Middle East Experience

The UK government has made no assessment into the impact of a 60….
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: UK government admits no impact assessment of Yemen aid cut

Lebanon registers 30 new coronavirus deaths, 1512 cases..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: Lebanon registers 30 new coronavirus deaths, 1512 cases

IAI is building an assembly line for the Z vehicles to be housed at ELTA’s Land Division in Beersheba and is investing NIS 100 million in the project, according to the company.
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: IAI to Provide Z-MAG all-terrain vehicle to IDF’s maneuvering units

Also the number of serious patients continue to drop, reaching 166. For several days in January and February they were as many as 1,200.
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: Coronavirus: Health Ministry asks Israelis to avoid traveling abroad

Researchers also saw that the vaccine was 92% effective in preventing symptomatic infections in people over 70.
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: Coronavirus vaccine still 80-88% effective among chronic disease carriers

Some 66.7% of Canadian patients reported chemosensory dysfunction – decreased or lost sense of smell and/or decreased or lost sense of taste – compared to 34.4% of Israelis.
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: Israelis lost smell, taste from COVID-19 less than Canadians - study

Reports online say the missile was an S-200, also known as an SA-5.
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: Syria has a history of wildly firing air defense missiles

Saudi Arabia’s authorities recently initiated 11 new criminal cases against government employees over corruption charges, according to an announcement made by the Kingdom’s anti-corruption body.The first case involved a retired Major General and two retired employees in the fifteenth rank and with positions of power in the ministry who were arrested for obtaining cash from local and foreign contracting companies with the ministry.For all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.A second case involved the arrest of the Director General of Projects at the former Ministry of Higher Education and five businessmen. The first established companies with the latter and obtained through these companies projects at exaggerated prices in the Ministry, obliging other contracting companies to deal with his own companies and received sums of money.Another case involved an employee of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs who was arrested for spending 733,000 Saudi riyals in an irregular manner from the account of one of the Kingdom's embassies.Another employee at the Ministry of Media was arrested for issuing 328 media licenses and stealing an amount of approximately 700,000 Saudi riyals through repeatedly using the same payment number, which represents the licenses issuing fees.Two employees at the Ministry of Finance branch in one of the regions and two citizens (one a real estate owner and the other an agent) were arrested, as the employees obtained an amount of 126,000 riyals out of a total amount of 8,076,000 riyals that was agreed upon in exchange for facilitating the payment of financial compensations.“The Authority affirms on the continuation to pursue anyone who exploits the public office to achieve personal gain or harm the public interest in any way possible, and that the accountability extends far beyond the retirement of any individual, as the crimes of financial and administrative corruption have no statute of limitations, and that it will apply what the law rules against the violators with zero tolerance,” the Kingdom’s Oversight and Anti-Corruption Authority (Nazaha) said in a statement.
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Saudi Arabia initiates 11 criminal cases against government employees over corruption

Bahrain’s national carrier has begun to accept bookings for its first direct flight to Israel’s Tel Aviv set to take off on June 3, according to its website.According to the Centre for Aviation website, Gulf Air plans to commence a twice-weekly Bahrain-Tel Aviv service with A320neo aircraft starting on June 3, according to a March 23 GDS inventory and timetable display.For all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.Gulf Air joins other regional carriers like the UAE’s Flydubai and Etihad which both started flying to Tel Aviv after their country normalized relations with Israel last year.Last September, the first known direct commercial flight between Israel and Bahrain landed in the island kingdom a week after it signed a deal alongside the United Arab Emirates to normalize relations.During an official visit by Bahraini officials to Israel last November, both countries agreed to open embassies, establish online visa systems and launch weekly flights between their countries.Sudan in October became the third Arab country to announce a normalization deal with Israel, after the UAE and Bahrain, while Morocco announced it normalized ties with Tel Aviv soon after.
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Bahrain’s Gulf Air announces first flight to Israel’s Tel Aviv June 3

Heavy rain across Saudi Arabia has caused flooding in several regions, while thick snow blanketed some areas of Ha’il city and the ‘Asir region.Dozens of people shared pictures and videos of floods after heavy rainfall in Mecca, al-Aqiq, and several other parts of the Kingdom.For all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.Others shared pictures of snow enveloping the north-western province of Ha’il and the southwest region of ‘Asir.Videos showed the mountains of Harrat Bani Rashid in Ha’il – Saudi Arabia’s largest volcanic field – covered in thick snow.Several governorates and cities in ‘Asir witnessed intense rainfall, accompanied by snowfall, including Abha, Khamis Mushait, Tanuma, and al-Namas.The National Center of Meteorology said it expects heavy thunderstorms and hailstorms in several areas, including Jizan, Asir, al-Baha, and Mecca.Read more:Hailstorm blankets Saudi Arabia’s Hail in whiteIntense sandstorm engulfs several areas of Saudi Arabia; public urged to stay homeSaudi Arabia’s Hail sees unusual weather with heavy rain, snow, thunderstorms
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Heavy rain causes flooding across Saudi Arabia as snow envelops Ha’il, ‘Asir