Middle East Experience

A number of Turkish authors have been accused of sexual assault and….
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: Turkish writer accused of sexual harassment in #MeToo wave dies by suicide

“I want to thank the Kingdom of Bhutan and praise the decision to establish full diplomatic relations with Israel,” Ashkenazi said.
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: Israel normalizes ties with Bhutan

On Saturday evening, Hadassah announced that Yair, the 10-year-old who was critically injured is in stable condition and fully conscious. The 25-year-old uncle is intubated and sedated.
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: Two children killed in car crash near Jerusalem

"The idea of Gantz extending Netanyahu's reign is terrible, unbearable. We need a different prime minister - not more of the same endless failure," the Black Flag statement noted.
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: Black Flag movement to Gantz: Time has come to replace Netanyahu

"For each person on the globe, anthropogenic mass equal to more than his or her body weight is produced every week."
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: Total mass of man-made objects soon to overreach total biomass

“Delayed treatment can result in devastating outcomes," said Bendit Technologies CEO Yossi Mazel.
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: Innovative Israeli microcatheter is ‘bent’ on saving lives

The first trucks carrying a COVID-19 vaccine for widespread use in the US were set to pull out of a Michigan manufacturing plant Sunday, with the shots that are critical to stopping the nation’s coronavirus outbreak destined to reach states a day later.Read more: US says COVID-19 vaccine to start arriving in states on MondayShipments of the Pfizer vaccine will set in motion the biggest vaccination effort in American history at a critical juncture of the pandemic that has killed 1.6 million and sickened 71 million worldwide.Initially, about 3 million doses were expected to be sent out, and the priority is health care workers and nursing home residents as infections, hospitalizations and deaths soar in the US.With numbers likely to get worse over the holidays, the vaccine is offering a bright spot in the fight against the pandemic that’s killed nearly 300,000 Americans.Federal officials say the first shipments of Pfizer’s vaccine will be staggered, arriving in 145 distribution centers Monday, with an additional 425 sites getting shipments Tuesday, and the remaining 66 on Wednesday. The vaccine, co-developed by German partner BioNTech, is being doled out based on each state’s adult population.Pennsylvania health care giant UPMC has chosen staff who are critical to operating its facilities as among those getting the first round of vaccinations, said Dr. Graham Snyder, who led the center’s vaccine task force.Read more: US to start administering Pfizer-BioNTECH COVID-19 vaccine within 24 hours: Trump“It’s very exciting. I will be thrilled, that moment when we administer our first dose,” Snyder said Saturday. “That will clearly be a watershed moment for us.”Snyder said the UPMC system estimates that half its employees are willing to get the vaccine as soon as it’s offered to them.The vaccine is heading to hospitals and other sites that can store it at extremely low temperatures - about 94 degrees below zero. Pfizer is using containers with dry ice and GPS-enabled sensors to ensure each shipment stays colder than the weather in Antarctica.Doses should be delivered to all vaccination sites identified by states, such as local pharmacies, within three weeks, federal officials said.Read more:Coronavirus: China advises cabin crew to wear diapers to avoid toilets on flightsCoronavirus: 5,000 people a day to receive free Sinopharm vaccine in Abu DhabiCoronavirus: Where to get the COVID-19 Sinopharm vaccine in the UAE
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Coronavirus: First COVID-19 vaccine in US gets ready to roll out on trucks

Bahrain said Sunday it approved the use of a Chinese coronavirus vaccine, following its earlier approval of a vaccine made by Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech.Read more: Where to get the COVID-19 Sinopharm vaccine in the UAEBahrain’s state-run news agency said the Sinopharm vaccine would be available in the island kingdom off the coast of Saudi Arabia in the Persian Gulf.It offered few details though on study results of the vaccine, in line with the United Arab Emirates, which last week announced the vaccine was 86 percent effective.Bahrain said over 7,700 signed up to take part in a trial of the Sinopharm vaccine in the kingdom. The kingdom earlier said it plans to give the public free coronavirus vaccines, but has yet to answer any questions about its program.The Sinopharm vaccine has been approved for emergency use in a few countries and the company is still conducting late-stage clinical trials in 10 countries.Morocco is gearing up for an ambitious COVID-19 vaccination program, aiming to vaccinate 80 percent of its adults in an operation starting this month that’s relying initially on the Sinopharm vaccine.Sinopharm’s shot relies on a tested technology, using a killed virus to deliver the vaccine, similar to how polio immunizations are made.Leading Western competitors, like the shot made by Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech, use newer, less-proven technology to target the coronavirus’ spike protein using RNA.The United Kingdom already has begun vaccinating people with the Pfizer shot and the US appears poised to shortly follow.Already, Pfizer reports its shot as being 95 percent effective, while another RNA candidate from Moderna appears to be 94.5 percent effective.Results suggest a third vaccine from Oxford University and AstraZeneca is safe and about 70 percent effective, but questions remain about how well it may help protect those over 55.Read more:Coronavirus: Pakistan raises COVID-19 vaccine budget to $250 millionExecuted Iranian journalist Zam falsely promised release, not given execution noticeCoronavirus: China advises cabin crew to wear diapers to avoid toilets on flights
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Coronavirus: Bahrain approves Chinese COVID-19 vaccine for use

Iran on Sunday summoned the envoys of Germany, current holder of the European Union’s rotating presidency, and of France over criticism of the execution of an Iranian journalist, Iranian media reported.The Foreign Ministry voiced Iran’s protest to the two ambassadors over French and EU criticism of the execution on Saturday of dissident journalist Ruhollah Zam, who had been based in Paris before he was captured in Iraq and taken to Iran.Zam was convicted of fomenting violence during anti-government protests in 2017. His Amadnews feed had more than 1 million followers.The EU said in a statement after his execution: “The European Union condemns this act in the strongest terms and recalls once again its irrevocable opposition to the use of capital punishment under any circumstances.”The French Foreign Ministry called the execution a “barbaric and unacceptable act”, saying in a statement: “France condemns in the strongest possible terms this serious breach of free expression and press freedom in Iran.”Amnesty International and press advocacy group Reporters Without Borders (RSF) also condemned the execution.Iranian officials have accused the US, as well as Tehran’s regional rival Saudi Arabia and government opponents living in exile, of stoking the unrest that began in late 2017 as regional protests over economic hardship spread nationwide.Officials said 21 people were killed during the unrest and thousands were arrested. The unrest was among the worst Iran has seen in decades, and was followed by even deadlier protests last year against fuel price rises.Read more:French Foreign Ministry: Execution of Iranian journalist is a barbaric actExecuted Iranian journalist Zam falsely promised release, not given execution noticeReporters Without Borders condemns Iran’s execution of journalist Ruhollah Zam
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Iran summons German, French ambassador over EU criticism of journalist execution

Kuwait’s Ministry of Health on Sunday authorized the emergency use of the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine, the state news agency KUNA reported, citing a ministry official.For more coronavirus news, visit our dedicated page.“A joint committee of the medicine registration and supervision department and the public health department for the evaluation and registration of vaccines has approved emergency use of the vaccine,” KUNA cited Dr. Abdullah al-Bader, Assistant Undersecretary for Pharmaceutical and Food Supervision, as saying.He said the committee’s decision followed a thorough review of the safety and quality specifications of the vaccine.According to KUNA, the committee also reviewed results of clinical trials.Al-Bader added that Kuwait’s Ministry of Health would closely follow the safety of the vaccine following its use to ensure the public’s wellbeing.Read more: Coronavirus: Kuwait PM says COVID-19 vaccines will be optional, free to all
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Coronavirus: Kuwait authorizes emergency use of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine