Middle East Experience

The Iraqi parliament voted on the funding deficit law so that it can borrow to pay salaries that have been in arrears for more than two months.
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: Iraq increases deficit to pay salaries

US President-elect Joe Biden is pushing ahead with appointing officials for his upcoming administration, with some of the most senior posts set to be announced this week.Late Sunday, news leaked that Biden intends to tap Antony Blinken as the secretary of state and Jake Sullivan as the national security adviser.For all the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.Blinken, 58, is a longtime confidante of Biden and has worked with the former VP for decades.During Biden’s time on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Blinken was his aide and played a central role in crafting US policy in the Middle East.Blinken referred to as a centrist, has admitted to getting Washington’s policy on Syria wrong during his time in the Obama administration.Sullivan, formerly one of Hillary Clinton’s closest aides, is also to be named Biden’s national security adviser, Bloomberg reported.Meanwhile, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the former assistant secretary of state for Africa in the Obama administration, is expected to be the next US ambassador to the United Nations.Biden also said last week he had chosen a secretary of treasury, and would announce the person near the Nov. 26 Thanksgiving holiday. Former Federal Reserve chief Janet Yellen is said to be the top candidate.The appointments, needing Senate confirmation, will be announced by Biden Tuesday, according to his newly-appointed chief-of-staff, Ron Klain.Klain, Biden’s chief of staff while VP, was Biden’s first hire since he beat incumbent President Donald Trump in the Nov. 3 elections.So far, Biden has steered away from controversial names in a sign that he intends to seek a middle ground with Republicans.Susan Rice, US ambassador to the UN and then the national security adviser under Obama, was one of the potential candidates for secretary of state. However, her past comments after the deadly 2012 attacks on Americans in Benghazi, Libya, have been controversial and heavily criticized by the Republican party.On Monday, Biden named Reema Dodin and Shuwanza Goff as deputy directors of the White House’s office of legislative affairs, which coordinates legislation with Congress. Dodin and Goff have served as top legislative strategists for Democratic Senator Dick Durbin and Democratic House of Representatives Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, respectively.Read more:US policies in the Middle East: An in-depth analysis of Biden’s plansCentrist Blinken to be Biden’s pick for US secretary of state- with agencies
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Joe Biden is expected to fill top brass positions with veteran diplomats: Who’s who?

Several contests are being conducted all month long where residents will get a chance to win gift hampers and vouchers that can be redeemed with Aster..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: #LiveBetterwithAster: Fitness campaign launched for Dubai residents

Lebanon registers 1,041 new coronavirus cases, 11 deaths..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: Lebanon registers 1,041 new coronavirus cases, 11 deaths

Saudi and Israeli sources have confirmed that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu flew yesterday to Saudi Arabia and met with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, leaked news that Defense Minister Benny Gantz called irresponsible.
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: Gantz slams Netanyahu over leak of alleged secret meeting with Saudi crown prince

While the world continues to grapple with the COVID-19 pandemic, the Middle East is winning the war on the previous deadly outbreak to threaten the world - MERS.Read the latest updates in our dedicated coronavirus section.Seven years before COVID-19 began making global headlines, the first outbreak of the Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) - known to cause acute respiratory disease, gastrointestinal problems, kidney failure and death - was reported in Saudi Arabia.The disease, also referred to as MERS coronavirus (MERS-CoV), led to 2519 worldwide cases since the April 2012, including 866 deaths - a mortality rate of about 35 percent. Most of these cases (83 percent) were reported from Saudi Arabia. The height of the MERS-CoV epidemic was in April 2015 when 395 cases were recorded, most in Saudi Arabia (342 cases).But according to the World Health Organization (WHO), the last reported cases of the virus were in January this year, when 17 new laboratory-confirmed cases were reported - two in the UAE, and 15 more in Saudi Arabia.The deaths occurred among patients aged 45 to 85 years with underlying health conditions.Dr. Ulrich Wernery, scientific director of Dubai’s Central Veterinary Research Laboratory, which plays an important role in efforts to combat the virus, believes the disease is no longer a serious threat to public safety.“The last major viruses - severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), MERS and COVID-19 - were all coronaviruses,” he said. “SARS was essentially eradicated because of the killing of every civet cat - the source of the virus.”“With MERS - a virus linked to camels - the same could not be done because you cannot kill more than 20 million camels.”“But what has been done is acting on the knowledge we had; and limiting interaction with the species and limiting human-to-human transmission - especially in hospital settings. That has led to human numbers of MERS now being minimal. Although we should not forget it, MERS has subsided, and we can control it.”“With COVID - which is the worst of the three viruses - we can learn lesson from these previous coronaviruses; we need to act on the knowledge we have and that is how to limit the spread.”Read more:Coronavirus: MERS experience helped Saudi Arabia fight COVID-19, health ministry saysBehind the name: Why is pandemic called coronavirus, COVID-19?MERS virus in Saudi poses hospital threat, study says
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: As the world battles COVID-19, Middle East wins war on its virus predecessor: MERS

A year after mass protests roiled Lebanon, dozens of protesters are being tried before military courts, proceedings that human rights lawyers say grossly violate due process and fail to investigate allegations of torture and abuse..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: Protesters’ military trials spark outcry in Lebanon

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Sunday that Turkey sees itself as a part of Europe, but called on the European Union to “keep your promises” on issues such as the country’s membership bid and refugees..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: Erdogan tries to woo Europe but escalates East Med tensions

A Google Maps search reveals an Aramco distribution center matching the one described by the Houthi spokesman in northern outskirts of Jeddah..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: Houthis claim missile strike on Saudi Aramco facility as Washington mulls terrorist tag

"Am I different because the eye does not see my injury? I suffered a very severe dissociative episode and I got to a point that I am not proud of with a very deep cut which endangered my life."
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: Sexual abuse reports rose by 33% in Israel during COVID-19 pandemic