Middle East Experience

Initial reports suggest the attack is the largest against Iraqi security forces in months.
Source: Al Monitor
Full Article: Suspected Islamic State gunmen kill 11 at military post outside Baghdad

A Russian Mi-24 helicopter was downed over Armenia near the border with Azerbaijan, killing two crew members and injuring another, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Monday."A Russian Mi-24 helicopter came under fire from the ground from a man-portable air-defense system when accompanying a vehicle convoy of the 102nd Russian military base on the territory of Armenia in the airspace close to the Armenian settlement of Yeraskh near the border with the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic (Azerbaijan)," the defense ministry said in a statement, according to state news agency TASS.The ministry did not clarify the purpose of the convoy the helicopter was accompanying. Russia has a large military base in Armenia, but it is about 150 kilometers (90 miles) from where the helicopter was shot down.Nakhchivan is about 70 kilometers (40 miles) from Nagorno-Karabakh and it was not clear if the helicopter shootdown was connected with the conflict.Armenian and Azerbaijani forces have been fighting for six weeks over the region of Nagorno-Karabakh. The region lies within Azerbaijan but has been under the control of ethnic Armenian forces backed by Armenia since a war there ended in 1994. The latest outburst of hostilities began September 27 and has left hundreds — perhaps thousands — dead, marking the worst escalation of fighting since the war’s end.Azerbaijan has relied on strong support from its ally Turkey, which has trained Azerbaijani military and provided it with strike drones and long-range rocket systems.Armenian officials accuse Turkey of being directly involved in the conflict and sending mercenaries from Syria to fight on Azerbaijan’s side.- With APFor all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.Read more:Russia: 2,000 fighters from Middle East joined Armenia-Azerbaijan conflictRussia says to provide ‘necessary help’ to Yerevan if fighting reaches ArmeniaRussia will continue working with Turkey over Nagorno-Karabakh, says LavrovAzerbaijan says no reason for Russia to intervene over Nagorno-Karabakh
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Russian military helicopter shot down over Armenia near Azerbaijan border, two killed

Speaking at the UK’s World Travel Market (WTM) event, Ministers from Israel, the UAE and Bahrain described how tourism can become a true bridge for peace.
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: Israel, UAE, Bahrain officials show how tourism can be bridge for peace

In May, Israel gave the Palestinians an NIS 800 million loan that effectively returned all the tax and tariff funds Israel had previously deducted.
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: Katz vows to deduct PA tax funds over terrorists’ salaries

Arab MKs say plan fails to address core issues
Source: Jerusalem Post
Full Article: PMO presents plan to reduce violence in Arab sector

Egypt is rolling out ambitious development projects in the peninsula adjoining the Suez Canal, Israel and Gaza, but pockets of instability persist despite an intensified military campaign..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: Development projects part of Egypt’s arsenal in Northern Sinai

The sun is setting by the time Tunisian fashion designer Chems Eddine Mechri reaches the breezy, seaside town of Mahdia. He has spent half the day driving in the scorching heat in pursuit of the precious, handmade fabrics he needs for his upcoming winter collection..
Source: Albawaba
Full Article: Tunisian designers attentive to their roots and the environment

Thousands of Armenians took to the streets in the capital Yerevan on Tuesday to protest the agreement Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian signed with Azerbaijan and Russia to end the war over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region.Pashinian said the deal was "extremely painful" for him and the Armenian people. "The decision was the result of an in-depth analysis of the military situation and based on the assessment of the best experts in the field," he said in a Facebook post."I believe this is the best possible solution for the current situation," Pashinyan added."This is not a victory but there is not defeat until you consider yourself defeated. We will never consider ourselves defeated and this shall become a new start of an era of our national unity and rebirth," he said.The agreement calls for Armenian forces to turn over control of some areas it held outside the borders of Nagorno-Karabakh, including the eastern district of Agdam.That area carries strong symbolic weight for Azerbaijan because its main city, also called Agdam, was thoroughly pillaged, and the only building remaining intact is the city's mosque.Armenians will also turn over the Lachin region, which holds the main road leading from Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia. The agreement calls for the road, the so-called Lachin Corridor, to remain open and be protected by Russian peacekeepers.Soon after the announcement, thousands of people streamed to the main square in the Armenian capital Yerevan to protest the agreement, many shouting, "We won't give up our land!"Some of them broke into the main government building, saying they were searching for Pashinian, who apparently had already departed. A few hundred entered the building, ransacking offices and breaking windows, an AFP journalist said. The Armenian PM's announcement came after Azerbaijan declared it had seized dozens of settlements in Nagorno-Karabakh. On Sunday, Azerbaijan said it had captured Shusha, known by Armenians as Shushi, which sits on a mountaintop overlooking Stepanakert, the city regarded as the enclave’s capital by its ethnic Armenian administration. Russian President Vladimir Putin was cited by state media as saying: "Karabakh agreement will help iron out issue on fair basis and in the interests of Azerbaijani and Armenian people. Azerbaijani and Armenian forces in Karabakh will stay on positions they hold.""A swap of prisoners of war and other detained persons and bodies is underway," the Russian leader said, speaking about a joint statement he had signed with the Azerbaijani president and the Armenian prime minister.Putin also said Russian peace keepers will be deployed along the frontline in Nagorno-Karabakh, according to Russian news agency Interfax.Armenian and Azerbaijani forces have been fighting for six weeks over the region of Nagorno-Karabakh. The region lies within Azerbaijan but has been under the control of ethnic Armenian forces backed by Armenia since a war there ended in 1994. The latest outburst of hostilities began September 27 and has left hundreds — perhaps thousands — dead, marking the worst escalation of fighting since the war’s end.Azerbaijan has relied on strong support from its ally Turkey, which has trained Azerbaijani military and provided it with strike drones and long-range rocket systems. Meanwhile, Russia has a defense pact with Armenia and a military base there.- With AP, AFPFor all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.Read more:Armenia signs 'extremely painful' war-end deal with Azerbaijan and Russia: PMRussian military helicopter shot down over Armenia near Azerbaijan border, two killedAzerbaijan apologizes for shooting down Russia’s helicopter, offers compensation
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Watch: Protesters storm Armenia's government building amid anger over Azerbaijan deal

