Middle East Experience

It’s a big swing between two vastly different worlds — that of her tight-knit Orthodox community and a life of greater personal and artistic freedom.
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: New film 'Leona' uses romantic plot to examine Mexico City Jewish norms

Her husband was arrested by police. Unconfirmed reports claim the husband is a police officer.
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: Police officer suspected of murdering 35-year-old wife

The EU is to seek compensation after Israeli forces demolished tents and other Palestinian facilities it funded in a village in the Jordan Valley area of the West Bank..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: EU demands compensation from Israel for demolished facilities in West Bank

Libyan delegates at UN-facilitated talks outside Geneva made the surprise choice of Abdul Hamid Dbeibah as the transitional unity prime minister to take the war-ravaged country through to elections..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: Surprise as Dbeibah elected Libyan transitional PM

The Russian foreign ministry said in a statement that Moscow considered the actions of the diplomats unacceptable.
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: Russia expels Swedish, German and Polish diplomats over Navalny protests

Egypt has recently agreed with the Russian Rusnano Group to develop its local components and build more desalination plants to face the water scarcity that could result from the Ethiopian dam being built on the Blue Nile.
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: Egypt calls on Russia to build desalination plants as Nile dam talks stall

An outbreak of the Nipah virus in China, with a fatality rate of up to 75 percent, could potentially be the next big pandemic risk with giant pharmaceutical companies unprepared while currently focusing COVID-19, according to a report by the Access to Medicine Foundation.“Nipah virus is another emerging infectious disease that causes great concern. Nipah could blow any moment. The next pandemic could be a drug-resistant infection,” The Guardian quoted Jayasree K Iyer, the executive director of the Netherlands-based Access to Medicine Foundation, as saying.For all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.The virus is rare and spread by fruit bats, which can cause flu-like symptoms and brain damage. It can cause encephalitis, or inflammation of the brain, according to the World Health Organization. The usual treatment is supportive care.An outbreak of the Nipah virus in India's southern state Kerala in 2018 claimed 17 lives. At the time, countries like Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates temporarily banned frozen and processed fruit and vegetable imports from Kerala as a result of the outbreak there.At the time, health officials believed that Nipah outbreaks in Bangladesh and India were perhaps associated with the drinking of date palm juice.For more coronavirus news, visit our dedicated page.The 2021 Access to Medicine Index report takes a look at the actions of 20 of the world's leading pharmaceutical companies to make medicines, vaccines and diagnostics more accessible. It found that research and development for COVID-19 had increased in the past year but that other pandemic risks have so far gone unaddressed.“This Index was prepared during the worst public health crisis in a century – which has revealed the chronic inequalities of access to medicine like never before. Yet, after years of encouraging access planning, we are now seeing a strategic shift in this direction. This could radically change how fast access to new products is achieved – if company leadership is determined to ensure people living in low- and middle-income countries are not last in line,” the report quoted Iyer as saying.Read more:Nipah virus: What is this brain-damaging outbreak sweeping India?Saudi Arabia bans fruit, vegetable imports from Indian state after Nipah outbreakCoronavirus global death toll hits 2,206,873: AFP
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Nipah virus in China with up to 75 pct fatality rate could be next pandemic: Report

The security of the region is an indivisible one and therefore any further discussion on the Iran nuclear deal must include the opinion of all countries including the Gulf countries, the Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council told Al Arabiya during a special interview.“We clearly expressed with no ambiguity regarding the Iranian nuclear file and the agreement that was concluded between the permanent members plus one on three basic principles: The first is the security of the region is an indivisible whole. Therefore, there should be no agreement concerned with the security of the region without taking into account the opinion of all countries, and we are the main leaders in this,” GCC chief Nayef al-Hajraf told Al Arabiya’s “The Other Dimension” program.For all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.Al-Hajraf said the GCC had legitimate apprehensions regarding the Iran nuclear deal signed in 2015 and said there were “shortcoming from the first day.”“Especially the grace period that was granted to the Iranians or the controversial sunset clause controversy found in the agreement. We need real political will. It must be expressed by all parties, whether from within the region or the countries sponsoring this agreement, so that there is a clear follow-up mechanism,” he added.Al-Hajraf’s comments regarding the deal come a day after French President Emmanuel Macron told Al Arabiya that any new negotiations on world powers' 2015 nuclear deal with Iran would be very "strict" and should include Saudi Arabia.Iran responded on Saturday by rejecting any new negotiations or changes to the participants in Tehran's nuclear deal with world powers.Asked whether the GCC would find an ally in the current US administration of Joe Biden compared to the past four years under Donald Trump, al-Hajraf said the working relationship was strategic regardless of which political party was holding power in Washington.“It is a strategic relationship and it is not affected by whoever occupies the Oval Office, whether Republican or Democratic, because the GCC countries as a system and as an entity have dealt with all American administrations as an institutional work and based on common interests,” he said.The Secretary General of the GCC also touched upon other topics, chief among them was the recent AlUla Declaration signed in Saudi Arabia that saw a return of Qatar to the fold after more than three years of diplomatic and trade boycott by Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates.“Yes, what happened happened, and therefore the impact took place. We must not dwell too much on the why, when and who. Rather, we must put what happened before our eyes in order to fully understand this framework and to ensure that there is no recurrence, but the most important thing is that we move forward,” al-Hajraf told Al Arabiya’s Muntaha al-Ramahi.Read more:Regional allies, including Saudi Arabia, needed in new Iran deal talks: MacronIran to Macron: Nuclear deal non-negotiable, parties to deal ‘unchangeable’Any new Iran deal must prevent Tehran from having nuclear weapons: GCC chief at IISS
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Any new Iran deal must include regional partners, including the Gulf: GCC chief

Oman on Sunday received 100,000 doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, according to the country’s official Oman VS COVID19 Twitter account dedicated to the efforts of countering the coronavirus.For more coronavirus news, visit our dedicated page.The doses were “provided by the Republic of India, produced by the Serum Institute of India,” according to the statement.Last week, Oman’s health minister on said the country was set to receive 100,000 doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine within one week, according local media reports.Over 27,000 people have received the first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine and 7,992 received the second dose, the Times of Oman reported, citing Oman’s Ministry of Health.Oman’s Supreme Committee last week advised the country’s citizens and residents to avoid traveling abroad, except in cases of emergency.Last month, Oman launched its COVID-19 vaccination campaign, with the sultanate’s health minister receiving the first dose of the Pfizer vaccine.Read more:Oman bars expats from certain jobs amid economic downturn due to coronavirusCoronavirus: Oman launches national COVID-19 vaccine campaign Coronavirus: Oman to receive first batch of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Oman receives 100,000 doses of Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine

Saudi Arabia could implement further COVID-19 restrictions if people do not comply with preventative measures, Health Minister Dr. Tawfiq al-Rabiah said on Sunday amid a spike in cases.Read the latest updates in our dedicated coronavirus section.“We saw a significant and continuous increase in the number of coronavirus cases recently [caused by] gatherings of all kinds, if the laxity of gatherings continues and preventative measures are not implemented then we will enter the dangers of a second wave,” the minister warned in a video message.He also added that the commitment and cooperation of all contributes to the efforts of all sectors in the Kingdom in dealing with the pandemic.“The lack of commitment will undoubtedly make us have to take precautionary measures to protect society,” al-Rabiah said.The health minister urged people to take the latest developments seriously and to follow all advise including wearing face masks, maintaining social distancing, and practicing good hygiene including washing hands and avoiding handshakes.Saudi Arabia has seen an upward trend in recent days after having reported only 82 cases on January 3. The Kingdom had started an aggressive vaccination campaign but was forced to slow due to Pfizer delays in production and delivery.Authorities had announced the resumption of travel would be on March 31 but on Friday pushed the date to May 17 instead due to the global delay in vaccine deliveries and in effort to avoid a second wave of the virus.Read more:Saudi Arabia records 270 new cases of COVID-19, four new deathsSaudi Arabia extends travel restrictions, border closure to May 17Saudi Arabia reschedules COVID-19 second vaccine dose amid supply delay
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Saudi Arabia could see further COVID-19 restrictions due to non-compliance: Minister