works to support government agencies and enable them to achieve their goals by developing advanced technologies.The app continues to add many governmental services as it aims to be a comprehensive national application that contains all the services that citizens, residents, and visitors need for their daily lives.Its services cover health, education, Hajj and Umrah, permits, previews of driving licenses, insurance, passports, among other services.Read more:Saudi Arabia has provided 9.5 mln COVID-19 vaccines: Health ministerSaudi Arabia’s ‘Tawakkalna’ app updated, allows expat labor violators to sign upCoronavirus: All you wanted to know about the Saudi tracking app Tawakkalna
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Saudi Arabia’s COVID-19 Tawakkalna application exceeds 20 million users

Palestinians are accusing Israel of arbitrarily cracking down on cultural expression.
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: Palestinian dancer jailed in Israel

The Arab Coalition said air defense forces intercepted and destroyed an explosive drone launched by the Iran-backed Houthi militia towards Saudi Arabia’s Khamis Mushait on Sunday, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.For all the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.“The terrorist Houthi militia is gravely violating international humanitarian law by attempting to target civilians,” the Arab Coalition said in a statement carried by SPA.The United Arab Emirates has expressed its strong condemnation of the Houthi militia’s attempt to target civilians and civilian objects in a “systematic and deliberate manner” in the city of Khamis Mushait in Saudi Arabia.In a statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, the UAE affirmed that the continuation of these terrorist attacks by the Houthi militia reflects its blatant challenge to the international community and its disregard for all international laws and norms.The ministry urged the international community to take an immediate and decisive stance to stop these repeated actions targeting Kingdom’s security, adding that it is also targeting energy supplies and global economic stability.The UAE stressed that the continuation of these attacks is a dangerous escalation, and is evidence of these militias’ endeavor to undermine security and stability in the region.Read more:Saudi Arabia intercepts ‘hostile air target’ aimed at JeddahYemeni army advances in Marib, other fronts: SPASaudi air defenses intercept Houthi explosive drone targeting southern Saudi Arabia
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Arab Coalition intercepts Houthi drone targeting Saudi Arabia’s Khamis Mushait

“It’s like finding a treasure trove while you are picking up mushrooms in a forest,” an archaeologist said. “We are overwhelmed with this discovery.”..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: In a First, Researchers Discover a Pregnant Egyptian Mummy

The stand-in captain makes an unbeaten 99 from just 58 deliveries with eight boundaries and four sixes..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: IPL 2021: Agarwal leads from the front as Punjab Kings post 166-6