Foreign umrah pilgrims returned to the Prophet’s Mosque in Medina eight months after their entry was prohibited as a precaution against the coronavirus, the General Presidency for the Affairs of the Prophet’s Mosque in Saudi Arabia said on Monday.For more coronavirus news, visit our dedicated page.Under the third phase of gradual resumption of Umrah, 160 to 170 Muslims are allowed to visit the Prophet’s Mosque and the Rawdah – the chambers where Prophet Mohammed was buried – at a time, the Deputy President of the Affairs of the Prophet’s Mosque Mohammed al-Khodari told al-Ekhbariya TV.Approximately, 4,000 to 5,000 Muslims visited the mosque and the Rawdah by the end of the day, al-Khodari said. Before November 1, only pilgrims within Saudi Arabia were permitted to perform Umrah and visit the Two Holy Mosques in Mecca and Medina.Muslims must follow precautionary measures throughout their visit, which includes wearing a face mask and maintaining at least a two-meter distance from others. Eatmarna app To be allowed into the mosque’s quarters, all visitors must first register through the Eatmarna application to obtain a permit. The visitor can request permission and choose a specific time they wish to perform a prayer at the Prophet’s Mosque on the app. The app is meant to prevent crowding and long waiting lines for those who wish to enter the mosque. Read more:Coronavirus: Saudi Arabia’s Jeddah airport prepares to welcome foreign Umrah pilgrimsCoronavirus: Saudi Arabia welcomes foreign Umrah pilgrims for first time in months Regular disinfection campaigns The floors, hallways, and doors of the Prophet’s Mosque and its quarters are regularly disinfected using the most modern sterilizing equipment, the general presidency said. The carpets in the mosque are also vacuumed and sterilized throughout the day, according to the general presidency.Instead of placing their shoes in the usual designated area, special bags are handed out to Muslims to store their shoes before they enter the mosque to prevent crowding and infection.
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Coronavirus: Foreign umrah pilgrims return to Prophet’s Mosque eight months later

Saeb Erakat, a prominent Palestinian spokesman for decades, died on Tuesday after contracting COVID-19, a senior member of his Fatah party said. He was 65.For more coronavirus news, visit our dedicated page.Chief negotiator in US-brokered peace talks with Israel that collapsed in 2014, Erakat was also secretary-general of the Palestine Liberation Organization and a member of its most powerful faction, Fatah.He was a strong advocate of a two-state solution of the conflict with Israel and a sharp critic of its settlement policy on occupied land that he said could destroy prospects for a viable Palestine.Read more:Coronavirus: PLO’s Saeb Erekat taken to Israeli hospital for COVID-19 treatmentCoronavirus: PLO Erekat's son says health critical but stable, denies death reportsCoronavirus: PLO’s Saeb Erekat tests positive for COVID-19Erakat confirmed on Oct. 8 that he had been infected with the coronavirus. In 2017 he underwent a lung transplant in the United States, which suppressed his immune system.He was rushed from his home in the West Bank city of Jericho to Hadassah Medical Center in Israel last week. Doctors placed him on a ventilator and in a medically induced coma after his condition deteriorated.
Source: Al Arabiya
Full Article: Coronavirus: PLO Secretary General Saeb Erakat dies after hospitalization